Cliff Burton, The Big Red and and White Fang

Remember in September 1986 when Metallica's tour bus overturned and Cliff Burton, their bass player, was killed? I was 4 and I totally remember. Master of Puppets was killing it and with good reason cause it's still their best album so it was a tragedy for metal fans everywhere. And his family and friends of course. But as Metallica was just hitting their prime they didn't want to call it quits just because they lost a great bass player. Enter Jason Newsted - the replacement. He played on several Metallica albums until 2001 including their most successful album - the Black album. However, he was always just standing in for Cliff and became the center of ridicule and pranks. His bass work was heavily criticized on his first album with the band ...And Justice for All. Go ahead and listen to any song. You can barely hear any bass. It was rumored the band did this on purpose as kind of a hazing thing. Anyway, let's get to my point - the Big Red finally died. It's on the way to the wrecker right now actually. This is my tribute to the Big Red. I called it that because when Saren, my sister, first saw the interior was completely red she said "your car is a big red". It stuck. I knew this would come but it's still sad. Seeing it without it's plates, emptied and alone outside the mechanics garage reminded me of that scene in White Fang (remember that movie or the book by Jack London when the guy pretty much falls in love with the half dog/half wolf? Good times) when the main character moves tot he city but can't take White Fang with him so he starts yelling at him and throwing stuff at him to get him to run away. The way White Fang looks at him all confused and sad was the way the Big Red looked at me, empty and plateless, when we left. Also, I think I know why The members of Metallica treated Jason Newsted the way they did. I sat in a Honda Civic that day and all I wanted to do was ridicule and pull pranks on it. A replacement is needed if we are to ever have our own Black album but Cliff Burton is still dead.

And to you, Big Red, we salute you. As an organ donor, may your organs help some less fortunate car in the future.