Some Kind of Raza

My favorite moment in the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster was when Lars, James, and Kirk told Robert Trujillo he would be the legendary band's new bass player. A reaction shot of the exuberant Trujillo, literally jumping around in delight like a ten year old kid, demonstrated the joyous power of rock and roll, never mind the heaviness of metal, or the menacing, hulking, beefy, Brown, long-haired metal musician.

Prior to his current Metallica gig, Trujillo was  best known as the bass player for the Venice hardcore/punk band Suicidal Tendencies, a distinctly L.A. group where lead singer Mike Muir often dressed like a cholo. As the band's second bass player, Trujillo fucking rocked on Suicidal's post-punk, metal thrash period, and the influence of Trujillo's funk based leanings clearly heard on the band's then evolving sound. 

Yesterday the new inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were introduced. Metallica was among them. There will plenty of time in the future to debate the merits of the band's inclusion, but for now, let us praise Roberto Agustin Trujillo, a Mexican American in the Hall of Fame.

So go here to see the audition sequence from Some Kind of Monster. Highly, highly recommended, not only as great documentary filmmaking, but an insightful discussion by Lars et al which articulates the unique musical and technical bass stylings of Trujillo. And I leave you with a clip of a Trujillo bass solo, an extended opening of Metallica's For Whom the Bell Tolls. Classic.

UPDATE: Ooops. My bad. It seems I jumped the gun. An astute reader has corrected me on my error. The RNR Hall of Fame list, of which Metallica is only one of the nine names, are the nominees. Not the five inductees. They will be announced later. So let's keep a vela lit for Mr. Trujillo. And also for fellow nominee War, of Lowrider fame.

Comments

[soledadenmasa]

Metallica and Robert Trujillo are a truly great fit. Have you seen him play his bass with Mexican sticker on it? I think he also has a flag painted in the Mexican flag.

You got something wrong, though. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has not inducted anyone yet for next year. All they did was release the nominees for this year. From those nine, five will be inducted in January.

We should also be celebrating WAR's nomination!

[Bracho]

I hate to nitpick, and to be so gay about it, but Mike Muir isn't dressed like a cholo in this vid. His Pendleton is way too tight, hair too long, and he's wearing ripped denim. He looks like what he was, an ethnic westside whiteboy in a multiculti hardcore band avant le lettre. Hurrah for Trujillo. And shouts out to Mary Woronov, an eastcoast ethnic whitegirl doing suburban mom duty in the vid. She's a total firme esa.