Do you guys think AFJA would've been what it was if Cliff never passed? Half of me thinks that AFJA was so good because of the grief they felt. Would we have gotten songs of that depth without the tragedy? I'm less caught up on Black Album, Load...always think more about simply that 4th album, but with Cliff...
Feel kinda same way, man. I think AJFA couldn't have become what it became without Cliff. That feeling of just that grief, that rawness and intentional release of aggression and that familiar anger in your gut. But: I was born in 1991 and I've been part of the wonderful 'tallica family since 1995 and love each of their albums in their own unique way. That's exactly why I love their hated St. Anger (even more), cause in the end it's nothing different from AJFA back then, only with more grown-up men who have matured. You should just listen to the song "The Unnamed Feeling" consciously, paying attention to every word, and let James Hetfield, my personal hero, teach you. That's all I have to say on this subject. Metallica isn't just a band, it's a fucking lifestyle that I've been following for 28 years! 🤍 And I'd also like to say something about yourself. I really love your videos. So incredibly savvy, open-minded and lovingly crafted, that it warms the heart. Since I also have perfect pitch by myself, I also can appreciate your videos on an additional level. Great work, with attention to detail. Stay the way u are and just keep it up. Love u, handsome bass man 🤍
AFJA was such a difficult album. It made me realize what a toll Cliff's death took on the band. The mix drove me crazy - the absence of bass guitar, the over bassy kick drums that damaged some of my speakers. But I listened to it repeatedly, really liked the songs but hated the sound. Perhaps this album was part of the band's and its fans' mourning process. Not supposed to be totally enjoyable.
I often think about how great their music would have continued to be with both Cliff and Dave. And a better drummer, Gene Hoglan maybe? Really James Hetfield might be the most underrated musician in modern history the way he carried such untalented guys to so many great songs and albums. Definitely the best rhythm guitar player in the history of metal, and possibly the best song writer too. AJFA was 90% James. Those riffs, those songs, those lyrics were all him. And as great as it is, i would certainly trade it for another Cliff masterpiece. His compositions were untouchable. His playing unrivaled to this day imo. James would still be able to bring the riffs and songs just like he had for at least 2 straight albums before that.
I was 18 in 1983 and I went to a show in Austin with a couple of bands I'd never heard of - Raven was the headliner and Metallica opened. Didn't know what to expect, but what I saw this band (and specifically Cliff) do during their set solidified my decision to play bass in a metal band (and I got a Rickenbacker too). It was warm and humid that night because Cliff wiped his hand on his leg repeatedly throughout the set and his solo. I was completely dumbfounded and blown away by what he was doing to that bass. Never seen or heard anything like it! Metallica's energy was ridiculous. I remember telling my friends after Metallica finished that I felt sorry for Raven having to follow that. But they blew me away too, and John Gallagher used a flying V bass with a tremolo during his solo! Two bass solos, what a night! My musical life would never be the same!
@@craven1927 I know Metallica played it all they had was the kill em all songs and covers at that point maybe ride the lightning or fight fire or call of the ktulu
Right! I saw Metallica with Cliff when they opened for Ozzy in New Orleans 1986. I hated all the hair stuff that was coming out at the time, and was still into Sabbath and NWOBHM, but when I saw Metallica take the stage I had to put down the joint and run down onto the floor. Seeing them live was a life-changing experience. The birth and growth of thrash was truly a magical time in music. Hate sounding gay, but it really was, and some of the best concerts I ever attended were during that time. That concert, along with Metallica and Qeensryche on the Justice tour, and seeing Megadeth early on at Tulane University (maybe 200 people in attendance) are probably my top 3 of all time...and, at age 53, I still go to a lot of metal shows.
Thanks for loving on Cliff Bro. Anybody that says he's "sloppy" are pissy they weren't on stage doing this at 19 years old. I can't play a single note on a guitar but I think this is memorizing.
My Son just bought his 1st Rickenbacker . It’s his favorite he’s has a few basses at 22yrs old . He has multiple pedals . He’s kind of creating his own sound. Kinda of like what Cliff did here. Cliff is an influence and Les Claypool to. He just loves to be different. He a Jazz musician and uses that to create something different. Cool breakdown of this video.
2 things that make the lower notes cleaner: 1. It's a guitar distortion that reacts to the higher frequencies. 2. Wah. He used the sweep of a wah pedal to drive the distortion mentioned above.
I keep tearing up every time i hear this song. Not only because he passed away tragically young but also because the piece is just phenomenal, emotions are just flowing out from that bass. It was one of the main reason why i started playing bass.
I remember seeing Cliff play this live, in a club, The Spectrum, in Montreal. I was front row center and just in awe. Meeting him and the others earlier (they came out and grabbed some drinks lol) was cool AF. Cliff was cool and down to earth.
When I think of Cliff and his tone, all that pops into my head is a freight train. Don’t know where that imagery came from, but it’s the only I can describe him. A freight train.
4:00 This is because Cliff is using a Morley Power Wah Boost. The boost it set low enough so when the wah is in the foot up position, the signal is not loud enough to distort fully. But Because the sweep on the wah is so huge, when cliff moves the wah further down position, it boosts the signal enough to distort it like mad.
For me, the best part about Cliff wasn't his playing. It was his songwriting. He brought a musical sophistication and breadth of influences that Metallica has been missing ever since. Some of that sophistication did carry over to And Justice for All...but they pretty much became a hard rock band starting with the Black Album. You don't really hear the classical influences, the complex harmonies, the symphonic song structures, etc.
I still remember listening to Cliff in 83' and saying over and over that this isn't a bass it's a guitar, and my buddy saying, it's a bass for hours...even though james says "bass solo take one"
It makes me feel so old to realize that in about a year+ it will have been 40 years since he passed. I remember seeing them with Black Sabbath for their Master of Puppets tour. Cliff was an amazing individual. RIP Cliff.
Cliff was a musical genius but also classicly trained when he was young but also an innovator he used gutiar pickups and put them in his bass that's why his playing sounded like a gutiar player straight facts rip cliff
Having been there as one of those guys who was a teenage bassist was digging Metallica when absolutely nobody knew who they were, was blown away. Then lucked out and saw them in a one off small club gig (less than 1000) during the “Lightning tour”, and was stunned by his live game! For me it was when UA-cam came to pass and you could get into isolated tracks, that I got a whole new appreciation of his writing approach, and style that just couldn’t be heard in the full mix.
This bass was in the RnR Hall of Fame Museum when i visited, i wanted to touch it so bad. I did acquire a bass string and some other memorabilia from a friend of Cliff's after he passed, i will cherish these items forever.
Thank you for breaking this down, I was lucky enough to be Trauma’a road manager back in the Cliff era so i spent a good amount of time with them, Your take is spot on what Cliff was about, and yes..his flame will never burn out!! 🤘🏼
When I was 15 and started skating, there were two tapes I had in my Walkman. Metallica-"Kill Em All" and Suicidal Tendencies -"Still Cyco". Kill em all is still to this day the best Metallica album to me. Bare bones, balls to the wall thrash. Even now, at 40, it makes me want to grab my battle jacket and bullet belt and find the nearest circle pit.
One of the things about Cliff, he never played this the same way twice. He was very much an improvisational player. There are dozen's of video's of him doing this on YT. None of them are the same and none of them are perfect. That's what makes them so special.
What Cliff accomplished in such a tragically short life is simply incredible. I've looked to him for inspiration since I first heard Metallica over 20 years ago, and he still inspires me to step out and take chances.
Don’t see any comments about Cliff modifying that Rick with different and an additional pickup in the bridge plus the vintage Morley Power Fuzz Boost pedal to achieve that tone.
In this performance (and many others) he gives you CLIFF - RAW. I don't think I've ever heard the exact same note for note live performance of this signature track. If you want to stick to a metronome then all power - but to create in real time is a skill of the greats. I love the Jimmy references below because the live invention and expansion of ideas in real time is definitely a trait of all amazing performers.
Cliff, Steve Harris, and Geezer Butler for me are true definitions of heavy metal bass players. I saw a band at The Viper Room called The New Pacific several years ago and I really dug the bass player of the band. He played a heavy bass like Geezer but played it with the frenzied energy you saw from Jason Newsted. It was a great sound.
That control of the 'gain' spectrum comes down to the 'long' electro opitcal frequency sweep of the 70's Tel Ray Morley power wah boost pedal, compared to say a potentiometer Crybaby style wah. He was using that with a MXR Limiter pedal at this point of time as a compressor for increased sustain. As time went on he added a Boss CS Compressor, Big Muff fuzz distortion and then a TS808 Tubescreamer in the MOP era.
Just a small foot note, the entirety of Chicago 1983 concert footage wasn't released until the kill 'em all remaster boxset. The cliff 'em all footage I think was cliffs second gig with metallica. Still 1983, what a wild year really.
The Ricky's tone is so much of this sound. I assume part of Cliff's tone is that some Rickenbackers have 2 plugs where you can split the pickups, so one gets the effect and the other doesn't.
Screaling is the perfect word for what Clifford embodied. I saw Metallica in 1986 with Ozzy. I was eight rows back directly in front of Cliff. I was mesmerized by his out of synch movements. Too Young too Die, Too weird to live. Respectfully. R.I.P.. 6 weeks after that show he was gone. Damn. It still stings.
Every nuance, however subtle, added a different perspective to every song Cliff contributed to. That’s what made the first three albums so special. RIP Clifford Lee Burton!! 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻🔥🔥
I was 12 when I saw Cliff em All on VHS. Got a bass the next Christmas. No longer play bass but am a decades long percussionist. Cliff made me become a musician.
Go listen to the video on youtube called "Metallica - Live at The Lyceum Theatre, London, UK (1984) [SBD Audio]" Cliff is using a Ibanez HD1500 Harmonic/Delay FX Unit and Anesthesia sounds a lot different, and the intro of For Whom the Bell Tolls. Along with a crazy live version of Call of Ktulu. Lots of Cliff in that bootleg.
I know Cliff was also fond of using a Strat pickup in place of the foam mute on his Rickenbacker back in the day as well, which gave him a lot of control where extraneous noise was concerned.
Cliff started using a Morley wah way before Metallica his first band you can see him with it in Agents of misfortune battle of the bands you should check that out
Never forget that Cliff was high as a kite, and had more than a few beers playing live every single time. He did really well live. I watched him prime for couple of shows and couldn't believe he could play at all.
Cliff used 3 pedals. A morley POWER wah fuzz during 83', a TS9 distortion and a compression. The power wah is special bc its fully thru with its power, causing his petal to do that gradient. This was also Cliff's FIRST show with Metallica.
Did he use a four stringed bass in this video or a 5? I know the dude in the video is using a 5-string, but in all of Cliff’s solos he uses 4-string, and I keep on seeing four tuning picks, not five, but I’m not sure.
I have no hide how many dozens of times I’ve watched this clip, and I will NEVER forgive whoever was working the camera for fully not showing Cliff when he REALLY started shredding at the end 😂
That Morley power pedal is doing some of that work too. I saw them in Oakland CA in, I think it was, 1983. Kill 'em all is still my favorite album even though I know it's not their "best".
9:54 Start with your ring finger and drag the other 2. Thats what I noticed he always did. Especially in the beginning of the piece he is doing that for the timing.
From 14:44 - 14:57 Cliff does some shit that sounds like a quick little bluegrass banjo run. That one part is my favorite detail of the whole solo, wish you had touched on that.
I think the sweep of his Morley Power wah plus his insane attack strength are what may be creating that blended clean/fuzz sound. Idk though. They have a strange operation: you step on it and it triggers, then when you stop sweeping and step off they shut off quick. No click on/off like a Crybaby or Vox.
Cliff, to me, is someone that people make the mistake of looking at as just a bassist. Like yeah, there most definitely are better bassists out there today, and probably even during his time in Metallica in the 80's, but Cliff was a whole lot more than just a bass player. The guy actively helped and made sure the band excelled and stayed true to themselves, as well add in a much needed musically knowledgeable insight into the band itself. There really aren't a lot of bassists that really make and propel a band foward with their own presence quite like Cliff did with Metallica, especially more so considering the decade and time frame he did it in. Dominic Forest is probably the only person I can think of off the top of my head whose presence in a band really amplified the rest of the band as a whole.
He's just using the fuzz from the morley set very low almost clean in this performance i think, then the wah does all the other tonal work. Morleys are crazy, if you own one you know, expecially the old ones
Dude in the beginning when his bass reflected and shone into the camera!! And when he transitioned to the fat part and the camera got out of focus and back in 👌👌👌👌👌
Me and my friends love Metallica pantera and other bands, and ever time my friends and my cousins came over they would always ask for Metallica kill ‘em all anesthesia they would smile every time I put it on
Enjoy! This truly was a blast. So many little nuances and licks I forgot about, and that definitely aren't in the studio version. I still have that same "little kid" in me that gets riled up when I watch Cliff. I know more about bass and music now, but back then watching him play was just like watching magic. It resonated with me so deeply and I knew I just wanted to be a part of that somehow.
![Metallica - (Anesthesia)-Pulling Teeth [Pianist continues his exploration of heavy metal]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/p9Ulr8Wi0bI/mqdefault.jpg)
Do you guys think AFJA would've been what it was if Cliff never passed? Half of me thinks that AFJA was so good because of the grief they felt. Would we have gotten songs of that depth without the tragedy? I'm less caught up on Black Album, Load...always think more about simply that 4th album, but with Cliff...
Feel kinda same way, man. I think AJFA couldn't have become what it became without Cliff. That feeling of just that grief, that rawness and intentional release of aggression and that familiar anger in your gut. But: I was born in 1991 and I've been part of the wonderful 'tallica family since 1995 and love each of their albums in their own unique way. That's exactly why I love their hated St. Anger (even more), cause in the end it's nothing different from AJFA back then, only with more grown-up men who have matured. You should just listen to the song "The Unnamed Feeling" consciously, paying attention to every word, and let James Hetfield, my personal hero, teach you. That's all I have to say on this subject.
Metallica isn't just a band, it's a fucking lifestyle that I've been following for 28 years! 🤍
And I'd also like to say something about yourself.
I really love your videos. So incredibly savvy, open-minded and lovingly crafted, that it warms the heart. Since I also have perfect pitch by myself, I also can appreciate your videos on an additional level. Great work, with attention to detail. Stay the way u are and just keep it up. Love u, handsome bass man 🤍
AFJA was such a difficult album. It made me realize what a toll Cliff's death took on the band. The mix drove me crazy - the absence of bass guitar, the over bassy kick drums that damaged some of my speakers. But I listened to it repeatedly, really liked the songs but hated the sound. Perhaps this album was part of the band's and its fans' mourning process. Not supposed to be totally enjoyable.
I often think about how great their music would have continued to be with both Cliff and Dave. And a better drummer, Gene Hoglan maybe? Really James Hetfield might be the most underrated musician in modern history the way he carried such untalented guys to so many great songs and albums. Definitely the best rhythm guitar player in the history of metal, and possibly the best song writer too. AJFA was 90% James. Those riffs, those songs, those lyrics were all him. And as great as it is, i would certainly trade it for another Cliff masterpiece. His compositions were untouchable. His playing unrivaled to this day imo. James would still be able to bring the riffs and songs just like he had for at least 2 straight albums before that.
...AJFA would have been even better had he been alive to write with them.
The album is so imperfect but that’s why it’s so good
I was 18 in 1983 and I went to a show in Austin with a couple of bands I'd never heard of - Raven was the headliner and Metallica opened. Didn't know what to expect, but what I saw this band (and specifically Cliff) do during their set solidified my decision to play bass in a metal band (and I got a Rickenbacker too). It was warm and humid that night because Cliff wiped his hand on his leg repeatedly throughout the set and his solo. I was completely dumbfounded and blown away by what he was doing to that bass. Never seen or heard anything like it! Metallica's energy was ridiculous. I remember telling my friends after Metallica finished that I felt sorry for Raven having to follow that. But they blew me away too, and John Gallagher used a flying V bass with a tremolo during his solo! Two bass solos, what a night! My musical life would never be the same!
So here's the 10 million dollar question... did both bands play their respective Seek and Destroy songs?
@@craven1927 I know Metallica played it all they had was the kill em all songs and covers at that point maybe ride the lightning or fight fire or call of the ktulu
Right! I saw Metallica with Cliff when they opened for Ozzy in New Orleans 1986. I hated all the hair stuff that was coming out at the time, and was still into Sabbath and NWOBHM, but when I saw Metallica take the stage I had to put down the joint and run down onto the floor. Seeing them live was a life-changing experience. The birth and growth of thrash was truly a magical time in music. Hate sounding gay, but it really was, and some of the best concerts I ever attended were during that time. That concert, along with Metallica and Qeensryche on the Justice tour, and seeing Megadeth early on at Tulane University (maybe 200 people in attendance) are probably my top 3 of all time...and, at age 53, I still go to a lot of metal shows.
Cliff was channeling some Hendrix, some classical, and some of himself in that performance. Really awesome stuff.
Thanks for loving on Cliff Bro. Anybody that says he's "sloppy" are pissy they weren't on stage doing this at 19 years old. I can't play a single note on a guitar but I think this is memorizing.
My Son just bought his 1st Rickenbacker . It’s his favorite he’s has a few basses at 22yrs old . He has multiple pedals . He’s kind of creating his own sound. Kinda of like what Cliff did here. Cliff is an influence and Les Claypool to. He just loves to be different. He a Jazz musician and uses that to create something different. Cool breakdown of this video.
He's not out of time. He's playing in free time.
Thanks. So few people understand this.
You could do every Cliff song and it'll all be a must watch.
💙
Every Cliff-written song, or all of KeA, RtL and MoP?
@@wilhelmtheconquerer6214Probably every song that was pretty much carried by Cliff’s bass; like Orion and For Whom the Bell Tolls.
2 things that make the lower notes cleaner:
1. It's a guitar distortion that reacts to the higher frequencies.
2. Wah. He used the sweep of a wah pedal to drive the distortion mentioned above.
I keep tearing up every time i hear this song. Not only because he passed away tragically young but also because the piece is just phenomenal, emotions are just flowing out from that bass. It was one of the main reason why i started playing bass.
There will never be any bass player in metal like Cliff, the man was one of a kind and the music world lost a true giant when he died.
I remember seeing Cliff play this live, in a club, The Spectrum, in Montreal. I was front row center and just in awe. Meeting him and the others earlier (they came out and grabbed some drinks lol) was cool AF. Cliff was cool and down to earth.
Cliff was like Randy roads for us bass players insane talent 🤘
Every time I see this video I want a Rickenbacker too. Cliff just made everything look cool as hell.
The Morley power wah fuzz has a volume swell built in. It’s s big part of his tone
When I think of Cliff and his tone, all that pops into my head is a freight train. Don’t know where that imagery came from, but it’s the only I can describe him. A freight train.
4:00 This is because Cliff is using a Morley Power Wah Boost. The boost it set low enough so when the wah is in the foot up position, the signal is not loud enough to distort fully. But Because the sweep on the wah is so huge, when cliff moves the wah further down position, it boosts the signal enough to distort it like mad.
Almost 40 years, fans still amazed for what he did.
Rest in power Mr. Burton 🤘
Not too many things in this world as pretty as a Rickenbacker bass guitar 😍
"Bass Solo, Take 1."
❤❤❤
For me, the best part about Cliff wasn't his playing. It was his songwriting. He brought a musical sophistication and breadth of influences that Metallica has been missing ever since. Some of that sophistication did carry over to And Justice for All...but they pretty much became a hard rock band starting with the Black Album. You don't really hear the classical influences, the complex harmonies, the symphonic song structures, etc.
He was a great songwriter
He was born to play bass and was the best. I cried at his passing
I still remember listening to Cliff in 83' and saying over and over that this isn't a bass it's a guitar, and my buddy saying, it's a bass for hours...even though james says "bass solo take one"
That’s not James it’s Andrew. Watch the kill em all interview with Kirk that came out recently.
@@djb12DeepAcidHouseExperience I'll stick with james, it's a cooler story and the Het introduces Cliff in concert.
You were listening to it two years before it was released? Wow.
my time machine was set for 2 years in the future. My uncle's name is Rick.
@@america1st721 🤣
It makes me feel so old to realize that in about a year+ it will have been 40 years since he passed. I remember seeing them with Black Sabbath for their Master of Puppets tour. Cliff was an amazing individual. RIP Cliff.
Thanks for giving Cliff the respect he deserves. He was a god among bassists at the time. There are so many layers to his musicianship.
I played bass for a few years in the late 90s and watched Cliff ‘em all daily. He was an incredible musician.
Always in awe watching Cliff whole reason I started playing bass and re starting
Cliff was a musical genius but also classicly trained when he was young but also an innovator he used gutiar pickups and put them in his bass that's why his playing sounded like a gutiar player straight facts rip cliff
The bridge pickup is a guitar pickup, you're 100% correct!!!
Having been there as one of those guys who was a teenage bassist was digging Metallica when absolutely nobody knew who they were, was blown away.
Then lucked out and saw them in a one off small club gig (less than 1000) during the “Lightning tour”, and was stunned by his live game!
For me it was when UA-cam came to pass and you could get into isolated tracks, that I got a whole new appreciation of his writing approach, and style that just couldn’t be heard in the full mix.
This bass was in the RnR Hall of Fame Museum when i visited, i wanted to touch it so bad. I did acquire a bass string and some other memorabilia from a friend of Cliff's after he passed, i will cherish these items forever.
Hi. Do you know whats the gauge of that string from Cliff Burton? Its a round or flat string ? Thanks
@@nunoharris He played 35-95 rounds. Makes those bends way smoother.
I remember when it first came out. I was hooked immediately. This was unique; the sound, the look, the attitude.
Thank you for breaking this down, I was lucky enough to be Trauma’a road manager back in the Cliff era so i spent a good amount of time with them, Your take is spot on what Cliff was about, and yes..his flame will never burn out!! 🤘🏼
When I was 15 and started skating, there were two tapes I had in my Walkman. Metallica-"Kill Em All" and Suicidal Tendencies -"Still Cyco".
Kill em all is still to this day the best Metallica album to me. Bare bones, balls to the wall thrash. Even now, at 40, it makes me want to grab my battle jacket and bullet belt and find the nearest circle pit.
One of the things about Cliff, he never played this the same way twice. He was very much an improvisational player. There are dozen's of video's of him doing this on YT. None of them are the same and none of them are perfect. That's what makes them so special.
Cliff played with such confidence .
What Cliff accomplished in such a tragically short life is simply incredible. I've looked to him for inspiration since I first heard Metallica over 20 years ago, and he still inspires me to step out and take chances.
Don’t see any comments about Cliff modifying that Rick with different and an additional pickup in the bridge plus the vintage Morley Power Fuzz Boost pedal to achieve that tone.
13:37 the tapped harmonics occur twelve frets above the fretted note.
attitude is spot on - he played with passion and feel with technical knowledge. love cliff so much
10:53 If I remember, in that era he used a morley fuzz+wah, a big muff pi, and a tube screamer
In this performance (and many others) he gives you CLIFF - RAW.
I don't think I've ever heard the exact same note for note live performance of this signature track.
If you want to stick to a metronome then all power - but to create in real time is a skill of the greats.
I love the Jimmy references below because the live invention and expansion of ideas in real time is definitely a trait of all amazing performers.
Cliff, Steve Harris, and Geezer Butler for me are true definitions of heavy metal bass players. I saw a band at The Viper Room called The New Pacific several years ago and I really dug the bass player of the band. He played a heavy bass like Geezer but played it with the frenzied energy you saw from Jason Newsted. It was a great sound.
That control of the 'gain' spectrum comes down to the 'long' electro opitcal frequency sweep of the 70's Tel Ray Morley power wah boost pedal, compared to say a potentiometer Crybaby style wah.
He was using that with a MXR Limiter pedal at this point of time as a compressor for increased sustain. As time went on he added a Boss CS Compressor, Big Muff fuzz distortion and then a TS808 Tubescreamer in the MOP era.
Thank you for this video !!
My pleasure!
Just a small foot note, the entirety of Chicago 1983 concert footage wasn't released until the kill 'em all remaster boxset. The cliff 'em all footage I think was cliffs second gig with metallica. Still 1983, what a wild year really.
The Ricky's tone is so much of this sound. I assume part of Cliff's tone is that some Rickenbackers have 2 plugs where you can split the pickups, so one gets the effect and the other doesn't.
Hearing and watching C.B. play Anesthesia litterally gives me chills!
That bass and part of his sound was that there is a single coil fender pickup under the bridge. Pickup came from a Fender Stratocaster.
Brilliantly throwing in improv so each performance is different. 🥲 absolutely brilliant 👏
Screaling is the perfect word for what Clifford embodied. I saw Metallica in 1986 with Ozzy. I was eight rows back directly in front of Cliff. I was mesmerized by his out of synch movements. Too Young too Die, Too weird to live. Respectfully. R.I.P.. 6 weeks after that show he was gone. Damn. It still stings.
I always felt like Cliff was the best guitar player ever to go all in on playing bass
Cliff was known for not being normal
He would throw stuff together that didn't belong
And made it work
Every nuance, however subtle, added a different perspective to every song Cliff contributed to.
That’s what made the first three albums so special. RIP Clifford Lee Burton!! 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻🔥🔥
I was 12 when I saw Cliff em All on VHS. Got a bass the next Christmas. No longer play bass but am a decades long percussionist. Cliff made me become a musician.
Go listen to the video on youtube called "Metallica - Live at The Lyceum Theatre, London, UK (1984) [SBD Audio]" Cliff is using a Ibanez HD1500 Harmonic/Delay FX Unit and Anesthesia sounds a lot different, and the intro of For Whom the Bell Tolls. Along with a crazy live version of Call of Ktulu. Lots of Cliff in that bootleg.
I know Cliff was also fond of using a Strat pickup in place of the foam mute on his Rickenbacker back in the day as well, which gave him a lot of control where extraneous noise was concerned.
Cliff started using a Morley wah way before Metallica his first band you can see him with it in Agents of misfortune battle of the bands you should check that out
Never forget that Cliff was high as a kite, and had more than a few beers playing live every single time. He did really well live. I watched him prime for couple of shows and couldn't believe he could play at all.
If you want a good listen, check out his performance at Palo Alto in 83. There is no video, but it has a lot of clarity and absolutely ROCKS!
Cliff played every single note with his whole entire soul.
Cliff used 3 pedals. A morley POWER wah fuzz during 83', a TS9 distortion and a compression. The power wah is special bc its fully thru with its power, causing his petal to do that gradient.
This was also Cliff's FIRST show with Metallica.
Dave was still in the band when Cliff played his first show with them.
Did he use a four stringed bass in this video or a 5? I know the dude in the video is using a 5-string, but in all of Cliff’s solos he uses 4-string, and I keep on seeing four tuning picks, not five, but I’m not sure.
@michaelvaleski Its a 4 string. Ricks weren't 5 string then, and his Aria was also a 4 string.
@@Jazzinova Ohh, all good. Thanks.
I have no hide how many dozens of times I’ve watched this clip, and I will NEVER forgive whoever was working the camera for fully not showing Cliff when he REALLY started shredding at the end 😂
I thought the exact same thing actually! He was doing huge arpeggiated slides, really would’ve loved to see that 😌
This wasn’t the solo from Cliff em All, this is from I think that live show in Chicago that they put out quite a while after Cliff em All.
When you've seen him do this song live multiple times, it makes it really difficult to watch Metallica since without him. R.I.P. Cliff.
"Cliff is out of time"
Lars enters playing in 3.9/4 time
😅
It's his Amp combo!!!he's also buzzed
"Here's Cliff Burton"...
Then UA-cam goes right into a Charmin ad. UA-cam, every damn time.
That Morley power pedal is doing some of that work too. I saw them in Oakland CA in, I think it was, 1983. Kill 'em all is still my favorite album even though I know it's not their "best".
do you think its a power pedal or a fuzz pedal?
The live footage was filmed at the Metro in Chicago.
9:54
Start with your ring finger and drag the other 2.
Thats what I noticed he always did.
Especially in the beginning of the piece he is doing that for the timing.
passion, its that simple. you don't see it as much as you used to, in all genres of music
From 14:44 - 14:57 Cliff does some shit that sounds like a quick little bluegrass banjo run. That one part is my favorite detail of the whole solo, wish you had touched on that.
There's obviously a wah-wah pedal being switched on at times, Cliff was great at doing that.
I scrolled through comments and did see this mentioned, but a lot of cliffs tone came from the guitar pickup on the bridge of his bass.
Cliff was fantastic! He was a musical genius. It really sucks that he died..
I think the sweep of his Morley Power wah plus his insane attack strength are what may be creating that blended clean/fuzz sound. Idk though. They have a strange operation: you step on it and it triggers, then when you stop sweeping and step off they shut off quick. No click on/off like a Crybaby or Vox.
6:18 he's not "getting out of time" he's just not bothering to stick to a strict time signature.
A person that would pick apart a performance like that for imperfections doesn't have the first clue of what they're even picking apart.
The solo on the DVD right before he passed was the best on the Puppets tour.
Cliff, to me, is someone that people make the mistake of looking at as just a bassist. Like yeah, there most definitely are better bassists out there today, and probably even during his time in Metallica in the 80's, but Cliff was a whole lot more than just a bass player. The guy actively helped and made sure the band excelled and stayed true to themselves, as well add in a much needed musically knowledgeable insight into the band itself. There really aren't a lot of bassists that really make and propel a band foward with their own presence quite like Cliff did with Metallica, especially more so considering the decade and time frame he did it in. Dominic Forest is probably the only person I can think of off the top of my head whose presence in a band really amplified the rest of the band as a whole.
Cliff The Loon Legend....
DVD?! I still have the VHS!
Even more incredible 😅🤘🏼
He's just using the fuzz from the morley set very low almost clean in this performance i think, then the wah does all the other tonal work. Morleys are crazy, if you own one you know, expecially the old ones
His Morley wah pedal when he would push down on it would active his full distortion, there's a rig run down video someone made to show how it works
I want to visit an alternate reality where Dave didn't get kicked out and Cliff didn't pass, to see what Metallica's music would have become
And they had a better drummer than Lars
What an ending!! Bravo!!
Kill Em All was released on July 25th, 1983. My 6th birthday.
On the original Cliff em All vhs movie Cliff gets introduced as "the major rager on the 4 string motherfuc*er!"
Dude in the beginning when his bass reflected and shone into the camera!! And when he transitioned to the fat part and the camera got out of focus and back in 👌👌👌👌👌
cliff's right hand deserver the HOF even without the rest of metallica ... fucking machine.
Me and my friends love Metallica pantera and other bands, and ever time my friends and my cousins came over they would always ask for Metallica kill ‘em all anesthesia they would smile every time I put it on
they say people are ahead of their time. cliff is still ahead of his time.
Finally!!
Enjoy! This truly was a blast. So many little nuances and licks I forgot about, and that definitely aren't in the studio version. I still have that same "little kid" in me that gets riled up when I watch Cliff. I know more about bass and music now, but back then watching him play was just like watching magic. It resonated with me so deeply and I knew I just wanted to be a part of that somehow.
For me picking any of the first 4 albums as "the best" is impossible.
Incredible Cliff.
Roger Patterson of Atheist also passed too soon.
The Bay area & Jersey.🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I'm very surprised this video doesn't have more views.
Wah pedal after the distortion rather than before, which allows him to use it as more of a filter than as a straight wah effect.
His pedal rig was basically a bassists version of Jimmy Hendrix's, a big muff and a wah.
I wanna say its the Morley power wah fuzz when up and forward wah. And he had a big muffle pi.
Cliff's effects were a Morley wah and a Big Muff for distortion.