So if it �wasn�t about the money� � Metallica

[Staples]

Remember at the hight of Napster, Metallica garnered a ton of hatred because they were the first ones to step out hard against music piracy? Everyone said that this whole stance is mainly brought on because of money. Metallica responded with the argument that it wasn?t about the money, it was about doing what is right.

I have been using iTunes since it came out for Windows a few months ago and so far I have been able to find and buy most the stuff I listen to. However, I have always wondered about the ?it?s not about the money? Metallica who is no where to be found on this service. It is very logical to conclude that the artists make a lot less money by only selling two songs off an album for $2 rather than selling the $15 CD but if it wasn?t about the money, where is Metalica? Most artists are willing to sell their songs over the net in digital format because they know that if this option doesn?t exist, the people looking for this sort of deal will probably just pirate them instead.

So if it wasn?t about the money, why exactly is Metallica not selling their songs over the net? Not that I?d actually want any but I am just curious about the validity of the whole defense argument. Perhaps they are exclusive to Napster or MusicMatch (which I have not checked) and their statement would actually hold perfect legitimacy. As of now, I can?t believe any part of what they said in defense of knocking Napster and it seems to me that the people who believed this was all about money were exactly right.

 

[Vortex22]

They would have to pay me to download the crap from their latest album.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Staples
Remember at the hight of Napster, Metallica garnered a ton of hatred because they were the first ones to step out hard against music piracy? Everyone said that this whole stance is mainly brought on because of money. Metallica responded with the argument that it wasn?t about the money, it was about doing what is right.

I have been using iTunes since it came out for Windows a few months ago and so far I have been able to find and buy most the stuff I listen to. However, I have always wondered about the ?it?s not about the money? Metallica who is no where to be found on this service. It is very logical to conclude that the artists make a lot less money by only selling two songs off an album for $2 rather than selling the $15 CD but if it wasn?t about the money, where is Metalica? Most artists are willing to sell their songs over the net in digital format because they know that if this option doesn?t exist, the people looking for this sort of deal will probably just pirate them instead.

So if it wasn?t about the money, why exactly is Metallica not selling their songs over the net? Not that I?d actually want any but I am just curious about the validity of the whole defense argument. Perhaps they are exclusive to Napster or MusicMatch (which I have not checked) and their statement would actually hold perfect legitimacy. As of now, I can?t believe any part of what they said in defense of knocking Napster and it seems to me that the people who believed this was all about money were exactly right.

Good question. Can you find them on WalMart's 88 cents service?

 

[mpitts]

They probably figured out that, if someone could download one song for 99 cents and find out how crappy their music has been lately, the likelihood of them buying the rest of the records was very low.

 

[anxi80]

not a big deal to me. they started going downhill during the black album anyways (it was a good album, just not the caliber of their previous efforts...oh great, there i've gone and done it, pissed off all the "i played 'enter sandman' for my grade school carnival and we won the battle of the bands"-fanboys).

edit: forgot to finish my point. since i already have the best albums, this doesnt really worry me. from 'kill em' all' to self-titled 'black album' (even 'live sh%$: binge and purge'). want my 'load' album? check your wherehouses used racks...

 

[Aharami]

metallica USED to be good. but they stopped doing that a while back. lets just let metallica fade away into the darkness

 

[Staples]

They probably figured out that, if someone could download one song for 99 cents and find out how crappy their music has been lately, the likelihood of them buying the rest of the records was very low.

I guess that is one theory. My brother actually bought the album. I think there are many one or two ok songs one it.

Good question. Can you find them on WalMart's 88 cents service?

There are more of these services than I even know about. I had no idea that Walmart even had a music service.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Aharami
metallica USED to be good. but they stopped doing that a while back. lets just let metallica fade away into the darkness

you mean "just leg metallica Fade to Black"

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: anxi80
not a big deal to me. they started going downhill during the black album anyways (it was a good album, just not the caliber of their previous efforts...oh great, there i've gone and done it, pissed off all the "i played 'enter sandman' for my grade school carnival and we won the battle of the bands"-fanboys).

edit: forgot to finish my point. since i already have the best albums, this doesnt really worry me. from 'kill em' all' to self-titled 'black album' (even 'live sh%$: binge and purge'). want my 'load' album? check your wherehouses used racks...

The Black Album was awesome

 

[ReiAyanami]

they offered em but nobody wanted them

 

[Eli]

You guys really just have no clue do you? lol...

It wasn't about the money. Think about it, they have enough money.

It was because they didn't agree with Napster. Call their views oldschool, shrug. It wasn't about the money. It was about doing what they thought was right.

My brother and I attended an online chat they did at the height of the Napster debacle, to try and explain themselves.

What they said made a lot of sense. A lot more than "They did it for the money!!!" Shrug. Believe what you want to believe, and like their music if you want to.

I swear, there is more controversy over Metallica...

If you don't like them, you don't like them. If you don't like NSync, you don't like NSync. I don't see people arguing and debating over them.. lol

 

[ChrisIsBored]

I heard something come across the radio the other day that there were actually 3 of those online pay services that Metallica was going to finally release songs to for users to buy. A couple years late, but hey they're trying right?

I still won't buy sh~t with their name on it.

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
The Black Album was awesome

it isnt a terrible album, and it is kind of unfair of me to think they can keep a consistent flow of every-track-on-the-cd is great efforts. but its just as a kid (when i first had these albums), 'master' and 'ride' had such impacts on me, i may have put them on too high of a pedestal. to be honest, i havent even listened to the cd's in probably a great while. who knows, my perception may totally be different now if i was to re-listen to these albums.

edit: btw, im sure they still rock. damn, i could really go for some 'for whom the bell tolls' right about now...

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: ReiAyanami
they offered em but nobody wanted them

Yeah right, they are probably the most downloaded Metal band out there.

 

[Red Dawn]

dp

 

[ChrisIsBored]

Originally posted by: Eli
You guys really just have no clue do you? lol...

It wasn't about the money. Think about it, they have enough money.

It was because they didn't agree with Napster. Call their views oldschool, shrug. It wasn't about the money. It was about doing what they thought was right.

My brother and I attended an online chat they did at the height of the Napster debacle, to try and explain themselves.

What they said made a lot of sense. A lot more than "They did it for the money!!!" Shrug. Believe what you want to believe, and like their music if you want to.

Mind explaining to us then how they had no problems, and even encouraged people pirating their songs via cassette back in the old days then?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: ChrisIsBored

Originally posted by: Eli
You guys really just have no clue do you? lol...

It wasn't about the money. Think about it, they have enough money.

It was because they didn't agree with Napster. Call their views oldschool, shrug. It wasn't about the money. It was about doing what they thought was right.

My brother and I attended an online chat they did at the height of the Napster debacle, to try and explain themselves.

What they said made a lot of sense. A lot more than "They did it for the money!!!" Shrug. Believe what you want to believe, and like their music if you want to.

Mind explaining to us then how they had no problems, and even encouraged people pirating their songs via cassette back in the old days then?

They always have and still do encourage bootlegging of live performances.

Come on. They're just normal people. Just think like a normal person. They were a band nobody heard about back then. Of course they're going to want everybody to distribute their tapes.

They disagreed with Napster's fundamental idea of free music. It is one thing to make a copy of a tape, it's completely different to make a digital copy of something & freely distribute it. They were protecting their intellectual property, nothing more. Any on the ball organization wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing.

So.. In a sense it was about the money, but it wasn't about the money in the sense that they were fearful of losing it & greedy. There is a difference.

 

[Vic]

IMO, Metallica peaked at Puppets and it's been downhill ever since...

 

[KGB1]

Originally posted by: anxi80

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
The Black Album was awesome

it isnt a terrible album, and it is kind of unfair of me to think they can keep a consistent flow of every-track-on-the-cd is great efforts. but its just as a kid (when i first had these albums), 'master' and 'ride' had such impacts on me, i may have put them on too high of a pedestal. to be honest, i havent even listened to the cd's in probably a great while. who knows, my perception may totally be different now if i was to re-listen to these albums.

That's usually my case, I didn't generally receive their albums in the 90's so well But when Garage Inc came out.. I was hopeful Metallica would come back. In a way they did, but not like I expected them to. However.. I am different than what I used to be when I was 16 and the reasons I liked them back then. The reason I still enjoy them now; is that everytime I relisten to a song, I found something new about it that I haven't maybe heard before. I realize metallica will never go back to what they were, but I won't haggle them about it. It's what it is.... if all Metallica did was Tour, I'm sure they can go on like dylan/stones and sell out every arena even without an album out

 

[SinnerWolf]

according to metallica, their whole gripe with napster was that they were never asked if they could put metallica songs on their network. they claimed that they never would have started their whining if they had only been asked 'mother may i'.

regardless of their intentions, they brought about a movement with lars as the frontman for the RIAA. For that alone, they lost me as a fan and supporter. I've become jaded against the music industry and no longer listen to radio stations that spam the same songs over and over again hoping to produce approval. I actively seek out music NOT on the RIAA's support list, from artists who are willing to be artists instead of PR bunnies.

 

[Staples]

Originally posted by: SinnerWolf
according to metallica, their whole gripe with napster was that they were never asked if they could put metallica songs on their network. they claimed that they never would have started their whining if they had only been asked 'mother may i'.

I am sure their answer would have been no to the can I. Therefor if they were not loosing money over Napster, they wouldn't have cared. I hope they didn't appear like they cared about other artists.

 

[thomsbrain]

man, i'd want to keep my stuff off iTunes just because it sucks so much raw ass and all the bandwagoners think it's cool cause apple said so.

 

[Red Dawn]

Fools, it's always about the money. Always has and always will be!

 

[DougK62]

I think Metallica has only gotten better over the years. Their newest album isn't the greatest, but it's not bad. A lot of people just can't stand change, so they don't like the newer stuff. If you grew up on their earlier stuff it's hard to like their newer "softer" stuff. But it still is good music. IMO, it's better lyrically and vocally. They had some good songs in the early years, but the albums as a whole are hard to listen to. Mostly a bunch of yelling and screaming. Of course this was back in the day when there were a lot of bands with little talent just yelling and screaming. The "yell and scream" rock of yore is just as bad as the gangster rap of today.

Now that I've pissed off everyone...

 

[Aceshigh]

Originally posted by: Vic
IMO, Metallica peaked at Puppets and it's been downhill ever since...

True, but Justice had it's moments. The black album was the first drastic loss of quality in my opinion.