Metallica "The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited"

The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited is an extended play by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on August 21, 1987 by Elektra Records. The extended play consisted entirely of covers of late-'70s and early-'80s new wave of British heavy metal bands and hardcore punk music rehearsed in Lars Ulrich's soundproofed garage and then recorded in Los Angeles over the course of six days. It was the group's first recording to feature its new bassist Jason Newsted, and also the band's first release following the death of second bassist Cliff Burton.

With Metallica scheduled to play the 1987 Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, the band's UK label Vertigo Records suggested them to release an extended play for the situation. With songwriting attempts with new bassist Jason Newsted only resulting in a demo for "Blackened" and frontman James Hetfield breaking his arm skateboarding, Metallica resorted to recording covers, just like the European "Creeping Death" single led to two B-sides labeled "Garage Days Revisited". Newsted used his construction experience to install soundproofing on Lars Ulrich's garage in El Cerrito, California, where the band would rehearse. While rehearsing "White Lightning" by New wave of British heavy metal band Paralex, Kirk Hammett instead started playing "The Wait" by post-punk group Killing Joke, making Metallica choose that song. Other tracks considered but dropped included "Signal Fire" by Japanese band Bow Wow, and another NWOBHM song, Gaskin's "I'm No Fool". The title had The $5.98 E.P. included in an effort to ensure that fans were not overcharged for it. The original cassette release included a sticker which read "If they try to charge more, STEAL IT!" The official United States CD release of the EP amended the title (and the price) to The $9.98 CD because the retail price of CDs was much higher than cassettes; other countries (such as Australia) still displayed The $5.98 E.P. with a sticker stating that this was the "title" and not the price. "The Wait" was omitted from the UK pressings in order to conform to local music-industry rules regarding the length of EPs.

Though The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited has been out of print since 1989 and is considered a collector's item, all five tracks were later included on the 1998 double-album Garage Inc., along with a number of other covers Metallica had recorded throughout its career as well as a collection of entirely new recordings. The cover of the CD also was used as a basis for the Garage Inc. back cover, which showed the original Garage Days cover with pictures of the member's faces, circa 1998, taped over the original faces, along with Garage Inc. covering the original album name.

The EP's sleevenotes are noteworthy as a nomination for the first use of the word "hella"; James Hetfield is quoted as saying that the old studios the band had been using up to that point "hella sucked".

Track listing

1. "Helpless" Sean Harris, Brian Tatler Diamond Head 6:39
2. "The Small Hours" John Mortimer Holocaust 6:43
3. "The Wait" Jaz Coleman, Geordie Walker, Martin Glover, Paul Ferguson Killing Joke 4:55
4. "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" Burke Shelley, Tony Bourge, Ray Phillips Budgie 3:10
5. "Last Caress/Green Hell" Glenn Danzig Misfits 3:30

Total length: 25:05

EP of cover songs to "break-in" new member Jason Newsted. 

The back cover (or CD booklet) bears the (non)credit "Not Very Produced by Metallica". 

Originally titled The $5.98 EP (for the vinyl version), then later The $9.98 CD. 

The Garage Days Re-Revisited (sub)title is a reference to side B of the Creeping Death single. 

The Paralex song "White Lightning" was also to be recorded, but later dropped.

After "Last Caress/Green Hell" has ended, there are a few seconds of Metallica covering, deliberately out of key, the intro to Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills", then it's faded out. Iron Maiden responded to this in 1992 on the B-Side to Be Quick or Be Dead.

Long-out of print, it is considered a collector's item. 

Eleven years after its release, all five tracks were included on the double-album Garage Inc. (along with numerous other covers the band had recorded over the years, and some specially recorded for that release).

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed at A&M and Conway in Los Angeles, California.