Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is here with a message for everyone – stop talking shit about Lars Ulrich.
In an interview with the Let There Be Talk, Newsted was asked about the online hate Ulrich gets for being an "average drummer." Newsted responded that people have no idea what they're talking about and don't appreciate the depth of knowledge that Ulrich has about the business and the dude's work ethic. So basically what Gojira drummer Mario Duplantier and Stray From The Path drummer Craig Reynolds were saying, but from an actual ex-bandmate of Ulrich's.
"Anybody that says that is a fucking idiot. They have no idea what they're talking about. The depth of this guy, his foresight, his comprehension of what the hell was going on when he was 21, 22, 23. Seriously?
"So if he can't play the same fill as Dave Lombardo or whoever the fuck you pick for today, so what? Look at the scoreboard, motherfucker. Do not talk shit about that guy. He's way ahead of you in most things, I promise you that — I promise you. If we wouldn't have had him and his ability to anticipate, to predict, to know geography, to understand what country and what city and what did what at what time and all this stuff, no way Metallica would be what they were. No way! So you need to get ahold of yourselves because there's way more to it than just being able to hit a snare drum.
"The demand [on the musicians] back when Jimi Hendrix was playing and Black Sabbath started touring or whatever, the band came out, smoked some hash, played the songs, got paid a little bit, had some beers, chased a girl, went on their way. That filled their whole plate. There was a 'Paranoid' video that they agreed to do for one second; they put a bunch of oil behind them or whatever. That [would have taken no more than] a couple of hours in his day.
"Now, or even — shit — 20-something years ago, or 30 perhaps, that much of the plate right there would be filled with the things we just spoke of: you learned your instrument, you played in tune, you tried to sing, you remember what's coming next and memorize your shit. And then this chunk is the videos, and then this chunk is the interviews, and then that chunk is that thing, then that chunk is that thing, that chunk is meetings, that chunk is lawyers, that chunk is depositions. And then you've got that time for your wife. That's what's real.
"So if anybody wants to talk about, 'Oh, yeah, I got this. I could do that. Could you? Could you, really? I don't think so, man."
It's also insane people talk shit on Ulrich as if he didn't drum on …And Justice For All and then masterfully change his style up three years later on The Black Album. That all by itself is insanely impressive. Plus y'know, the dude has cranked out way more metal classics than the rest of us could even dream of.
