Thursday, January 17, 2013

Metallica - S&M (Live with San Francisco Symphony) (1999) | Analysis. Fun Facts & Trivia

Metallica - S&M (Live with San Francisco Symphony) (1999)

Tracklist, Album Image Covers, Info and Fun Facts

Metallica – S&M (Live with San Francisco Symphony) (1999)

Artist: Metallica
Album: S&M
Released: November 23, 1999
Label: Elektra Records
Genre: Symphonic metal, heavy metal, live album
Length: 114:37 (2 CDs)
Producer: Bob Rock & Michael Kamen

Overview

S&M (Symphony & Metallica) is a live album recorded in collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Kamen. Released in 1999, it captures two live performances at the San Francisco Berkeley Community Theatre in April of that year, blending Metallica’s heavy metal sound with full orchestral arrangements.

The album reimagines classic Metallica songs with symphonic textures, creating a cinematic and powerful listening experience. It also includes “No Leaf Clover” and “–Human,” two songs written specifically for the collaboration.

Album Credits

Band Members

James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
Jason Newsted – bass, backing vocals
Lars Ulrich – drums

Orchestra & Production

San Francisco Symphony – orchestral performance
Conductor & Arrangements: Michael Kamen
Producer: Bob Rock & Michael Kamen
Label: Elektra Records
Mixing & Engineering: Mike Gillies

Tracklist

Disc 1

The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone) – Intro
The Call of Ktulu
Master of Puppets
Of Wolf and Man
The Thing That Should Not Be
Fuel
The Memory Remains
Devil’s Dance
Wherever I May Roam
Bleeding Me

Disc 2

Nothing Else Matters
Until It Sleeps
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Hero of the Day
King Nothing
Fade to Black
No Leaf Clover
Metallica (Enter Sandman / One medley)
Damage, Inc.

Note: Some editions include bonus tracks and extended orchestral intros.

Commercial Performance

Debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200
Certified 5× Platinum (U.S.)
Sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. and over 7 million worldwide
Received extensive radio and MTV exposure
Launched the band’s first large-scale symphonic collaboration tour

Musical Direction & Themes

Reinterprets classic Metallica songs with orchestral arrangements
Maintains thrash and hard rock energy while adding symphonic depth
Two new songs were written specifically for the collaboration:
- “No Leaf Clover” – became a live favorite with dynamic orchestral parts
- “–Human” – heavy and symphonic, exploring themes of isolation and transformation

Highlights:

Orchestral arrangements enhance dramatic tracks like One, Fade to Black, and Master of Puppets
Combines Metallica’s signature riffs with strings, horns, and timpani

Awards & Recognition

Widely praised as a groundbreaking metal-orchestra collaboration
“No Leaf Clover” won acclaim for live performance and orchestral integration
Helped pave the way for other rock-metal bands collaborating with orchestras

Fun Facts & Trivia

Michael Kamen, renowned for film scores, arranged all orchestral parts to complement Metallica’s music.
The Ecstasy of Gold intro is originally from Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
The collaboration required extensive rehearsals with both the band and the orchestra.
Footage from the concerts was released as a DVD, including behind-the-scenes material.
Metallica performed orchestral versions of songs from Load and Reload alongside classics.

Did You Know?

This is the first major live album where Metallica performed with a full symphony orchestra.
“No Leaf Clover” was never released as a studio recording, only as a live orchestral track.
The band and Michael Kamen developed the orchestral arrangements to follow the dynamics of the original songs without losing metal intensity.
The success of S&M inspired the 2019 reunion collaboration S&M2.
Fans consider the album a must-listen for Metallica live performance and orchestral experimentation.

Critical Reception

Critics praised:
- Innovative fusion of metal and symphonic music
- Powerful live performance and musicianship
- Creative arrangements highlighting Metallica’s compositional depth
Some fans preferred the unadorned versions, but the album is celebrated as a landmark live collaboration.

Album Rating

9/10

S&M is a bold and successful experiment, blending Metallica’s thrash roots with orchestral grandeur. It captures the band at a creative peak while showing their ability to innovate and reinterpret their classics.