DAVE MUSTAINE: Producer Recorded Over My Parts On MEGADETH's 'Risk'

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine posted the following message in the group's official forum earlier today:

"Droogies!

"Well, the 'lil 'vaca' was good, although I couldn't stop thinking about what I had to do when I got back to the zone. It felt like a homecoming going back to the studio. All the team was there and 'TNP' is done.

" 'Peace Sells' was sent off for mastering yesterday, along with two bonus tracks and an additional track for later use in 2006 (I know, it seems like an eternity until then).

"Newsflash: While working on 'Risk' yesterday, I was very surprised and disappointed to see the album split open, guts and all and that [producer] Dann Huff had recorded over some of my parts. There were sounds on there that I know were not recorded while I was around. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

"I love 'Risk' and all of the music on it, I stand by it, and once I got over the fury yesterday, I got to work.

"The first song done is 'Breadline' and it is awesome now. I also looked for the lead solo that Marty [Friedman] put down, but Dann never kept it. And for those of you who were wondering about that whole saga, Dann and Bud Prager AND Mike Renault had made clear they wanted it redone. I just did what I was told to do.

"Although, now that I found out Dann redid my parts, I am surprised he didn't redo Marty's parts too. Shit, maybe he redid my part of redoing Marty's part.

"And to all this I say, 'WGAF?'

"It is going to be better, that's all I care about, but I had to give people something to chew on until the next, 'Where's so and so,' or 'Get back you know who,' or 'Dave vs. James vs. Rowan Atkinson vs. . .' thread appears. Jeez!

"And BTW, the reason I am not letting anyone know where I am at, i.e. the JITS slag on me is 1) the studio is not a great studio, 2) I don’t have the time, money, or personnel to do this, and 3) I would not be able to avoid letting you all in and saying 'Hello.'

"Then of course you would have to kill them for getting to do what you all may want to do too.

"Anyway, the whole project is coming along great and Jeff Balding wants to come back out March 29th, but I am faced with a dilemma: do I finish the remixes or do I get back to work on the new record?

"For the record, some of you may be thinking, 'Wasn't Jeff in on the re-recording over Dave's tracks' bit since he was the engineer on those records? But I knew otherwise. I talked to him yesterday and we agreed he was caught in the middle of Bud Prager destroying MEGADETH and trying to turn the band into FOREIGNER or an alternative band.

"It seemed that the last eight years or so, everyone was trying to get MEGADETH to sound or write like someone else. I realized this during this whole surgical procedure. I can tell where everything switched tracks.

"It was when NIRVANA became successful in 1992 and alternative music started to displace metal.

"That was when it started.

"This is where it ends.

"I write like I want to now, and there will be no, 'Write like this or that' anymore. Stick that in your pipe and . . . well maybe not. We don’t want any lungers 'round here.

"Ask Dave McRobb what 'BTU' sounds like. See if he will post his honest opinion. Remember, this is a guy who told me, like so many other punks do, that they can play my style exactly. Hell, even Friedman couldn't play MY style exactly, yet Dave sits down and he plays a song off of 'RIP' and it is exactly how it is written.

"He said he could play any song, so I figured I'll show this wise guy, and said, 'Ok, play 'Five Magics',' and he did, then I said, 'The intro to 'Lucretia',' and he did.

"I know Dave will tell me AND you if it sucks, because he has done so in the past. And although I don't relish being told something sucks, as much as someone sucks, I had to respect his opinion.

"I respect your opinion here too.

"I just hope that you read some of the other Droogs threads or post by me before you get:

"Upon my podium as the know it all scholar
Down in my seat of judgment gavel's bang, uphold the law
Up on my soapbox, a leader out to change the world
Down in my pulpit as the holier-than-thou could-be-messenger of God

"I feel funny this morning.

"MSGD!"