Metallica

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• chemistry
• on a regular basis
• lose interest
• opening band

• rock
• dead on
• compressed
• over-produced

• raw
• roots

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

It’s hard to believe that Metallica has already been around for 27 years. In that time, they’ve released 11 albums, 43 singles, and 22 music videos. They’ve had band members die, quit, and get replaced. And they’ve transformed from a relatively unknown, underground metal band into one of the most influential and highest-selling artists of their time.

Now Metallica has a new album out called Death Magnetic. Marni has been a huge fan of the band for years, and she just bought the new album. Listen to her tell Beren what she thinks of it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Beren

Marni:  So you know what I was rockin’ on my way over here?

Beren:  Uh…what?

Marni:  The new Metallica!

Beren:  Oh my god, is it good?

Marni:  Yes, it is. I actually really like it.

Beren:  Whoa.

Marni:  Yeah. I think, because, Rick Rubin, I think he was dead on, he was right. He made them record it all live.

Beren:  That should work for them, ‘cause isn’t that the problem people had with the last album, St. Anger? Like they did it piece-by-piece in Pro-Tools, and it just sounded ridiculous, like everything’s super compressed?

Marni:  Well, and just overly produced. I think he just wanted to take them back to their roots, and, “This is what makes you guys great. It was all about the chemistry, and this is what people want from you.”

Beren:  Oh, I’ll have to get it. I totally have been listening to Ride the Lightning and Kill ‘Em All on a regular basis, I’d say. Those albums are so good. But right around…After Load came out, I kind of lost interest.

Marni:  Yeah, the early stuff is definitely the great stuff. And you can tell, I always think it’s interesting that you can tell that they got a little older. They slowed down a little bit. But…yeah, that was my first concert.

Beren:  Metallica?

Marni:  Yes. And my head was so sore, my neck was just killing me the next day from head-banging.

Beren:  Oh my God, your parents let you go?

Marni:  Yeah, it was awesome. I actually went to see the opening band. I was really into the opening band. The Cult. Not so great.

Beren:  Oh, it wasn’t a good show?

Marni:  They weren’t. They weren’t that good. And Metallica blew me away. And I’ve been a fan ever since.

Beren:  Whoa.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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