Bob Rock Feels "20 Years Younger" After Metallica
Band Photo: Metallica (?)
According to an article at Reuters, producer Bob Rock says he feels "20 years younger" after his split with Metallica, whose albums he had produced since 1991.
The Canadian producer parted company with the metal titan earlier this year and is now devoting his energies to other artists and a return to his own recording career.
According to the 52-year-old Rock, "My life is now about my wife and kids, and recording other bands."
Rock first teamed with Metallica for its self-titled 1991 album (aka The Black Album). The Elektra set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 281 weeks. Rock helmed Metallica's subsequent albums, through 2003's St Anger.
A behind-the-scenes look at that tumultuous project was featured in the following year's unflinching documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. A petition that some 1500 fans signed subsequently was posted online calling for Metallica to dump Rock, claiming he had too much influence on the band's sound.
"The criticism was hurtful for my kids, who read it and don't understand the circumstances," Rock says. "Sometimes, even with a great coach, a team keeps losing. You have to get new blood in there."
But Metallica co-manager Peter Mensch argues that Rock "nursed Metallica out of almost complete collapse on that record. Bob is one of the five best producers on the planet. But it was time to shake things up."
Rick Rubin is producing the next Metallica album.
Rock made his international reputation in the '80s while he was an engineer at Vancouver's Little Mountain Sound, working with producer Bruce Fairbairn on multiplatinum albums for Loverboy, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith.
Read the full article at Reuters.
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29 Comments on "Bob Rock Feels '20 Years Younger' After Metallica"
2. writes:
Bob... wow Bob... think Bob did a good job with metallica for the black album, but he's a producer who wants money and money!! He completely destroy the "trash spirit" of metallica, he abandonned instrumental song, he gave to metallica a formated sound... too formated! who many singles were take from the black album?? Bob knew it... because he know "how do great radiophonic sound"... and after the black album... load and re-load... what is this pretty sh**? ok there were good songs, but it was just the "lovely songs" that Hefield and Ulrich had in their minds, and they didn't record them before because it was not "metallica's songs"!! and Bob arrived and said "record them guys!! it's great" but he thought "yeah... we can made a lot of money with those teens' songs". and St Anger... no comment. just a riff collection, no structure, no construction, no solo. Did they record this kind of songs to make "new metallica's fan" with the nu-metal fan? Yes, I think yes...
that's just an opinion from a french old school fan of metallica
Keep it heavy!!
5. writes:
#4:He earned it, Ron.
Its funny to me, being a fan of Metallica when they were a local band-they we're called p***ies when 'Fade to Black' came out. There were cries of 'sell out' then. I personally stopped listening with 'Justice' but at least half the people here and around the world love Metallica for the Black record. It was the only logical conclusion, and...it really did SOUND better than the other records. If you listen to 'Ride', Hetfield sounds like he's singing through a reverb pedal!!! It sounds really bad and dated. Sorry, its just true. Not a Bon Jovi or Crew fan, but their records-SONICALLY-we're far superior to Metallica at the time and I don't blame them for going with Rock for the time they did.
The later records were bad song writing by guys who were bored with what they were doing and trying to fit an image they had outgrown. The blusey rock was just cos 'loud and angry' didn't work for a bunch of rich guys. At least they weren't faking it like...oh, never mind, I won't start.
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12. writes:
Bob Rock is a good producer. Was he a good producer for Metallica? I think not. The "Black" album was the start of Bob trying to push Metallica more into the mainstream "Hard Rock" catagory. Metallica became more of a radio friendly rock band with Bob at the helm. I think Metallica loved the success of the "Black" album, and they thought that maybe Bob could help them continue. Let's be honest, every band wants to be #1. If they say they don't, then they are most likely full of crap. Metallica was at one time the biggest American Metal band. Bob Rock was great for the "Black" album. After that, Metallica should have produced themselves or looked elsewhere. I realise that Bod didn't write alot of the songs, but he was a major influence on the direction that he wanted to drive the band. And that direction was mainstream Hard Rock. Metallica is better than that. I hope they know that now. With Rick Rubin at the helm, who we all have seen what he has done with Slayer over the years, I think Metallica will get back to their roots so to speak. I wish Rick and Metallica all the luck. They need it. I will always be a Metallica fan though. Even if they put out a boy band album. Why? Because I love those guys. Good luck Metallica and give us more of what we want. ...Metal.
13. writes:
Kev74d-
I think your forgetting that Metallica choose Bob Rock and made choices themselves. Lars himself said that they couldn't continue in the direction of 'Justice'-they had exausted what they were going to do there. I do think you have to take into account that Metallica itself wanted to go in the direction they went, but I think its wrong to put that on Bob Rock. Hetfield said in an interview I read back then that he couldn't relate to the dark angry thing anymore-he was thinking-(paraphrasing) I'm rich, successful, what do I have to be angry about? He got into other things (and wrote that piece of crap 'Mama Said').
If you watch 'Some Kind of...' it's pretty obvious that Hetfield never considered Bob part of the group and more obvious that he was never part of Metallica. I think the main issue with that band was that Hetfield and Ulrich were at war and demanded total loyalty to the band. If they had allowed for other outlets they could be a metal band and do other things they were interested in on the side. The reality is the thrash metal is a very limit kind of expression and musicians tend not to like limitations.
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16. writes:
i didnt say he wrote the songs, rock urged the band to simplify there music and that created the black album, off of the success of the black album they prob. wanted to create somethin very successful and more acceptable by releasin load i dont know why they did come up with load but i gurantee it had somethin to do with Bob Rock
17. writes:
yeah, anybody who saw skom knows that rock has had a huuggge influence on their sound.
granted, metallica made the choice as to how much of an influence he had. after the black album, the hardcore fans were saying sell out, but after load, everybody else started to say, ok now they've gone too far. i agree that rock probably had a lot to do with that. honestly, for me, even load and reload have some great musical moments, but the bottom line for me is that bob rock can't do anything else for them. i'm glad they made the choice to bring in rick rubin, and more so rob trujillo.
honestly i can see rob having a bigger impact than rock or rubin.
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18. writes:
Supporter
20. writes:
METTALICA did what alot of band's do.They followed the money.I did not like everything thery did with Bob Rock.But I did not hate everything either.
The band evoved in the end.They probably would not be around today if they did'nt.Nothing we can do about it.So let it go.
Supporter
Former Contributor
22. writes:
I don't think Bob Rock ruined Metallica single handedly....
Metallica ruined Metallica: Following grunge/alternative(Load/Reload) trends then the garage and nu-metal (St Anger) movements....christ.
A sleepy bus driver ruined Metallica (RIP Cliff): Black ice....right.
Bob did move the band into radio format simplicity and coached James out of his thrash style vocal delivery...
I'm curious to see what Rick Rubin can do for Metallica (if anything at this juncture) but if we get more crap, we can still blame/thank Bob for keeping the band together. The albums may keep sucking but they're still good live.
Former Contributor
27. writes:
bob did it or bob didn't....now, what importance it has? now, the "sad" metallica "but true" is a another abstract idea and "st. anger" is the feeling wich rests after all....i've listened a lot of them and i quite didn't recognised "metallica" in it..... it's too sad for me to see "metallica"died :(( . could we do something? maybe reborn?
28. writes:
People should give a meaning about metallica (or any band) when they have seen a concert because they are now live better than ever and I think their isn't a band that is better live. I judge a band how they play their sh*t live and not only by their albums. By the way, I think Bob Rock is a good producer but I'm happy that metallica is working with a new producer sinds 1990.
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1. DAMAGE INC writes:
Bobs a great producer. . .he led metallica into completely new territory in terms of crafting their songs and achieving new feels. . . It was a great achievement, and he brought out the professionalism in the band. Succinct well crafted songs were the order of the day and still are if one is to 'make it big' Im sure he suffered greatly during his time with the band. . . But theyre Metallica and its another chapter in the bands story now finnished. Respect to Bob and what he did for the band whether you guys like what he did or not. Its time for the new Metallica to come forward and wow is their own new way.