29 years now...

Quote :

"1986, Metallica bass player Cliff Burton was crushed to death after the bands tour bus crashed between Stockholm and Copenhagen. During a European tour members from the band drew cards for the most comfortable bunk on the tour bus, Burton had won the game with an Ace of Spades and was asleep when the tour bus ran over a patch of black ice and skidded off of the road. He was thrown through the window of the bus, which fell on top of him.

R.I.P. Cliff Burton.

I'm so glad that I got to see Metallica with Cliff at least once (one week before the crash). 29 years!! That's scary.

I know, I was thinking about this today. I was wondering if anyone was going to make a thread. I'm a history major, so significant dates are just my thing. People seem to think that's funny...

Anyways, R.I.P. to the "Major rager on the four string motherf*cker". Over the years I've wondered what Metallica would be/sound like today if Cliff were still in the band? Would he still be in the band? He seemed to have higher aspirations like that of Randy Rhoads. If alive today, I'm not certain he would still be in the band. I can only imagine what his impact would have been like on an album like ...And Justice For All. I wish he could have reaped the financial rewards that all the members did after the Puppets tour, as they were told they would all be able to buy houses. I know there are a few on here who think Cliff was overrated, but I think the guy was a genius.

RIP to a heck of a talented player! By the by, were they touring with Metal Church or Anthrax at that time?

the sentinel wrote:

RIP to a heck of a talented player! By the by, were they touring with Metal Church or Anthrax at that time?

Anthrax

Thank you, sir. I remember reading something about it in the Ian autobiography, but wasn't sure.

the sentinel wrote:

Thank you, sir. I remember reading something about it in the Ian autobiography, but wasn't sure.

I remember years ago, Kirk talking about hearing James yelling in the streets at their hotel in Copenhagen (which is where they went after the tragic events), Cliff, Cliff, Where are you? What I didn't know until recently, when I read Scott's book, Frank and Charlie were with James out on the street, trying to console him and just look after him. I think Scott was with Kirk in the hotel room and they could hear James and it was just heartbreaking.

metalinmyveins wrote:

the sentinel wrote:

RIP to a heck of a talented player! By the by, were they touring with Metal Church or Anthrax at that time?

Anthrax

Yes, it was definitely Anthrax when I saw them in the U.K, don't think that the support changed for mainland Europe. The only Metal Church connection was that John Marshall was playing guitar due to James' broken hand (and he joined MC much later.)

metalinmyveins wrote:

Over the years I've wondered what Metallica would be/sound like today if Cliff were still in the band? Would he still be in the band? He seemed to have higher aspirations like that of Randy Rhoads. If alive today, I'm not certain he would still be in the band. I can only imagine what his impact would have been like on an album like ...And Justice For All.

If Scott Ian is to believed, Cliff, James and Kirk were going to give Lars the boot once the European tour was over. Had the accident not happened and they went through with it, it seems to me Cliff would've taken over the leadership duties of Metallica. Who knows what direction they could've taken after that.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

metalinmyveins wrote:

Over the years I've wondered what Metallica would be/sound like today if Cliff were still in the band? Would he still be in the band? He seemed to have higher aspirations like that of Randy Rhoads. If alive today, I'm not certain he would still be in the band. I can only imagine what his impact would have been like on an album like ...And Justice For All.

If Scott Ian is to believed, Cliff, James and Kirk were going to give Lars the boot once the European tour was over. Had the accident not happened and they went through with it, it seems to me Cliff would've taken over the leadership duties of Metallica. Who knows what direction they  could've taken after that.

From a musical standpoint, I think that James and Cliff would have shared in the direction of the band. I don't think anybody could have done what Lars has done from a moneymaking standpoint. Love or hate 'em or if you're somewhat in between, Lars was a visionary. He liked to talk, he knew how to market the group and he is probably the main reason why the band has enjoyed their lap of luxury.

It would have been interesting to see, who the band would have courted for their next drummer. They might have gone after someone like Charlie Benante. According to Ian, the band still wasn't making any money around 1986.

Quote :

From a musical standpoint, I think that James and Cliff would have shared in the direction of the band.

I dunno. No offense to James, but he always stuck me as kind of a lunk-head. He would've gladly let Cliff be the defacto leader of the band, both as spokesman and musical director if Lars was out of the way. He'd still be frontman, but Cliff would be doing the interviews and writing the melodies. James only took that responsibility because he had to, not because he wanted it.

I agree that Lars definitely had the business acumen that drove them to the success they had. Not sure that Cliff could've done that.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Quote :

From a musical standpoint, I think that James and Cliff would have shared in the direction of the band.

I dunno. No offense to James, but he always stuck me as kind of a lunk-head. He would've gladly let Cliff be the defacto leader of the band, both as spokesman and musical director if Lars was out of the way. He'd still be frontman, but Cliff would be doing the interviews and writing the melodies. James only took that responsibility because he had to, not because he wanted it.

I agree that Lars definitely had the business acumen that drove them to the success they had. Not sure that Cliff could've done that.

James for the most part wrote the riffs, Lars dealt with the arrangement of the music. I think Cliff takes a much bigger role in coming up with more riffs and he totally takes over in the arrangement of the songs. Kirk meanwhile gets some writing credits, but is still reduced to the third voice in the band and maybe the fourth, depending on what drummer they would have brought in. Cliff could be very personable in interviews and though I don't think he was unintelligent in any ways, I think Lars clearly was the smartest individual in this band. He was beyond articulate and much of that had to do with his upbringing. The thing Metallica had going for them since 1985, was the addition of Peter Mensch and Cliff Burnstein for their management. I'm not sure Metallica becomes the success without those two and Lars. They were definitely a three headed monster.

I read somewhere - that Lars liked porno mags -
hard to find ones - lots - and over the top in content -
I think Dave Mustaine said that in his bio book....
But - Cliff Burton - 1986 at age 24, dying.....
that was up there with Randy Rhodes 1982 at age 25 .
Everyone was going crazy over Metallica - back then -
Just like over Ozzy's first two solo releases.

Glower wrote:

I read somewhere - that Lars liked porno mags  

That monster!

Glower wrote:

I read somewhere - that Lars liked porno mags  -
hard to find ones - lots - and over the top in content -
I think Dave Mustaine said that in his bio book....

Yea, Dave mentions that in his book. Lars had more hardcore stuff than was typical in the states at the time. But he also says that being from Denmark, the Ulrich family had a much more liberal feeling towards sex and it wasn't a big deal. Certainly more open than the strict Jehovah Witness upbringing of MegaDave. Taking it out of context, as you did, makes it sound like Lars was some sort of perverted, deviant troll. That didn't happen till later.

Lars will teach you to play drums!

Boris2008 wrote:

I'm so glad that I got to see Metallica with Cliff at least once (one week before the crash). 29 years!! That's scary.

I got to see Metallica with Cliff open for Ozzy. Hard to believe it's been 29 years! I still remember when Mtv news broke the story about the bus accident.

I came to the Metallica table late (like Reload late), so Cliff always came across to me as the cool uncle who died before I was born. Everyone talks about him in reverential tones and the conversation almost always gets on "I wonder what he would have been doing if he was still around."

Seem apparent to anyone else that Metallica's present bassist being a big fan of Jaco Pastorius hints back at Cliff being the most musically adventurous member of the band in days past?

nevermore wrote:

Boris2008 wrote:

I'm so glad that I got to see Metallica with Cliff at least once (one week before the crash). 29 years!! That's scary.

I got to see Metallica with Cliff open for Ozzy. Hard to believe it's been 29 years! I still remember when  Mtv news broke the story about the bus accident.

Ozzy on The Ultimate Sin Tour? I saw them at the Cow Palace. I didn't know that was the last time and only time that I would see Cliff.