Metallica, ‘Garage Inc.’ – Album Overview

Metallica released the five-song covers album The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited in 1987. Almost a decade later, the band had added many more cover songs to their repertoire, and the original EP was long out of print. Rather than simply reissue the EP, they decided to put together a double album of cover tunes: Garage Inc.

The first disc was recorded specifically for the new collection, laid down by Metallica at The Plant Studios in September and October 1998. They chose songs from bands that influenced them, that they were fans of—or both.

Watch Metallica's Official Music Video For "Turn the Page"

Some of the choices weren’t surprising, such as Black Sabbath’s "Sabbra Cadabra" or Diamond Head’s "It’s Electric." Some of the classic rock songs like Bob Seger’s "Turn the Page" and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s "Tuesday’s Gone" were a little more outside the box.

"Tuesday’s Gone" featured an all-star cast of guest musicians. Those participating on the track included vocalist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity) along with guitarists Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Jim Martin (Faith No More) and Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd). Other contributors were Blues Traveler’s John Popper (harmonica), Alice In Chains’ Sean Kinney (percussion) and Primus’ Les Claypool (banjo).

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The British hardcore punk band Discharge was well-represented, with two songs on the first disc. All the songs on Garage Inc. were originally done in the '70s or '80s, except for the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds track "Loverman," which was released in 1994.

Three singles were released from Garage Inc., all from the first disc: "Turn the Page," "Whiskey in the Jar" and "Die Die My Darling." "Turn the Page" ended up topping the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and remains a live staple. "Whiskey in the Jar" peaked at No. 4, and would win a 2000 Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.

The second disc of Garage Inc. was all previously released material. The first five songs were The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited. "Am I Evil?" and "Blitzkrieg" were from the "Creeping Death" single and also appeared on Elektra's 1988 reissue of Kill 'Em All. The next few songs on the album were various B-sides and one-offs, wrapping up with four Motorhead songs, which originally appeared on the "Hero of the Day" single.

Garage Inc. was released on Nov. 24, 1998. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Album chart and went on to sell more than 2.5 million copies in the U.S., and 5 million worldwide.

Metallica - Garage Inc. Track Listing (original artist in parenthesis)

CD 1

"Free Speech For The Dumb" (Discharge)
"It's Electric" (Diamond Head)
"Sabbra Cadabra" (Black Sabbath)
"Turn The Page" (Bob Seger)
"Die Die My Darling" (The Misfits)
"Loverman" (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
"Mercyful Fate Medley" (Mercyful Fate)
"Astronomy" (Blue Oyster Cult)
"Whiskey In the Jar" (Thin Lizzy)
"Tuesday's Gone" (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
"The More I See" (Discharge)

CD 2

"Helpless" (Diamond Head)
"The Small Hours" (Holocaust)
"The Wait" (Killing Joke)
"Crash Course in Brain Surgery" (Budgie)
"Last Caress/Green Hell" (Misfits)
"Am I Evil?" (Diamond Head)
"Blitzkrieg" (Blitzkrieg)
"Breadfan" (Budgie)
"The Prince" (Diamond Head)
"Stone Cold Crazy" (Queen)
"So What" (The Anti-Nowhere League)
"Killing Time" (Sweet Savage)
"Overkill" (Motorhead)
"Damage Case" (Motorhead)
"Stone Dead Forever" (Motorhead)
"Too Late Too Late" (Motorhead)

Watch Metallica's Official Music Video For "Whiskey In the Jar"