Where did metallica f*** up?

July 6, 2007 6:34 AM

Where exactly did they (metallica) f**k up?

OK OK I'm sorry this is trite but at the end of the track 'Blitzkrieg' by metallica (on the creeping death EP) Lars Ulrich can be heard saying "we fucked up, in one place". Can anyone tell me where exactly in the track he meant, I cant hear it, i assume its minor. If you have an idea, describe it and give the mins:secs reference?

Its such a waste to ask but after all these years, and its my favourite 'metal' track of all time - its a perfect little song, 3mins, catchy, great hook, great riffs, no over the top wanky solos and a little bit silly, great metal.

posted by daveyt to media & arts (16 comments total)

If you can post an .mp3 of the song, via DivShare or YouSendIt or something, people might be better able to help answer your question.
posted by box at 6:53 AM on July 6, 2007

Seconding box. A little more info about the song would be helpful.
posted by sperose at 6:56 AM on July 6, 2007

You know that the song is a cover, right? The original was written by Diamond Head. Maybe if you get your hands on the original version it might reveal something?
posted by gwint at 6:58 AM on July 6, 2007

IIRC, that song is a cover of an old NWOBHM song by a band called (surprise) Blitzkrieg. Maybe tehy didn't replicate the original to Lars' satisfaction.
posted by jonmc at 6:59 AM on July 6, 2007

qwint: King Diamond was the lead vocalist of Mercyful Fate. You linked to info about Diamonde Head, a very different band.
posted by jonmc at 7:00 AM on July 6, 2007

qwint: forgive me, brainfart. Misread commrnt, pre-coffee. But I am pretty sure Blitzkrieg was by Blitzkreig, not Diamond Head.
posted by jonmc at 7:02 AM on July 6, 2007

Oh crap, you're right jonmc. Metallica covered a ton of Diamond Head songs, but Blitzkrieg wasn't one of them. Sorry. Now Metallica covering King Diamond... that would be something.
posted by gwint at 7:04 AM on July 6, 2007

When I saw the question on the front page I expected everyone's answer to be "around the time they made "Load" and the Napster thing happened.

The same version of that song is also on "Kill 'em All", though I think it was only on the re-released version of it.

I, too, have been wondering the same thing for years. I'm glad you asked.

I have a feeling it's some minor thing that nobody would ever notice unless they were the one who made it. Sort of like when a cook complains that the meat is overdone but everyone else thinks it tastes fine.
posted by bondcliff at 7:22 AM on July 6, 2007

Keep in mind they may have removed the mistake in post-processing.
posted by dendrite at 7:40 AM on July 6, 2007

Keep in mind they may have removed the mistake in post-processing...

...but left Lars' comment to keep you listening.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 7:52 AM on July 6, 2007

OP here, I'm uploading a copy now (patience, these freebie hosts arent quick).

I'm of the belief its a technical hitch, a missed beat, a missed cue, a missing bar, lars says the same kind of thing we used to say in band rehearsals, which meant we had todo it all over again (seriously, for those of you who have never thought about it, some bands play their own songs THOUSANDS of times in reheasals, never mind live, it can get really really dull for a gigging band, thats why live versions tend to differ, a man needs a l'il bit o' variety and all). I digress, it being Lars, i assume it to be of the 'missing a beat, or getting out of time' variety of mistakes, it was 1983, and its a cover they might have done quickly. Then again, Lars is an ego maniac so it *could* have been that they missed a dance step...

This version is very different to the original which is absolutely by a NWOBHM band called Blitzkrieg - i've got that somewhere also and its a mess, metallica cleaned it up nicely.
posted by daveyt at 8:28 AM on July 6, 2007

There are 3 versions available to stream @ http://www.blogmusik.net/
posted by kenaman at 9:02 AM on July 6, 2007

RIAA issues aside, maybe the folks at the Metallica Bulletin Board might be able to help, too.

Me, I'm with Terminal Verbosity - perhaps they left that in to keep people guessing. Someone should start a site of little sonic screwups, hidden tracks, etc. etc.
posted by rmm at 10:37 AM on July 6, 2007

I'm listening to one of the versions on blogmusik.net (the Garage Inc. (disc 2) version, which AFAIK is their standard recorded version). I think there may be a minor drum screw up right about 2:28 or 2:29. So maybe there?

Funny thing about this question. When I first read "Where exactly did they (metallica) f**k up?", I thought you were looking to pinpoint the moment they turned from metal gods into easy-listening dweebs.
posted by jclovebrew at 11:55 AM on July 6, 2007

I know there is a beatles websited that documents every little detail and mistake in there recordings. Most of which I would have never ever caught... Which is off topic but brings me to my point. A mistake to them might not be a mistake to you. Chances are that they missed a single drum hit.

It might be wise to look into how the song was recorded... If it was all of them laying down tracks at once then Lars' could be talking about anyone in the band... If it was seriously multitracked, Lars would have been talking about his stuff.
posted by magikker at 12:07 PM on July 6, 2007

I'm with jclovebrew, unless they are referring to something solo or break they planned to do but skipped, I think it's the sloppy drumming around 2:20-2:30, though the rhythm gets a little loose starting at 2 minutes.

And I definintely think he's talking about the drumming. This is Lars we're talking about here. If someone else screwed up, he would have said "Kirk fucked up." When Lars screws up, it's 'we'.
posted by Pastabagel at 8:09 PM on July 7, 2007 [1 favorite]