In a new interview, Robert Trujillo explained what made Metallica‘s previous bassists, the late Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted, special.
Trujillo joined Metallica in early 2003 after the departure of Newsted two years prior. Thus, he’s played on their last three releases — Death Magnetic (2008), Hardwired… To Self-Destruct (2016) and last year’s 72 Seasons.
“I’m not being disrespectful to all the bass players out there, but there aren’t many bassists that could do this job. Playing with Metallica is the most demanding gig there is,” Trujillo said during a conversation with Bass Player.
Ron McGovney was the group’s original bass player, but Burton, who joined in 1982, was the first to appear on a full-length studio album. He played on Metallica’s debut Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets before he died in a bus accident in September of ’86.
“Cliff was amazing for Metallica,” Trujillo praised. “His ideas, his presence, and where he was taking the bass and taking metal, were so special. And his stage presence – he was such a physical player. He played what he felt, and that was the bottom line… Cliff was a force on a lot of different levels.”
Metallica recruited Newsted shortly after Burton’s death, and in 1988, they released …And Justice for All — though the newcomer wasn’t entirely impressed with how his contributions sounded on the finished recording.
Regardless, Newsted was around for Metallica’s worldwide domination, which started in the early ’90s after the release of their massively successful self-titled album. He also played on their late-’90s records, Load and Reload, before his departure in 2001.
READ MORE: Metallica Producer Has Theory on Why the Bass Was Turned Down on ‘…And Justice for All’
“I really appreciate Jason Newsted,” Trujillo continued. “Considering he’s a pick player, and the speed and dexterity involved in this music, I think it’s a tall order. But he was really keeping it and holding it down, keeping it solid – more simple than Cliff, but in a good way.
“I love the fact that we’re all different. We all have our thing that we’ve brought to the band, but I also have my own style and I like to express that.”
