Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

This is a live performance by metal band Metallica playing their ballad "Nothing Else Matters" live. This performance is from the 1999 S&M concert which is available on both CD and DVD. It's a great concert featuring Michael Kamen conducting the San Francisco symphony orchestra playing live with Metallica in concert.
The song was released as a single in 1992 and it originally appeared on the band's 1991 album entitled "Metallica" aka. "The Black Album".
The song is credited to James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Hetfield came up with the beginning of the song as he was plucking the four open strings of an Em chord while on the phone with his girlfriend. Originally Hetfield didn't want the song to be on the album, but after hearing it Lars convinced Hetfield to put it on the album. It is also one of the few tracks where Hetfield plays lead guitar. And on the original album version Hetfield recorded all of the guitar tracks on the song. So Hammett isn't even playing on this track.
The original album version was also scored by Michael Kamen. The band tuned down his scoring a lot, but a version with acoustic guitars, Hetfield's vocal track and the original composed piece by Kamen exists and is known as "The Elevator Version". Kamen orchestrated a lot of Metallica songs (including this one) for the S&M concert in San Francisco.
It's a really good song and a really good ballad for Metallica that seems to strike something in people when they listen to it. A really good track.

Enjoy ; )

Metallica - Last Caress/So What

Posting the song "Light My Fire" by The Doors yesterday got me inspired. The Doors were rebellious and didn't care, they did not want to change their lyrics, they did not want to conform to the dull mainstream culture.
Something similar happened years later at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 1996. Metallica was set to play the song "King Nothing" from their highly successful follow up to 1991's "Metallica" aka. The Black Album; Load from 1996. They rehearsed the song King Nothing, but the producers told Metallica that their pyrotechnics was a safety hazard. Metallica was upset and decided to, well tell MTV how they felt through their song selection, to say it in an unfilthy manner. They changed song to playing Last Caress/So What, both songs with very graphic lyrics and swearing. This of course pissed off the censures, but hey, if they'd just given them pyrotechnics there wouldn't have been a problem in the first place.
I love it when bands rebel and don't do as they're told, makes it more exciting. We seriously need more artists today who'd be willing to do something like this. Today's music sucks!
Oh, and for the uber-fans, click here to see an exclusive behind the scenes of this performance including rehearsal footage of the band playing "King Nothing".

Enjoy ; )