By 2000, HERC had given up discovering new music via the radio preferring to listen to his mixtapes and CDs. That's not to say he was out of touch with the latest hotness - through a network of a few trusted friends including John Book, HERC had his finger on the pulse on the genres of pop, hip hop, metal, alternative and even country. He also heard new music via movie and television soundtracks and as he settled into his chair in the darkened theater to watch Mission: Impossible II on Memorial Day Weekend 2000, little did he know he was about to hear two new Summer Songs. Metallica's snarly, growling start/stop "I Disappear" played over the film's closing credits. Though HERC hadn't always been a Metallica fan, he finally came around after hearing their epic "One" off ...And Justice For All and had attended two concerts by the band as well as been present for the madness that accompanied the release of their self-titled album in 1991 when nearly 200 fans packed into a record store meant to hold maybe 50 after midnight to be the first to get their hands on the new album. After some disappointing music from the band following that landmark album, HERC was glad to hear the boys back in top form. (Of course, the Napster brouhaha quashed those good feelings real quick. For the record HERC never used Napster, not even once. His friends did though and through them HERC heard files that sounded like complete and utter crap which was the sole reason he refrained.) HERC really liked the movie (and he is fully aware you probably didn't) and the soundtrack was icing on the cake for him. "I Disappear" received many, many head-bangin' air guitar run-throughs that Summer. And still does to this day.
Though he doesn't consider himself a fan of the band, their name or their music (and especially not the red hat wearing man), HERC really digs Limp Bizkit's "Take A Look Around", the opening of which is heard in the background of a few of the movie's scenes because it is basically a rocked up version of the Lalo Schifrin's original theme from the Mission: Impossible TV series the films are loosely based on. It is another dynamic rocker, the perfect release for HERC's somewhat stressful life at the time. "Take A Look Around" completes the one-two punch that started with "I Disappear", two of HERC's Summer Songs from the Summer of 2000.
Big fan of not only the softest music in existence, but also the very hardest Thrash-Metal imaginable...
ReplyDeleteAlthough Metallica had long since softened their thrashier edges, I really enjoy "I Disappear". Not my favorite necessarily, but a worthy companion to their "Load" & "Reload"-era albums. My favorite Metallica album remains their MASTERpiece, "Master Of Puppets". I struggle to appreciate their post-"I Disappear" work, however.
As for Limp Bizkit? Dirk says "Break Stuff" is the the 'shiznit' of Bizkit's catalog...
"Break Stuff" was a long time staple of HERC's Driving Home After Work On Monday mix which eventually became simply the After Work playlist. No that I am between a paycheck and retirement, I rarely have a need to hear it anymore. Just gave it a spin though:
ReplyDelete1) Fred's vocals are even more grating and
2) the song is a lot shorter than I remember. Maybe I used to have it on repeat.
You know what just popped into HERC's head? That scene from the show Fast Lane with "Rollin' " playing in the background. Now I gotta hear 'Rollin' ".
If "Break Stuff" was on your "Driving Home After Work On Monday" mix, I'm almost afraid to ask what was on your "Driving Home After Work On Friday" mix!
DeleteI remember Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose" (piss on "Workin' For The Weekend"), Rundgren's "Bang The Drum All Day", The Kings with "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide", "Livin' After Midnight" by Judas MF Priest and Costello's "Pump It Up". All about the good times. Now that every day is a weekend, things done changed.
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