Metallica - S&M

At a point in their career when most bands would rest their laurels upon a greatest-hits package or live album, Metallica has done both, but with a decidedly loopy twist. They've recorded a double-live greatest-hits package with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra "sitting in." Rock history and cutout bins are littered with previous attempts at a rock-symphonic fusion, from Emerson, Lake & Palmer to Deep Purple to the Moody Blues and the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band. But while previous efforts at mixing the low-brow with the high-brow have mostly ended up browbeating the intended audience, S&M plays like a precarious joy ride. Set against the shrewd efforts of a team of orchestrators and arrangers (who employ enough taste to keep proceedings from sounding like one long "Live and Let Die" outtake), Metallica plays for their lives, undercutting their general somber tone by ratcheting up their musicianship several notches. The most underrated player here is SFO guest conductor and soundtrack vet Michael Kamen, whose attention to detail and nuance--and intuitive grasp of the Metallica canon--keeps this unlikely meeting of the minds focused and on track. -Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

 New...Depths....... of unoriginality
Like so many bands before, Metallica got lazy, pretentious and rich, and went to the easy "symphony thing"....It's joke, and it always is.

Are you fellows looking to be respected? To fit in? Now you will, with the cream of society in SF. WOO-HOOH!

You guys were beautiful, but.....It's time to retire, old men. April 11, 2008

 MUCH BETTER THAN YOU EXPECT....

When this album first came out, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I wasn't entirely into the new directions the band had already followed, and I thought that this would be a new step down for the band.
However, this is one of the better Metallica projects of the later years. It's not insane metal like any of the bands classic eighties outings, but it takes the goods and does a little something different with them. The SanFran Orchestra does a fine job arranging some classic Metallica tunes, and rather than just present the project as symphonic Metallica, they include the actual band as well, so you get some guitars in the mix. Other songs work better than others, but a good symphonic CALL OF KTULU shant be overlooked, nor should the track that was recorded originally for the album titled NO LEAF CLOVER. I was totally amazed at how much that song rocked when I first heard it. Easily one of the most inspired Metallica tunes of that decade.
Anyway, I see a lot of people bashing this one, and I can't agree. There are symphonic rock projects that really hit the fan (Kiss Alive IV for instance) but this one turned out to be pretty good, and a highlight in the catalougue of post hey-day Metallica albums. February 20, 2008

 awesome cd one of the better live albums I've heard
Live albums usually aren't my thing, however I must disagree because I love every live Rush album and the Rage Against the Machine Live At the grand Olympic Auditorium, but now moving on to this cd it rocks. The orchestra gives these songs new life and it sounds great. I saw Metallica quite awhile ago and they were terrible so I always use to avoid this cd but a couple weeks ago I decide to give it another chance since this is there only live album and I don't see any sign of a greatest hits cd coming along any time soon so this as close as your gonna get to a greatest hits album. IF your a die hard fan of Metallica and don't care that they're sell outs and there still a great band pick this one up. My favorites are Battery, MOP, Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman(Enter Sandman is my least favorite tallica song). If you have the disc give it another listen because you might be surprised of how good an album it really is. November 13, 2007

 THIS ALBUM SUCKSICA AS WELL AS THE GROUP!!
I thought "LOAD" & "RELOAD" was as far as they would sink...Nope!!
This one takes the cake, maybe they'll do a duet with the Dixie Chicks,
Or maybe do a rap with M&M where does it stop?
I rate this CD a 2 from 1to10!! November 6, 2007

 Goose Bumps!
I was really unsure of this album. The thought of Metallica playing with an orchestra didn't really appeal to me. I thought it would be awful. Since I am a die hard fan and a collector I decided I would rent the dvd before I purchased the cd just to see if I liked it. I was blown away!
This is one of the best things I have listened to in ages!
The orchestra does not take away from the music. Instead it adds power.
I guess I shouldn't have doubted that anything Metallica touches turns to gold. This is a crowning achievement. July 27, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...