In an age where the identities of the many have started to become identical and lose originality, it is a rare occurrence to come upon pioneers that pave the way for others. In the case of Metallica’s late bassist Cliff Burton, many regarded him as one of his era’s most influential musicians until his passing. Seeing that February 10 was Burton’s birthday, the current bass player of Metallica, Rob Trujillo, shared his feelings in an interview with Guitar World.
Laying much of the groundwork for the first three albums that Metallica released, Burton had spread his genius across many songs he touched, most notably ‘Damage, Inc.’ and ‘Orion.’ He would use lots of harmonies, volume swells, and effects to achieve his signature sound. Sometimes he would add his solos right after Kirk Hammett’s so that their solos would sound seamless, as in ‘Orion.’ As such, he was always in pursuit of taking his instrument one step further.
As for their own tastes in music, it is no secret that all members of Metallica share an affinity for Lynyrd Skynyrd, with Burton being no exception. While he admired the band, he was also close friends with them. Metallica even took inspiration from their famous song ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ to create the main riff in ‘The Four Horsemen’ when the previous lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine, played a slowed-down version of the hit track.
In what would be his 61st birthday if he were still with us, Cliff Burton’s legacy is still being acknowledged as the current bassist, Rob Trujillo, shared his thoughts about him, admitting that Burton was the most talented musician in Metallica. With his wide range of abilities as a musician, he would not only inspire a generation of listeners but also inspire his own bandmates in the process.
Rob stated that Burton would constantly come up with ideas to incorporate certain musical techniques into their songs. He also recalled the late bassist showing off his musical genius by playing Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar solos on bass. Trujillo concluded his words by admitting Burton was a ‘force on a lot of different levels.’
Trujillo spoke about his fondness for Burton as he stated:
“No disrespect to my brothers in Metallica, but Cliff was older than the other guys and, in a lot of ways, a better musician. He had a very broad creative skill set – a musician’s musician in a lot of ways.
He could play the piano, and he knew classical music, as well as being a fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd. He used to ask Kirk to show him Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar solos so he could play them on bass, and not many bass players were doing that back then. I thought that was so cool. Cliff was a force on a lot of different levels.”
Considering Cliff Burton’s musical genius, Trujillo’s admiration and words of praise shouldn’t come as a surprise. He would constantly push himself to do the undone, like playing the Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar solos on his bass.
