Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica [ペーパーバック]

I was really looking forward to reading this book but I found it disappointing after the first half. When I read a biography I want to hear the facts. I really don't care to hear the opinions of the author or reviews of each album. Here is what I gather.

The author thinks that everything after Master of Puppets is pretty much crap and Cliff Burton was God.

I think this was a great disservice to Jason Newsted. He was in the band for 14 years yet he is barely mentioned at all. Jason is constantly compared to Cliff. I don't know about other people but I don't really think about that. Making statements that Jason looked like he was too small for the big stage is another slight. That's an opinion. Give me the facts and the details.

As stated in the book Cliff rarely played Bass when he was off stage. He played guitar all the time. Not to slight Cliff but he does sound like a guitarist playing Bass. It's definitely in his style. Jason is totally a bassist. He was 100% dedicated to that band. Stop making excuses for their actions. They were pricks and tell it like it is. I can't wait to hear the answer to the following question; "Why don't you guys just remix Justice and fix it?".

To be fair the first part of the book is great. There are many little things I did not know and I am a Metallica nut. After the Master of Puppets era it goes downhill. It's a Lars fest. One of the reasons for that is that the author personally knows him. Hard to be objective when one of your buddies is in the band.

Would I buy this book again? No I would just borrow it from a friend.

You don't need to read this book if you have already read Joel McIver's masterful books, JUSTICE FOR ALL: THE TRUTH ABOUT METALLICA and TO LIVE IS TO DIE: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF METALLICA'S CLIFF BURTON.

If you have not read McIver's books, then be sure to read TO LIVE IS TO DIE for an account of Cliff. And before that, read Wall's ENTER NIGHT for an up-to-date biography of the band and for more even handed musical criticism. McIver doesn't like much of Metallica's work after AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Wall sees more value in it, though he is unduly negative on DEATH MAGNETIC.

Unlike McIver or any previous biographer, Wall spends some time discussing the rumor that shortly prior to Cliff's death, Cliff and James had seriously discussed replacing Lars. The speculation that Dave Lombardo from Slayer would have been brought in to replace Lars seems spot on, as Lombardo was particularly unhappy with his bandmates at that time. What would have happened to Lars? Wall doesn't speculate, but I'd wager he would have gone to Dave and joined up with Megadeth. Now that really would have made for some bitter rivalries in the thrash world!

Wall helped answer a question that always bothered me: When they got to be arena headliners, why did Metallica have Queensryche and The Cult open for them? Why didn't Metallica take a page from Ozzy's playbook and have an opening band that was more underground and extreme? The answer: both Queensryche and The Cult were represented by Metallica's management, QPrime. I really like both Queensryche and The Cult, and I enjoyed those shows. But it would have been great if Metallica challenged the audience with Death, Cannibal Corpse, or Morbid Angel as an opening band. And what a difference that could have made for Metallica's future development.

Wall makes a couple of howling mistakes, both owing to his being from Britain: First, he claims that the GARAGE DAYS RE-REVISITED EP was released as THE $9.98 EP in America. Incorrect. It was released as THE $5.98 EP on cassette and record and was also released on CD as THE $9.98 CD. Second, he claims the album AND JUSTICE FOR ALL takes its title from the final line of the Declaration of Independence. The phrase is actually found in the final line of the Pledge of Allegiance. But the more direct inspiration for the album title comes from 1979 Al Pacino movie AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

All in all, it's worth a read if this will be the first book on Metallica you pick up.

Admittedly, I am yet to finish the book; however, I feel compelled to review it. The fact that Mick is not among the sychophants that often write books about their heroes is refreshing. It makes the book more interesting if the author does tell it like it is, rather than only painting the band in a positive light. He does not like all of their music-nor do I. I would seriously question anyone who honestly likes all of their music, given that they've put out so much. What is most interesting is his bravado in telling the story through the facts and interviews. It's nice to know that Lars's drumming was not up to par and that his job was on the line before "Puppets" came out. The fact that Jonny and Marsha Z seemed to have put everything on the line for the band, only to have them ripped away is interesting. In my opinion, the way that they were treated is less than admirable-Ron McGoveny as well. These types of situations, which do not paint the band in a good light, are told in great detail. I really enjoy hearing it like it happened-omitting nothing that may be offensive to the band. Mick has a relationship with the band and like with Jimmy Page, he put it on the line to give us an accurate account of the band's history. How many of us would jeopordize a coveted relationship with Lars in order to state our honest opinion about his music? I am thankful that Mick educates us in every aspect of the band, not just the substance abuse and groupie aspect. This book is fantastic thus far, as was his Zeppelin book. I read that book multiple times. The truth should be umcompromising and unmerciful and with Mick-it is!!!!