Jason Newsted turns 61: Here are ten of his best moments with Metallica
The former Metallica bassist celebrates 61 today
Jason Newsted turns 61: Here are ten of his best moments with Metallica
David Warren an editor and author for Pop Expresso and in the free time enjoys making instrumental music – davidwarrenmusic.com – and to learn about history and cultures. Reach out at david@popexpresso.com
Born in Battle Creek, Michigan on March 4, 1963, Jason Newsted joined Metallica after the unexpected death of their uniquely talented bassist, Cliff Burton, in 1986. The band had already left a giant footprint on the metal scene with their first three albums, “Kill ‘Em All”, “Ride The Lightning” and “Master of Puppets”, with Burton being a major force in shaping their sound. While it was no easy task or replacement, Newsted stepped in and gave the band a new dynamic just shortly before they made it into the mainstream. His first album with Metallica was “… And Justice For All”, released in 1988, and despite being regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time, it was widely noticed that Jason’s bass had been lowered down in the album’s final mix, barely listenable. It may have been the beginning of the band’s complicated relationship with Newsted, but in 1991, they scored their biggest bestseller ever with the “Metallica” album, known commonly as the Black Album. With a string of hit singles, it marked a change in the band’s sound and garnered them fans outside of the metal specter, with Newsted’s bass present all over and also his backing vocals on a number of songs. In 1996, the band released one of their most commercial albums to date, “Load”, an album that was a far cry from their early work. They continued that trend with “Reload” in 1997, his last studio album with Metallica. In 2001, Jason Newsted quit Metallica after seeing his request for a one-year hiatus to focus on different music projects refused. Soon after, Robert Trujillo picked up the band’s bass, remaining with them until today, making him the longest bass player with Metallica. Despite the feuds between Newsted and his bandmates, they remain close and he has joined them on some occasions, notably in 2009 when he was inducted as a member of Metallica into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After leaving Metallica, Jason worked with the metal bands Echobrain and Voivod, toured with Ozzy Osbourne and fronted his own band, Newsted, from 2012 to 2014. In recent years, influenced by the work of artists such as Jean Fautrier, Pablo Picasso, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, he has also embraced an art career, and has prioritized it over music on several occasions. His first gallery show opened in 2010 at Micaëla Gallery in San Francisco.
Here are 10 of his best Metallica moments.
1 – “My Friend of Misery”, 1991
2 – “Blackened”, 1988
3 – “The God that Failed”, 1991
4 – “Harvester of Sorrow”, 1988
5 – “Until it Sleeps”, 1996
6 – “Of Wolf and Man”, 1991
7 – “Enter Sandman”, 1991
8 – “Wherever I May Roam”, 1991
9 – “Holier than Thou”, 1991
10 -“King Nothing”, 1997
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