The outspoken voice of the anti-Napster era, Metallica, have finally acquiesced to a digital world, releasing their entire back catalog on iTunes as of today. The typically eloquent Lars Ulrich, drummer for the veteran metal band, had this to say, "From the 'It's about f***ing time!' file, comes this, Over the last year or so, we have seen an ever-growing number of Metallica fans using on-line sites like iTunes to get their music. So...we are now offering fans the opportunity to obtain our songs individually."
My apologies to the remaining Metallica fans out there who are also strong supporters of digital music (all three of you).
I'm unimpressed and, a tiny bit angry. It was Metallica's knee-jerk reaction to Napster that helped set the antagonistic tone of the music business towards digital sales in the first months of the new millennium. Until a Mea Culpa is forthcoming from a group so eager to call their die-hard fans out as thieves, I'll be spending my music buying dollar on anything but 'tallica.
[via Mp3.com]
1. i don't understand the hatred for metallica because they stood up for themselves and said, wait a minute, we produced this product and now someone else is selling our product and not paying us for it! what is wrong with this picture?! i wonder how many of you metallica bashers out there would be ok with someone doing that to you! also, their argument was not with digital music sales, but against the theft and sale of the product. it is simple econmics-you buy the goods and sell them on the market. stealing goods and selling them is illegal!
Posted at 8:06PM on Jul 27th 2006 by sharon krieg