Live Shit: Binge and Purge [3 CD + 2 DVD] [Box set] [Live]

Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s look back and take stock of exactly what we’ve got here. Many years ago my pal got his hands on a very exciting box full of goodies. It had Metallica videos and CDs in it (Metallica playing live – awesome!), it had a stencil and a mag (if I recall correctly). I borrowed the videos dozens of times. This was the height of my Metallica fanaticism. Nothing was better than the Live Sh*t: Binge and Purge box set my mate had.

Now, many years later, I find that it has been released on DVD, and oh how excited I was to get it through the post! Now neatly packed in a double-CD-sized case, it’s still the Binge and Purge box-set, but brought right up-to-date. The live CDs are here in all their glory, the Mexico City gig spread over 3 CDs, there’s the stencil and Snakepit pass, but the best stuff is on the 2 DVDs. These are region 1 however I’m guessing they’ll be available on R2 as well.

DVD1 is the gig from San Diego during the tour for the Black album in the early ‘90s. It’s an enormous slog through an amazing set of tunes, but standouts include The Unforgiven (what a solo) and The Four Horsemen (Lars does his dash across the stage during this one). That’s not to say any of the others are less amazing though. How often do you get to see them play Through the Never?

Then there’s the Seattle gig from 1989, on DVD2. This is pre-Black album and in my opinion captures Metallica at their greatest. It just doesn’t get better than hearing them open with Blackened, and the version of One from this gig remains my all-time favourite ‘live performance music video’ (thank you, Headbangers Ball). Because this is a little older, it’s a little more special than the San Diego gig. Plus they look kinda funny, being a little younger.

This is a beautifully presented package, small and neat, and very nostalgic. No more fast-forwarding to a particular song, just jump straight to it via the easy navigation system. The best part of the video for me was seeing the camera pan across the crowd just before they played Battery – now I can jump straight to it without searching through the damn tape! (If you’re like me and jam along to Metallica tunes, the Seattle set is one of those gigs you can play along with all the way through – but it’s a tad difficult, especially because they played a lot faster then than they do know. That Battery riff is a tad tricky to play along with on these DVDs! Orch, the ache!).

This is vintage Metallica – miss it, and miss out big time.

The set list over the 3 CDs offers a real best of collection from the albums up to and including the magnificent 'Black Album'.
Songs from '..and Justice for all' fair particularly well (IMO) as the production quality on that album wasn't great and early numbers ( like Four Horsemen and Seek & Destroy) benefit from the fact the bands technical prowess has improved over the years.

DVD1 contains concert footage from San Diego in 1992. It kicks off with a 20-minute Metallica mini-movie with sound bites and behind the scenes footage. It’s quite interesting, but would perhaps have been better presented as an extra.
The concert itself is a peach; starting with superb Enter Sandman ripping through Creeping Death ..I'm not going list them all, but rest assured the quality and choice of songs is superb right through to the closing sequence. Jason Newstead comes across very well as real workhorse (he never gets a rest !) and his interactions with the crowd seem genuinely warm.

DVD2 contains a concert from the previous tour promoting ‘..and Justice for All’. It’s the lesser of the two gigs (simply because the material on the black album was so outstanding) but is worth owning if only for the excellent rendition of ‘The Thing That Should Not Be’.

The sheer energy of the band is awe inspiring and their technical abilities in terms of playing and song writing are both very evident.

A band, very much at the peak of their power, playing some of the best rock songs ever written.
Who could ask for more ?

Metallica during their strongest point in their history deliver on all fronts during their black album tour (DVD disc 1 and the CD's). The show is amazing and having not seen James do a drum solo before made it all the more greater.

DVD disc 2 is back in the Justice tour and even this CD is fantastic even though it's before their fame hit the roof. Churning out numbers like 'Blackened' and 'Master of Puppets' in such a flawless performance left me gagging for more.

BRING ON ANOTHER BOX SET!