Metallica - The Shortest Straw (And Justice For Jason!)

Mixed and mastered by Alex Tamulis.
Metallica released their fourth studio album …And Justice for All in 1988 and their track “One” from the effort earned the group the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. While there is no doubting the disc was a success, many fans and critics disliked how thin the bass sounded throughout that album, at times saying the mix made the bass almost inaudible.
I'm mixing some AJFA tracks and this is what I got for "The Shortest Straw" - this song is a classic Het one, meaning that it is super duper riff-oriented, so Jason couldn't do much but follow papa Het's riffs, so even when I turned his bass up, since he used lots of distortion on his bass, his tone kind of clashed with Het's. According to Lars, this was one of the main reasons why he wanted to trim the bass from the mix. I don't know what the story is, but at least here you can truly hear his bass and decide if it clashes with James's guitars or not. Here, Jason's bass is the loudest instrument in the mix, that I can guarantee you!

[@DonVecta]

You can see that in this particular song, the bass was totally needed. It changed completely.

[@wnrbassman]

Since hearing this version, this has became my favorite song. I can't stop listening to it. The rest on the album are great too. Dyers Eve is mind blowing. What I'd give to see a video of Jason laying this down in the studio.

[@amberbragg2157]

I love Metallica no matter what..but it's Jason who I love the most. Love the bolder bass, whichever one, but Jason! Thank you!

[@kipsullivan1096]

Best bass remaster I've heard! COMPLETELY different listening experience!!

[@alextamulis]

Thanks, Kip! I'm so glad you liked it! I hope you can listen to this version from now on!

[@nandallica]

I've met Jason back in 2003. I love him do MUCH!

[@goofygamer8419]

Omfg!! What a difference! This is exactly how this song was meant to sound like already a great song but dam 🤘 bro please do rest of this album!!!!🤘🤘🤘🙏🙏🤘🤘🙏🙏

[@taleslinosoares751]

we need and justice for all full album mixed by you!

[@coolboy56065]

Great song. Bass is great. Makes it so much heavier. Thank you for this upload!

[@Sharkey817]

Jason was the best & it's about time we heard what he was playing before the band turned the bass down at the desk

[@rayswoodshop4467]

Damn wish i had this version back when I had my old school car stereo. Sounds good on my 80s style home stereo ! Oh my poor wireless headphones for the computer just cant handle it !! lol

[@sepu1349]

Better than the original!!

[@alextamulis]

Thx, sepu!

[@thisen1146]

NO its not

[@OblivionZXZ]

It is original

[@demonizer8739]

@@thisen1146 yes it is

[@sam8404]

@@thisen1146 are you deaf?

[@vvmaster2010]

James and Lars know that with enhanced bass like that the song will be better, but their pride and envy fucks everything!!!

[@ErdalTan]

Definetely the best Metallica album so far.

[@babeiamgonnaleaveyou8618]

This was....awesome!Very good job man and thank you for this!

[@alextamulis]

You're welcome! Thank you for listening!

[@proudbrogressive315]

Talk about a crushing bass tone. This makes the song 100 times heavier.

[@softroses6819]

This is what i want to hear from and justice for all. Good job.

[@eduardovalverde561]

For vegeance, they could mute the drums lol

[@brianbierlein4747]

Please do this for Frayed Ends of Sanity if you have time. I love the bass line in that song the most from that album probably.

[@aleksandarvukadin4740]

Tnx man for the awesome mixing, finally some bass here.

[@cheranguista]

Me encanta asi, con mucho bajo!!!

[@thebruiserweight8131]

I....Can....Hear....BASSSSS

[@gordonbill2579]

my fav song

[@victorcoburn2791]

Such an awesome bass line😈👍

[@yakuzsa1]

I knowed! that's song should sounds like this!!

[@rafaeldelgadillo5134]

Good job!

[@totanoxxx]

Finaly justice is done

[@nickflores1907]

All the bad ass songs you know and can think of.... could use more bass...they jam out just AS HARD...

[@walterwhite5202]

Ohhhh ese bajo si se puede escuchar

[@metalehead95]

to be honest i prefer tha sound that jason had in black album.

[@alextamulis]

it was mostly Bob Rock's influence on how the bass should sound, he ended up showing the other members that a good bass sound adds bottom and fullness to the song

[@metalehead95]

yeah exactly...i dont know for me jasons sound on justice makes the production sound as if it had low budget, but maybe thats just me. Never the less you have done a great work

[@bradkeskey]

Sounds way better!!!

[@DavidElkington-uk2ri]

Hell Yes!!!

[@ilyasantonov212]

Anyone know if any versions with audible bass where the bass isn't cranked super super loud? This is cool to hear the parts but I'd like a more balanced mix.

[@PaulHanson-sh9nz]

Check out - and justice for Jason on youtube

[@shytownmofo]

Ahdy Khairat has some remixes that are amazing. Perfectly balanced, and how the album should have sounded.

[@iremelif1477]

Bolder bass is the best for Metallica.

[@davie5248]

Yes now i can gear The bass

[@FactLOCO]

4 dislikes.... Same number as Lars' google accounts.

[@ladistar]

If Metallica wants to make things right, they need to invite Jason back on tour, and play this song with max bass levels.

[@jobulog4545]

needs a full remix. Get it done metallica! The oringinal is coo ,tight and scooped. i liked it a years ago but now listening back it just sounds like it needs remixed. Needs bass. this you tube version is coo but should be done pro style. great album. Fix It Metallica. I know your reading this random youtube comment.

[@iremelif1477]

JASON.

[@kjhferderii.1703]

666 likes on the video, very nice

[@jersmith1486]

at least i have a no bass backing track to play with ie the original album

[@eamonahern7495]

Couldn't hear the rhythm guitar during the solos. If they had this bass and the rhythm guitar a bit clearer in the mix with the Master of Puppets album drum sound the whole album would have sounded way better.

[@jcasefpssyoutubechannel2718]

They turned the guitars an drums down 😂 ..love it! Lars ruined that album.. lol still one of my favorite

[@szczecinskiholender5208]

This is just guitar-drums album and it sounds better without bas imho.

[@mykemorbius]

The snare sounds like an empty wet cardboard box without a rim but the bass sounds decent.

[@roadtostrongestmanever2099]

I mean, absolutely, i think that what they did was a dickhead move, but these Justice for Jason mixes overdo it in the opposite direction. Bass completely overpowers every other element in the song, but generally in thrashmetal, bass is a background element. Which this song is no exception to that rule.

[@katahajimeudegarame2397]

they could have used that track if they didnt scoop they guitars like that, lol

[@S-A-CCL]

It's waaaaayy too loud, I understand the frustration of not hearing bass on AJFA but it's much too loud here

[@mach2223]

That's where you're wrong, kiddo.

[@nandallica]

Make It louder!

[@WavyReggie]

fuck up

[@ladistar]

The bass is NEVER too loud you heathen

[@JBjopa8]

Exactly! How can bass be to loud. It is great to hear powerful bass

[@therealeikichionizuka]

kinda sounds a bit like Overkill with the bass this loud

[@dreamtheaterfanboy4421]

The bass is too much!!! Turn it down by like 25%.

[@xavinachox]

Nah

[@rayswoodshop4467]

Na man, its all good, just adjust you eq.

[@facepalmjesus1608]

@@rayswoodshop4467 rofl

[@pinpaul4444]

The bass is perfect.

[@Drumsholic]

This album totally wants have been remastered. From the first listen of it at the time was reallised it was a problematic mix!! I was wondering then how the Company let this album reallised with this shitfull mix.And the big problem is the Bass volume.You made it nice but you forgot to write that is bass cover.The bass is totally huge in this and too front of the song in volume!

[@hyperbiscuit2284]

As a bassist, I honestly prefer the original mix over all the bass boosted ones. Don't know why, but it just doesn't sound right to me with bass. Seriously, one of the songs I want to make, I'm planning on purposefully turning down the bass to give it an ...And Justice for All kind of sound.

[@BondedByThrash_]

hyper biscuit If you’re going for an AJFA sound, you may as well not even plug in your bass 😂

[@hyperbiscuit2284]

the_ultimate_oreo I'm not planning on going full ...AJFA, just lowering the bass a but more.

[@sebastianoliva2539]

You are a complete dick.....Go and play guitar hero.

[@stopglobalswarming]

hyper biscuit thinner bass strings, bigger speakers. Guitar amp head. Make it mean bass guitar

[@Kruegernator123]

“As a bassist” You just give up on playing bass. Don’t you want to be heard?