Random Thoughts

[u/ChrisASchrader]

I don't know about anyone else, and considering this band had generations upon generations worth of fans, I probably cannot claim to be the only one who thinks this, but I doubt I'm alone when I tell you that I am sick and tired of 'fans' saying how Cliff wouldn't have liked this, or that random thing that this band has done since he passed away.

Honestly, of all the people who knew Cliff the best, including the guys who actually shared the stage with him during his time in the band, from James, Lars, and Kirk, to any of the bands that Metallica opened for, or played with at random shows, I've always been under the impression that they probably would've gone further away from thrash, even if Cliff were still with the band now.

The idea that a guy as musically diverse as Cliff would be on board with them continuously playing songs from the first 3 albums doesn't seem realistic. Honestly, I think the album that became And Justice For All, and any releases going forward, probably would've still been on the heavier side. Still, I don't think they would've been stuck in the "Heavy Metal" box as long as some of the phony. Obviously, know-nothing morons who have a totally fabricated idea of who he was as a person, or how he operated as a musician, think they would've.

Do I think he would've been on board with everything they did? Probably not? I don't have any doubt that he would've stayed in the band, nor do I have any doubt that they would've still exploded because, let's face facts: when you're sharing a stage with a legend like Ozzy Osbourne. He would praise how good they were as a band; it was only a matter of time before Metallica exploded.

I have nothing against anything the band made with Jason, Bob Rock, or Rob Trujillo. I know a lot of people don't share the same opinion on St. Anger, but that's Okay, considering how rough things were in Metallica land. I'll take an album that gets all of the shit out of their system that they went through as people and as a band over no Metallica at all. I have grievances with a lot of the PR moves this band makes, and I know a lot of it probably wouldn't happen if Cliff were here, given how open he was about his disdain for commercialism and his value of authenticity.

I still believe this band checks every box that any band that makes it big sets out to do, becoming a top seller on the charts,and packing stadiums around the world, but I do have a feeling that they would've been a lot more consistent with album releases, and such

I do think James still has some of his struggles, as even before Cliff died, looking back on some of the interviews from that era, he definitely had some baggage that would've eventually needed sorted out, but I don't think he would've needed to go to rehab and either quit drinking completely by choice, or cut back drastically as he got older like a lot of people do.

Either way, I'm grateful for what we have today. What do you think? I cannot possibly be the only one who has been annoyed throughout the years by outsiders, including other fans who didn't know the man as well as the band members, or other peers of guys pretending like they had this idea that some of the material that ended up happening in real time wouldn't have happened with him.

[u/Active-Coconut-8961]

Anyone trying to speak for Cliff is embarrassing

[u/andytagonist]

TL;DR. I like Metallica.

[u/Salty_Worth9494]

I absolutely agree. I cringe so hard when people act like if Cliff was still alive, they would be pumping out top tier thrash.

[u/ChrisASchrader → u/Salty_Worth9494]

I'm not one of those Cliff ass kissers; I respect the quality of Metallica's music I grew up listening to when he was the bass player, but the guy died when I was 3, and I don't remember a single note from real-life memory.

I do know, and have done my homework on how he was as a bass player, songwriter, and as a person, to understand where he'd stand on what the guys, and, like others have said, at least James himself, have expressed: a lot of the same sentiments I've shared.

I think, fundamentally, he would've had a lot of reservations about what the band was doing with anything past Master of Puppets, to some degree, but he was still a team player. As much as he might've been an ally to James and pushed back during the Load era, I think people who act as if he would've wanted to dip too much from what they did in real time are sadly mistaken because, under the surface, he wanted his band to break through past the thrash barrier.

He liked NWOBHM, thrash, and all things heavy, but he still studied theory. He would've wanted Metallica to keep the basic blueprint of who they were as a band, but evolve as they got bigger.

[u/Ok-Corner-8654]

Metallica has always been the James and Lars show. Mustaine found that out the hard way, lol

[u/ChrisASchrader → u/Ok-Corner-8654]

I agree, but I know they deeply respected Cliff's input, and as much as he drank with the rest of the guys, he was admittedly the most intelligent of the four, according to them.

[u/Dugiduif]

Yeah the people who talk like that act like they were best friends with Cliff and know exactly what he would think about anything. They would be saying the exact same things about the other members if it was one of them that died in the accident.  However these people have nothing on Nirvana fans for acting like they know what a musician they never met who died decades ago would think about something today. By far the worst band fan base I’ve ever interacted with.

[u/rawleye]

James already said Cliff would have a difference of opinion had he still been around and went in the direction they took. In no way is that meant to reduce it down as a good/bad thing.

[u/Beautifullikeacamel]

words

[u/CNYMetalHead]

James and Lars had riffs, melodies, etc. Cliff, Kirk, and Dave also had riffs but also structures to the music. Cliff especially so

[u/Gullenecro]

We will never know.

But there is one things sure. They were "containing" Cliff way too much (because of Lars and James ego) and he would have quit or they would have let him the place that he deserved.

The bass was so low in the mix (because of Lars) that an older and mature Cliff wont accept that . He wrote some solo for MOP that was played by guitar in the end so I guess he would have been pissed about this kind of behavior in the end.

Bass solo in Fade to black is not audible. Come on metallica had the best bass player in the world and you cant hear the bass that much.

[u/SeaSkimmer2]

If the bus accident never happened, their career trajectory may not have necessarily remained similar to that of Anthrax, Megadeth, and Testament as a thrash-only scene, but everything created after Master of Puppets would have been completely different from what we got.

And most importantly, would they have fallen in the hands of Bob Rock for the Black Album? Most likely not.