Metallica — Master of Puppets

Author: tracysigler | Posted: December 11th, 2007 | | Tags: , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Metallica -- Master of Puppets

  • Artist: Metallica
  • Title: Master of Puppets
  • Year: 1986
  • Format: Vinyl 12 in.
  • Rating (1-10): 10
  • Owner: Tracy
  • Acquired: 1986 – Probably when I worked at Mother’s Records
  • Keeper: Yes

The great one from the great ones. Some, people smarter than me that is, consider this the greatest heavy metal album of all time. I wouldn’t argue with that.

I was listening to Rodrigo y Gabriela‘s version of Metallica’s “Orion” this Saturday and decided I should play the original, which ended up turning into a Metallica history lesson for my son Mars. Then, coincidentally on Sunday I got another, and unexpected, dose of Master of Puppets. We were at our kids’ music recital where most of the tunes were seasonally-correct holiday stuff. But then this one middle-school-age-looking youngster came up to play the title track, “Master of Puppets.” He was even wearing the t-shirt. He has the same cool teacher as my kids, and his teacher accompanied him on bass. There is nothing simple about this music. It’s intense in every way, but the kid did a solid job getting pretty far through the song then stopped somewhat abruptly before the pretty bridge and solos.

I was looking around the room at the faces of the parents and relatives wondering if anyone else in the room was getting it. As great as this music is, it’s not for everyone. And even for metal aficionados it takes some adaptation just to digest what’s going on. I’ve played “Master” more than you can imagine and I was still surprised how fast, intense and sophisticated it is when I spun it again this week. I was talking to the kids’ teacher yesterday and as he put it, “it still holds up.” Indeed. Side one alone qualifies it as a “10” in my book.

Check it out:
“Battery”
“Master of Puppets”
“The Thing That Should Not Be” (for you fans of H.P. Lovecraft)
“Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”

Also worth mentioning about “Master” is that it was the last album with bassist Cliff Burton. He would die in a bus accident while on tour. OK, everybody knows that. But do you know this? Tipper Gore’s PMRC had it in for the title tack, which they apparently said was about “getting kids hooked on drugs.” Any moron could read the lyric sheet and see that the song was about the nightmare of drug addiction. I remember reading an interview with James Hetfield some time after the flare up. He might have even had to testify at a Senate hearing, can’t remember for sure. When he was asked about the whole thing he just said “people are going to believe what they want.” He didn’t need to explain anything.

Smashing through boundaries
Lunacy has found me
Cannot stop the Battery!

Lemme see those horns people!

More at Wikipedia:
Metallica
Master of Puppets

6 Comments on “Metallica — Master of Puppets”

  1. 1 G Money said at 7:50 am on December 12th, 2007:

    Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Liiiiiiiiiiiiies!

    Actually, it’s all totally true, but “Leper Messiah,” oddly enough, always makes me feel like a high school kid again. Also, I recently played the Rod y Gab version of “Orion” for the missus and she’s hooked — I think she’s played their album several times now. It’s flametalco-riffic!

  2. 2 Tracy Sigler said at 9:37 am on December 12th, 2007:

    Yes, the RodGab album is brilliant. It’s surprising to me, but the same guitar teacher mentioned above doesn’t really like it. “Too busy” he says.

    “Disposable Heroes” and “Leper Messiah” are my two least favorites from Master.

  3. 3 jeff arthur said at 12:53 pm on December 12th, 2007:

    Yuck yuck, yuck, yuck,Yuck yuck, yuck, yuck,Yuck yuck, yuck, yuck,Yuck yuck, yuck, yuck,Yuck yuck, yuck, yuck,

    My wife likes it though

  4. 4 Tracy Sigler said at 1:34 pm on December 12th, 2007:

    Your poor wife. I’ll post something for you nerds next. I have just the thing…

  5. 5 Kim said at 11:07 am on December 20th, 2007:

    Hello – found your blog when googling for Mother’s Records and Tapes. I was hoping to find some pictures of that lovely orange carpeting, and was starting to feel like the only one who remembered! I grew up in VB/Norfolk in the 80s and I’m pretty sure I purchased this same album – and MANY of the other ones you’ve written up – at the Mother’s in Lynnhaven Mall. Ah, memories. Nice to know I’m not alone. :)

  6. 6 Tracy Sigler said at 11:18 am on December 20th, 2007:

    No, you’re not alone. They had the orange carpet in every store. And not just on the floor, even on the walls in some places. I worked there as a youngster in the 1980s. I was told by management that orange was a “buy” color and that it was thought to encourage shoppers to purchase. Believe it or not…

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