Band: Metallica
Album: ReLoad
Best song: Bah. Pretty crappy, all told. “The Memory Remains” isn’t total shit, nor is “Fuel.”
Worst song: Oh, whatever.
I like concert films a fair amount, as it gives me the joy of seeing a band live without the hustle, bustle and annoyance of actually having to deal with other human beings. As well, if there’s a song I don’t enjoy, I can… fast forward. This is very nice. A pet peeve of concert films, of course, is the interstitials of the band talking to promoters, setting up set lists and pyro, etc. That shit gets very Spinal Tap-ish. In a very bad way.
As such, I watched Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México over the weekend. This served a couple of purposes. First, I wasn’t feeling well, so to get over my illness, sitting in my bed and watching my computer screen is a decent way to rest. My workable knowledge of Spanish made sure I could understand the idiotic fan interviews with the fine denizens of Mexico City.
ReLoad is a piece of shit record. Metallica’s mid-career work is pretty awful, all-told. Having watched the concert film, it’s not particular surprise that there is a grand total of one record from Load, ReLoad and St. Anger on the disc. Metallica’s early career is stellar, so the huge shows in Latin American cities should probably have the greater of the band’s music. Not surprisingly, the concert film begins with “Creeping Death,” off the band’s second — and best, probably — album. It ends with a song from Kill ’em All, the band’s first record.
“The Memory Remains” is the only song from the band’s mid-career records on the disc, which is for the best. It’s not a particularly bad song, but it’s nowhere near the level of thrash of the band’s early work. Not surprisingly, Metallica selected mostly old stuff and stuff from Death Magnetic — The latest album. Presumably, they were touring said album. — and it’s the kind of show, honestly, I would’ve liked to see.
That’s the joy of concert films. I didn’t have to spend $90 and I get to watch Metallica (sorta) live. Whenever the hell I want.
