I think it would be cool if Metallica or any band Picked their greatest hits and instead of putting all of the original tracks on the CD they should go back and record the again. I think it would be neat to here early hits like four horsemen fade puppets etc with modern day metallica and modern day equipment. Anyone else agree

I guess it could be interesting. It worked for Anthrax with The Greater of Two Evils. That album was pretty kick ass!

Lars Ulrich has said they will never release a gretest hits, as long as he has a say anyway.

Bands release Greatest Hits either when

1) They're done

or

2) Their contract with the label is ending and they have to quickly fulfill it.

Metallica shouldnt release a greatest hits. I tink its cheesy to do that, if people like your music let them buy your entire discography (or the cd's they find interesting). If they released a greatest hits that would be selling out - imo.

Rerecording songs is a cool idea, i wish they would do that. But it shouldnt be a greatest hits.

You forgot 3) To squeeze more money out of a bunch of people who already own the songs at least twice over!

Cuz, no matter what, there's always going to be someone who will buy best of cd's just because...

Agreed. Right now I really can't imagine Metallica release a Greatest Hits.

Ha ha, or maybe they'll release a Greatest Hits right now, to shut people up about the new album :-D

First of All

S&M and Live Shit are already their greatest hits in their best situation aka Metallica Live

Second

If any band were to spend all that time re-recording their old songs (with all the guitar layers and drums and Bass and Vocals) it would be better spending their time writing new material.

Just look at the The Black Album "Classic Album" DVD

where James and Lars are sitting with Randy Staub and going through the several Riffs (with left and Right and the "thickner" as James calls it) and Guitar Sounds and licks that were all layered together in each of the songs

IMO

Well, with the Anthrax album I mentioned earlier, I think they pretty much bashed it out live in the studio with no over dubs. It certainly has a live feel. This is what I imagined when reading the original post. Metallica going into the studio and running through a set of songs a few times, keeping the best takes.

No

That would be cool. Especially if they included Am I Evil on there (since it hasn't been on Kill Em all since around i don't know 1989?)!!!

How do you possibly make a Metallica "Greatest Hits" album? What logic do you use to verify song inclusion? No matter how you do this it won't work. Besides, with CD burner technology these days you can make your very own personal Metallica "Greatest Hits" album and have no need for a new production from the band.

Having said that, a new recording of 13-14 tracks for a greatest hits album might be pretty cool.

I like the idea of an album similar to Anthrax's the greater of two evils. They went through a lot of old material and they made sound even better in a live in the studio environment.

In an ideal situation the band would probably pick their personal favorites to be put on such a compilation. That's the way I would like it to be done at least.

It would probably be pretty interesting to see the band look at their old material with their current perspective and record it how they see fit. I would definitely give it a listen.

Better yet: Taking the 2 best takes and playing them together to get a layered effect (like the old Tony Iommi solos, only with a full band)

I have no clue what the point of doing that would be, but it would sound cool!

He also said they'll never make a music video

focking owned!

Megadeth did it so they had to.

It'd basically be the first 4, maybe 5 albums. It'd feature some newish material which wouldn't be there best material; but rather songs fans like (like fuel or something like that). A greatest hits usually undermines the band as you feel they're looking for easy money and that they're going "k, this music is worse then that" and just rubs their other good but not great work the wrong way.

Disagree!

Yeah, I own all of Megadeth's discography and I paid 17 bucks for the Greatest Hits album with the mediocre live DVD. I would only buy a Metallica Greatest Hits if: 1. It had a bunch of Presidio songs on the second disc. 2. It had leftovers from the new album. 3. Old tracks re-recorded. 4. A Mediocre (or better!) live DVD.

3) Their contract with the label has ended and the label's trying to squeeze more cash out of an artist they no longer control.

Actually I believe it was more along the lines they would not make a music video unless they could do it on their terms.

No, not really!
I prefer a new album.

A Greatest Hits album would be great in the vein of Anthrax's The Greater of Two Evils. Thou they didn't play John Bushes stuff again but James's voice has changed a lot from the early days so it would still be a good idea.

I don't think a normal ''Greatest Hits'' -album could be a very good idea right now.. Maybe then when they quit Metallica or won't release new studio albums anymore.

Btw how many times Megadeth has released a greatest hits album? At least twice I think? That could really be called selling out

the whole point of the Anthrax one was to re-record the old stuff, that's why they didn't do Bush's stuff.. but anyway, that was a great cd.. another band that did the same thing was Molly Hatchet, with the new version of Hatchet, they went and re-recorded old songs from the previous singers.. i think that kind of thing is a good idea, except not with Metallica.. cause with their new sound, they would go in and ruin their own songs

anyway, i always wished Iron Maiden would do the same thing, go back and re-record Paul Di'Anno's and Blaze Bayley's stuff with Bruce Dickinson singing.. that would be awesome or hell, even AC/DC, get Brian Johnson to do the old Bon Scott stuff :)

very interesting.. it's like looking at their old self in the mirror..

It would go like this.......

One
Enter Sandman
Sad But True
The Unforgiven
Nothing Else matters
Until It sleeps
King Nothing
Fuel
The Unforgiven two
I Dissapear
St.anger
Frantic
Shadfow of the Cross (new song)
We Did It Again feat Ja Rule (reworked with new lyrics)

14 Songs - a ton of hits. Would sell very well.

Purify
We Did It Again
Vulturus
The Other New Song
Temptation
Traffic School Song
Kirk Doodle compilation
Torben Ulrich saying "Delete That", with drum beats
St.Anger Medley
20min Lars' drum solo

+ bonus tracks
We Did It Again (instrumental version)
Purify (acoustic)

Well if it was a greatest "HITS" then it would only include hits.

so, ONE, Sandman, Sad But True, Unforgiven, Roam, Until it sleeps, Mama Said, Unforgiven 2, Fuel, Frantic, St ANger, Unnamed Feeling.

so GREATEST HITS would contain only the best of those...so it would be a very small compilation

Mastodude, you confused HITS with SINGLES.

e.g. Master of Puppets was Metallica's bigger hit than most of the songs you mentioned, it was a more popular song, more loved one, more highly acclaimed, more crucial to their musical success and career than, say, St.Anger.

I'm not sure i did. Was Master of Puppets a big commercial HIT ?

Sure its a popular song, but commercially, was it a big success, radio and sales wise ?

Lars, as well as all the band member made MANY statements in their career, saying they would never do this or that (say baby, wear make-up, release a video, etc.....)

SO, with that being said, never say never with them. LAR$ has a price and saddly, I think they all do.

So, you're saying that Black Sabbath sold out in 1976 with We Sold OUr Souls For Rock n Roll??? I think not.

That would sound terrible.