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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: WEA/Reprise
Salesrank: 16140
Released: July 15, 2008 |
| Our Price: $23.43 |
| Used Price: $55.93 |
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| Media: Vinyl |
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Master of Puppets (2 LP Vinyl) Track Listing:
1. Battery (5:10)
2. Master Of Puppets (8:38)
3. The Thing That Should Not Be 6:32
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (6:28)
5. Disposable Heroes (8:14)
6. Leper Messiah (5:38)
7. Orion (Instrumental) (8:12)
8. Damage, Inc. (5:08)
Editorial Review:
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Kill Em All, the debut album from Metallica and in anticipation of the band's ninth studio album
later this year Warner Bros. Records, under direct supervision from the band, are reissuing
their early albums, Kill Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, ...And Justice
For All, and Metallica (aka The Black Album) as both standard and deluxe vinyl editions. Ranked eighth on the list of the biggest selling
groups in history, and one of the most influential bands in music, Metallica proved
its mettle with these groundbreaking albums. Master Of Puppets was Hailed as a masterpiece
by critics far outside heavy metal s core audience, Master
Of Puppets sold over half a million copies at its time of
release without any major video/radio airplay, making it
the band s first record to be certified Gold by the RIAA. It
has since sold over six million copies in the U.S. alone. It
was the last album the band recorded with bass player
Cliff Burton before his death later that year. The album
has also frequently been tagged by critics as one of the
most influential heavy metal albums of all time.
Yet by bookending the album with two slices of thrash
mayhem ( Battery and Damage, Inc. ), the band reigns
triumphant through sheer force of sound, of will, of malice.
The arrangements are thick and muscular, and the material
varies enough in texture and tempo to hold interest through
all its twists and turns. Some critics have called Master Of
Puppets the best heavy metal album ever recorded; if it
isn t, it certainly comes close. (All Music Guide)
The Deluxe vinyl package
features two 45 rpm 180g vinyl discs pressed at RTI in
Stoughton gatefold jacket with universal Louder Faster
Heavier branded bellyband. The pressing was half-speed
mastered from the original analog tapes at Mobile Fidelity
for the ultimate audiophile listening experience.
Master of Puppets (2 LP Vinyl) Reviews:
What a disapointment 
2009-12-04 - After reading all of the glowing reviews of this LP I was very excited to get a copy. I have to say that I was completely disapointed. At first, I thought the turntable or phono pre amp had a problem. But when I listened to another LP, it sounded great. This isn't like when you see a movie that has great reviews and it doesn't live up to the hype, it is worse then that. This is, simply put, a very bad sounding LP.
When I compared it to the CD remastered in 1999, the CD just blew it away. Given the extent to which this album was made there is no reason for this. I cannot understand how anyone can think that this sounds good in ANY way. It is always possible that I received a bad copy or the 100,000 press but I don't think that's it.
Save your money, buy the CD.
What have they done to this album?
2009-09-26 - In theory this is an LP done in an ideal way - half speed mastered, on quality heavy vinyl, with playback at 45rpm. How does it sound? Frankly terrible - compressed, dull, lacking dynamics, almost like a blanket is being thrown over the speaker. My CD copy sounds better. And I see that I am not alone in feeling let down by this pressing. Surely one of the greatest metal albums of all time deserves better?
Back to the front! 
2009-04-07 - Cliff Burton's influence in the band is very evident on this album. Lars Ulrich oftens credits that Cliff had an understanding of time signature, syncopation, and melody that the rest didn't. This knowledge heavily influenced the band and progressed over Cliff's short but important tenure in the band. Due primarily to the fact that Cliff was the only band member to take formal lessons and study music theory during a short stint in college positively affected the orchestrations on this album. This is why many people consider Cliff so important to Metallica's history.
Each song on the album is technically amazing. The melodies on the middle section of "Orion" are beautiful and create a serene mood. The melancholy words and chord progressions of "Sanitarium" remind me of RP McMurphy in "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest". "Master of Puppets" menacing intro of percussive staccato guitar breaks set the stage for the theme of a person controlled/enslaved by substance abuse. I wonder if that song is a call to Dave Mustanie to clean up? Every song on this album is unique and has something to say about our culture. "Leper Messaih", "Damge Inc.", "Battery", Disposable Heros" each song deals with some heavy subject matter and backs it up with some crazy rhythms, melodies, chord progressions, and motifs that Metallica just don't or can't recreate anymore.
Every time I pick this album up to play it I feel like I am holding a legend in my hands. Metallica really peaked with this album and the only thing that ever came close, though in a completely different way, was the Black album. They still haven't replicated the passion, anger, and pure artistry that Cliff brought out of them on this album.
As for the 45 rpm re-master. I do agree with the other reviewers that it sounds a little washed out. I feel that may have something to do with James and Lars, but I've talked about their approach to the mixing console in previous album reviews (if you care to read). This album was intended for the vinly format and it is a joy to listen and experience it that way. I would like to hear the 33 rpm pressing to make a better comparison. I will say that I do enjoy the gatefold and clear inner artwork. So if you are a collector this is probably worth it. I do own the gold cd re-masters and I must say that they are much cleaner sounding then the original.
Save your money and get MOP original vinyl or CD 
2009-03-25 - I have compared the re-maser vinyl of MOP to an original, and was pretty shocked by what i found. The MOP vinyl remaster does not have that nice warm sound the original MOP vinyl does. Also the drums are barely audible at times in the songs. The symbols are also further back in the mix. If you are on a budget or want the best sound for your money. Go with getting the MOP 2000 remaster on CD, or an original MOP vinyl. Even the Music For Nations MOP Vinyls sound way better than this new vinyl remaster from Warner. Don't get me wrong I am a hardcore Metallica fan since 1995. Just steer clear of these remasters of Metallica albums on vinyl.
Are You A Collector ? 
2009-02-17 - For the collector type of customer, I would like to say that if you were waiting for that glossy, bright, wonderful cover this album comes with the plain one. And the quality of the band's photos is terrible for somehing that should be the finest of the finest. Will we have to wait some 30 years more :-) ?
