Metallica Sellouts

[Freedom@for-everyone.mil.shmoo.com]

Dear Metallica INC.
 
                          I would like to address the issue that you are 
having with Napster. When I first heard about your lawsuit, I was astonished 
that you would be against your music being traded. Why did you not choose to 
sell audio tape manufactures too? I have recorded songs from the radio and 
that didn't seem to bother anyone....No one is selling the mp3's...it's a 
free service. In fact most people down load the music, listen to it, if they 
like it they buy it, now I am not saying everyone does that but most of the 
people that I have been in contact with have. Then today I was listening to 
the CD ( Which I bought ) Ride the lightning when I heard that you were going 
after the end users who were down loading the songs. Have you guys looked at 
napster? Have you noticed that 90% of the songs listed are from albums 
including and after the black album? I know that there are alot of people 
that still like and respect you...unfortunatly you lost me and alot of other 
loyal met!
allica fans after the black album, if in fact you have seen your profits 
declining well maybe it's not napster....maybe your music isn't as good as it 
used to be....I admit that I have Downloaded quite a few metallica songs from 
Napster along with scores of others, but not once have I made a profit from 
any of them...and if it wasn't for napster i would have never heard the new 
albums of yours....I wouldn't buy them EVER!!! It's just sad that you, who 
make more money than I will ever see, are trying to sue the same people who 
listen to the music. "It is therefore sickening to know that our art is being 
traded like a commodity rather than the art that it is" This is a direct 
qoute from your web sight...and now for anouthr qoute "No other occupation 
provides its services for free that we know of. Do mechanics, contractors, 
plumbers, machinists, doctors, etc. provide their services in exchange for no 
compensation?" so your music is compared to the art of mechanics? the art of 
con!
tractors? the art of plumbers?.....I would kill if I had a chance to display 
my artwork somewhere and it would please me much more to know people liked it 
than to get paid for it....Metallica you just don't remember how lucky you 
are."We are using our legal right to go to court to determine whether or not 
the Napster system is engaging in the act of copyright infringement" yes you 
do have that right....unfortunatly we live in a society where the almighty 
dollar is more impotant than artistic exspression....
                               Personally I am not a fan of limp bizkit but 
they have alot more guts than you by giving free concerts to the fans...maybe 
that is your problem..you have lost touch with your fans...do you know how 
much they wanted for metallica tickets last time you were in town? Probably 
not but it was a whole days pay for me....needless to say I didn't go....but 
I did attend the santana concert that cost me a third of your ticket and 
drove 4 hours to see him...I went to that effort because I know that he is 
very fan oriented and not a money machine like Metallica INC. I am sure that 
you guys put in alot of work on your new albums but when you say 'hard 
work'...I highly doubt it....when is the last time you worked a ten hour 
shift and then came home to work on your art....when is the last time you 
couldn't afford to buy a new album?......it's probably been awhile. You know 
what, I invite any member of metallica to hang with me for an entire week and 
see how luc!
ky you have it. I know that I will not even get a response to this 
letter....I'll be lucky if someone reads it....but then again that is the 
type of band that you have become...."who cares about the fans as long as 
they give us their money"....well that was kinda mean but damn it I am pissed 
off. I am sure that it is nice to get paid for you art but once the money is 
more important, it's no longer art, it's a commodity...to conclude I would 
like to tell you that I love every album upto and including METALLICA  and 
own them all....I have downloaded mp3's from all these albums...mainly 
because I do not want to bring my cd's into work because of theft or 
misplacement....I just feel sorry for the real fans of metallica....