Metallica - S & M with the San Francisco Symphony (1999)
There's little doubt that this two-volume concert and documentary package will appeal to die-hard Metallica lovers--given its more than two-hour length, the band's predominantly white male fan base (repeatedly addressed as "man" by singer-guitarist James Hetfield) will be--in fact already are--ecstatic. But one wonders, especially given the erratic history of rock-cum-orchestra experiments, whether S&M will win Metallica any new aficionados. The fact is that the presence of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, conducted by composer Michael Kamen, adds texture but not much else of significance to the Metallica sound. The band is so loud that it tends to overwhelm even a 100-plus member orchestra; what's more, Metallica's crunching, fist-pumping, riff-laden metal music lends itself less to genuine orchestral adornment than to superfluous bombast. And while the sound quality is excellent, it's still basically just a filmed concert, with little in the way of additional visual interest. Still, there are some cool moments, and all involved are clearly having a great time. There are also two new Metallica songs, "No Leaf Clover" and "Minus Human."
Guys and girls... - this one rox0rs soooooooooooooooo much!, the release only contains mp3 sound, SO SHOW METALLICA THE RESPECT AND CLICK THE "BUY THIS AT AMAZON.COM" LINK - they deserve the money for their hard kick ass work, and you deserve this in the best possible quality!
w00t, gonna watch it for the 3rd time now, still waiting for amazon to ship my copy!