Comments on: Beatallica!

Beatallica!

mathowie — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:11:43 -0800

Beatallica's sound is pretty simple: all Beatles cover songs, but done in the style of Metallica. Totally illegal, but available on many P2P networks for free download and via bittorrent. Blackened the USSR, indeed.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:19:27 -0800

Color me shocked. A double post from our gracious host.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:23:37 -0800

Well, it was an old URL, and they've got a new album, so I'll leave it up.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:25:05 -0800

Metallica ceased to be music I would consider listening to when the first RIAA noise was made and they were right there in the forefront bleating about their lost money. I also smashed the two Metallica CD's I did have. Wankers.

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:29:44 -0800

Hey dudes! I'm Beatallica's webmaster. Yeah, the new tunes went up on April 1, and the traffic has been insane! See that little number below the logo on the introductory screen? That's how many visitors we've had since April 1. On Day One, I served about 40 GB of mp3's, so I had to take them down. But you can still get the music via the magic of BitTorrent. There are instructions in the "news" section. They're also shared on several p2p networks. We encourage people to set up their own local mirrors as well.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:31:54 -0800

I liked A Garage Day's Night quite a bit. I'm looking forward to checking these out. Yeaagh.

By: Dark Messiah

Dark Messiah — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:33:37 -0800

psmealey: they recently released a new album. It's not really a double.

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 16:39:54 -0800

Incidentally, if you just want to get the music without visiting the site, here is the link to the torrent: Beatallica [2004 EP] torrent But please do visit the site when we're not getting slammed. Lots of things to see.

By: Zonker

Zonker — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 17:15:27 -0800

Thanks, starkeffect -- for some reason I was having trouble with the torrent links from the site, but the one you posted in this thread worked perfectly. And I love the music, too. The best thing this side of Hayseed Dixie.

By: waxpancake

waxpancake — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 17:19:07 -0800

I'm seeding both torrents.

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 17:21:05 -0800

That's weird, Zonker.. I just tried the ones on the site and they work for me! Perhaps my server belched momentarily.

By: quin

quin — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 17:43:19 -0800

Thanks starkeffect, the torrent worked fine for me. And Zonker (re: hayseed dixie), it's funny, i was thinking the same thing.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 18:16:16 -0800

I uploaded all the tracks here. starkeffect, if you want to link directly to all the mp3s on my server, feel free.

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 18:25:48 -0800

Thanks, mathowie! [raises a cold in tribute] Let me know if the traffic gets to be too much, m'kay?

By: Stuart_R

Stuart_R — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 18:35:24 -0800

This is the best thing I've found on MetaFilter this year. Very cool!

By: rosswald

rosswald — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 18:41:11 -0800

"Blackened the USSR" Now thats funny

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 19:40:53 -0800

(er, that should be a cold ONE, "for a ONE that is not cold is scarcely a ONE at all")

By: dg

dg — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 19:48:43 -0800

[this is good] "Hey Dude" is great and, on reflection, just asking for it.

By: zoogleplex

zoogleplex — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 20:15:31 -0800

Cracking up, rocking out, and banging head simultaneously. This is bloody effin' great!!! Suuuperrrrr... GEEEENIUSSS!! btw, I'm with fenriq. (remember: "Metallica GOOOOOOD!!! Napster BAAAAAAD!!!"?) hehehe. Definitely glued to the industry teat, those guys. Saw 'em with Cliff, 1985, Brendan Byrne Arena (the only real name for that venue), opened for Ozzy (w/Jake)... utterly ferocious. Ozzy sounded anemic (!?) after them. I learned much respect that night... only to lose it at the aforementioned bleating. Anyway, Beafuckintallica REWLZ!!! _|m/

By: spazzm

spazzm — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 20:40:54 -0800

Don't forget Apocalyptica - cello trio (sometimes quartet) plays (amon other things) Metallica covers. And there's Brutallica too, of course.

By: zoogleplex

zoogleplex — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 21:09:20 -0800

Hey Matt, are we sure it's totally illegal? Since it's an original recording (no samples), and obviously satirical or a parody in nature...? These guys might actually be in the clear. The Grey Album is an infringement because it uses massives samples without permission. This is more like... "celebrity impersonation." :)

By: zoogleplex

zoogleplex — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 21:10:45 -0800

Wow, and now I have to put another post up... so I can be the... (wait for it...) ...One After 9:09. :D

By: abcde

abcde — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 21:21:54 -0800

It may be protected parody, really.

By: NationalKato

NationalKato — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 21:33:48 -0800

'cry burton cry'

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 21:49:18 -0800

Just because it's a parody doesn't mean they're in the clear; for example. In any case, selling CD's is financially unfeasible due to publishing fees, so we're relying on donations and T-shirt sales to cover our costs, just like George Michael.

By: lkc

lkc — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 22:51:23 -0800

Since much of the lyrics seem to be original, its more of a stylistic tribute, musically to metallica, and lyrically to the beatles, though I am not intimately familiar with either. Though given how litigious Metallica has proven to be, and the protection of the perpetual cash-crop of the beatles is in the best interest of the publishers, you never know...

By: mathowie

mathowie — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 23:44:51 -0800

Actually if you read the interviews with them, a couple Metallica band members have heard it and said they liked it. Still, I think they'd have to pay the cover song fees to legally mutter any beatles lyrics. I think they're in the clear legally, Metallica-wise.

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 23:51:25 -0800

That's not so clear.. there are Metallica riffs used occasionally throughout the songs. "Sandman" for example. The legality of these songs is as gray as the cover.

By: justgary

justgary — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 00:06:38 -0800

Interesting. I just listened to one song, and it was the style of metallica, but I know all their songs and the riff isn't one of theirs.

By: matteo

matteo — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 00:48:46 -0800

good stuff, thanks everybody

By: snarfodox

snarfodox — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 02:05:08 -0800

starkeffect: dualplover in Australia can do a small run of CDs (not just CDRs) for an exceptionally reasonable price. They're more about supporting independent artists than they are about the profit. If they think what you're doing is cool and you let them distribute in Australia they might even do your run for cost.

By: biffa

biffa — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 02:05:49 -0800

I also smashed the two Metallica CD's I did have. This is an irrational reaction, they already have your money, why should they care. Next time donate them to someone else who might otherwise buy them or to a charity shop; both options potentially undercutting Metallica sales.

By: snarfodox

snarfodox — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 02:30:10 -0800

If Beatallica experiences any legal problems from using the riff from 'Enter Sandman' then Scatterbrain are well and truly screwed for 'Down With The Ship'.

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 09:16:22 -0800

snarfodox: It's just too risky to sell CD's without clearances, especially given EMI's and Metallica's litigious reputations. If we were just some local band doing a small run we'd probably be well-enough under the radar to get away with it, but I'm pretty sure we're being monitored. </tinfoil>

By: starkeffect

starkeffect — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 09:36:30 -0800

Oh, and add Michael Jackson to that list of potential suers, since he owns the publishing rights to nearly all Beatles songs.

By: cortex

cortex — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 15:32:56 -0800

music.metafilter makes baby cortex cry

By: toothless joe

toothless joe — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 22:28:22 -0800

There's also, oddly enough, a Grey Album style Metallica/Jay-Z blend.