When CJ Ramone was approached a decade ago about possibly replacing Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, he declined the chance even though he took Dee Dee Ramone’s spot in the final years of the legendary punk band the Ramones.
Ramone’s reason was simple: Touring with the metal band would not have been beneficial to his family, specifically his son Liam, who had been diagnosed with autism.
September 27, 2011
Long before the Big 4 concerts, their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and before the release of the multiplatinum Black Album, Metallica were an up-and-coming thrash metal outfit on the path to big, big things. On Sept. 27, 1986, that journey took Metallica to the roads of Europe, where the band was on a late-summer trek riding overnight in a tour bus from Sweden to Denmark. Tragically, the bus flipped over in unseasonably chilly weather, killing bassist Cliff Burton, the man many considered the heart and soul of Metallica. The other three members were shaken up but survived.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images Judas Priest is releasing a collection of songs that are favorites of other metal performers.
There’s no mistaking Metallica‘s thick guitar attack and Lou Reed‘s spoken, attitude-driven vocals in ‘The View,’ a 38-second sample of which can be heard now online in advance of their joint album, ‘Lulu.’
A friendly rivalry, trying to be better than the next guy — members of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer all have a slightly different way to describe their relationship with one another back in the day.
They’re on good terms lately, proven by the fact they’ve shared the same concert stage this year in California and New York, collectively billed as the Big 4. And while the metal bands are still competitive, it’s more self-contained now that they’re “out of the sandbox” and all grown up, according to Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has had his issues with Metallica since being ousted from the band nearly 30 years ago, but he’s apparently settled them because Megadeth and Metallica are on the bill of a series of shows, and a collaboration may be in the works.
He’s been one of the most sought-after producers in rock for 25 years — and now that he’s also co-chairman of Columbia Records, Rick Rubin is also one of the busiest, with his hands in a dizzying list of current and upcoming projects.
Rubin discussed a number of those albums during a recent Billboard interview, conducted to celebrate the huge success of Columbia artist Adele’s new album, ’21′ (which, yes, Rubin co-produced). Up next on the schedule is the latest Red Hot Chili Peppers release, which he describes as a “Red Hot Chili Peppers that you’ve never heard before.”
Ever since I was a young kid, I loved playing Monopoly. It was a great way to pass the evening or weekend away. There was always fierce competition between my brother, sister and I and who ever joined in on the game that particular day.
