30 Years of Music

FYI, I'm thinking about this post since 3 or 4 days. Didn't find the time to write it for good. Until now !

30 years ago was 1981, the year my big brother was born. 

French President was François Mitterrand.

The European Union was the European Economic Community.

R. Reagan was the American President.

Chariots of Fire was released in Cinemas, and was winning the Oscar of Best Movie.

Bob Marley was dying in May.

French Minister Jack Lang was creating the Music Day on June 21st.

MTV was created and broadcasting the first video clip ever : Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.

French singer Georges Brassens was dying in October.

I Love Rock'n'Roll was released by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

It was in the Golden Years of great bands like Kiss, Motorhead, Mötley Crüe, Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne. But, it was also the time to leave some space for a new band. Metallica.

Born on October 28th 1981.

This week, the band was celebrating their 30th birthday with a week of gigs in San Francisco. I wonder why I didn't spend the week there !

I remember, I discovered the band in 1991 or 1992, don't remember. At this moment, my big brother bought the Black Album. I remember that one day, I asked him if he could copy one of the songs. I didn't know the title, the only thing I knew was that it was a calm one, and a long one... 

I also remember that, in Junior High, one of my friends really like the band, and I borrowed him the Symphonic and Melodic album to copy it on a tape. I think that the tape ended dead. I listened to it soooo much. 

And then, around 2001-2002 the band disappeared. And, I admit that I kinda stop listening to it (at this time, I think that I owned none of the albums). 

In October 2003, on my way to school, I blenched. I was concentrated on the music I was listening, and leaving my subway to another, my eye was attracted by 3 big adds. 

Metallica released few weeks/months before their new record St Anger, and they were promoting the upcoming tour ...

Believe me, a giant poster with this picture turns Lars Ulrich as a giant, and seeing pointing you like that when you're leaving the subway a little bit sleepy, well... you blench ! I saw this same poster during few weeks. It was sweet. Saying hello every morning. I was kinda sad the day they put the adds down.

I think I bought my first Metallica records at this moment. The Black Album and Symphonic and Melodic. The two I listened to everytime. Probably the best for me. 

I really re-discovered Metallica when they released Death Magnetic. 

The critics about Load and Reload were not really good or nice, and so, Musical journalist were really waiting for this new record.

In class, one of my teacher talked about Death Magnetic. I don't remember why he mentioned it and made us listening for the intros of some tracks. But, whatever. It reminds me that I had only a few of their records.

This same year, I bought all the others. The last I bought was Garage Inc. 

In between, I watched the video from S&M concert, watched Some Kind of Monster and fell in love with the band.

My first thesis was about the relation ship between the disc and the Internet. It was a study of how we consume music (God, I hate saying that ! It's impossible to consume music, music has to be listened !!! not consumed ! You have to listen, understand, imagine, being inspired by the music, you have to take care of it, not consume it as you consume tabloids !!) I was trying to understand why people were downloading music on P2P sites rather buying CDs, this beautiful thing (ok, not as beautiful as a vinyl record !) And so, I wrote a short text about Napster, and so about Metallica. Well, not about Metallica, but mostly about Lars Ulrich, cuz he's the one who really did something against Napster and P2P. 

I wrote 2 pages I think (the thesis was about 100 pages, maybe 90...)

I didn't really have the time to work on the Napster problem, was a little bit short in time, and didn't really know how to include it into the rest of the thesis. So, I just wrote two pages.

It wasn't really a problem, cuz, I had to write a second thesis.

I use a part of the first one to write this new thesis. And, so, I had the time to work on Napster.

I read a lot of books and articles about it. They were all referring to Metallica. I re-watched Some Kind of Monster, and watched again and again the part about Napster and how it broke the band (in between of a lot of other problems) and cried. 

In April 2009, when I was working on this thesis, Metallica was introduced to the Rock'n'roll Hall Of Fame. I saw the video, and cried again. 

This time, I wrote something like 50 pages about it, a chapter or two, I don't remember. Explaining what the problem really was, and how powerful bands were trying to fight against it, losing some fans yelling against them because they think it's all about money. I loved writing this thesis, and promised to myself that, if one day I had to write a new one, it will be about the band !

For me, Metallica is not just music. It's also four human beings who faced a lot of problems and terrible moment. Always strong, even when Cliff Burton died in September 86 (at this moment, I was born ! :))

They're composing and playing the music they want and love, took some risk, fought against those who were stealing copyrights, and realized that they needed a break far away from everything if they didn't want to kill what they accomplished until now. 

I have a lot of respect for them. I really do. And, yes, I love their music. And adore the risks they take, when they release records like Load and Reload, or mix their music with a Symphonic Orchestra...

But... if I have one reproach, it will be : guys, what the fuck is Lulu ? Recording an album with Lou Reed is a good idea, but, OMG, this record sucks !!! 

If I had to post one video to close this post (that is finally really different from what I had in mind...) well... I'll choose... I don't know. 

The Four Horsemen - by Metallica

 

PS : 

As you know 2011 is not the best year for me, and I'm really sorry for anger and sadness in my posts.

My London time was not perfect. 

I realized some things, and started doubting about a lot of other things. For example, why am I doing that, and am I just a dictionary for them or a real partner. Unfortunately, since this doubts are in my mind, I'm paranoid and suffer a little bit more. It's stupid, I know, but... with, maybe, 10 bad months on 12, I try to not see the bizarreness of my mind ! The pain, I guess.

Anyway. I'm doubting, but the "good" news is that I have a job interview on Monday afternoon. 

I believe in my bands, if I'm working with them it's because I truly love their music and believe in their success. But, I can't be the one you use just like that. I'm tired being a sucker. As I said, I don't want to be just a dictionary. There are some free ones on the Internet. If they only need a dictionary, they don't need me.