The other day I mentioned that Blood Sugar Sex Magik and
Nevermind were released on the same day in September of 1991, Metallica’s
self-titled album preceded those two by only a month. It was released on August
12, 1991. It is because of the close proximity of release dates that I will
bore you with a personal anecdote.
At some point in 1994, I was drinking with a friend of mine
named Chris Prospero and he explained an interesting theory he had about this
album from Metallica. Chris is a Metalhead and enjoyed all kinds of Metal… Speed, hair, Thrash,
Grind, Death, Rusty, Country, and Western. It was because of his undying
love of Metal he was very disappointed in Metallica.
According to Chris:
In 1991, when Metallica, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and
Nirvana all released albums, Rock music was at a turning point. Hair Metal had
been ruling the roost for many years, since the early 80’s. Alternative Rock
had been bubbling under the surface, for many years and was about to explode
with the force of a volcano. Towards the end of the second year
of this new decade something was about to happen! A new paradigm was about to
be birthed.
As much as Alt Rock was bubbling, so was “real” Metal and
the entire Metal community was looking to Metallica to save them from… Poison
and Skid Row.
Had Metallica come correct with a proper Thrash Metal album
that lived up to the standard of their previous albums and somehow made the
genre just a pube more palatable for the masses then they would have changed history. Metallica would have toppled hair Metal and ultimately Grunge would have been a passing Indie Rock fancy. Metal music would have enjoyed another ten year reign with the real proprietors of the genre at the helm. Be damned the pretty boys!
(Editor’s Note – This is Chris Prospero’s theory and not
mine.)
But because Metallica switched up their sound to Hard Rock,
yes there are very watered down traces of Thrash on Metallica, they basically
handed the Rock throne to the flannel wearing misanthropes from Seattle and
Grunge kicked down the doors for the Alternative Rock Heyday, while banishing
Metal to the dark dank recesses of Moms’ basements everywhere. And rightly so!
That is not to say that this album wasn't a fucking monster!
Cause it was enormous. Although, I always hated “The Unforgiven,” and “Enter
Sandman” didn't do much for me either. I do love “Sad But True,” “Holier Than
Thou,” “Don’t Tread On Me,” and “Through The Never.” “Wherever I May Roam” is
okay, I guess.
Back in the day, if I was listening to this album I would always
shut it off at “Nothing Else Matters.” So, I stuck with that tradition today.
Fuck Metallica.
I used to enjoy Eels' first single “Novocaine For The Soul,”
but not enough to actually bother with the rest of the album. I’m an idiot.
There’s a poor man’s Beck thing going on here. Simple songs sung over wonderfully
orchestrated arrangements that blend the old school with the new.
Beautiful Freak is a little slow though and I normally don’t
like when an album chugs along at the speed of boring, but I’ll make an
exception here. There might have been a song or two that would have become
cherished favorites had I listened to this whole album in 1996.
Eels tenth album! I have listened to one of their albums! I did a write up
for Shootenanny back in 2003, and boy did I miss the mark on that one. I'm the worst at trying to figure out what a song is actually about, to me it's about what I think it's about. But enough about me.
Going from first to last here in the Eels discography today, it doesn't seem
like E has switched up the sound much, except for he Rocks a little more. And
there ain't nothing wrong with that. “Peach Blossom” really touched me!
I gotta spend some time with the entire Eels catalog.
Oh, and I have a quick story. In 2003, I went to see Eels play at Irving Plaza in New York City. Nice size venue with one of those bullshit union curfews at 11 pm If you break it, you pay a fine. The Eels broke the curfew this night. As, we all filed out, I was at the bottom of the stairs about to leave the place when the band had started playing again. E had learned once you pay the fine, you can basically do whatever the fuck you want. I ran up the stairs and watched Eels play three more songs to about 50 people with the house lights on. It was a neat little Rock N' Roll moment.
Tomorrow is Mike Patton Day! Check out the March Playlist!
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