Susan’s Music Talk: Chair Magnetic

I should have put the pieces together when my XM Radio was flooded with Metallica as we drove from here to points around Virginia, and back home again. I mean, I know how the Big Publicity Machine cranks up right before a band has a new CD to release. It’s fun to watch, particularly if you like the band.

And you guys know I like my Metallica. Okay, the last album, St. Anger. Let’s talk about that in one sentence: DOESN’T LIVE UP TO POTENTIAL. (sheesh, do I have report cards from when I was a kid that says the same thing. Am I in good company, or what?)

I’m hopeful that the new album won’t have this problem. I’d have to threaten to get on the case of the guy who I often think of as the inspiration for Roadie Poet, but he has nothing to do with the music Metallica makes. That would be a waste of my time. Not to mention his; I like him too much to do that to him.

Besides, I’m going to be rather busy come this Saturday, 16 August. I got word today that XM Radio is launching a Mandatory Metallica channel (51 for those of you whose eyes just lit up like mine did). It’ll run the whole way until 30 September, by which point I expect I might be all Metallica-ed out. Maybe. I mean, heck, why not? It’s not like they’re coming to my (lame) city before the end of January.

Writers often talk about “bum glue” (which is a phrase I hate because I hate the word bum when we’re talking about the good old tuchas. I mean, really. Why use bum when there’s this great Yiddish word to use instead??). Tuchas glue… that’s what we often need to make ourselves sit down and write.

Anyone want to place bets on how much I’ll get done with 45 days of Metallica, a definite stimulant to my muse, blaring away in here?

Scary thought, I know. Especially because the real question is how many bathroom breaks I’ll deny myself ’cause I just can’t tear myself away from the one millionth listening of Master of Puppets…