Metallica: 10 Best Songs You Haven't Heard
5. When A Blind Man Cries
Another name championed by Lars under the banner of "wasn't the NWOBHM lovely?" is the renowned act Deep Purple. Metallica's drummer has a long and prideful history of admiration for the Hertfordshire-based group, going as far as inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
It would be a matter of time then before Metallica honoured another one of their heroes with a cover, but it wouldn't be until 2012 when the band were invited to take part in a tribute album to the legendary outfit. Opting for more of a deep cut, Metallica went for the more relaxed and bluesy 1972 track "When A Blind Man Cries". Initially released as a b-side to "Never Before" and recorded during the Machine Head sessions, it gave Metallica the chance to lean more on their acclaimed ballad side.
The song has been performed live a number of times by the band, exclusively for benefit shows, such as a MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert in 2014, a two-day benefit concert for Bridge School Benefit in 2016, and for Metallica's own All Within My Hands Foundation in 2018 at the Masonic.