Razor

Charles just finished his 30-day song challenge yesterday, and I thought starting it myself would be a blast.  So here goes.

They start out with the most challenging: your favorite song.  I really had to think about this.  Music is such a big part of my life, and I don’t seem to get stuck in one time period or genre.  The music I am listening to at any given time depends on what exactly is going on in my life right at that moment.  So I knew that this day 1 challenge song of mine had to be something that would outlive any of my fads and whims.

Keeping that in mind – I asked myself, “If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life – what would it be?”  I have to admit – the answer came somewhat easily after that.  I could definitely narrow it down to one musical group – Metallica.  I have never grown tired of their music in any stage of my life.  As a matter of fact, after deciding that I needed to throw all of my “secular” music away – their music is what I held on to the longest.  Their CD’s and cassettes were the last to be thrown. (Just a side note – I no longer have any such ridiculous restrictions on myself now.)

After narrowing down the group – the songs that I probably would never grow tired of listening to of theirs and that hold the most meaning for me are Fade to Black, Nothing Else Matters, and The Unforgiven (yes – I am stuck on ballads!)  But, the melody and lyrics for Nothing Else Matters have absolutely been burned inside my brain, so that has to be the song.

Metallica

If you don’t know who Metallica is, you are either a much bigger dork than I am, or were in a bomb shelter much longer than I was.  Metallica is a heavy rock band that have been around since the ’80′s.   The three permanent members have been James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett.  Bassists have switched in and out.  Their original bassist, Cliff Burton, died in 1986, and was replaced by Jason Newsted.  In the early 2000′s, Newsted left the band, and was replaced with Ozzy‘s bassist, Robert Trujillo (to be honest, I am the least familiar with Metallica’s music since this swap!)

I cannot remember how I was introduced to Metallica’s music.  It definitely was not by the radio.  Metallica was pretty underground when I was in high school – and not played on any top 40 or rock station.  It seems that they were always there in my friend’s scene in high school.

I saw them three times in concert – opening for Ozzy Osbourne (although Ozzy was headlining – we were there to see Metallica), Monster of Rock Tour, and finally their tour for the Black Album in Providence, RI (pregnant with my oldest daughter!)

Nothing Else Matters

Nothing Else Matters was the fourth single released off the Black Album – of course if you were like me, and purchased the CD on the day it was released, you heard it that first day and loved it!  This was in 1992, and I was getting ready to graduate from college, and pregnant with my first child.  I don’t remember this ong connected with anybody in my life – except another kick ass Metallica song – only this time a rocking ballad.  According to Wikipedia, it has been covered over forty times.  One of my favorite covers by Apocalyptica: