Kosmik Radiation Radio - Sep 30, 2011 Playlist

The Day The Metal Died

Cliff Burton ~ R.I.P. September 27, 1986


CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Metallica "Master Of Puppets" 1986 (USA)

It was 25 years ago this week that Cliff Burton was killed in a bus accident in Sweden. He was the bass player for Metallica during the years when they were clawing their way to the top, but did not live to see his band's incredible worldwide success. Many have speculated (including this DJ) that the metal world may have turned out quite different had he lived -- though Metallica is undoubtedly one of the most influential and popular groups of the 20th century (practically the "Beatles of heavy metal"), they never really filled the hole Cliff's death left in their lineup (subsequent bassists have not had much say in creative decisions). Aside from instrumental virtuosity, Cliff also gave Metallica its "edge" and "heart" and a quirky everyman appeal -- he always dressed like a 1970's burnout in defiance of slick 1980's fashion trends, and was responsible for the "psychedelic and progressive seventies" influences on their early records. Master Of Puppets was the third Metallica album and the last one to feature Cliff. Though sometimes criticized as being a virtual re-write of their previous album, what really sets Master apart is the anthemic quality of the songwriting -- there was something undeniably fresh and exciting (and dangerous and challenging) about these heavy metal kids with their huge songs with huge riffs about huge topics like freedom, war, addiction and death. It was a far cry from the sounds of previous decades or the squeaky-clean bubblegum of eighties mainstream pop.
Cliff Burton died while the band was on tour for this album, so there isn't actually a lot of footage of them playing these songs with Cliff -- here's a version of "Disposable Heroes" from before the record came out. Some earlier Metalliclassics featuring Cliff (and his bass solos) include "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Whiplash". Metallica's biggest influence was an obscure UK band called Diamond Head -- here's Metallica's version of their song "Am I Evil".

(N) = New Release

Artist	Song	Album	Year (label)	Country
Beatallica	Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band	A Garage Dayz Nite	2001	USA
Diamond Head	Helpless	Lightning To The Nations	1980	UK
DMBQ	Taste	The Essential Sounds From The Far East	2005	Japan
Sleep	Dragonaut	Sleep's Holy Mountain	1993	USA
Melvins	Honey Bucket	Houdini	1993	USA

Metallica	Master Of Puppets	Master Of Puppets CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK	1986	USA
Metallica	The Thing That Should Not Be	Master Of Puppets CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK	1986	USA
Metallica	Am I Evil? (Diamond Head)	Garage Days Revisited EP	1984	USA

Iron Maiden	Invaders	The Number Of The Beast	1982	UK
Motorhead	No Class	Overkill	1979	UK
Blood Ceremony	Coven Tree	Living With The Ancients (N)	2011 (Rise Above)	Canada
Jex Thoth	Warrior Woman	Jex Thoth	2008	USA
Wife	Evil Sorceress (live)	Live At The Wisco (cassette)	2010	USA
Rocket From The Tombs	Down In Flames / Search & Destroy (live)	The Day The Earth Met The Rocket From The Tombs	rec. 1975	USA
Rocket From The Tombs	Anna	Barfly (N)	2011 (Hearpen/Smog Veil)	USA

Graveyard	Buying Truth	Hisingen Blues (N)	2011 (Nuclear Blast)	Sweden
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead	Summer Of All Dead Souls	The Tao Of The Dead (N)	2011 (Century Media)	USA
The Hanna Barbarians	Black China	Syzygy (N)	2011 (self release)	USA
Bardo Pond	Cracker Wrist	Bardo Pond (N)	2010 (Fire Records)	USA

Baby Woodrose	Love Comes Down	Love Comes Down (N)	2011 (Bad Afro)	Denmark
Far East Family Band	The Cave	Nipponjin	1975	Japan
Smoke Fairies	Summer Fades	Through Low Light And Trees (N)	2011 (Year Seven)	UK
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks	No One Is (I Am Are Be)	Mirror Traffic (N)	2011 (Matador)	USA

Googoosh	Bemoun Ta Bemounam	Googoosh (N - reissue compilation)	rec. 1970's (2011 B-Music)	Iran
Gal Costa	Deixa Sangrar	Legal	1970	Brazil
Eleanor Friedberger	Heaven	Last Summer (N)	2011 (Merge)	USA
Viva Voce	No Ship Coming In	The Future Will Destroy You (N)	2011 (Vanguard)	USA
Neil Young & The International Harvesters	Fliying On The Ground Is Wrong (live)	A Treasure (N)	rec. 1984-85 (2011 Reprise)	Canada/USA

Metallica	Orion	Master Of Puppets CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK	1986	USA