It’s 1:25 in the AM over here in New Jersey as I’m writing this.  The $19.98 Home Vid Cliff ‘Em All is playing on my TV behind me . . . actually, since it’s the DVD, wouldn’t it be a little bit more pricey?  Right now, I’m not too far from Oldbridge, NJ (maybe 45 minutes to an hour away) . . . a place where history shaped and molded a band into the legend its now become way back in 1983.  Metallica had already earned a steady following on its home turf and now they were over on the East Coast to record their debut album, that would become Kill ‘Em All, with producer and Mega Force Records founder, John Zazula (aka:  Johnny Z).  As they recorded the album, the band were living with Zazula and his wife, Marsha.  Later that year on July 27, New Jersey got its first real taste of Metallica (aside from a date in Dover, NJ back on 4/16), the real Metallica, when they crushed Royal Manor in New Brunswick.  James Hetfield - guitar/vocals, Lars Ulrich - drums, Kirk Hammett - guitar, and the “Major Rager on the 4-string Motherfucker,” Cliff Burton; that line-up should be the modern day equivalent of the original line-up of Black Sabbath as far as any self-respecting Metalhead is concerned.

     Flash foward to 1986:  Metallica have come off a world tour supporting legendary Metal madman, Ozzy Osbourne on 81 dates of his ‘Ultimate Sin Tour’ that summer in the States.  While in support of their mega successful Master of Puppets LP the self-proclaimed, “snotty little Thrash band from San Francisco” was on its way to storm the globe with the Damage, INC. World Tour, with old New York friends Anthrax in support, throughout the fall.  The record itself was climbing the Top 40 charts, having sold 1 million copies, despite little radio airplay and not so much as a wave from MTV.  Metallica had made it to where they were on their own terms and by their own rules.  “We do what we wanna do.  If they consider that sellin’ out then . . . whatever . . .We’re not trying to be something big and fancy, ya know?  It’s just us, doing what we do.  Let’s keep it that way.” - Cliff Burton, 1986.

     The night of September 26, 1986 started triumphantly for the band, it was the 13th date on a so far, pretty successful European tour.  Also, after not being able to play guitar since July 26 because of a skateboarding accident which resulted in a broken arm, this was Hetfield’s first night back in full form at the Solnahallen in Stockholm, Sweden.  Sadly, it also ended up being the final date on the tour thus far and also resulted as being the last time Metallica, in that particular line-up, would ever dominate the same stage together again.  Why did such a thing have to happen to a group of people who were on their way to so much?

     As fate would have it, the band was on its way toward Lars’ hometown of Copenhagen, Denmark for the next show when tragedy struck in the form of a luck of the draw.  While the band fought over bunks in the bus, tour manager Bobby Schneider suggested they draw cards -- whoever gets the highest card, gets his choice of bunk.  It basically fell down to a battle between Kirk and Cliff over Hammett’s own bunk.  Cliff drew the Ace Of Spades, the death card, and chose Kirk’s bunk.  Hammett reluctantly gave up his bunk and the friends said their goodnights.

     Early that morning while on a road between Varnamo and Ljunby in Sweden, passengers on the bus awoke to the sound of screeching tiress, breaking glass, and screaming voices.  After tumbling around like, “a piece of clothe in a dryer,” as Lars stated in the band’s 1998 Behind The Music episode, no one knew what exactly had happened.  It turned out that the bus had hit a patch of black ice and began to skid sort of sideways.  In an attempt to correct it, the driver overcorrected the wheel, causing the bus to tumble into a ditch on the side o the road.  Kirk Hammett was the first to crawl out of the bus to safety . . . he was also the first to discover the body of his fallen commrade, Cliff Burton, as he lay there limp and lifeless while underneath the bus.  With his emotions let loose and anger burning, James Hetfield walked up and down the road for miles in only his underwear and socks, looking for the patch of black ice but couldn’t seem to locate it.  Infuriated and looking for some sort of explanation Hetfield exploded on the bus driver and, in his own words, “I wanted to kill this guy.  I was gonna end him . . . there.”

     Lars recalled that event to Behind The Music by saying, “He just got thrown out the window and, boom, the bus landed on him.  And basically, by all accounts, I mean . . . he never woke up.”

     On Saturday, September 27, 1986, Clifford Lee Burton died in Ljunby, Sweden at the age of only 24.

     Sixteen years, two bass players(counting Bob Rock as a fill-in), and eight (almost nine) combined live and studio releases later, Cliff Burton’s legacy still lives on . . . heavier than it’s ever been.  Millions of fans who play bass guitar, whether they saw the man live or if they’re still fans of Metallica or not, site Cliff as the main reason they picked up the instrument.  At backstage Meet & Greets, members of Metallica sign photos and memorabilia for lucky fans and some of the stuff has Cliff’s signature on it.  1999’s collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen(and subsequent collaborations with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra & the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in support of the S & M live album) could be viewed as a tribute to Cliff, being that he was the sole guy in the band who studied Classical music.  Choosing to open those string of dates with Ride The Lightning’s closing track -- the instrumental  monster “The Call Of Ktulu” -- also lends evidence to that arguement, being that Cliff’s lead bass skills were incredibly evident on the original recording.

     Instead of feeling sorrow in the memory of Cliff Burton every year on the anniversary of his death, celebrate his life and his accomplishments in the short three and a half year stint he had with Metallica.  Play Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets (most notably their respective instrumentals as well as ...And Justice For All’s “To Live Is To Die”) or any live bootlegs you have featuring Cliff, turn them up to “11” and celebrate the man!

Clifford Lee Burton
February 10, 1962 - September 27, 1986