"The Wait" from Garage Inc. Really prevalent bass that I'd be interested in seeing you break down. Just discovered this channel. Really dig the Metallica vids. Keep it up!
Since you've already reacted to Cliff and Jason's work, you might as well react from Robert. It's usually a bass player that everyone knows is good but you don't normally see an analysis of his tone and technique. I guess it would be Suicide & Redemption since, after many years, it's the newest instrumental song Metallica has written and the bass really comes into its own on this piece.
I think Jason really "found" himself on this record, letting the bass tone really weave itself through the songs, but never straying from the roots. Such brilliant playing.
People hate on Bob Rock, but I think Bob Rock pushed him to be the best hybrid he could be matching the guitar parts and the drums. His older playing was VERY guitar-focused - and as Jason has said in dozens of interviews - Bob taught me to listen. I feel you can really hear the fruits of those labors on this record.
@@LowEndUniversityin Misery there is a small riff that comes in at about 4:00 that is from one of their other songs that I can’t remember, can you help????
Jason's groove is so good. Dude is so underrated for his low end. I'm pretty sure Bob basically trained him from this point on to sound like a bass player in the mix and not try to copy James' guitar on everything. Look at the main riff for Whereever I may roam. The guitars are doing the riff and Jason is just grooving a single note and it sounds so good together.
Couldn’t agree more. He captured that perfect blend of duking it out with the guitars, but knowing when to lock in with the drums and lay down the groove. This album is a staple of how you should approach bass in a metal band.
That whole guitar-copying thing is the worst excuse I've ever heard. Listen to "The Motherload" by Mastodon. In the main riff, the guitars and bass are playing the exact same thing until the & of beat 3 of the last measure. You can hear the bass very clearly, even though the guitar is playing the same thing. It's a difference in frequency and tone. It's audible to anyone who knows what to hear.
@@MKDumas1981You might be missing the point. Does the bass copying the guitar riff sound good? Fuck yeah it does. It’s not an opinion based on a sonic point of view, ie; “the bass stands out more if it doesn’t mimic the guitar” It’s generally purely more emotive and interesting if it doesn’t. Both a rad to my ear.
Jason is underrated. The guy learned a lot from TBA and turned to be IMHO their best bass player. His command of the low b strings at the right time in both ktulu and mop on sm99 is a great example.
Jason was really allowed to shine on the next two albums, Load and Reload and he can be heard really well on the Black Album as well. The real crime was the mix on AFJA but I didn’t think he was buried in the mix on the other albums
I think Jason’s version of it live was probably exactly how he wrote it to be, same for me! To me Jason was the original bass player then I went back and learned of Cliff so to me Jason WAS the bass player self titled was the first album for me too, then I learned of “Cliff em all”
The Black Album was the first metal album I've ever owned. First Metallica song I ever listened to was Sad but True on MTV, and I was immediately hooked. And as much as I think this would have been a phenomenal instrumental track, I'm sort of glad it wasn't, because the lyrics are superb here.
This is a phenomenal song. I wish it was an instrumental. If you listen to Jason Newsteds live solo, it incorporates Misery and includes a new segment of that bass intro that is super cool in my opinion.
The video titled five tips for good tone you made a few years back has been a great help to me over the years and really taught me a lot of things I had never considered. I now get a lot of compliments about my bass tone and it’s all thanks to your video :)
WOW! That means so much to hear, and this made my day to hear. They are small, but powerful changes to ensure you are set up for success with any bass (and amp, really). Cheers - keep up the great work, and keep playing!
The bass intro to this is ABSOLUTELY an homage to Cliff...this could easily have been done as an instrumental, with the clean section in between and the melodic interlude... it's a great song!
Great vid! Your explanations plus actually demoing what you're talking about on the bass is super helpful. Had no idea this song was supposed to be instrumental. That would have been amazing, though since we didn't get that, I'm glad we still have the live vids of him embellishing on those riffs. And no question a beautiful bass intro, but my favorite metal bass intro (and metal bass line in general) still goes to Lethe by Dark Tranquility. Would be cool to see your take on that someday :)
The three songs or bass lines I learned when I started playing bass was that intro riff to Anesthesia and the Bass solo from Cunning Stunts (My Friend of Misery), and the Orion bass solo. The similarities between and Anesthesia and My Friend of Misery were immediately apparent to me.
Solid vid, and as many have said, Jason doesn’t get the love/appreciation he deserves. Also dig the breaking down of the tone, really enjoy that aspect in addition to the compositional breakdown.
Thank you so much - I absolutely adore Jason - the whole underdog story, and then he showed up and killed it at every performance for 15 years. Mad respect.
Another excellent video, my friend. Going back to what you were saying at the beginning about the intro reminding you of Cliff Burton's "Anetheisia", what's funny is Lucid Awakening has a song called "What Lurks in the Cerebrum of Tebarious" and the first two chords are pulled from Anetheisia and MFoM. It's such a good progression to not use.
Thanks so much Garrett! REALLY great hanging out with you last month (or well, in June). I have not forgotten your comment to do some GNR, just need to navigate some of their harsh blocking and copyright tendencies a bit more... It truly is a bullet-proof progression, and can be outfitted so many different ways. Cheers, friend!
Jason went into this (discussion about wanting this to be the instrumental) on the Classic Albums video. During the video, he did have his ‘59 P bass in hand. Maybe he recorded the demos with that, and then the NS2 for the actual album. The hardest part of watching that segment was knowing what happened that day. It makes watching it again a lot harder.
Absolutely love the tone break down. Instead of showing just the final settings, I think it would be really helpful to step through making the adjustments and understanding what you are listening for. Especially with the EQ swings. Fantastic job. Keep up the good work.
Hey, thank you! I edited out a lot of the dialogue on that part to avoid being too long-winded for one video, but will likely do a dedicated video on these tones starting from scratch to really focus on each part, at some point. Thank you for the nice words - it means more than you know!
Same with me. My first Metallica album was And Justice For All, then I worked my way back before the Black Album came out. He got me excited to play music. It felt great seeing someone who was, like, the ultimate fan become part of the band
No man I completely agree with you, especially if you were like 9 when you first heard the self titled album, then we dug deep and found out about Cliff, to me Jason WAS the bassist! And that’s taking nothing at all away from Cliff 🙏
Same here man, 1st song I ever heard from Metallica was Holier than thou. Because of that song I got the black album and fell in love with Metallica that i wanted more so i started buying their albums in order. Once i heard Kill'em all, a whole new world open for me and the rest is history. 20 years later, 20+ live shows later and still love their new music.
Ok so I could talk to you all day about my favourite bass player! But I will say this: - I play around with this a lot, I thought he used a chorus pedal -sparingly - Having read a lot of interviews, I know Jason has said it’s all about the mid freq especially in Metallica and I believe it’s because of James’ multi tracking of guitars and the deep tones he pulls. So Bob really turned up the mids from this album and beyond - The Black Album Box Set has Jason’s full demo track so check that out!! - I noticed the similarities too as I learnt Pulling Teeth first PS I play Sadowsky basses because of Jason and that tone he has from Cunning Stunts and Garage Inc! Thanks for sharing the settings, I have a Line 6 Helix LT I will definitely try this out 👊🏼😬 Next up: King Nothing 😉
Dude i love watching your channel. This breakdown was detailed and engaging. Im a massive metallica fan and allways thought the same as you. There are no memorial songs in ode to Cliff but this has a nod to him within it.
There actually IS a memorial song to Cliff in To Live Is To Die on the justice album. They took unused written material from the Puppets tour Cliff left behind and used it
For decades, I've always been thinking the intro of My Friend of Misery got it's inspiration from Anesthesia. But I have never seen or heard anyone except myself who's saying the very same thing... Until now. Yes, to me, this intro is a big appreciation for Cliff from Jason, and at last someone other than me recognized this, many many decades later. Thank you Low End University!!!
My Friend of Misery was the 2nd song I ever attempted to learn on bass (King Nothing was #1). Anesthesia was the 3rd (and no, I have never been successful, unfortunately), BUT, I noticed *immediately* that the 2 had similarities and that's actually what made learning at least the intro to both songs easier for me. I've also strummed this and it sounds amazing...to me, anyways.
I have a number of old magazines with either interviews, ads, or both that say/show Jason with the SVT-2 Pro and Spector (NS-2) bass. There was even a brief run of a Spector Jason Newsted signature bass. Love the bass-forward approach to this song and "The God that Failed" on this album. He does some nice fretless work on "Until it Sleeps" off the Load album. By then, I believe, Jason is all in on Sadowsky basses.
I've watched a lot of people pick this differently than you, like some version of economy picking. Even Jason does it, playing that A drone on the down stroke. I can't play it any other way than what you do, upstrokes, almost sweeps. Thanks dude!
It's too hard to call what would've been better. The studio version is totally awesome and really dig it, but have also heard Neustead play it the way it was originally conceived with bass only and it gave me chills. Very melancholy and atmospheric. I'm not a "favorites" guy, so won't pick one over another, but believe they made the appropriate choice (for fit) on the album.
Ok. So. I. Glad I finally found a fellow bass player who wanted to be Jason when he grew up lol. That being said, yes. The main head Jason used was a heavily modified ampeg svt. So cherished was that head he recorded every record with Metallica with it, and also caused him severe injury. It had dropped and he caught it mid flight, transformer some down, ripping the hell out of the ligaments and muscles in his right arm and shoulder.
After the 30yr anniversary box set came out, they released Jason's original riff tape of what would become the My Friend of Misery bass riff. He recorded it at his home with what sounds like at least an 8 string bass. He did have a custom 10 string Alembic Europa made that he kept in his home that he never took on the road. So its likely he used that in the original recording. But it also could have been the Hamer 12 that was later used to record the "crack" in intro of Wherever I May Roam. But I feel if they had decided to make Misery a full instrumental, there likely would have been an 8, 10, or 12 string bass in the mix. And it would be structured similar to how Jason played it on the riff tape & live: 4 iterations of the main riff 》the second riff you hear him do during the live performances from 91-93 》back to the main riff/w a different picking/strumming pattern & so on. The guitars would join in on the 2nd iteration of the main riff with the A5 & Am3 open chords like they do on the Misery intro. The 2nd iteration of the 2nd bass riff the guitars would join in harmony w/some alternating variations during that segment, like what Kirk does during that part in the Cunning Stunts video. I imagine they would still deviate from that main riff to transition to another part of the song so it doesnt get too repetitive, but instead of going to the key of E with some completely different sounding riff like they did for the chorus, they would go to Dm with a riff that sticks to the melancholy nature of the song. That would build into a crescendo that would go back to the main riff with Jason's bass tracks soloed for 8 measures, then the rest of the band would kick back in with the main progression + a nasty solo from Kirk. After that, the Dm riff as a "final chorus" and back to the main riff with the guitars fading out on open A5 at the end while Jason continues at tempo w/ his main bass riff for a few extra measures and slows to a halt on the last few notes (a lá The Call of Ktulu ending sortof). This is all subjective speculation of course 😅
YES, this was an incredible read, and I imagined each part as I read this comment. Great writing, and thanks for sharing! This actually falls quite in line with what I think about if I envisioned an instrumental version...
@@LowEndUniversity glad we both share similar thought processes behind what it might be like! It's got me itching to lay down some tracks like that to see how it would turn out! I pulled from their other instrumentals for inspiration and structure with a bass forward approach as Jason would have intended. And incorporated the 2nd part of the riff since it's how Jason wrote & played it and they failed to include it in Misery. On the subject of Jason, it would be really cool if you did a video of his live clean tone from 91-93 during the Black album tour and tried to get close to it. I've put in countless hours of research trying to get close but nothing I've tried has gotten me close to that super growly mid rangy attack he had during that time. Everyone always goes for the Black album tone, the post Load era tone, or the Justice album tone, but never his tone during Metallica's biggest and longest tour. Love your channel & content man! 🤘🏽
Thanks so much! We sure do agree. I think it’d be a fun project to try! Take bits of all the iterations of the song and imaginatively write an instrumental version. His live tone was way different for sure, but just as cool. Off the top of my head, I’d say it lacks low end, very low mid and still compressed with just enough treble. Also sounds like it had a chorus on it, but just enough to make it “glassy” sounding and not “warbly” like most chorus usage. I might try playing around with it soon!
@@LowEndUniversity I think most of his tone came from the Series II electronics in his Alembics at the time. That and his signal was wirelessly sent direct to the soundboard where it was mixed with the other signals & sent to the PAs. His Ampeg fridges usually just acted as monitors hidden away. From what I've been able to hear from some bootleg recordings, there definitely was low end bass present, but he did have his mids boosted since James & Kirk's signals were scooped. In the soundboard recordings the low end isn't very prevalent. Likely a mixing choice when getting the recordings ready for public release with the Black Album box set a couple years ago
also, his demo tape is released and you can listen to it. it's pretty much what he plays live too i think he didn't went further with writing it as an instrumental when they decided it shouldn't be one so the main section and that chord change is all we got
This is the first cool thing I taught myself on bass as a kid in like 2002. I was a beginner and a Blink 182 fan, I was looking for something different I could still play.
Can only agree with everyone else here, you really nailed the tone and I would love to get it from you. And yes the tone is very Spector which he was using a lot during that recording.
I always wished it was the instrumental of the album. What Orion is to many people, My Friend of Misery could also have been to many others. Either way this was the song that got me into bass. I grew up listening to the black album as well with friends. Once RUclips came around I saw the bass solo live from San Diego and noticed that Jason played the My Friend of Misery part live. My mind at the time didn’t know that was bass and the rest is history. I still wish one day they do play it live with Jason and no Rob. The song is already crazy good live so I hope somehow Jason plays it live with James, Lars and Kirk. It needs to happen. Instrumental or not I’m still so thankful that it was Jason and this song that got me into playing bass and changing my life.
I always have a Picture in Mind when i hear this Song of a Guy standing on a Subway Station or something like that screaming at the People to get noticed but they all walk past him and complete ignoring him. Fits Reality i think. Sad but true.
I always wanted me like Jason also! I shaved my hair like him when I was like 14, I think they really missed a great opportunity to not have this instrumental, I never liked the chorus, and thought Jason tried to pay homage to Cliff and got ripped off of that. It was the typical slap to the face that Jason got his entire time in the band, im sure that will forever disappoint him not being able to keep his part the way he intended it to be.
Right on! I'm so glad you all agree, I was nervous making that comment, but you can't play a trumpet and tell me it was a saxophone. Pretty stark differences 😅
They released Jason's original demo recording as he presented it to the band on the Black album box set and its way different and has other parts, its noticeable that James guitar riff is a part Jason played on the demo so its interesting that Jason wrote more of the song than just the intro.
Jason is why I wanted to play bass and I finally do. Didn't know anything about Cliff Burton untill years later and I think Jason isn't any less of a bass player then Cliff was. Now I want to kearn this song.....
They truly are! Just fun to speculate alternate universes a bit, and knowing Jason had a strong vision for his composition. As I said, fantastic deep cut from this record that stands the test of time.
I agrée great album, the new album have some great bass line , “ inamorata and “ sleep walk my life away” . Maybe check it out . Bass is really loud on the all album.
It's funny how Jason was more 'Metallica' than the other guys were. He wrote the best song on Justice (Blackened) and did his best to keep them on track, which unfortunately he didn't manage to do. I bet he has a recording somewhere of how he wanted the instrumental version to go.
I often wonder if James and Lars weren’t total dicks to Jason during his time in the band what would the albums have sounded like with more creative input from Jason.
Hey there, just letting you know I've released my Helix presets that include the Tool one I'm using in the other videos. It's over on the Low End University Patreon: www.patreon.com/LowEndUniversity
I also have always thought that opening riff/ motif was definitely a nod to Cliff and his Anesthesia solo. I also hear lots of Call of Ktulu in this track as another homage to Cliff. This was the first Metallica song I learned from start to finish when I pickup the bass at 12 years old, a year after this album came out. One of my favorite and grossly underrated songs from this band. Yet it would have been so much better if James and Lars ego would've let it be an instrumental. I also think Jason was not and still isn't giving the credit he is deserved. He is a beast in his is own right.
When they played this live the intro is extended a bit and is so mush better, imo. I think one of the better live performances is the one from the Cunning Stunts VHS.
Already had one in my hand. Jason, however, made me realize a kid from Michigan can jam with his heroes. I STILL have this dream even at almost 47 years old.
Bob Rock gets mistaken...Jason uses a precision in the recordings of Load/Reload period...he used his Spector connected to an AMPEG SVT on the black album...just look at the videos and magazines at the time to realize that he got confused on the podcast.
Dude you just outdid yourself again. JN video is just great! You’re right about the Black Album. Of course, I hear One a few years before. But the first Metallica album I bought was the BA. In fact, it was my first CD I ever bought. I didn’t even have a CD player. I thought mom bought me a CD player for Christmas. It had the ability to hold six CDs at a time. I saw it hidden somewhere at the house when I came over from my lunch break from Summit Hospital. I was so excited I was gonna get a CD player!!! Well, I didn’t get that CD player. That was for YOU! I got like a granola bar or something. But I bought a ford escort that had a CD player shortly after and went and bought the BA. I played it about 25 times a day. No exaggeration. I was dating Tanya at the time. Then when Metallica came to Shreveport, I got a job doing security and I was in the best spot in the stadium. Listened to them go through the BA. And also One! Was so awesome. Back to you being right….. rarely anyone listened to them. You didn’t hear them on the radio. Hardly ever on 98 Rocks, if at all. Usually late at night on MTV. But as soon as the BA came out, EVERYONE was hooked. It was all over the radio every day!! GREAT video dude!!
Judging by the other Metallica instrumentals, I don't think that they would have cut any sections. They might have arranged them differently since an instrumental doesn't have to follow a verse-chorus type pattern. As you observe at the end, likely there would be more riffs/basslines added. However, they wouldn't have added many to this one because their intent on the Black Album was to get away from the 7+ minute songs packed with as many riffs as they could jam in there. One of my favorites off that album is another song Jason shines on (so you might review that one as well!) 'The God That Failed' is another example of how James writes his best lyrics when he is channeling his angst toward his religious upbringing. As for the whole album, it has its pros and cons for me and is not in my top 5 for this band. One 'pro' for me that you mentioned was the production. The Justice album might have been in my top3 if it had been produced like Puppets or the Black Album, but Lars ruined it. So I was very happy when I heard the production on this one, which was HUGE leap in quality from all of their previous albums. 'Enter Sandman' is a song that gained them a lot of new fans and lost them a lot of old fans. It's a good song in general, but I can't listen to it now due to massive overplay. 'Nothing Else Matters' and "Unforgiven' had old school fans saying that Metallica was in the business of writing ballads now. Many of them also loved 'Fade to Black' on the Lightning album though, so figure that out. 'Sad but True' is an anomaly because it was too slow for many fans' taste, yet that down-tuned chunky riff was undeniably heavy.
That Spector NS-2 just stamped this album! Then Misery was just a hellacious sleeper off the album, love it to this day! It really boiled down to Spector NS-2 and Ampeg SVT, Bob Rock was very confused. Jason used a Fender on Load not Black Album. The major basses he actually laid tracks down with were Spector NS-2, Wal, Alembic, and a Fender P Bass but it sounded awful and did not make the cut. Spector NS-2 won out and anyone who is not deaf can spot it right away!
YES! Bell brass is the way. I played with J.C. Bryant in most of my bands, and we got on a "Black Album Production" kick for awhile, and sought out that snare sound for a few records we did in 2018/2019. Iconic sound. It actually sounds repulsive in person, but translates so well when recorded. Huge props for this comment - that aspect was a hallmark sound of this record.
Black wasn’t the first I’d heard of Metallica. Pretty sure Fade to Black was, but Black was the first album I bought and it’s the one I know the best. Ride is my favorite but Black is a very close second and Misery is one of my favorite songs on it.
I’d love this tone too! Is there a place where I could access any other tones have made, like in the Tool video? I bought a Line 6 Helix just because of that video!
Wow, really?! That's amazing. I'm positive you'll be happy with it. It's all I've used for over 6 years now. I am planning to release some of my tones really soon. I will reply to this exact comment when I do - stay tuned 🙂
Hey there, just letting you know I've released my Helix presets that include the Tool one I'm using in the other videos. It's over on the Low End University Patreon: www.patreon.com/LowEndUniversity --- Cheers! The Jason Newsted / Black Album one is coming shortly!
![Twenty One Pilots - “The Line” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E2Rj2gQAyPA/mqdefault.jpg)
What other Metallica songs would you like to see? LET ME KNOW! 💥
"The Wait" from Garage Inc. Really prevalent bass that I'd be interested in seeing you break down. Just discovered this channel. Really dig the Metallica vids. Keep it up!
@@CaptainBruisenyou mean Garage Days revisited? 😉
Any song from Rob era! Then you would have covered all 3 main bassists
Since you've already reacted to Cliff and Jason's work, you might as well react from Robert. It's usually a bass player that everyone knows is good but you don't normally see an analysis of his tone and technique. I guess it would be Suicide & Redemption since, after many years, it's the newest instrumental song Metallica has written and the bass really comes into its own on this piece.
Any Justice song xD
I think Jason really "found" himself on this record, letting the bass tone really weave itself through the songs, but never straying from the roots. Such brilliant playing.
People hate on Bob Rock, but I think Bob Rock pushed him to be the best hybrid he could be matching the guitar parts and the drums. His older playing was VERY guitar-focused - and as Jason has said in dozens of interviews - Bob taught me to listen. I feel you can really hear the fruits of those labors on this record.
@@LowEndUniversityin Misery there is a small riff that comes in at about 4:00 that is from one of their other songs that I can’t remember, can you help????
I think by found himself, you may mean Lars didn't fuck up the bass trying to get his shitty drums to sound slightly less shitty.
Jason's groove is so good. Dude is so underrated for his low end. I'm pretty sure Bob basically trained him from this point on to sound like a bass player in the mix and not try to copy James' guitar on everything. Look at the main riff for Whereever I may roam. The guitars are doing the riff and Jason is just grooving a single note and it sounds so good together.
Couldn’t agree more. He captured that perfect blend of duking it out with the guitars, but knowing when to lock in with the drums and lay down the groove. This album is a staple of how you should approach bass in a metal band.
That whole guitar-copying thing is the worst excuse I've ever heard. Listen to "The Motherload" by Mastodon. In the main riff, the guitars and bass are playing the exact same thing until the & of beat 3 of the last measure. You can hear the bass very clearly, even though the guitar is playing the same thing. It's a difference in frequency and tone. It's audible to anyone who knows what to hear.
@@MKDumas1981You might be missing the point.
Does the bass copying the guitar riff sound good? Fuck yeah it does.
It’s not an opinion based on a sonic point of view, ie; “the bass stands out more if it doesn’t mimic the guitar”
It’s generally purely more emotive and interesting if it doesn’t.
Both a rad to my ear.
Jason is underrated. The guy learned a lot from TBA and turned to be IMHO their best bass player. His command of the low b strings at the right time in both ktulu and mop on sm99 is a great example.
Dude the cliff and Jason node... when I tried learning both as a young bassists, I found the connection. It was super cool.
Jason was so underrated --that tends to happen to bassists when their bass signal is turned down to 0
Jason was really allowed to shine on the next two albums, Load and Reload and he can be heard really well on the Black Album as well. The real crime was the mix on AFJA but I didn’t think he was buried in the mix on the other albums
I think Jason’s version of it live was probably exactly how he wrote it to be, same for me! To me Jason was the original bass player then I went back and learned of Cliff so to me Jason WAS the bass player self titled was the first album for me too, then I learned of “Cliff em all”
The Black Album was the first metal album I've ever owned. First Metallica song I ever listened to was Sad but True on MTV, and I was immediately hooked. And as much as I think this would have been a phenomenal instrumental track, I'm sort of glad it wasn't, because the lyrics are superb here.
I do have to agree with you I absolutely love the lyrics, but still would have loved it instrumental more
This is a phenomenal song. I wish it was an instrumental. If you listen to Jason Newsteds live solo, it incorporates Misery and includes a new segment of that bass intro that is super cool in my opinion.
Hell yeah !
Would agree if the vocals we're not as perfect as they are
@@therealikitclaw8124 yea James’ voice on this song is perfect
Great format to talk about the tone recreation. Thanks for showing the love for Jason. Always found the songs he got writers credits on to be special.
The video titled five tips for good tone you made a few years back has been a great help to me over the years and really taught me a lot of things I had never considered. I now get a lot of compliments about my bass tone and it’s all thanks to your video :)
WOW! That means so much to hear, and this made my day to hear. They are small, but powerful changes to ensure you are set up for success with any bass (and amp, really). Cheers - keep up the great work, and keep playing!
Jason was the Man. Pure Metal!
The bass intro to this is ABSOLUTELY an homage to Cliff...this could easily have been done as an instrumental, with the clean section in between and the melodic interlude... it's a great song!
This whole song is killer! I learned this riff, just because Jason said this is the only credit he got for writing on the album.
I absolutely love the opening riff, extremely iconic
I learned that instrumental live solo a long time ago but completely forgot about it, thanks for making me remember this !
Great vid! Your explanations plus actually demoing what you're talking about on the bass is super helpful. Had no idea this song was supposed to be instrumental. That would have been amazing, though since we didn't get that, I'm glad we still have the live vids of him embellishing on those riffs.
And no question a beautiful bass intro, but my favorite metal bass intro (and metal bass line in general) still goes to Lethe by Dark Tranquility. Would be cool to see your take on that someday :)
Yes this is a really good pick!
This is a treat! I'm so glad you and I have the same sentiment about Jason. keep up the good work.
Thanks so much! I love everything about the guy. It’s a fantastic underdog story, then he showed up and tore it up at every show. Mad respect.
The three songs or bass lines I learned when I started playing bass was that intro riff to Anesthesia and the Bass solo from Cunning Stunts (My Friend of Misery), and the Orion bass solo. The similarities between and Anesthesia and My Friend of Misery were immediately apparent to me.
Solid vid, and as many have said, Jason doesn’t get the love/appreciation he deserves. Also dig the breaking down of the tone, really enjoy that aspect in addition to the compositional breakdown.
Thank you so much - I absolutely adore Jason - the whole underdog story, and then he showed up and killed it at every performance for 15 years. Mad respect.
Another excellent video, my friend. Going back to what you were saying at the beginning about the intro reminding you of Cliff Burton's "Anetheisia", what's funny is Lucid Awakening has a song called "What Lurks in the Cerebrum of Tebarious" and the first two chords are pulled from Anetheisia and MFoM. It's such a good progression to not use.
Thanks so much Garrett! REALLY great hanging out with you last month (or well, in June). I have not forgotten your comment to do some GNR, just need to navigate some of their harsh blocking and copyright tendencies a bit more...
It truly is a bullet-proof progression, and can be outfitted so many different ways. Cheers, friend!
Lucid Awakening rocks. That would be a killer reaction/analysis video of the Great Garrett!!
It was such a great opportunity for another classic Metallica instrumental. The song itself is good as it is but it could have been special.
Jason went into this (discussion about wanting this to be the instrumental) on the Classic Albums video.
During the video, he did have his ‘59 P bass in hand. Maybe he recorded the demos with that, and then the NS2 for the actual album.
The hardest part of watching that segment was knowing what happened that day. It makes watching it again a lot harder.
Thanks a lot man. I really dig the tone discussion at the end, very interresting stuff.
Absolutely love the tone break down. Instead of showing just the final settings, I think it would be really helpful to step through making the adjustments and understanding what you are listening for. Especially with the EQ swings. Fantastic job. Keep up the good work.
Hey, thank you! I edited out a lot of the dialogue on that part to avoid being too long-winded for one video, but will likely do a dedicated video on these tones starting from scratch to really focus on each part, at some point. Thank you for the nice words - it means more than you know!
3:00 i noticed the similarity back in the 90s but it was different enough to my simple mind. always loved this intro!!
I get a lot of hate for this, though Newstad for me Was The Main Metallica Bassist!
The Black Album is My All Time Favourite as well 💪🏻👌🏻❤️
Same with me. My first Metallica album was And Justice For All, then I worked my way back before the Black Album came out. He got me excited to play music. It felt great seeing someone who was, like, the ultimate fan become part of the band
You are not wrong🙌🤘
No man I completely agree with you, especially if you were like 9 when you first heard the self titled album, then we dug deep and found out about Cliff, to me Jason WAS the bassist! And that’s taking nothing at all away from Cliff 🙏
I got hooked on this song from the first time I listen to it in 1991! I was 21 at the time.
Same here man, 1st song I ever heard from Metallica was Holier than thou. Because of that song I got the black album and fell in love with Metallica that i wanted more so i started buying their albums in order. Once i heard Kill'em all, a whole new world open for me and the rest is history. 20 years later, 20+ live shows later and still love their new music.
a canadian youtuber by the name of state of mercury actually made an instrumental version of this song.
also, your tone is super accurate!
I always loved the live bass solo version, fun to jam with
This song is awesome. Like playing it with my bass. Regards from Brazil!
Wow, it's almost like Cliffs spirit was present and playing through Jason showing him what he needed to do for the album. 🎸
Ok so I could talk to you all day about my favourite bass player! But I will say this:
- I play around with this a lot, I thought he used a chorus pedal -sparingly
- Having read a lot of interviews, I know Jason has said it’s all about the mid freq especially in Metallica and I believe it’s because of James’ multi tracking of guitars and the deep tones he pulls. So Bob really turned up the mids from this album and beyond
- The Black Album Box Set has Jason’s full demo track so check that out!!
- I noticed the similarities too as I learnt Pulling Teeth first
PS I play Sadowsky basses because of Jason and that tone he has from Cunning Stunts and Garage Inc!
Thanks for sharing the settings, I have a Line 6 Helix LT I will definitely try this out 👊🏼😬
Next up: King Nothing 😉
Man I can’t imagine how different the feel of this would have been had it been released instrumental.
I still like the raw sounds that he got with his old band Flotsam and Jetsam...especially on his bass solo on the song Metal Shock
Dude i love watching your channel. This breakdown was detailed and engaging. Im a massive metallica fan and allways thought the same as you. There are no memorial songs in ode to Cliff but this has a nod to him within it.
There actually IS a memorial song to Cliff in To Live Is To Die on the justice album. They took unused written material from the Puppets tour Cliff left behind and used it
For decades, I've always been thinking the intro of My Friend of Misery got it's inspiration from Anesthesia. But I have never seen or heard anyone except myself who's saying the very same thing... Until now. Yes, to me, this intro is a big appreciation for Cliff from Jason, and at last someone other than me recognized this, many many decades later. Thank you Low End University!!!
My Friend of Misery was the 2nd song I ever attempted to learn on bass (King Nothing was #1). Anesthesia was the 3rd (and no, I have never been successful, unfortunately), BUT, I noticed *immediately* that the 2 had similarities and that's actually what made learning at least the intro to both songs easier for me. I've also strummed this and it sounds amazing...to me, anyways.
King nothing was my first too! Gotta love that bassline, pulling teeth was 2nd for me and just gave up after the drums come in lol
@@bassimprovjams3772 pretty much the same. I love King...it's such a driving song and that bassline...it just has so much heavy groove.
I have a number of old magazines with either interviews, ads, or both that say/show Jason with the SVT-2 Pro and Spector (NS-2) bass. There was even a brief run of a Spector Jason Newsted signature bass. Love the bass-forward approach to this song and "The God that Failed" on this album. He does some nice fretless work on "Until it Sleeps" off the Load album. By then, I believe, Jason is all in on Sadowsky basses.
I've watched a lot of people pick this differently than you, like some version of economy picking. Even Jason does it, playing that A drone on the down stroke. I can't play it any other way than what you do, upstrokes, almost sweeps. Thanks dude!
Love the whole song and still listen to It all the time.All the way up and I rattle the whole house
Dude you got your tone dialed in! Sounds great
It's too hard to call what would've been better. The studio version is totally awesome and really dig it, but have also heard Neustead play it the way it was originally conceived with bass only and it gave me chills. Very melancholy and atmospheric. I'm not a "favorites" guy, so won't pick one over another, but believe they made the appropriate choice (for fit) on the album.
Ok. So. I. Glad I finally found a fellow bass player who wanted to be Jason when he grew up lol. That being said, yes. The main head Jason used was a heavily modified ampeg svt. So cherished was that head he recorded every record with Metallica with it, and also caused him severe injury. It had dropped and he caught it mid flight, transformer some down, ripping the hell out of the ligaments and muscles in his right arm and shoulder.
Still my favourite on that album, an amazing groove 😻
After the 30yr anniversary box set came out, they released Jason's original riff tape of what would become the My Friend of Misery bass riff. He recorded it at his home with what sounds like at least an 8 string bass. He did have a custom 10 string Alembic Europa made that he kept in his home that he never took on the road. So its likely he used that in the original recording. But it also could have been the Hamer 12 that was later used to record the "crack" in intro of Wherever I May Roam. But I feel if they had decided to make Misery a full instrumental, there likely would have been an 8, 10, or 12 string bass in the mix. And it would be structured similar to how Jason played it on the riff tape & live: 4 iterations of the main riff 》the second riff you hear him do during the live performances from 91-93 》back to the main riff/w a different picking/strumming pattern & so on. The guitars would join in on the 2nd iteration of the main riff with the A5 & Am3 open chords like they do on the Misery intro. The 2nd iteration of the 2nd bass riff the guitars would join in harmony w/some alternating variations during that segment, like what Kirk does during that part in the Cunning Stunts video. I imagine they would still deviate from that main riff to transition to another part of the song so it doesnt get too repetitive, but instead of going to the key of E with some completely different sounding riff like they did for the chorus, they would go to Dm with a riff that sticks to the melancholy nature of the song. That would build into a crescendo that would go back to the main riff with Jason's bass tracks soloed for 8 measures, then the rest of the band would kick back in with the main progression + a nasty solo from Kirk. After that, the Dm riff as a "final chorus" and back to the main riff with the guitars fading out on open A5 at the end while Jason continues at tempo w/ his main bass riff for a few extra measures and slows to a halt on the last few notes (a lá The Call of Ktulu ending sortof). This is all subjective speculation of course 😅
YES, this was an incredible read, and I imagined each part as I read this comment. Great writing, and thanks for sharing! This actually falls quite in line with what I think about if I envisioned an instrumental version...
@@LowEndUniversity glad we both share similar thought processes behind what it might be like! It's got me itching to lay down some tracks like that to see how it would turn out! I pulled from their other instrumentals for inspiration and structure with a bass forward approach as Jason would have intended. And incorporated the 2nd part of the riff since it's how Jason wrote & played it and they failed to include it in Misery. On the subject of Jason, it would be really cool if you did a video of his live clean tone from 91-93 during the Black album tour and tried to get close to it. I've put in countless hours of research trying to get close but nothing I've tried has gotten me close to that super growly mid rangy attack he had during that time. Everyone always goes for the Black album tone, the post Load era tone, or the Justice album tone, but never his tone during Metallica's biggest and longest tour. Love your channel & content man! 🤘🏽
Thanks so much! We sure do agree. I think it’d be a fun project to try! Take bits of all the iterations of the song and imaginatively write an instrumental version.
His live tone was way different for sure, but just as cool. Off the top of my head, I’d say it lacks low end, very low mid and still compressed with just enough treble. Also sounds like it had a chorus on it, but just enough to make it “glassy” sounding and not “warbly” like most chorus usage. I might try playing around with it soon!
@@LowEndUniversity I think most of his tone came from the Series II electronics in his Alembics at the time. That and his signal was wirelessly sent direct to the soundboard where it was mixed with the other signals & sent to the PAs. His Ampeg fridges usually just acted as monitors hidden away. From what I've been able to hear from some bootleg recordings, there definitely was low end bass present, but he did have his mids boosted since James & Kirk's signals were scooped. In the soundboard recordings the low end isn't very prevalent. Likely a mixing choice when getting the recordings ready for public release with the Black Album box set a couple years ago
3:14 i did too
every time i play this riff i always thing that there's a connection here
also, his demo tape is released and you can listen to it. it's pretty much what he plays live too
i think he didn't went further with writing it as an instrumental when they decided it shouldn't be one so the main section and that chord change is all we got
I love this song … every tone every solo, every partition
It’s a killer deep cut for sure!
This is the song that made me want to play bass
Same!
This is the first cool thing I taught myself on bass as a kid in like 2002. I was a beginner and a Blink 182 fan, I was looking for something different I could still play.
Be sure to check out the "Cunning Stunts" bass solo if you haven't already. It's like the prologue to the main riff of this song.
Okay, this is what happens when you comment before watching the whole video 😅
All good! 😅🙏🏼
Can only agree with everyone else here, you really nailed the tone and I would love to get it from you.
And yes the tone is very Spector which he was using a lot during that recording.
I always wished it was the instrumental of the album. What Orion is to many people, My Friend of Misery could also have been to many others. Either way this was the song that got me into bass. I grew up listening to the black album as well with friends. Once RUclips came around I saw the bass solo live from San Diego and noticed that Jason played the My Friend of Misery part live. My mind at the time didn’t know that was bass and the rest is history. I still wish one day they do play it live with Jason and no Rob. The song is already crazy good live so I hope somehow Jason plays it live with James, Lars and Kirk. It needs to happen. Instrumental or not I’m still so thankful that it was Jason and this song that got me into playing bass and changing my life.
I always have a Picture in Mind when i hear this Song of a Guy standing on a Subway Station or something like that screaming at the People to get noticed but they all walk past him and complete ignoring him. Fits Reality i think. Sad but true.
I always wanted me like Jason also! I shaved my hair like him when I was like 14, I think they really missed a great opportunity to not have this instrumental, I never liked the chorus, and thought Jason tried to pay homage to Cliff and got ripped off of that. It was the typical slap to the face that Jason got his entire time in the band, im sure that will forever disappoint him not being able to keep his part the way he intended it to be.
I always thought that about Anesthesia too from when I was a young boy
The same reason I like St Anger album. Cuz it was my 1st album to hear for metallica
Anesthesia is the first thing indeed that came to mind when I heard the intro.
Completely agree, this is not a P bass sound, definitively an EMG bass. If I plug my LTD with EMGs into an Ampeg SVT I pretty much get this tone.
Right on! I'm so glad you all agree, I was nervous making that comment, but you can't play a trumpet and tell me it was a saxophone. Pretty stark differences 😅
They released Jason's original demo recording as he presented it to the band on the Black album box set and its way different and has other parts, its noticeable that James guitar riff is a part Jason played on the demo so its interesting that Jason wrote more of the song than just the intro.
Never notixed the “anesthesia” & “misery” bass notes being the same/similar. That’s a great comparison. & great video
Cheers Jeff, appreciate that! It’s always something that stood out to me.
I love your channel man. Keep it up🤘🏽
Thank you so much friend, it means a lot 🙏🏼🤘🏼
It was hard not to think “hang on a minute 🤔 ” when learning both Misery & Anaesthesia back in ‘91.
Jason is why I wanted to play bass and I finally do. Didn't know anything about Cliff Burton untill years later and I think Jason isn't any less of a bass player then Cliff was. Now I want to kearn this song.....
The song is simply amazing
More cowbell! Love that they used one on this song!
I’m so happy that song is not instrumental, I love that song so much and the lyrics are really amazing.
They truly are! Just fun to speculate alternate universes a bit, and knowing Jason had a strong vision for his composition. As I said, fantastic deep cut from this record that stands the test of time.
I agrée great album, the new album have some great bass line , “ inamorata and “ sleep walk my life away” . Maybe check it out . Bass is really loud on the all album.
A sneaky brilliant deep track. It's a wonderful song.
One can only imagine this riff in Cliff's hands, Paradoxical ik
I have 212 and 210 and 6 6/ 9 hooked up to 3 amps,2 class ds and this song beats. Stupid loud trust
It's funny how Jason was more 'Metallica' than the other guys were. He wrote the best song on Justice (Blackened) and did his best to keep them on track, which unfortunately he didn't manage to do.
I bet he has a recording somewhere of how he wanted the instrumental version to go.
I often wonder if James and Lars weren’t total dicks to Jason during his time in the band what would the albums have sounded like with more creative input from Jason.
This song is always my favourite with "Of Wolf and man" .
Another fantastic video. Thanks for sharing...by the way...what product do you use in your hair..great hair man!
Spector NS-2 to record with. As well as up to 25 different basses in all, Including 6, 10 and 12 string bass which were used for specific parts.
I definitely want this Helix patch. I would also love to get a similar walkthrough/download of a Justin Chancellor patch.
Hey there, just letting you know I've released my Helix presets that include the Tool one I'm using in the other videos. It's over on the Low End University Patreon: www.patreon.com/LowEndUniversity
So glad you did this ❤
When this album came out I wanted to be Kirk's wife when I grew up 😂
I also have always thought that opening riff/ motif was definitely a nod to Cliff and his Anesthesia solo. I also hear lots of Call of Ktulu in this track as another homage to Cliff. This was the first Metallica song I learned from start to finish when I pickup the bass at 12 years old, a year after this album came out. One of my favorite and grossly underrated songs from this band. Yet it would have been so much better if James and Lars ego would've let it be an instrumental. I also think Jason was not and still isn't giving the credit he is deserved. He is a beast in his is own right.
When they played this live the intro is extended a bit and is so mush better, imo. I think one of the better live performances is the one from the Cunning Stunts VHS.
i wonder how many people picked up the bass after listening to Jasons bass on live seattle 89????me me me
*raises hand*
Already had one in my hand. Jason, however, made me realize a kid from Michigan can jam with his heroes. I STILL have this dream even at almost 47 years old.
I want this tone!
I want this tone!
Bob Rock gets mistaken...Jason uses a precision in the recordings of Load/Reload period...he used his Spector connected to an AMPEG SVT on the black album...just look at the videos and magazines at the time to realize that he got confused on the podcast.
Agreed!
Exactly!!
Dude you just outdid yourself again. JN video is just great!
You’re right about the Black Album. Of course, I hear One a few years before. But the first Metallica album I bought was the BA. In fact, it was my first CD I ever bought.
I didn’t even have a CD player. I thought mom bought me a CD player for Christmas. It had the ability to hold six CDs at a time. I saw it hidden somewhere at the house when I came over from my lunch break from Summit Hospital. I was so excited I was gonna get a CD player!!!
Well, I didn’t get that CD player. That was for YOU! I got like a granola bar or something.
But I bought a ford escort that had a CD player shortly after and went and bought the BA. I played it about 25 times a day. No exaggeration. I was dating Tanya at the time.
Then when Metallica came to Shreveport, I got a job doing security and I was in the best spot in the stadium. Listened to them go through the BA. And also One! Was so awesome.
Back to you being right….. rarely anyone listened to them. You didn’t hear them on the radio. Hardly ever on 98 Rocks, if at all. Usually late at night on MTV.
But as soon as the BA came out, EVERYONE was hooked. It was all over the radio every day!!
GREAT video dude!!
Gran tono de bajo! 🎸🥹
Judging by the other Metallica instrumentals, I don't think that they would have cut any sections. They might have arranged them differently since an instrumental doesn't have to follow a verse-chorus type pattern. As you observe at the end, likely there would be more riffs/basslines added. However, they wouldn't have added many to this one because their intent on the Black Album was to get away from the 7+ minute songs packed with as many riffs as they could jam in there.
One of my favorites off that album is another song Jason shines on (so you might review that one as well!) 'The God That Failed' is another example of how James writes his best lyrics when he is channeling his angst toward his religious upbringing.
As for the whole album, it has its pros and cons for me and is not in my top 5 for this band. One 'pro' for me that you mentioned was the production. The Justice album might have been in my top3 if it had been produced like Puppets or the Black Album, but Lars ruined it. So I was very happy when I heard the production on this one, which was HUGE leap in quality from all of their previous albums. 'Enter Sandman' is a song that gained them a lot of new fans and lost them a lot of old fans. It's a good song in general, but I can't listen to it now due to massive overplay. 'Nothing Else Matters' and "Unforgiven' had old school fans saying that Metallica was in the business of writing ballads now. Many of them also loved 'Fade to Black' on the Lightning album though, so figure that out. 'Sad but True' is an anomaly because it was too slow for many fans' taste, yet that down-tuned chunky riff was undeniably heavy.
That Spector NS-2 just stamped this album! Then Misery was just a hellacious sleeper off the album, love it to this day! It really boiled down to Spector NS-2 and Ampeg SVT, Bob Rock was very confused. Jason used a Fender on Load not Black Album.
The major basses he actually laid tracks down with were Spector NS-2, Wal, Alembic, and a Fender P Bass but it sounded awful and did not make the cut. Spector NS-2 won out and anyone who is not deaf can spot it right away!
Yeah, I'm glad it's not an instrumental. It's a great song as it is.
Jason plays his riff tape version here
ruclips.net/video/S6yv_fehtAQ/видео.htmlsi=rc1aQcXbdm6gUOLX
Tama bell brass snares are absolutely classic.
YES! Bell brass is the way. I played with J.C. Bryant in most of my bands, and we got on a "Black Album Production" kick for awhile, and sought out that snare sound for a few records we did in 2018/2019. Iconic sound. It actually sounds repulsive in person, but translates so well when recorded. Huge props for this comment - that aspect was a hallmark sound of this record.
Lethe by Dark Tranquility
Can we second this?
Black wasn’t the first I’d heard of Metallica. Pretty sure Fade to Black was, but Black was the first album I bought and it’s the one I know the best. Ride is my favorite but Black is a very close second and Misery is one of my favorite songs on it.
I want that tone !!!
I’ll comment here when it’s available! Thank you!! 🙏🏼
Agreed. There's nothing P Bass-y about Jason's tone on this record.
I’d love this tone too! Is there a place where I could access any other tones have made, like in the Tool video? I bought a Line 6 Helix just because of that video!
Wow, really?! That's amazing. I'm positive you'll be happy with it. It's all I've used for over 6 years now. I am planning to release some of my tones really soon. I will reply to this exact comment when I do - stay tuned 🙂
Hey there, just letting you know I've released my Helix presets that include the Tool one I'm using in the other videos. It's over on the Low End University Patreon: www.patreon.com/LowEndUniversity --- Cheers! The Jason Newsted / Black Album one is coming shortly!
i want this tone
I've also had the "Pulling Teeth" thing ever since I heard it, dude. Funny how different people get the same sense of stuff, though far apart.
We’re on that wavelength!! 🔮
Pretty sure Jason was playing a Spector in the vids, of a "Year In A Half" documentary of the black album. Could be wrong, havent seen it in years
He sure was!
Why not react to the live version most curren?
Do you make patches for the helix to download? This one is a good one, Les Claypool woud be nice to have too
Yes! They are available on my Patreon!