“Please tell the bass players of the world to go easy on me. I did my best to represent you well!” Bob Rock made bass history on Metallica’s St. Anger – quite a feat, since he “never really played bass” before

Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and producer Bob Rock at the 21st Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards 2004.

Though revered record producer Bob Rock is mainly a guitarist, back in 2001 he boldly stepped into one of the most formidable bass gigs in rock: holding down the low-end with Metallica. Following Jason Newsted's departure, Rock kept the iconic metal group's album plans alive by playing all the bass guitar parts on its 2003 Elektra release, St. Anger.

Rock played just three gigs with drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and vocalist James Hetfield, but in the studio he became an essential part of Metallica's bass legacy. “Please – tell all the bass players of the world to be easy on me, man,” Rock told Bass Player. “I did my best to represent you well!”