Liar (Megadeth song)
Encyclopedia
Liar is a song by the American
heavy metal
band Megadeth
, written by Dave Mustaine
and David Ellefson
. It is the fourth single from their third studio album, titled So Far, So Good... So What!
, which was released on January 19, 1988. The lyrics of the song were inspired by Megadeth's former guitarist
, Chris Poland
, who recorded with the band on Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
and Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
. Mustaine would regularly dedicate it to Poland during live performances.
, both Gar Samuelson
and Chris Poland
were fired from Megadeth in July 1987, following the final show of the tour in Hawaii. Mustaine claimed that Samuelson had become too much to handle when intoxicated, and even had replacement drummer Chuck Behler
flown out for the last few dates of the tour, fearing that Samuelson would not be able to finish with the band's commitments. Samuelson later died in July 1999 due to liver failure, while Poland managed to overcome his addiction. Poland was initially replaced by Jay Reynolds of Malice
, but as the band began work on their next album, Reynolds was replaced by his own guitar teacher Jeff Young
, who joined Megadeth six weeks into the recording of their third album.
Mustaine later accused Poland of stealing musical equipment, "Chris Poland - you know what? - he could die tomorrow and it wouldn't affect me... Chris has never made amends to me for stealing all my gear. I had a collector's item Echoplex
which just disappeared, all sorts of guitars, which were all stolen to cash in for heroin. I'm willing to forgive and forget, but until he comes and makes amends with me then I'm not willing to give in". This inspired Mustaine to write the song Liar, which was a culmination of Dave's hatred towards Poland at the time.
, are composed almost entirely of a long list of insults. Mustaine accuses Poland of being a "creature he despises", having a "sickly mind from Alzheimer's disease", having a "Wino for a father", having a "mother who's quite insane", having a sister "who's a junkie
who gets it
any way she can", and that "decadence
and debauchery killed his memories".
, "Liar starts off in what would be a pretty standard way if you've heard the other stuff from SFSGSW. A pretty fast riff, pretty good thrash with slight punk influences. But then, Mustaine’s voice comes in and you hear him as he should be. Dave’s voice is absolutely dripping with venom, and as soon as he starts everything else in this song comes together, and you can feel the betrayal and hate coming from every pore of this song." The song however was not fully regarded, as the same review is dismissive of other features of the song. It was also compared to several punk rock
acts; "Among the rather stylistically consistent yet lyrically incongruous offerings off of “So far, so good, so what
” is this rather witty, comical, and vulgar polemic
against former band mate Chris Poland
. Many consider this to be a low point in Mustaine’s song writing career, but I can not help but disagree. If you listen to Storm Troopers of Death
, Nuclear Blast
, or other rougher edged thrash acts with greater punk tendencies, you will note that this approach to humorous/angry lyric writing is not unique to Mustaine, nor was it unheard of for him to write this style of song on previous releases."
Production
Remix
and remaster
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, written by Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
and David Ellefson
David Ellefson
David Warren "Dave" Ellefson is a bassist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Megadeth. He also goes by "Junior." He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona...
. It is the fourth single from their third studio album, titled So Far, So Good... So What!
So Far, So Good... So What!
- 2004 bonus tracks :† The intro makes use of a sample from The Ink Spots' 1941 song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"- Personnel :- Charts :-RIAA Certifications:- External links :*...
, which was released on January 19, 1988. The lyrics of the song were inspired by Megadeth's former guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, Chris Poland
Chris Poland
Chris Poland is an American guitarist, best known for being a former member of heavy metal band Megadeth.-Early career:...
, who recorded with the band on Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in June 1985 through Combat and Relativity Records. During the beginning of 1985, the band was given $8,000 by Combat Records to record and produce their debut album, but this...
and Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
-25th Anniversary 2-CD reissue:-25th Anniversary box set:Disc 5 contains both the original album, and the above listed 1987 show in hi-resolution audio....
. Mustaine would regularly dedicate it to Poland during live performances.
Development
After years of problems stemming from substance abuseSubstance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
, both Gar Samuelson
Gar Samuelson
Gary C. "Gar" Samuelson was a drummer for thrash metal band Megadeth, working in it from 1984–1987.-Biography:Little is known about Samuelson before he joined Megadeth...
and Chris Poland
Chris Poland
Chris Poland is an American guitarist, best known for being a former member of heavy metal band Megadeth.-Early career:...
were fired from Megadeth in July 1987, following the final show of the tour in Hawaii. Mustaine claimed that Samuelson had become too much to handle when intoxicated, and even had replacement drummer Chuck Behler
Chuck Behler
Chuck Behler is an American drummer. Behler played drums for the heavy metal band Megadeth from 1987 through 1989, recording the album So Far, So Good… So What! with the group in 1988...
flown out for the last few dates of the tour, fearing that Samuelson would not be able to finish with the band's commitments. Samuelson later died in July 1999 due to liver failure, while Poland managed to overcome his addiction. Poland was initially replaced by Jay Reynolds of Malice
Malice (metal band)
Malice is an American heavy metal band formed in the early 80s. Their sound is comparable to that of Judas Priest's, and they are notable for having toured with popular metal group Slayer. They had mild popularity that disappeared and reappeared frequently. The 1988 film Vice Versa featured a...
, but as the band began work on their next album, Reynolds was replaced by his own guitar teacher Jeff Young
Jeff Young
Jeff Young is an American guitarist. He graduated from Musicians Institute in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal band Megadeth, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!...
, who joined Megadeth six weeks into the recording of their third album.
Mustaine later accused Poland of stealing musical equipment, "Chris Poland - you know what? - he could die tomorrow and it wouldn't affect me... Chris has never made amends to me for stealing all my gear. I had a collector's item Echoplex
Echoplex
The Echoplex is a tape delay effect, first made in 1959. Designed by Mike Battle, the Echoplex set a standard for the effect in the 1960s and was used by some of the most notable guitar players of the era; original Echoplexes are highly sought after....
which just disappeared, all sorts of guitars, which were all stolen to cash in for heroin. I'm willing to forgive and forget, but until he comes and makes amends with me then I'm not willing to give in". This inspired Mustaine to write the song Liar, which was a culmination of Dave's hatred towards Poland at the time.
Lyrics
The lyrics to Liar, based around Chris PolandChris Poland
Chris Poland is an American guitarist, best known for being a former member of heavy metal band Megadeth.-Early career:...
, are composed almost entirely of a long list of insults. Mustaine accuses Poland of being a "creature he despises", having a "sickly mind from Alzheimer's disease", having a "Wino for a father", having a "mother who's quite insane", having a sister "who's a junkie
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
who gets it
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
any way she can", and that "decadence
Decadence
Decadence can refer to a personal trait, or to the state of a society . Used to describe a person's lifestyle. Concise Oxford Dictionary: "a luxurious self-indulgence"...
and debauchery killed his memories".
Reception
Mustaine's vocals in the song have been the subject of much praise. According to a review from a user of Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum
Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...
, "Liar starts off in what would be a pretty standard way if you've heard the other stuff from SFSGSW. A pretty fast riff, pretty good thrash with slight punk influences. But then, Mustaine’s voice comes in and you hear him as he should be. Dave’s voice is absolutely dripping with venom, and as soon as he starts everything else in this song comes together, and you can feel the betrayal and hate coming from every pore of this song." The song however was not fully regarded, as the same review is dismissive of other features of the song. It was also compared to several punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
acts; "Among the rather stylistically consistent yet lyrically incongruous offerings off of “So far, so good, so what
So Far, So Good... So What!
- 2004 bonus tracks :† The intro makes use of a sample from The Ink Spots' 1941 song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"- Personnel :- Charts :-RIAA Certifications:- External links :*...
” is this rather witty, comical, and vulgar polemic
Polemic
A polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...
against former band mate Chris Poland
Chris Poland
Chris Poland is an American guitarist, best known for being a former member of heavy metal band Megadeth.-Early career:...
. Many consider this to be a low point in Mustaine’s song writing career, but I can not help but disagree. If you listen to Storm Troopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
, Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
, or other rougher edged thrash acts with greater punk tendencies, you will note that this approach to humorous/angry lyric writing is not unique to Mustaine, nor was it unheard of for him to write this style of song on previous releases."
Personnel
Megadeth- Dave MustaineDave MustaineDavid Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
- lead vocals, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Jeff YoungJeff YoungJeff Young is an American guitarist. He graduated from Musicians Institute in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal band Megadeth, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!...
- lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar - Dave Ellefson - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Chuck BehlerChuck BehlerChuck Behler is an American drummer. Behler played drums for the heavy metal band Megadeth from 1987 through 1989, recording the album So Far, So Good… So What! with the group in 1988...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production
- ProducedRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Paul Lani and Dave Mustaine - EngineeredAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
by Paul Lani with Matt Freeman - MixedAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by Michael WagenerMichael WagenerMichael Wagener is a music producer, mixer, and engineer from Hamburg, Germany, best known for his work with many top hard rock and heavy metal bands in the late 80's. Wagener's works have sold over ninetyfour million albums worldwide. Wagener was the original guitarist for the German band Accept... - Executive producedExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
by Tim CarrTim CarrTim Carr is an Australian record Producer/Engineer, well known for his passion, eclectic personality and honest production, previous credits include;*Ernest Ellis*Something With Numbers*George Pajon *The Cops*Grey Daturas... - MasteredAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Stephen MarcussenStephen MarcussenStephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. Marcussen is one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the music industry and his expertise has been coveted by a wide range of artists over the years...
Remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
and remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
- Produced by Dave Mustaine
- Mixed by Ralph Patlan and Dave Mustaine
- Engineered by Ralph Patlan with Lance Dean
- EditedDigital audio editorA digital audio editor is a computer application for audio editing, i.e. manipulating digital audio. Digital audio editors are the main software component of a digital audio workstation.-For use with music:...
by Lance Dean with Scott "Sarge" Harrison - Mastered by Tom Baker