Lou Reed and Metallica record an album together

[Kormod]

Well, this is certainly a doozy. I hope this album turns out to be a proper follow-up to their groundbreaking Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame performance.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/alternate-take/exclusive-metallica-and-lou-reed-join-forces-on-new-album-20110615

It was an improbable match: Lou Reed's cutting-monotone voice and explicit stories of desire and despair, lashed to Metallica's apocalyptic charge. It is now a perfect fit. In a recent rapid series of sessions at Metallica's studio north of San Francisco, the New York king of avant-rock and the world's bestselling thrash-metal band have recorded a new studio album together that is unlike any either artist has made before. The record, not yet titled, features 10 songs composed by Reed with significant arrangement contributions by the band that suggest a raging union of his 1973 noir classic, Berlin, and Metallica's '86 crusher, Master of Puppets.
     

"A marriage made in heaven," Reed says in his first interview about the project, in the studio lounge during a break. "I knew it from the first day we played together: 'Oh, man, this is perfection, right in front of me.' "
     

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"I don't think we've ever felt this free," Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich says, sitting next to Reed on a couch. "There's nothing that's totally outside of the boundary for us, nothing that feels like 'Oh, what happens if we go there?' The strength of us" – he gestures at Reed – "is it feels like we cannot land on a wrong place."
     

"They're bringing Metallica, with all that power," Reed confirms. "And because they're pretty sophisticated, wherever I go, they're still with me."


Reed and Metallica first played together in October 2009, at the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concerts in New York. Ulrich, singer-guitarist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo backed Reed on two of his classic songs. "We knew from then," Reed says, "that we were made for each other." He and the band first planned to cut an album of his older material, "fallen jewels that no one remembered," as Reed puts it. That changed a week before Reed showed up at Metallica's studio. He called the band, proposing a record of songs he'd written for Lulu, a theatrical production of stories by the German author Frank Wedekind, directed by Robert Wilson and currently running in Berlin.
     

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"Lars and I listened to the stuff," Hetfield says of Reed's demos, "and it was like, 'Wow, this is very different.' It was scary at first, because the music was so open. But then I thought, 'This could go anywhere.' " Metallica started writing parts built from vocal rhythms and electronic patterns on the demos.
     

The result is at once unpredictable and viciously tight. "Pumping Blood" opens with a drone that breaks into a crunching march, goes into speed-metal gear and breaks into free-fall sections – all over seven minutes, cut live in one take. Another track, "Mistress Dread," features Reed singing across a relentless staccato riff played at manic velocity. "It doesn't feel like we're his backup band," Hammett claims. "It feels like we're a different band, in a situation we've never been in before." And, Trujillo notes, "it's making us a better band."
     

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Ulrich says the album is "90 percent" finished. But there are no release plans yet. Reed does not have a record deal, and Metallica are no longer on Warner Bros. "We are free to go wherever," Ulrich says. "I'm obviously psyched for people to hear this, in whatever way we feel is right."
     

Hetfield has one condition. "I told Lou I want to be there when people hear it," he says, grinning. "I want to see their faces."

Just to remind you, this is what Metallica and Lou Reed thought people couldn't get enough of:

Metallica Sweet Jane (w/ Lou Reed) live at MSG Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2009

[Kormod]

Sorry, I'm dumb. This should be on the "Links" board. Can some kind moderator (or "Some Kind of Moderator") move it there?

[Greggulator]

REALLY pumped that Robert Trujillo is still part of Metallica.

I really wish there was a follow up to Some Kind of Monster (One of the best documentaries ever made, IMHO, as Bob Rock's sweaters influenced my fashion sensibilities for years to come. One complaint: Why wasn't it called Sad But True?) about this album. The conversations about art that Lou and Lars and Lars' dad must have had!

[KickTheBobo]

As much I this has the potential to be a huge dumb mess, you gotta remember that there was a time when Metallica kinda ruled.

Remember, this is 1983:

Metallica - Seek and Destroy - Lyrics

Even though I was into punk/ hardcore/ indie when the first four Metallica albums were released, there was no denying that they kicked serious ass. I still consider Master of Puppets one of the top hard rock/ metal albums ever.

I mean, what if, WHAT IF they somehow tapped the energy of their early work and filtered it through Lou Reed's sonic weirdness?

It could actually be good!

[JonFromMaplewood]

As much I this has the potential to be a huge dumb mess, you gotta remember that there was a time when Metallica kinda ruled.

Remember, this is 1983:

Metallica - Seek and Destroy - Lyrics

Even though I was into punk/ hardcore/ indie when the first four Metallica albums were released, there was no denying that they kicked serious ass. I still consider Master of Puppets one of the top hard rock/ metal albums ever.

I mean, what if, WHAT IF they somehow tapped the energy of their early work and filtered it through Lou Reed's sonic weirdness?

It could actually be good!

I am also a big fan of early Metallica (Master of Puppets is one of my favs as well) and I am also a Lou Reed fan.  But there is a 1% chance that this is going to work.  Reminds me of the old Simpsons episode with "Nuts 'n Gum...Together At Last!"

[buffcoat]

The Rock 'N' Roll Animal looks more confused than anything else.

[masterofsparks]

Metallica have been a pathetic joke for much longer than they were ever good, but I still consider them a favorite band because their first 3 LPs are so great.

But, yeah, what Jon said.

[Omar]

Metallica have been a pathetic joke for much longer than they were ever good, but I still consider them a favorite band because their first 3 LPs are

Their fourth LP is also exquisitely crafted children's music! I consider Death Magnetic to be a pretty decent effort, especially compared to the Load-ReLoad-St. Anger trio. In addition to replacing Hetfield's lead vocals with Mr. Reed's, they should replace Lars with Jon Wurster, the drummer from Psychotic Norman and a fine purveyor of jazz fillage. Or maybe Jens Hannemann? "Skippy" Handelman? Evan "Funk" Davies?

[masterofsparks]

Metallica have been a pathetic joke for much longer than they were ever good, but I still consider them a favorite band because their first 3 LPs are

Their fourth LP is also exquisitely crafted children's music! I consider Death Magnetic to be a pretty decent effort, especially compared to the Load-ReLoad-St. Anger trio. In addition to replacing Hetfield's lead vocals with Mr. Reed, they should replace Lars with Jon Wurster, the drummer from Psychotic Norman and a fine purveyor of jazz fillage. Or maybe Jens Hannemann? "Skippy" Handelman? Evan "Funk" Davies?

Pick Withers.

[fonpr]

Han Bennink

Han Bennink @ Kongsberg festival 2006

[ChipSuey]

Han Bennink

Han Bennink @ Kongsberg festival 2006

I saw Han Bennink in Montreal once, and it was one of the greatest things ever.  He played everything.  As in, his drumkit, the stage, the seats...at one point he picked up a handful of change and threw in onto his snare drum.

So replacing Lars with him would definitely be a step in the awesome direction.

[andrew in philadelphia]

Not to be upstaged, I read today John Cale is teaming up with Accept on a similar collaboration.

Accept - Fast as a Shark (official Video)

[buffcoat]

Han Bennink

Han Bennink @ Kongsberg festival 2006

I saw Han Bennink in Montreal once, and it was one of the greatest things ever.  He played everything.  As in, his drumkit, the stage, the seats...at one point he picked up a handful of change and threw in onto his snare drum.

So replacing Lars with him would definitely be a step in the awesome direction.

Do you have anything with someone blowing on a snare drum?  That's what gets me off.

[ChipSuey]

Han Bennink

Han Bennink @ Kongsberg festival 2006

I saw Han Bennink in Montreal once, and it was one of the greatest things ever.  He played everything.  As in, his drumkit, the stage, the seats...at one point he picked up a handful of change and threw in onto his snare drum.

So replacing Lars with him would definitely be a step in the awesome direction.

Do you have anything with someone blowing on a snare drum?  That's what gets me off.

My stories don't get that weird.  Ask Fredricks.

[dave from knoxville]

Metallica have been a pathetic joke for much longer than they were ever good, but I still consider them a favorite band because their first 3 LPs are

Their fourth LP is also exquisitely crafted children's music! I consider Death Magnetic to be a pretty decent effort, especially compared to the Load-ReLoad-St. Anger trio. In addition to replacing Hetfield's lead vocals with Mr. Reed's, they should replace Lars with Jon Wurster, the drummer from Psychotic Norman and a fine purveyor of jazz fillage. Or maybe Jens Hannemann? "Skippy" Handelman? Evan "Funk" Davies?

Sheila E and the Ghost of Andy Kaufman