For every type of musical style there are a couple of groups or artists that are the best in their genre. Jay-Z, and Eminem are the best rappers. Led Zeppelin is the best rock group and the Beatles pretty much trump almost everyone in music. While ‘heavy metal’ is not my favorite type of music, I can appreciate it. I know that Metallica is good. I know they are the best heavy metal band to have ever existed. What I don’t understand is when they became a bunch of whiny girls.
The Metallica documentary ‘Some Kind of Monster’ has been airing on VH1 Classic recently and if you haven’t seen it, watch it. While some people say it is an interesting look into the inner workings of one of the greatest bands of all time, I think it is one of the funniest movies ever made. The movie gives no insight into the band’s genius but rather an insight into what it’s like when a bunch of middle aged egomaniacs concerned with little more than themselves try to make an album.
The movie is interesting for all the wrong reasons. It follows the band on the ‘journey’ they take to complete the album St. Anger. It starts right before lead singer James Hetfield goes to rehab for his alcoholism. There is a bit of footage of his meltdown, but it’s what follows that is truly riveting. You get to see one of the hardest rocking bands in the world turn into a sewing circle of emotionally fragile and wussified middle aged guys. They argue over almost everything and then sit down and talk about it with an overpaid therapist who himself ended up getting delusions of grandeur during the process and felt that he was becoming part of the band. The band remedied that by firing him so that was kind of rocking, but not really the kind of debauchery one would expect from the guys who made And Justice For All.
Now I’m not saying that we don’t all have problems, but most of us aren’t given the option of having our meltdowns filmed. For that, I’m glad Metallica did what they did in allowing the world to see that they are human just like everyone else. Well, humans with millions of dollars and not a care in the world other than making music, but humans nonetheless.
I am not bashing Metallica nor do I like their music any less. They still rock and rock and rock well. I guess what I am disappointed in is the self serving nature of filming something like they did. It served as less a testament to a band’s genius and more a tale of egomaniacal skirmishes amongst friends who seem to no longer be friends but rather some guys who are forced to work together because of their limited career choice. There isn’t significant turnover in a rock band so you’re pretty much stuck working with the same group of people until a bus mishap or one of them sets off to pursue less successful endeavors.
I also don’t want to come across as an alpha male who thinks that it’s wrong for a guy to be in touch with his emotions. I’ve cried at movies and even a commercial or two. I’m a wuss but I also don’t put up this front of being a hard rocking heavy metal singer and then turn around and whine to my therapist about how hard life is because the other guys just don’t get me. “It’s so rough being a rock star. I have everything that I could want. I have a wife and kids and good friends but sometimes I just don’t think that people like me and since I can’t drown my sorrows in a bottle of Jack Daniels anymore I’ll just go ahead and let a film crew film me going through the ‘healing’ process.”
Moving on.
I really need to get out more, or at all for that matter. I have been stuck in my house for a little over three months. This is getting ridiculous. I was told by my doctor that this infection pretty much has to run it’s course so that means numerous surgeries could be in my future. I’ve had nine so far. That’s awesome. No. Really. If this goes into double digits I’m gonna be….well I dunno. I’m pretty weak as it is so I guess there’s not much I can do.
I haven’t got much more to say. Sorry literate bored people who stumbled upon this blog.
RIGHT NOW
SONG - Enter Sandman by Metallica - How could I not recommend a song by the hardest rocking band ever? Albeit a hard rocking band with a heart of gold and massive egos but a hard rocking band nonetheless.
MOVIE - The Empire Strikes Back - It is like the movie version of Metallica only with less whining, less alcoholism and less hair. Well, that is barring any Wookie hair of course.
- Joel David
www.myspace.com/joeldavidd
www.chkona.com
- Joel David