Dear Friends,
Greetings from the East. It’s nice and cold. And wet.
*****
The week couldn’t have ended on a more positive note. We had a really good planning session, and I am proud of how my team responded. It looks like December will be a good month.
I wasn’t called an idiot, either. I did have to give several motivational speeches about effort. A lot of my students are openly rebelling against division. It’s not the easiest concept to embrace, but the gap between those who have accepted it and those who haven’t is huge.
It does boggle my mind a bit as to why some of my kids who are pretty sharp and just so afraid of evening trying to do the division problems. I have three that just kind of sit there. Today they weren’t even trying to look like they were doing the work. It’s very frustrating.
I’m putting those thoughts away for a week.
*****
Today there will be a few stops before heading up the hill. We are going to grab some breakfast in either Dover or Portsmouth and then head to Kittery and stock up a little bit on some NA beers. I look forward to seeing the guys at Woodland Farms again.
After a stop at the Portland Costco for some road snacks, it will be back up to Rangeley. Hopefully I can grab a little nap on the way up the mountain. If I don’t, I won’t be a heck of a lot of help for any prep stuff today. Tomorrow will be the real day of shutting up the house and getting ready to come back to Phoenix.
I am looking forward to being back in Rangeley, though. Not quite as much as I am looking forward to seeing Rhondi, which I am very excited about. I hope she feels the same. I think she does, but I’m not the easiest person sometimes on a road trip. I like things a certain way.
*****
I love three Metallica records, and this is the third one. The rest of them might as well not exist for me and that’s okay. Metallica doesn’t give two shits what I think of their music and, again, that’s okay.
In 1984, I got turned onto Ride The Lightning by my friend, Thom, back in my sophomore year of high school. That album was my first love when it comes to Thrash Metal, but after becoming a Metallica fan, I learned they had another record that came before Ride The Lightning, so I picked up a copy of Kill ‘Em All.
While I still think their songs are a bit too long, and Kill ‘Em All clocks in at a whopping 51 minutes, there are no wasted moments on the record and I’m not sure how I would trim any fat. As much as I love Ride The Lightning, Kill ‘Em All has a rawness to it that just makes me want to bang my head instantly.
In fact, a few mornings ago I was prepping for this writing and I put on Kill ‘Em All for my ride to work. When the first notes of “Hit the Lights” cranked out of my car stereo, I was banging my head. My hair was still wet from the shower, I could feel it slapping on my forward, cheeks, neck, and shoulders to the point where my jacket was wet when I got out of the car.
I must’ve been a sight for my fellow motorists that morning. It barely stopped when I got to “Four Horsemen” and then right into “Motorbreath.” By that point, I was at my usual parking space at school, and I sat there and finished all of “Motorbreath.”
These three songs just bring it, but there really is not let up until Cliff Burton’s rad, “(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” bass jam thing. As a bass player, I am fascinated by the short but powerful legacy Burton left behind. He was just about 21 when Kill ‘Em All came out and was already an extremely well-rounded player. The riffs that guy should have gotten to play…
Fuck.
I didn’t mean to breeze past “Jump in the Fire.” That riff is just stupid good, too. The whole of side one is just completely bad ass. “Whiplash” may be my favorite track…but then “Seek & Destroy” comes after “No Remorse” on side two and I’m torn between the three of those.
In terms of pure power, Kill ‘Em All has something that most heavy metal records can only dream of and it boils down to combination of intensity, great riffs, and fucking balls. I’m not one much for He-Man type shit, but Metallica, in those early days, had balls for days. Some people would say that they have kept them, but I don’t know if I agree. Multimillions often steal the fire that is needed to make a record like Kill ‘Em All.
This is a hungry band on this record. They were out to kick ass, take names, shit on those names, and kick more ass. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to be one of those more established bands that had Metallica open for them in these days. I read that they opened for Twisted Sister and Venom in Europe around this time. Poor Twisted Sister and Venom. Metallica must’ve crushed them.
“The horsemen are drawing nearer/on leather steeds they ride/they’ve come to take your life/under the dead of night/with the four horsemen ride/or choose your fate and die/oh, yeah!”
That’s a fucking chorus right there.
I would go see Metallica play this record in its entirety any day of the week. That’s probably not ever going to happen. They are too old and couldn’t bring the energy needed to make it sound the way I would want to hear it (yes, I’m poking the bear…even though they will never read this). Poke, poke, poke.
I’m just grateful that I listened to my metal loving friend, Thom, and gave Metallica a try. Thanks, my man!
*****
See you tomorrow.
I love that AI also sees Lars as a douche.
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