Okay now I have the image in my head of Lou Reed smacking Kirk Hammett with a newspaper and yelling no cause he touched the wah pedal like he's a puppy that peed on the floor lol.
Or like Alex Lifeson yelling at Peter Collins when he was producing 'Counterparts' for Rush; "you really need to drop or pull way back on the rever-" "I WANT MY FUCKING REVERB, IF I WANT MY REVERB, I'M GONNA HAVE MY REVERB"
Listening to Lulu is like a kid finding a homeless man using drugs. They smirk awkwardly and move on and all their parents and friends ask if they are okay even after minimum exposer. (Also the homeless man keeps talking about “being the table.” Whatever that means)
As a Lou Reed fan first and Metallica second, this album blew me away. I adore the vibes of the noise and feedback, the heavy riffs and thrash sections, Lou Reeds groans of pain about BDSM and shit, just so good. I adore it
"Older Jason Newsted has figured out the mysteries of time travel in the future. He traveled back in time, created a character named Lou Reed and became a member of the band again just to play the most elaborate prank in the history of the world. Mission accomplished, Jason. Who had the last laugh?"
I actually think Lulu was the best album Metallica has been involved with since ...And Justice For All. The repetition is intentional and the overall listening experience yields a pleasant dissociative effect. Very meditative. In wake of Reed's passing, I'd love to hear a remix/remaster that treats the vocals properly for the contextual metal arrangements. I'm glad something nice resulted from Lars' desire to stroke his ego by collaborating with a pompous Warhol darling/snob bait artist for clout. (Seriously, do you believe Slayer would have made a art rock record with Leonard Cohen?)
Absolutely agree with you. This is also my favourite Metallica since Justice. And Lulu is conceptually a grittier, more deranged take on the themes of Berlin which is Lou's best album. It obviously references Berlin so in a way this is a companion album to Berlin. Personally I learnt to enjoy the production of Lulu with the wacky volume levels but would prefer for the instrumentation to sound more lo-fi and the whole record to sound even more like a demo.
Lou Reed AND Metallica fan here. The problem has always been with Lou is that he needs direction. Warhol did that with the VU. After VU Reed was very hit and miss. It is obvious Metallica just referred to Reed on this album and acted as the backing band. Which was the problem.
Thank you for the perspective! That's what I suspected, but I didn't know Reed enough to say for sure. Even if this album would have been "the best version of itself," I still think I'd hate it lmao! But I'm just not into this kinda stuff most times.
Nobody tells Lou what to do, he does whatever he wants. That being said, collaboration/inspiration doesn't occur in a vacuum. The results are a culmination of the raw materials involved. Only wish Lou took the solo on View instead of Kirk's widdly weedy offering. Lou is better equipped without the usual metal platitudes resulting in heavier sound/ideas/context. Also, Lou's vocal counterpoint on this record is perfect despite the fact that his voice was a fine one in his younger years - the direct intimacy of conversation combined with melodicism often in an urban blues kind of way.
Ye Im a fan aswell I agree. His albums during the 80s where rocky aswell except maybe blue mask. But I think Lu Lu is honestly pretty good and when Lou reed is being daring, it’s when he’s at his best.
Junior Dad has some great sound design. I don't get why it's so long lol, but the general musical ideas and production presented are very well done. The strings were great 👍
It´s an interesting record, and Metallica took a risk. It didn´t work, but I commend them for that. I have a feeling that a lot of the fans didn´t know Lou Reed´s work before hand, his whole deal is being avant garde. I don´t consider myself a Lou Reed fan, but I like some of the stuff he´s done here and there. But, even though it failed, like I said, it´s an interesting experiment.
So umm... i actually really like LuLu. I don't really love it, but i do kinda enjoy more songs from it... than in Hardwired. I just think that the whole uniqueness, weirdness, rawness and ugliness of the lyrics and theming, make this songs stand out. Not all of them... besides the 4 songs i actually love and 3 that i think are good-to-decent... the other songs are just kinda boring, a little bit too nothing and pretty repetitive. Still, i do enjoy Lou's vocals, they feel somewhat threatening to say the least.
Lulu gets a bad wrap because it deviates from what Metallica is known for. But in retrospect it's not as bad as some people claim. It's not amazing by any means. Its not the worst thing to ever exist either. This album is misunderstood in many ways. I think if you open your mind and experience it through a different lens you can atleast appreciate it to an extent. To me it's a unique album where Metallica are trying something completely out there. A lot of these songs feel like long spoken word passages and abstract poetry over heavy metal instrumentation. In some instances it's an experimental album. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but you have to admit it's certainly unique. How many albums can you think of off the top of your head that sound like this?
I thought it was always obvious that "Lulu" was first and foremost a Lou Reed album, with Metallica as his backing band. In interviews Lou said that he had the idea for "Lulu" kicking around in his head, and he was having trouble finding a band that could match the sounds he had in mind. When he met Metallica, and heard them play, he knew that he found the band that could help him achieve his vision so to speak. Now did it work? That's debatable... but I appreciate the collaboration. It was both artists trying something different, and I like when artists are willing to try new things.
If it really is a Lou record, I really shouldn't pass judgment since I've never been a fan....BUT I know a lot of LR fans and they all think Lulu is dog feces as well. No matter whether you're a Metallica fan or Reed fan, we all agree it was a mistake. :)
While i don't personally like Lulu all that much (Lou Reed in general just doesn't appeal to me), i think this album could've worked out better if it were released earlier. This album came out when both Lou Reed and Metallica were way past their prime so if this had come out when they were releasing some of their most acclaimed work (and like you said, Metallica had a bit more time to acclimate to Lou's work ethic), i think there could've been something potentially great. That's just my two cents, anyway.
Well said. I was in high school when the album came out and at first I thought it was wack as a heavy metallica fan, but ive listened to album everyday for a year and learned to love it. This video made me go back and listen to some of the songs and it really brought back the feeling and memories I've had when I was in high school that fall. Cheat On Me and Dragon are on top of my list of favorite songs of all time, i was obsessed with those 2 songs. But you are right about everything you mentioned and at the time, I overlooked the problems and fell in love with the feeling of the album.
How long has Metallica been around? I'd imagine quite a spell As ppl evolve the music changes n sometimes the fans don't change with the band I'd say find u a new audience who appreciates ur evolution Catering to fans probably feels unnatural
If you wanted a weird avant Garde Lou Reed album with Metallica backing, then it's brilliant. If you wanted a heavy Metallica album with Lou Reed then it's horseshit. It's all in the eye of the beholder(pun intended)
This is Metallica’s absolute *worst* album. However, it’s probably a top 5 Lou Reed record! And it would be a top 2 Staind album. And a top 1 Coal Chamber record. So if you think about it THAT way.. I hate this fucking record 😂😭😭
No, it's not. I've defended a lot of things Metallica have done (St. Anger, the Beyond Magnetic ep, the latest album) that have been hard to defend, but even I can't salvage Lulu. I might feel differently if I knew Lou Reed fans were singing its praises, but to my knowledge they're not.
That harmonics riff in Dragon (2:49) is some of the best James has written in the past couple of decades. I’m disappointed it didn’t make a Metallica song.
I think the songs are "bad" but like in that song paints this overwhemingly sick picture of a man and his prostitute girlfriend as Mike says its insane lyric writing. So many people try to shock you or get you feeling scuzzy, that songs lyrics are like disturbing on another level you can only get from Lou Reed who lived all this dysfunctional mentally twisted stuff.
When Mike's drinking whisky, I'm drinking whisky. It just works! I've never heard Lulu but I have to admit that I'm intrigued. I might just buy a used copy to check it out for poops and giggles.
Is it weird that I've been a LONGTIME Metallica fan and haven't heard a single note from this album, haven't seen anything beyond the front cover. My entire experience with this album is that I know it exists! Am I missing anything? lol
This was a brilliant assessment. I loved how you did Homework into the workings and background to the album. Listening then without prejudice and intelligently talking of its failures and flaws with reasoning. Im a Metalica fan over 30 years, and yeah I dont like Lulu because of all the things you said. I hear occasional ideas and sounds that if worked on separately by Metallica for their own songs, may have been expanded to something decent. This video mate, is a great idea too for a series of videos discussing strange, controversial albums that, possible could have had more going for them if things were different in their creation.
"New York" and "Berlin" are the two accessible Reed albums. Give 'em a shot and a chaser. Lou's fans got mad at me that I covered "I Love You Suzanne" the night he died... which, since I was playing at an artsy place, going with his most pop song may not have been my best move.
First time I heard this album my main problem was Lou Reed's vocals. Then I realised I wasn't the only one. I was able to find the Lulu songs where the vocals were removed on RUclips. Listening it that way I came to the conclusion that I kinda like the riffs. Granted, they are repeated way too many times, but with a more decent structuring and pacing (and with proper James vocals and lyrics) these riffs could be turned into cool Metallica songs.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, but if you get a chance check out the live performance Lou Reed and Metallica did in Germany. Many of the problems you mentioned were solved, and it actually works. The album was a failure, but the live performance showed what the album should have been. I’m not saying that you’re suddenly going to like Lou Reed, but it will give you an appreciation for what they were trying to do. I can’t listen to the album, but I return to the concert frequently.
In my opinion Lou Reed has one good album. Transformer. I don't know why but I really like it. Probably because of the David Bowie vibes it has and I really love the early 70s Bowie (especially Hunky Dory and the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars).
Lou reed in the velvet underground is definitely him at his best. With the help of John cale they made some of the best music imo. There is definitely an argument to be made that he’s at his best with help.
Hey Mike is there any chance you may consider doing a 72 Seasons album review at some point? I know you said you wouldn’t in a previous video, but figured I’d ask given that some time has passed.
I appreciate the mention of Road Salt One, I've been listening to a lot of Pain Of Salvation lately and they're becoming one of my favorite bands. I really like the approach they took with this album, sounding like they're just together in the studio playing. Also, Daniel Gildenlöw is an outstanding singer imo, Lou Reed... not so much, also didn't like Lulu at all.
Picture this: you're playing a videogame with generic rock instrumental music as background and someone is in your same room reading some twisted book loudly. There you have it.
This to me sounds like some drunk went on a stage in a small bar and plut a Metallica CD and just rambles on and on over it. Some of the riffs are very good. If there was a way to remove the rambling I might find it a little enjoyable.
Bands who can take minimal material and repeat it ad nauseum without getting boring: Melvins, Sunn 0))), Killing Joke, Kraftwerk... Bands who can't, and shouldn't try:
Wait. So Lou motherfucking Reed had an album out with some band many years back. And Lou's supporting band's fans had their own opinions about the album? And we as music fan have to care about their feelings? Sure i also bought "Ride the Lightening" when I was 13 yrs old. Then I discovered "Velvet Underground and Nico" and "Transformer". Its called "growing up"
Sure his vocal performance on this record sucked but not all of his vocals in his body of work is that bad. I mean yeah he’s a bit of a meme with how he can only hit like two octaves but hearing his voice on Velvet Underground songs “Sunday Morning” and “Pale Blue Eyes” are really soothing and he has brilliant energy on other songs like “White Light/White Heat” and “Sister Ray”.
Although I still think it's a truly terrible album ( A LOU REED ALBUM), I really enjoyed this discussion. You raise a lot of good thoughts. Good stuff! 👍
After listening to more of the album (but not the whole thing) it seems like the album has two major flaws. Firstly, Lou Reed sounds awful. He sounds like he is close to death. I believe he was but that doesn’t make it good. Secondly, they put the worst two tracks at the beginning. Brandenburg Gate is a bad song (well, its performed poorly, including by Metallica). The View is… probably a little over-hated (the lyrics sound ridiculous when sung by James), but its not great. The songs after are honestly better. Metallica does some interesting stuff, honestly. Frankly, if you tune out Lou Reed, the stuff Metallica is doing on later dongs is better than their latest album, easily. Honestly, if they cut Brandenburg Gate and the spoken word parts were done… better, i think the album may actually be… good…?
D.Gildenlöw is a true genius, IMO. not just because RS1. but also for all of the POS albums he has written since Entropia. In exchange, Lulu is simply too uninteresting and sometimes cringy. Sry. I love Metallica, but it doesn’t resonate with me.
I personally really enjoyed the contribution Metallica gave. I really enjoyed the raw liveliness similar to the first 3 or 4 records, where they didnt spend half a decade in the studio over polishing rifforama's like Death Magnetic. Musically I love it. Lou's vocals make St. Anger's snare drum feel like Thin Mint cookies and a cool glass of milk. A rotting corpse has more life in it than Lou's " vocals". If King Diamond would have been the lead dude on that album it would have rocked the metal community. It would have fucking slayed. But instead we got a trucker taking a rest stop shit, that is Lou Reed.
I just found your channel. I am enjoying your perspective on the two videos I have watched. The first was on being a left handed guitarist. I understand the frustration of being left handed in a right handed world. The other video I watched is this one on Lulu. I’m an a greater Lou Reed fan the Metallica’s. Now I totally agree this was a Lou Reed album first and foremost that had Metallica as his band. I totally agree that Lou should’ve taken more advantage of having Metallica and their song writing experience. I’ve always stated the Lou Reed is an acquire taste there’s really no in between . This is not Lou Reed’s best and definitely not his worst IMO. If you ever listened to Live: take no prisoners that’s a bad idea and album. I believe it was recorded and released as a joke. Really a joke on the recording industry. Now I don’t have everything Lou ever released and I probably have less than 10% but there are two albums you should listen to both are live albums 1) Rock and Roll Animal Live that feature only 5 songs but has probably the best live version of Sweet Jane ever recorded. And 2) Perfect Night: Live from London. Listen to these two if that doesn’t at least make you lessen your opinion than that’s fine but Lou Reed rocks like no other ever will. I have great respect for Metallica recording w/ Lou even if the album is at best mediocre.
No. It's not even remotely good. And I say it as a fan of both Lou Reed and Metallica. If a cacophonic, lazy, pretentious album like this had been done by anyone without their big names, no producer would have touched it with a ten feet pole. Sure, you can find a few interesting snippets here and there in it, but does it compare with the actual good music that these artists have made in their heyday? No. This is an embarrassment in Lou Reed's *and* in Metallica's catalogue. Period.
Yeah, Lou Reed doesn't have any good records. Transformer was hugely praised by critics and audience. And by the way, have you heard of one obscure band called The Velvet Underground?
Im a big Lou reed fan, mostly lyrically but velvet underground have made some of the best music of all time both sonically and lyrically, and Lou reed was at his best during those periods. To enjoy that type of music you kind of have to appreciate music artistically, but it’s fine if you don’t. I don’t really like metal so for me this is the best Metallica album.
I pretty much came to this very same conclusion a long time ago. Lulu is not a Metallica album, it's a Lou Reed album featuring Metallica, and it should be treated as such. I can see how this album may appeal to Reed fans, but of course since Metallica are the bigger name with the bigger and more "passionate" fanbase, it was only natural that their opinions were the ones who were most heard. I'm a Metallica fan, not a Lou Reed fan, I respect what he did, but his work is not for me. I can't stand listening to this album. I can barely go 3 minutes without wishing I had gone deaf. I will probably never listen to it front to back, but nobody is forcing me to listen to it, so more power to the people who do like it. I respect both parties for going outside the box and trying something unique, but it didn't stick the landing for me.
The only good metallica album 😩 please I need more of the poop (in all serious, it was very... interesting and actually unique, but well, it's unmm lulu)
Yes Lulu is a Lou reed album not a Metallica album and everything you said like Lou reeds vocals sucks so much you are so right and right that how can someone listen to him singing its so bad and cringe
Am I listening to Lulu wrong? I will argue, if you are even listening to Lulu then you are listening to Lulu wrong. The only way to listen to Lulu right is no not listen to it at all.
I think Lulu is one of the best things Metallica have ever done. No joke. It's a brilliant work of art and every listen is an absolute adventure. I do get why it didn't sell well but then a lot of great art isn't commercially appealing.
You could probably guess this by what I state in my video, but... The same concept but with a different vocalist, shorter songs with more emphasis on stronger dynamics I think could have been way more effective. I can't for the life of me connect with Lou Reed as a vocalist lol. I wish I could understand why you like it so much, but such is life. I'll grant you, it's the most daring thing Metallica have ever undertaken, and I mean that as a compliment.
@@BecomeTheKnight The short answer is that I appreciate an uncomfortable, even painful art experience (although I have to be in the right frame of mind for it). The roots of The Velvet Underground, in part, can be traced back to The Theatre of Eternal Music, an avant garde music collective that experimented with sustained notes and drones which sometimes went on for an entire night (at least this album didn't go that far, although I still would've listened if it had 😅). Lou Reed has always been known for his experimental side as much as his rock'n'roll side. I strongly recommend you avoid Reed's 'Metal Machine Music' album. I do understand where you're coming from and I do appreciate all of the concepts you speak of: dynamics, shorter songs, 'good' vocals etc. These are all great musical concepts which I definitely do appreciate and quite honestly, I do try to employ these concepts in my own music making. There are times though, when I want to be taken on a different journey altogether. If the music sounds repetitive, disorientating, difficult to endure, exasperating (painful even?) then it's probably meant to be (another band that I have to be in the right mood for is The Birthday Party). Yes, these things could have been expressed differently but then you might say the same thing about a Jackson Pollock painting. 'Summertime? Why did Pollock paint the summer in that way? I would have painted it differently. For a start, I would have preferred to see more discernable shapes and objects within a clearer context.' etc etc.... you get my point
Okay now I have the image in my head of Lou Reed smacking Kirk Hammett with a newspaper and yelling no cause he touched the wah pedal like he's a puppy that peed on the floor lol.
I mean.....🤷♂️🤷♂️
Or like Alex Lifeson yelling at Peter Collins when he was producing 'Counterparts' for Rush; "you really need to drop or pull way back on the rever-" "I WANT MY FUCKING REVERB, IF I WANT MY REVERB, I'M GONNA HAVE MY REVERB"
Listening to Lulu is like a kid finding a homeless man using drugs. They smirk awkwardly and move on and all their parents and friends ask if they are okay even after minimum exposer.
(Also the homeless man keeps talking about “being the table.” Whatever that means)
Exposer? You mean exposure.
tablet
SMALL TOWN GIRL
As a Lou Reed fan first and Metallica second, this album blew me away. I adore the vibes of the noise and feedback, the heavy riffs and thrash sections, Lou Reeds groans of pain about BDSM and shit, just so good. I adore it
Guna be honest, was expecting a 5 second video with you just taking a drink and saying, "No".
"Older Jason Newsted has figured out the mysteries of time travel in the future. He traveled back in time, created a character named Lou Reed and became a member of the band again just to play the most elaborate prank in the history of the world. Mission accomplished, Jason. Who had the last laugh?"
“No wah pedal”😢😢
I actually think Lulu was the best album Metallica has been involved with since ...And Justice For All. The repetition is intentional and the overall listening experience yields a pleasant dissociative effect. Very meditative. In wake of Reed's passing, I'd love to hear a remix/remaster that treats the vocals properly for the contextual metal arrangements. I'm glad something nice resulted from Lars' desire to stroke his ego by collaborating with a pompous Warhol darling/snob bait artist for clout. (Seriously, do you believe Slayer would have made a art rock record with Leonard Cohen?)
Absolutely agree with you. This is also my favourite Metallica since Justice. And Lulu is conceptually a grittier, more deranged take on the themes of Berlin which is Lou's best album. It obviously references Berlin so in a way this is a companion album to Berlin. Personally I learnt to enjoy the production of Lulu with the wacky volume levels but would prefer for the instrumentation to sound more lo-fi and the whole record to sound even more like a demo.
"Edging the musical" caught me so off guard! 💀
Lou Reed AND Metallica fan here. The problem has always been with Lou is that he needs direction. Warhol did that with the VU. After VU Reed was very hit and miss. It is obvious Metallica just referred to Reed on this album and acted as the backing band. Which was the problem.
Thank you for the perspective! That's what I suspected, but I didn't know Reed enough to say for sure. Even if this album would have been "the best version of itself," I still think I'd hate it lmao! But I'm just not into this kinda stuff most times.
Bowie, who idolized him , guided him after VU, and out came "Transformer", a brilliant record. But yeah, give him too much freedom and he goes nuts.
@@BecomeTheKnight Did you read Chuck Klosterman's review of Lulu?
Nobody tells Lou what to do, he does whatever he wants. That being said, collaboration/inspiration doesn't occur in a vacuum. The results are a culmination of the raw materials involved. Only wish Lou took the solo on View instead of Kirk's widdly weedy offering. Lou is better equipped without the usual metal platitudes resulting in heavier sound/ideas/context. Also, Lou's vocal counterpoint on this record is perfect despite the fact that his voice was a fine one in his younger years - the direct intimacy of conversation combined with melodicism often in an urban blues kind of way.
Ye Im a fan aswell I agree. His albums during the 80s where rocky aswell except maybe blue mask. But I think Lu Lu is honestly pretty good and when Lou reed is being daring, it’s when he’s at his best.
Fun Fact: metallica are now Lou reeds age when they recorded lulu.
Dipshit Lou died in 2013 at 71 he was 69 in 2011 when the album was made
Why does Lou Reed look like an older Jason Newsted
Lol, I was thinking the same😂
Lulu is like me walking into a guitar center and playing a guitar (I don't play guitar)
If Mike doesn't upload after this we know what happened.
It's kinda like trying to mix chocolate truffles and mac and cheese. There may be a few people who love it, but most of the people are not ready.
Or mixing UTTER SHIT with Mac n cheese…
I really like the song Junior Dad, at least the 8 minutes before the space noises. To me, it's exactly what bittersweet sounds like.
Junior Dad has some great sound design. I don't get why it's so long lol, but the general musical ideas and production presented are very well done. The strings were great 👍
It´s an interesting record, and Metallica took a risk. It didn´t work, but I commend them for that.
I have a feeling that a lot of the fans didn´t know Lou Reed´s work before hand, his whole deal is being avant garde. I don´t consider myself a Lou Reed fan, but I like some of the stuff he´s done here and there.
But, even though it failed, like I said, it´s an interesting experiment.
I applaud them for being so bold as to do *something* this far out of the box.
@@BecomeTheKnightIndeed.
So umm... i actually really like LuLu. I don't really love it, but i do kinda enjoy more songs from it... than in Hardwired. I just think that the whole uniqueness, weirdness, rawness and ugliness of the lyrics and theming, make this songs stand out. Not all of them... besides the 4 songs i actually love and 3 that i think are good-to-decent... the other songs are just kinda boring, a little bit too nothing and pretty repetitive. Still, i do enjoy Lou's vocals, they feel somewhat threatening to say the least.
I'm happy you were able to enjoy it!!!
Lou Reed's vocal mixing sounds way too loud on Lulu, and you can barely hear Bruce Dickinson's vocals at times on Senjutsu 😂.
It's not good. I don't need to watch. God bless.
Big facts.
Obnoxious album, but it's not shocking coming from the dude who made Metal Machine Music and The Raven
Lulu gets a bad wrap because it deviates from what Metallica is known for. But in retrospect it's not as bad as some people claim. It's not amazing by any means. Its not the worst thing to ever exist either. This album is misunderstood in many ways. I think if you open your mind and experience it through a different lens you can atleast appreciate it to an extent. To me it's a unique album where Metallica are trying something completely out there. A lot of these songs feel like long spoken word passages and abstract poetry over heavy metal instrumentation. In some instances it's an experimental album. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but you have to admit it's certainly unique. How many albums can you think of off the top of your head that sound like this?
I thought it was always obvious that "Lulu" was first and foremost a Lou Reed album, with Metallica as his backing band.
In interviews Lou said that he had the idea for "Lulu" kicking around in his head, and he was having trouble finding a band that could match the sounds he had in mind. When he met Metallica, and heard them play, he knew that he found the band that could help him achieve his vision so to speak.
Now did it work? That's debatable... but I appreciate the collaboration. It was both artists trying something different, and I like when artists are willing to try new things.
That's a perfectly reasonable and understandable take, thank you.
Yeah, “obvious “ so METALLICA PUTS IT OUT AS A METALLICA RECORD….stop apologizing for them for making a DOG SHIT album
If it really is a Lou record, I really shouldn't pass judgment since I've never been a fan....BUT I know a lot of LR fans and they all think Lulu is dog feces as well. No matter whether you're a Metallica fan or Reed fan, we all agree it was a mistake. :)
Word bruh. I enjoy a lot of this album, some killer riffs at the least. Love Metallica since '87.
While i don't personally like Lulu all that much (Lou Reed in general just doesn't appeal to me), i think this album could've worked out better if it were released earlier. This album came out when both Lou Reed and Metallica were way past their prime so if this had come out when they were releasing some of their most acclaimed work (and like you said, Metallica had a bit more time to acclimate to Lou's work ethic), i think there could've been something potentially great. That's just my two cents, anyway.
As much as I HATE this album, I “respect” it at the same time. It is definitely a big FAIL, but it feels honest and true.
I really wonder if Metallica did this out of respect/as more of a favor than a mutually interested project
Mmmmm... This sounds like something Lars would push forward way too much, while unironicanally thinking it's genius.
Well said. I was in high school when the album came out and at first I thought it was wack as a heavy metallica fan, but ive listened to album everyday for a year and learned to love it. This video made me go back and listen to some of the songs and it really brought back the feeling and memories I've had when I was in high school that fall. Cheat On Me and Dragon are on top of my list of favorite songs of all time, i was obsessed with those 2 songs. But you are right about everything you mentioned and at the time, I overlooked the problems and fell in love with the feeling of the album.
I’ve tried to actually listen to it but I just can’t get through it.
Honestly, limp Bizkit cover of "Welcome home/sanatarium" is the best "collaboration" Metallica has done. This shit instead was too weird for anyone
Nice! I kinda really like Mark Tremonti on RUclips playing Sanitarium on Hello Kitty guitars! Actually quite awesome!💪💪😎
@@RB-oc7ti shut up bot
@@CYB3R2KYeah, he's a damned idiot.
🙌🏽🙏🏽
Ok, this should be good.
How long has Metallica been around?
I'd imagine quite a spell
As ppl evolve the music changes n sometimes the fans don't change with the band I'd say find u a new audience who appreciates ur evolution
Catering to fans probably feels unnatural
If you wanted a weird avant Garde Lou Reed album with Metallica backing, then it's brilliant. If you wanted a heavy Metallica album with Lou Reed then it's horseshit. It's all in the eye of the beholder(pun intended)
Forget the lyrics (absolutely from Lou), the music is very good
I heard a few clips off LuLu and decided to never to give it a full playthrough and never consider it an actual Metallica album.
This is Metallica’s absolute *worst* album.
However, it’s probably a top 5 Lou Reed record! And it would be a top 2 Staind album. And a top 1 Coal Chamber record. So if you think about it THAT way.. I hate this fucking record 😂😭😭
No, it's not. I've defended a lot of things Metallica have done (St. Anger, the Beyond Magnetic ep, the latest album) that have been hard to defend, but even I can't salvage Lulu.
I might feel differently if I knew Lou Reed fans were singing its praises, but to my knowledge they're not.
That harmonics riff in Dragon (2:49) is some of the best James has written in the past couple of decades. I’m disappointed it didn’t make a Metallica song.
I'd have to go back and listen to it. There were some cool instrumental moments on that track.
Nope
I think the songs are "bad" but like in that song paints this overwhemingly sick picture of a man and his prostitute girlfriend as Mike says its insane lyric writing. So many people try to shock you or get you feeling scuzzy, that songs lyrics are like disturbing on another level you can only get from Lou Reed who lived all this dysfunctional mentally twisted stuff.
Bruh no way this was Lou Reed's last creation ☠️☠️☠️
You don't like ANY of Lou Reed's work? I thought some of his stuff with Velvet Underground was good.
With some very small exceptions. I'm not sure that I actually *LIKE* any of his work, but there's some I can tolerate.
I'll save you 22 minutes......no.
When Mike's drinking whisky, I'm drinking whisky. It just works! I've never heard Lulu but I have to admit that I'm intrigued. I might just buy a used copy to check it out for poops and giggles.
This album is just a recording of a Xmas party where a young teenager put on Metallica while the drunk uncle rambles on in the corner 🤷♂️
Is it weird that I've been a LONGTIME Metallica fan and haven't heard a single note from this album, haven't seen anything beyond the front cover. My entire experience with this album is that I know it exists! Am I missing anything? lol
I personally felt physically ill the whole time listening to that album🤣🤣
I AM THE TABLE!!!!!!!!!!!
Road Salt One is a fantastic album
This was a brilliant assessment. I loved how you did Homework into the workings and background to the album. Listening then without prejudice and intelligently talking of its failures and flaws with reasoning. Im a Metalica fan over 30 years, and yeah I dont like Lulu because of all the things you said. I hear occasional ideas and sounds that if worked on separately by Metallica for their own songs, may have been expanded to something decent. This video mate, is a great idea too for a series of videos discussing strange, controversial albums that, possible could have had more going for them if things were different in their creation.
The View and Dragoon are the best songs if u remove Lou reed
"New York" and "Berlin" are the two accessible Reed albums. Give 'em a shot and a chaser. Lou's fans got mad at me that I covered "I Love You Suzanne" the night he died... which, since I was playing at an artsy place, going with his most pop song may not have been my best move.
I honestly wish I had never heard of the album.
The album is legitimately good, sonically.
Musically, yeah no…
With the exception of the vocal mixing, I'm pretty sure I agree with this
@@BecomeTheKnightyeah more in terms of Metallica’s instrumentation, I’d say.
First time I heard this album my main problem was Lou Reed's vocals. Then I realised I wasn't the only one. I was able to find the Lulu songs where the vocals were removed on RUclips. Listening it that way I came to the conclusion that I kinda like the riffs. Granted, they are repeated way too many times, but with a more decent structuring and pacing (and with proper James vocals and lyrics) these riffs could be turned into cool Metallica songs.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, but if you get a chance check out the live performance Lou Reed and Metallica did in Germany. Many of the problems you mentioned were solved, and it actually works. The album was a failure, but the live performance showed what the album should have been. I’m not saying that you’re suddenly going to like Lou Reed, but it will give you an appreciation for what they were trying to do. I can’t listen to the album, but I return to the concert frequently.
Hmmmm I think I *may* have seen one of the clips from a performance (not sure). Would be interested to check it out to hear the difference!
In my opinion Lou Reed has one good album. Transformer. I don't know why but I really like it. Probably because of the David Bowie vibes it has and I really love the early 70s Bowie (especially Hunky Dory and the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars).
Lou reed in the velvet underground is definitely him at his best. With the help of John cale they made some of the best music imo. There is definitely an argument to be made that he’s at his best with help.
Hey Mike is there any chance you may consider doing a 72 Seasons album review at some point? I know you said you wouldn’t in a previous video, but figured I’d ask given that some time has passed.
I would also like to see this
Dude, Metal Machine Music is a masterpiece.
Side 3 is best.
I appreciate the mention of Road Salt One, I've been listening to a lot of Pain Of Salvation lately and they're becoming one of my favorite bands. I really like the approach they took with this album, sounding like they're just together in the studio playing. Also, Daniel Gildenlöw is an outstanding singer imo, Lou Reed... not so much, also didn't like Lulu at all.
This album is basically "Old man yells at cloud while Metallica jams in the background"
Picture this: you're playing a videogame with generic rock instrumental music as background and someone is in your same room reading some twisted book loudly. There you have it.
Everything after the Justice album , with the possible exception of Magnetic, is crap.
This to me sounds like some drunk went on a stage in a small bar and plut a Metallica CD and just rambles on and on over it. Some of the riffs are very good. If there was a way to remove the rambling I might find it a little enjoyable.
LOL! I love LULU! what’s wrong with confusion?! HAHAHAHA Collaborative records rule. Director’s Cut, Probot, Yeezus, Lulu.
Bands who can take minimal material and repeat it ad nauseum without getting boring: Melvins, Sunn 0))), Killing Joke, Kraftwerk...
Bands who can't, and shouldn't try:
Wait. So Lou motherfucking Reed had an album out with some band many years back. And Lou's supporting band's fans had their own opinions about the album? And we as music fan have to care about their feelings? Sure i also bought "Ride the Lightening" when I was 13 yrs old. Then I discovered "Velvet Underground and Nico" and "Transformer". Its called "growing up"
Sure his vocal performance on this record sucked but not all of his vocals in his body of work is that bad. I mean yeah he’s a bit of a meme with how he can only hit like two octaves but hearing his voice on Velvet Underground songs “Sunday Morning” and “Pale Blue Eyes” are really soothing and he has brilliant energy on other songs like “White Light/White Heat” and “Sister Ray”.
Although I still think it's a truly terrible album ( A LOU REED ALBUM), I really enjoyed this discussion.
You raise a lot of good thoughts. Good stuff! 👍
After listening to more of the album (but not the whole thing) it seems like the album has two major flaws. Firstly, Lou Reed sounds awful. He sounds like he is close to death. I believe he was but that doesn’t make it good. Secondly, they put the worst two tracks at the beginning. Brandenburg Gate is a bad song (well, its performed poorly, including by Metallica). The View is… probably a little over-hated (the lyrics sound ridiculous when sung by James), but its not great. The songs after are honestly better. Metallica does some interesting stuff, honestly. Frankly, if you tune out Lou Reed, the stuff Metallica is doing on later dongs is better than their latest album, easily. Honestly, if they cut Brandenburg Gate and the spoken word parts were done… better, i think the album may actually be… good…?
D.Gildenlöw is a true genius, IMO. not just because RS1. but also for all of the POS albums he has written since Entropia.
In exchange, Lulu is simply too uninteresting and sometimes cringy. Sry. I love Metallica, but it doesn’t resonate with me.
No,it’s not good. For the most part, METALLICA haven’t released anything good since 1988.
I personally really enjoyed the contribution Metallica gave. I really enjoyed the raw liveliness similar to the first 3 or 4 records, where they didnt spend half a decade in the studio over polishing rifforama's like Death Magnetic. Musically I love it. Lou's vocals make St. Anger's snare drum feel like Thin Mint cookies and a cool glass of milk. A rotting corpse has more life in it than Lou's " vocals". If King Diamond would have been the lead dude on that album it would have rocked the metal community. It would have fucking slayed. But instead we got a trucker taking a rest stop shit, that is Lou Reed.
I just found your channel. I am enjoying your perspective on the two videos I have watched. The first was on being a left handed guitarist. I understand the frustration of being left handed in a right handed world.
The other video I watched is this one on Lulu. I’m an a greater Lou Reed fan the Metallica’s. Now I totally agree this was a Lou Reed album first and foremost that had Metallica as his band. I totally agree that Lou should’ve taken more advantage of having Metallica and their song writing experience.
I’ve always stated the Lou Reed is an acquire taste there’s really no in between . This is not Lou Reed’s best and definitely not his worst IMO. If you ever listened to Live: take no prisoners that’s a bad idea and album. I believe it was recorded and released as a joke. Really a joke on the recording industry.
Now I don’t have everything Lou ever released and I probably have less than 10% but there are two albums you should listen to both are live albums 1) Rock and Roll Animal Live that feature only 5 songs but has probably the best live version of Sweet Jane ever recorded. And 2) Perfect Night: Live from London. Listen to these two if that doesn’t at least make you lessen your opinion than that’s fine but Lou Reed rocks like no other ever will.
I have great respect for Metallica recording w/ Lou even if the album is at best mediocre.
No. It's not even remotely good. And I say it as a fan of both Lou Reed and Metallica. If a cacophonic, lazy, pretentious album like this had been done by anyone without their big names, no producer would have touched it with a ten feet pole. Sure, you can find a few interesting snippets here and there in it, but does it compare with the actual good music that these artists have made in their heyday? No. This is an embarrassment in Lou Reed's *and* in Metallica's catalogue. Period.
Yeah, Lou Reed doesn't have any good records. Transformer was hugely praised by critics and audience. And by the way, have you heard of one obscure band called The Velvet Underground?
Im a big Lou reed fan, mostly lyrically but velvet underground have made some of the best music of all time both sonically and lyrically, and Lou reed was at his best during those periods. To enjoy that type of music you kind of have to appreciate music artistically, but it’s fine if you don’t. I don’t really like metal so for me this is the best Metallica album.
I pretty much came to this very same conclusion a long time ago. Lulu is not a Metallica album, it's a Lou Reed album featuring Metallica, and it should be treated as such. I can see how this album may appeal to Reed fans, but of course since Metallica are the bigger name with the bigger and more "passionate" fanbase, it was only natural that their opinions were the ones who were most heard. I'm a Metallica fan, not a Lou Reed fan, I respect what he did, but his work is not for me. I can't stand listening to this album. I can barely go 3 minutes without wishing I had gone deaf. I will probably never listen to it front to back, but nobody is forcing me to listen to it, so more power to the people who do like it. I respect both parties for going outside the box and trying something unique, but it didn't stick the landing for me.
The only good metallica album 😩 please I need more of the poop (in all serious, it was very... interesting and actually unique, but well, it's unmm lulu)
"I AM THE TABLE"
The whole album is just Metallica playing boring jams while some old dude talks over it.
I don’t think even DJ Cummerbund could salvage that album. 😂
LULU is Lou Reed album with Lou Reeds songs ,Metallica just play as a guest band for the album
I mean I am not the biggest Lou Reed fan by any stretch of the imagination, but repulsive? He made some good songs here and there, didn't he?
I AM THE TABLE!
I'm actually a Lou Reed fan, so I'm coming to this from a different angle. I liked it.
Fantano gave this album the same rating as my beautiful dark twisted fantasy…wtf is he smoking
Yes Lulu is a Lou reed album not a Metallica album and everything you said like Lou reeds vocals sucks so much you are so right and right that how can someone listen to him singing its so bad and cringe
I was never a Lou reed fan then now and forever.bob Dylan is a close second. Both OVER rated.
One could say, that this album is about pain
react to Hulk Rulez by Hulk Hogan and The Wrestling Boot Band
Hey Mike, if you want a good Lou reed project I would recommend The Velvet Underground and Nico.
Short answer. No. But it is funny as hell to listen to occasionally
Answer: no
No. Next question....
I love Lou Reed and can take Metallica.This sounded interesting in theory but the results are not at all good.
As an German I would like to ask you for stopping making jokes about nazis
First time I saw the album in a shop years ago i honestly didn’t even know this was Metallica
Am I listening to Lulu wrong? I will argue, if you are even listening to Lulu then you are listening to Lulu wrong. The only way to listen to Lulu right is no not listen to it at all.
The best thing to come out of Lulu was this video was made and i was in turn introduced to Pain of Salvation. Thanks for the recommendation Mike.
Is no one really gonna mention how Lou reed looks like an old Jason newsted ?
I think Lulu is one of the best things Metallica have ever done. No joke. It's a brilliant work of art and every listen is an absolute adventure. I do get why it didn't sell well but then a lot of great art isn't commercially appealing.
What about it do you find enjoyable, honestly curious, cause I can’t see how or why anybody could like it
You could probably guess this by what I state in my video, but...
The same concept but with a different vocalist, shorter songs with more emphasis on stronger dynamics I think could have been way more effective. I can't for the life of me connect with Lou Reed as a vocalist lol. I wish I could understand why you like it so much, but such is life.
I'll grant you, it's the most daring thing Metallica have ever undertaken, and I mean that as a compliment.
@@BecomeTheKnight The short answer is that I appreciate an uncomfortable, even painful art experience (although I have to be in the right frame of mind for it). The roots of The Velvet Underground, in part, can be traced back to The Theatre of Eternal Music, an avant garde music collective that experimented with sustained notes and drones which sometimes went on for an entire night (at least this album didn't go that far, although I still would've listened if it had 😅). Lou Reed has always been known for his experimental side as much as his rock'n'roll side. I strongly recommend you avoid Reed's 'Metal Machine Music' album.
I do understand where you're coming from and I do appreciate all of the concepts you speak of: dynamics, shorter songs, 'good' vocals etc. These are all great musical concepts which I definitely do appreciate and quite honestly, I do try to employ these concepts in my own music making. There are times though, when I want to be taken on a different journey altogether. If the music sounds repetitive, disorientating, difficult to endure, exasperating (painful even?) then it's probably meant to be (another band that I have to be in the right mood for is The Birthday Party). Yes, these things could have been expressed differently but then you might say the same thing about a Jackson Pollock painting. 'Summertime? Why did Pollock paint the summer in that way? I would have painted it differently. For a start, I would have preferred to see more discernable shapes and objects within a clearer context.' etc etc.... you get my point
For real tho. Maybe not their best but up there. It is my third favourite Metallica album and my third favourite solo Lou Reed album
@@hank35682 see my answer elsewhere. All the best 👍
A lot of metal fans don't listen to music they listen to metal. That fact ain't going nowhere.
I unironically have always thought Lulu is Fantastic.
No matter how you conceptualize this monstrosity, it is still piss poor 13 years later.