By now, I am sure you have all heard the news......”GASP!  Jason Newsted LEFT Metallica!”  “Oh my God!  He gave up the spot in the band!”  “What the hell was he thinking?”  My guess is, Jason’s just tired, and I can’t say that I blame him one bit.

There is no denying that in terms of time spent touring, and in terms of pure financial accounting, there are few to none that are as big as Metallica has become in the last fifteen years.  While little boys and little girls dream of getting to where they are, it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be.  I remember when I was young, Cliff dying, and then Metallica releasing “And Justice for All.”  Does anyone else remember how everyone blamed Cliff dying, and Jason being the new guy, for their break into “sell out city” with the “One” video?  I remember people just BASHING Jason.  If you listened to the things some people were just saying, you would almost believe he engineered the bus accident that had killed Cliff.  It was just ridiculous, as it often is in fandom.  The rumors flew.  The poor guy just kept his mouth shut and let his music do the talking.  It let up a bit for the Black album, but it was seemingly never-ending.   Then when their old fans were revolted by the new look of “Load”, more and more, it seemed that maybe Jason was the only metal fan left in Metallica.  The tide turned.

Meanwhile, Jason, always diligent and ready with a smile, was shoved into the Meet and Greet position and became the guy who always met the fans.  He was out there every night, thanking the fellow Metallica fans.  After every show, you could find him giggling like a schoolgirl because he was THE ultimate Metallica fan, signing autographs, and listening to the fan’s stories.  It would seem to me that Lars, James and Kirk didn’t deem the fans important anymore.  If you wanted to meet the other three, your best bet was at the local strip club, never backstage.  If your friend told you they went backstage and “MET METALLICA!”, they probably just met Jason.  No matter how tired and weary he was, though, he was there, and he won over every fan he ever met.

Then for me came the summer of 1996.  When Metallica headlined the Lollapalooza festival that was just too much for me.  Some guitar magazine interviewed Kirk, Lars, and James about where THEY were going, and the bands that they had picked for the tour.  Needless to say, most of them were not metal, but that’s beside the point....what the hell was Metallica doing hosting it in the first place?  A travesty all around.  As I read, though, I was wondering, “Where the hell is Jason???  Why aren’t they including him?”.  I read on a few pages, getting angrier and angrier, then came the kicker.  In a small little byline, tucked away in a corner, was a four or five paragraph interview with Jason.    That’s it.  They asked him what bands he had chosen for review.  Good, serious metal and rock bands that just needed a break.  That’s who he chose.  I can’t remember them all offhand, but Voivod and Anthrax I believe were two of the choices, and some other crunchy good metal bands.  Basically, Metallica had their chance to do their Ozzfest the year before Ozzy, but threw it away.  (Lars spent too much time on the phone with Oasis, sucking up, I bet.)  On top of things, in both articles both sides openly declared that Jason wasn’t allowed to write much.  Ten years after Jason joined the band.  If you worked at your job with no promotion for ten years, wouldn’t you be a little miffed, no matter how much money you were making?  It’s a testament to him that you never heard about him totally flipping and killing another member.  (I will pay money for any untouched photograph showing him bitch-smacking Lars, for the time Lars took it upon himself to smack my ass at a bar.) 

Not to mention the physical torture of touring.  Nobody has toured like Metallica over the last ten years.  That is a killer.  Jason just simply needs a rest.  Rumors abound of illness, and to that I can just hope aren’t true.  (If they are, get well, buddy!)  I think it’s a wise and mature decision he’s made, and long overdue.

Okay, for the flip side, I can say that nobody would know who Jason is had it not been for Metallica.  You ask kids today if they know Flotsam and Jetsam, and most likely they give you a blank look.  They gave him this lucrative job.  They have promoted his mug for the last fourteen years, and countless millions have been rocked by his incredible stage presence.  I still believe for Jason to be a musician, and to be hired as one, and still not be free to add his two cents worth, is a disgrace.  I have personally heard of the stupid grief Metallica gave him for writing a song for his good friends in a band that will remain nameless.  (You do the homework.)  In all of my English training, the only way I can sum up that is: “THAT’S NOT COOL.”   Just because James and Lars learned Pro-Tools does NOT make them the greatest band on the planet.  They have come far, indeed, but as far as personality goes, they’re not going to win any contests at the end.  In fact, now I am just scared for the new guy, and how hard he’s going to be laughed at when Metallica comes out with an Limp Bizkit album.  Just remember that, folks....and don’t be too hard on him.

Jason, I hope you love your millions; you’ve definitely earned them.  We’ll be waiting to hear what you whip at us.

January 30, 2001