New Metallica book has just been announced. To Live Is To Die – The Life and Death of Metallica’s Cliff Burton has been written by Joel McIver and is scheduled to be released on 1st July 2009.
The cover of Cliff Burton To Live Is To Die book was shot by Ross Halfin at the Donington Festival. According to Blabbermouth, the foreword has been provided by Cliff’s close friend in Metallica, Kirk Hammett.
“I’m deeply honored that Kirk spoke to me for the Cliff Burton biography,” says McIver, “We talked about the rollercoaster ride of Metallica’s early career which he and Cliff experienced, from the time that both men joined the band in early 1983 until Cliff’s death three and a half years later. The impact that Burton had on the rest of Metallica, both musically and as an example of how to stick to your principles in the music industry, was profound — and Kirk provided a perspective on that impact which couldn’t have come from anywhere else.”
After Kirk Hammett’s foreword, separate introductions are provided by a range of musicians influenced by Burton, including Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse), Alex Skolnick (Testament), Dave Ellefson (ex-Megadeth) and a host of other musicians and writers.
Among non-metal fans and hard rockers alike, Metallica is undeniably a household name. But few know that their style developed much of its sophistication under the guidance of their original bassist, Cliff Burton. Born and raised in San Francisco, Burton pushed the band to new musical levels with his training, songwriting, and exceptional skills on the bass. When Cliff was killed in 1986 — the band’s tour bus overturned on a Swedish mountain road — Metallica plummeted into despair and, by their own admission, never pushed the creative envelope as radically as they had done with Burton. This biography explores Cliff’s background, talent, and influence — one acknowledged by musicians of all kinds.
You can preorder To Live Is To Die Cliff Burton book today!
Other interviewees who spoke to McIver for this book include Cliff’s bass teacher Steve Doherty, Exodus founder Gary Holt, the Metal Blade label founder Brian Slagel, photographer Ross Halfin, Cliff’s first guitar tech Chuck Martin, Metallica’s first fanclub manager KJ Doughton, “Ride The Lightning” and “Master Of Puppets” producer Flemming Rasmussen, the last reporter to interview Cliff, Jörgen Holmstedt, roadie and ex-Metal Church guitarist John Marshall, who was also in the bus crash which killed Burton, Lennart Wennberg, the photographer at the scene of the crash, and Cliff’s girlfriend for the last year of his life, Corinne Lynn.
Joel McIver writes for Total Guitar, Metal Hammer and many other music magazines and is the author of 12 books to date. The best-known of these is Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica (2004), which has sold over 30,000 copies in eight languages. He makes regular appearances on radio and TV.
To Live Is To Die – The Life and Death of Metallica’s Cliff Burton preorder the Metallica book today!
# Paperback: 336 pages
# Publisher: Jawbone Press (July 1, 2009)
# Language: English
{ 3 comments }
cliff burton is the best membre in metallica for me.I’m 19 ans m bea is birthday is 31/10/1989.cliff lee burton was die at 1986 but hE Is iN My memorie .he is my brother y friend and he is my pro basisite .i’m soory because i’have more and more to say but I’M from marocco Icant spak very will .so I LOVE you metallica.and I WiSh BECOME TO MAROCCO YOU HAVE 1000000 FUNS .and (cliff i love you friend you are in memorie your birthday is in next monte) sorry sorry
Cliff was the best bass player of his time if not ever sadly missed by millions i cant wait or this book to be released
To Live is To Die will be an awesome read, I can’t wait to get my copy. Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica was an excellent read too! Every time I think about how Cliff Burton was killed, and there was no one to blame for it, or that was blamed for it, angers me. I love Cliff Burton’s guitar work, and wish there was all this unreleased stuff that metallica had… R.I.P Cliff we miss you!
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