Megadeth: Metal Sells And I Am Buying

“Can't say what's on my mind

Can't do what I really feel

In this bed I made for me

Is where I sleep,

I really feel I warn you of the fate

Proven true too late

Your tongue twists perverse

Come drink now of this curse A

nd now I fill your brain

I spin you round again

My poison fills your head

As I tuck you in your bed

You feel my fingertips

You won't forget my lips

You'll feel my cold breath

It's the kiss of death”
--Dave Mustaine of Megadeth; “Tornado of Souls” from Rust In Peace, 1990.

I recently went to a garage sale and snagged every remastered Megadeth CD. I had owned some and then sold them all on eBay as a big lot. Realizing soon after that is was a tactical error of judgment, I decided to find them “eventually” and simply bought a “Best of” collection.

I replayed three of them this weekend and was amazed at the dynamic qualities of each.

Rust in Peace is my favorite at this time because of the hard edge and clever lyrics. The most “accessible” to the general person is Countdown to Extinction as it seems to have the most “hits.” Peace Sells, But Who’s Buying was the third I played. I like that one a bit, although the misguided version of Ain’t Superstitious really does not belong on the album.

I often wondered why Megadeth is often viewed as “an also ran” when it comes to fan choices as I know the comparisons to Metallica exist. I blame leader Dave Mustaine for the comparisons as he just cannot let some things go. For those not in the know, Mustaine (lead guitarist and vocalist and visionary of Megadeth) was once a member of Metallica. Depending on which story is old at any given time, Mustaine was either too “under the influence,” too obnoxious, too different, wanted to be too much of the front man, or too pissed to stay in Metallica. The fallout affected his relationship with James Hetfield, though he has remained fairly friendly with Lars Ulrich.

Not that it is of consequence, Mustaine seems the one who cannot move on; which tends to hinder the efforts of Megadeth.

Silly posturing aside, I enjoyed the CDs on a second run-through of sorts by repurchasing them and enjoying them again. For a mere dollar per CD, quite a nice deal to own a very good chunk of the Megadeth catalogue for $9.00.

The Worst of the Worst: Volume I

“You Sold Me Out…”
Ray Davies of the Kinks.

I kind of hate to say it, but there really are some bad albums/groups/songs out there that fit in the genre of metal. My least favorite is the GLAM Metal music, which someone from Anthrax referred to GLAM as Gay Los Angeles Metal. Poison, Crue, Ratt, Cinderella, and the like are terribly wretched in excess and lack of musicianship. Still, I offer some of my least favorite hard rock and metal moments.

Kiss Dynasty, Unmasked, the Solos, and Music From The Elder are very weak. Dynasty is disco; Unmasked is horrid and misguided. The solos are really really horrible; Music From the Elder is insane: a concept album with the tendancies towards the fantasy genre--too insipid for words. Do I really consider Kiss metal; no, but there are those who do.

Alice Cooper’s Lace and Whiskey and Goes to Hell. Alice lost his sense of sick humor on both of these weak efforts. Cooper’s trademark ability to let the guitars rock are also missing. There is no reason to own these.

Anything by Everon is a waste of time and money. Everon was billed as Progressive Power metal; it sounds like Journey except Journey rocks more. That is all I need to say.

Take your pick on GLAM. This genre is also known as 80s Hair Bands. All of it stinks for the most part and was an excuse to make hard rock and metal marketable for the MTV audience. It did so, but in the process made hard rock bands look like cartoons. The best thing of the genre, I must admit, is that it pissed off some folks who decided to pick up their guitars and play: thus Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and others who admit that they started their evolution as a result of hating GLAM or Hairband metal. This proves the point that good things can come from bad or every dark cloud has a silver lining; although I doubt the members of Slayer would like that analogy.

Later Metallica efforts have bored me. I like St. Anger; but most of the rest of the last decade’s version of Metallica has left me wishing for the past. Metallica is not the only band that has done this, but they are the most surprising.

Later Van Halen efforts have done the same as Metallica. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (follow the first letters, kids and see what Van Halen has done for you) and one gets the idea. When I saw “Right Now” on a Pepsi commercial, it was obvious the boys (see those first letters again) “blanked” us all.

More as time permits; but this will keep you rolling. Oh and enjoy the Kiss clip; absolutely the worst song of the genre in my most humble opinion.