Metallica - Bass Solo + “Whiplash” (Live, 1983)

That this even exists is completely amazing. They look 12.

Highlights:

  • 0:00 - Intro + namechecking favorite bands
    • “Angel Witch! Diamondhead! ZZ Top!”
  • 1:17 - Cliff Burton’s insanely wanky, flanged-out bass solo commences
  • 3:08 - Lars joins in to make Cliff Burton’s insanely wanky, flanged-out bass solo an awkward duo
  • 4:35 - As bass adventure continues for more than a little too long, Dave and James finally jump in, transforming the tune into what appears to be an outtake from Meat Puppets I.
  • 5:23 - Band abruptly tears into my fourth favorite Metallica song — and the song that first made me fall desperately in love with them back in 1985: fucking Whiplash.
  • 8:16 - Solo! Dave Mustaine plays his guitar like an abusive father.
  • 9:31 - Song ends with scream plus that thing where you defiantly drop the guitar and all the open strings make a sound like that weird chord from the beginning of “A Hard Day’s Night”.
  • 9:32 - FIN.

All in all, a pretty great performance from a band that never in a million years could have imagined where they’d be in about six years.

Related: still can’t believe Mustaine and Hetfield never murdered each other. Those were some pent-up little men.