Cliff 'Em All

[Garrett]

Cliff Burton



Feb. 10, 1962 / Sept. 27, 1986

Cliff Burton was the bassist for Metallica. On this day in September 1986, while riding on their tour bus to Stockholm, Sweden, their next tour stop, the band's bus had an accident, flipped on its side and killed Cliff Burton instantly. May he Rest In Peace!

[nofi]

a friend of mine has that aria bass. we were always amused at the pickup. it sounded good but not having the desire (lazy) to research it further it simply became the ' mystery ' pickup. without all the marshalls and pedals and crap you can get a nice p bass tone from it.

[uwe]

Garrett, could it be that you could be some morbid character? Not a week in and already your second tombstone posting! ; - ) But we have room. For everyone in our little crypt ...

In tried and trusted tradition of Uwe speaking ill of the dead yet again I would venture the thought that Herr Williams would habve either left Metallica or received his papers from them before recording the Black Album. Newstead was never regarded as much of a bassist, but he was a lot more solid than Cliff's "lead bass playing" and his style of bass playing also made Lars play more solid. That (and the slowed-down tempos) paved the way for Metallica becoming a household name outside of metal-head quarters.

I alway liked Cliff for the fact that he was still/already again wearing flares when nobody else did. The next flare wearer I saw was a young Zakk Wylde at an Ozzy concert in the early nineties.

[Basvarken]

Pssstt Uwe... it's Cliff Burton. Not Williams. That Cliff is with AC/DC....

[lowend1]

Pssstt Uwe... it's Cliff Burton. Not Williams. That Cliff is with AC/DC....

Dammit, Rob, that was funny!

[Highlander]

I don't think Jason NewKid ever lost the tag...  of the New-Kid... (Wood with the Stones has always been known as the new boy...)

I got into Metallica quite late on, around S&M... much prefer from "Black" onwards...

From what I understand Burton was well respected, and any musician that passes before his time, we should always offer our respects... RIP...

Uwe mentioned Ozzy... there is (or at least there was) a prominently displayed small silver framed picture of a young guitarist that passed before his time...

[uwe]

Ouch, mixing up thr two Cliffs ... I guess I'm one of the Unforgiven now!

That said, Cliff Williams would have done a better job on the Black Album than Cliff Burton!

[Highlander]

I remember seeing Cliff Williams playing in a band called Home (supported Slade back in '74) with Laurie Wisefield in one of the guitar slots... I don't remember being that impressed... much better in that other outfit (or outfits) for all concerned...

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Uwe, with all due respect, your knowledge of Metallica is more than a little fuzzy and not just for equating Cliff Williams to Cliff Burton. While I agree wholeheartedly that had Cliff not died, there would have been no "black" album (how I wish!), he was very much the key ingredient to Metallica's early success and what ultimately led them to superstardom.

Before they left LA, Metallica was just another Sunset Strip thrash band whose only noteriety was Dave Mustaine's songwriting. When they moved to SF so that Cliff would join, their sound changed completely. Cliff was the only theory-trained musician in the band and he taught Hetfield about song structure and dynamics.  His love for Thin Lizzy's dual lead harmony gave Metallica a melodic lift beyond the simple chugging Euro-thrash that Lars and James were aping prior to his inclusion.  

He has never been given his due as a respected technical player by musical elitists, but that does not mean his abilities began and ended with a Rick bass wah solo. He was very much a victim of Flemming Rasmussen's 70's classic-rock style of production and much of his solid foundation on the bottom was mixed out in favor of a thicker guitar sound. If you want to even hear him appreciably at all, the only record is Kill 'Em All.  He's audible there because John Zazula was much more of a promotor than a producer and did not want his new "find" to sound like just another Iron Maiden or Diamondhead. Matter of fact, compared head to head, Metallica's covers of Diamondhead songs highlight exactly the rhythmic difference that Cliff made, because vocals aside, the songs are otherwise very faithful covers; the difference being that Cliff held Metallica to a tight, punchy, crunchy rhythm, while the Euro-thrash was more a free-form meter-stretching plod.

Newstead was in the unfortunate position of being the bass player in his idols' band, and they abused him mercilessly. He did the best he could and did grow somewhat as a player during his tenure, but the fact that Metallica sought out Bob Rock to produce at all already showed their intent to conquer Bon Jovi territory, bass player or not. Their pitiful attempt at musical credibility by replacing Newstead with a bad funk-metal slapper only underscored just how outright LUCKY they had been to have played with Cliff.

[lowend1]

I've always preferred Cliff Clavin...

[uwe]

The two bass-playing Cliffs have almost no similarities, but are almost opposing extremes! I wasn't insinuating anything else. Burton was key for early Metallica, he was their most accomplished player, the fans loved him and he represented their underground appeal when all what Lars and James ever wanted to do was be famous and wealthy (they did an excellent job at it too!). Burton was the early heart of Metallica and their most musicianly side. That is not to say that the other three did not grow in stature as musicians over time (I'm neither a Metallica lover, nor a hater, they do what they do well even though I would call none of them a gifted player, RT possibly excepted).

The other Cliff is doing a job with AC/DC and it pays him well (something Herr Burton would have perhaps not settled so easily for). Cliff Williams came from Home, an almost progish band which at one time even backed Al Stewart and lost its guitarist (Laurie Wisefield) to Wishbone Ash. Cliff W. stuck around a few years more until he got the chance to audition with AC/DC and found his root (note). He was a nimble bass player before, but he obviously made the decision early on that he would never ever lose that AC/DC job for overplaying. He hasn't. But it's not Home. He's probably still on a (comfortable) wage with them. Musical liberty for non-relatives isn't high on the Young Bros.' list I dare venture.

[Dave W]

Uwe's favorite Cliff is Clifford Chance.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Hats off to Cliff Burton! 

Strange that he didn't die at age 27 like so many others:
Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Cobain
but he did die on the 27th.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Cliff, unlike the others, didn't have substance abuse problems. He was killed in an accident.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I'm neither a Metallica lover, nor a hater, they do what they do well even though I would call none of them a gifted player, RT possibly excepted.

Please tell me you're not serious. I wouldn't call anything he's done in either Infectious Grooves, Suicidal Tendencies, or Metallicunt "gifted."