When I Saw Sandman Standing There

As everyone knows, it was 50 years ago that the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. And even today, watching it, it's no wonder they hit an unsuspecting America like they did.

Shiny Happy Losing My Religion

I'm...having trouble processing this. This song is so ingrained in my DNA from hundreds upon hundreds of times listening to the studio recording, as well as dozens of live recordings, even scores of times playing it (poorly) myself. And then...this.

I...I...I don't know if I can do it... 

I  think I thought it's fascinating, the way altering the pitch of a just a few notes completely and totally changes our perceptions of the whole structure. Honestly, listening to this really does make me feel slightly woozy.

The results are even more dramatic, I think, if less intestinally-jarring, when it comes to Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" and "Riders on the Storm" by the Doors

but since I don't have anything like the same emotional attachement to those bands, it doesn't affect me nearly as much. Still worth a listen or three, of course.

Enter Sandman

There are many things that make Metallica not only one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, but one of the greatest bands period. Their versatility and willingness to take chances—even though their track record is far from spotless—is but one of them. So radically recasting perhaps their best known song in front of tens of thousands of fans is, no two ways about it, ballsy.

Hats off, gentlemen. Well done.

I tuck you in...warm within...take my hand...we're off to never never-land 

So sweet.

Master of Doin' It

See, this is what I was talkin' 'bout, when I said that the very best mashups "can lead you to view the original source material in a new way, combine to create a discrete and valid artistic entity." Stripped of its original context and set in a new one allows you to hear just how surprisingly melodic early Metallica could be, something which easily gets overlooked in the melee of the crunching guitars and exploding drums. It's surprising, really, just how organic this odd combination is. Plus, you know: Herbie.