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Lulu (Lou Reed and Metallica album)

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Lulu is a collaborative album between rock singer-songwriter Lou Reed, and heavy metal band Metallica, released on October 31, 2011 on Warner Bros. and Vertigo. The album is the final full-length studio recording project that Reed was involved in before his death in 2013.[1] The album was recorded in San Rafael, California, during April through June 2011, after Reed had played with Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert which led to them wanting to collaborate. The lead single from the album, titled "The View", was released on September 27, 2011.[2]

Conceptually, the album is based on Lulu - two plays originally written by the German playwright Frank Wedekind. The majority of the album's composition is centred around spoken word delivered by Reed over instrumentals composed by Metallica, with occasional backing vocals provided by Metallica lead vocalist James Hetfield. Reed wrote the majority of the lyrics. The album was released worldwide on October 31, 2011, and on November 1 in North America.[3] Upon its release, Lulu received mostly negative reviews from music critics.

Background

Reed and Metallica had both been on the bill in October 1997 for the eleventh of Neil Young's Bridge concerts.[4] The conception of the collaboration project began in 2009 when both Metallica and Lou Reed performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert.[3] After that performance, they began "kicking around the idea of making a record together,"[5] but did not start working together until two years later. In February 2011, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett announced that in May 2011 the group would start working on something that's "not 100 percent a Metallica record. It's a recording project, let's put it that way."[6] The project was revealed to be a collaboration with Lou Reed once the recording of the album had been completed in June 2011.[3]

The collaboration was originally intended to be Metallica re-recording various previously unreleased tracks Reed had written over the years.[7] Among these unreleased demos was a collection of songs composed for a play called Lulu—a theatrical production of two plays originally written by the German playwright Frank Wedekind.[8] Reed shared the demos of these songs with the members of Metallica to help bring the "piece to the next level,"[9] and the group provided "significant arrangement contributions" to the material.[10] David Fricke of Rolling Stone heard at least two of the songs from the project in June 2011—"Pumping Blood" and "Mistress Dread"—and described their sound as a "raging union of [Reed's] 1973 noir classic, Berlin, and Metallica's '86 crusher, Master of Puppets."[10] All tracks were made available for listening on the official Lou Reed & Metallica website before its release.[11]

The recording of the album was problematic at times, with Lars Ulrich admitting at one point, Lou Reed challenged him to a "street fight".[12]

Singles

"The View"
A 29 second sample to "The View" featuring Lou Reed's spoken word delivered over a repeated riff.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"The View" was released for streaming online in late September 2011. Examining reaction to the track and a previously released 30-second preview of the same, The New Zealand Herald reported that there was much negative reaction by fans online, and that the song had about twice as many "dislikes" as "likes" on YouTube.[13] Not all reaction to the song was negative; Rolling Stone gave "The View" a 4 out of 5 star rating[14] while the same song was rated 4.5 out of 5 by Artist Direct[15] and positively by One Thirty BPM.[16] The song's music video was directed by Darren Aronofsky, cinematographed by Matthew Libatique and produced by Scott Franklin through Protozoa Pictures, his and Aronofsky's production company.[17] Originally it was planned that Aronofsky should helm a performance video for the album's second single "Iced Honey"[18] but "when everyone got together, it became obvious "The View" was the way to go."[19]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic45/100[20]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[21]
Consequence of Sound[22]
The Daily Telegraph[23]
Entertainment WeeklyD[24]
NME[25]
Pitchfork Media(1.0/10)[26]
Rolling Stone[27]
Q[28]
Sputnikmusic[29]

Upon its release, the album received mixed to negative reviews by music critics.[20] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 45, based on 31 reviews.[20] Staff reviewer Joseph Viney of Sputnikmusic rated the album one and a half out of five and commented "The fallout from this could have dire consequences. A lot of people, already placing Metallica at the best seat in the house at the Last Chance Saloon have now called last orders. It's genuinely difficult to guess what their next move will be. As for Reed, his legacy, whatever that means in his case, is cemented and this will have no real effect on him."[29]

Pitchfork Media critic Stuart Berma assigned the album a rare 1.0 rating, writing "for all the hilarity that ought to ensue here, Lulu is a frustratingly noble failure. Audacious to the extreme, but exhaustingly tedious as a result, its few interesting ideas are stretched out beyond the point of utility and pounded into submission."[26] Essayist and pop culture writer Chuck Klosterman, in his review of the album for the website Grantland, wrote, "If the Red Hot Chili Peppers acoustically covered the 12 worst Primus songs for Starbucks, it would still be (slightly) better than this."[30] Reviewer Julian Marszalek of The Quietus gave the album a very poor review. He commented that "the effect is that of Lou Reed ranting over some Metallica demos that were never intended for human consumption." Marszalek summarized the review by suggesting that time spent listening to Lulu could have been better spent watching grass grow, "or perhaps wanking into a sock."[31] Furthermore, longtime reviewer Don Kaye, who had previously defended Metallica's much-maligned 2003 album St. Anger, wrote on Blabbermouth.net that "Lulu is a catastrophic failure on almost every level, a project that could quite possibly do irreparable harm to Metallica's career."[32]

Uncut gave the record a positive review,[33] singling out the album closer "Junior Dad" for praise and calling it "breathtaking" and "astonishing", a "perfect ending to the most extraordinary, passionate and just plain brilliant record either participant has made for a long while." NME, scoring the record seven out of ten,[25] praised it as "a surprising triumph", and said that the offering's "breadth and ambition is to be applauded. Metallica have performed way beyond what many thought them capable; they improvise freely as Reed's musical bitch, while for him this marks his most outré offering since 'Metal Machine Music'". The Telegraph awarded Lulu three stars out of five,[34] stating that while the album was "grueling, even by latter Lou Reed standards," the sense of "unrestrained folly" and sheer lack of commercialism made the album feel "important". The German edition of Metal Hammer gave the album four out of seven stars. The reaction of the reviewer, Metallica biographer Joel McIver, to the album was mixed. According to McIver, Lou Reed and Metallica had created an "avant-garde theatrical" soundtrack which is "not easy to listen to" and recommendable for Lou Reed fans. However Metallica fans "will mostly ignore Lulu—and listen to Master of Puppets".

In contrast with other sources, The Wire, a British avant garde music magazine, considered Lulu the no. 9 record of the year.[35] Indeed, The Wire's Jennifer Lucy Allan comments about the bad reviews of the album: "ultimately, the reaction to it is a testament to Lou Reed’s ability to still get up the noses and under the skin of even the most open-minded listeners. He’s probably laughing his head off at it all this very minute".

Band's response to criticism

Lou Reed stated that Metallica fans threatened to shoot him due to the collaboration on Lulu. In response to this and the overall negative reaction to the album, Reed commented, "I don't have any fans left. After Metal Machine Music (1975), they all fled. Who cares? I'm essentially in this for the fun of it."[36] Lars Ulrich also noted the negative reaction to Lulu, and stated that he wasn't surprised by the criticism due in part because, "In 1984, when hard-core Metallica fans heard acoustic guitars on "Fade to Black", there was a nuclear meltdown in the heavy-metal community," and also noted that Reed's poetry is "not for everyone."[36] Talking about the negative reactions, James Hetfield expressed understanding of "fearful people", who are "typing from their mom’s basement that they still live in", stating that the band needed "to spread our wings" and try something new,[37] while Reed stated that the album is for "literate people".[38]

Chart performance

In the United States, the album debuted at number 36 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 13,000 copies.[39] The album debuted in the top 20 of the charts in seven countries.[40] Worldwide sales have topped 100,000 copies in two weeks.[41]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Lou Reed; all music is composed by Reed and Metallica

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Brandenburg Gate"4:19
2."The View"5:17
3."Pumping Blood"7:24
4."Mistress Dread"6:51
5."Iced Honey"4:36
6."Cheat on Me"11:26
Disc two
No.TitleLength
7."Frustration"8:34
8."Little Dog"8:01
9."Dragon"11:08
10."Junior Dad"19:29
Total length:87:05

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[40] 33
Austrian Albums Chart[40] 11
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[40] 17
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[40] 14
Canadian Albums Chart[42] 26
Croatian Albums Chart[43] 4
Czech Albums Chart[44] 4
Danish Albums Chart[45] 13
Dutch Albums Chart[40] 17
Finnish Albums Chart[40] 16
German Albums Chart[46] 6
Irish Albums Chart[47] 36
Italy Albums Chart[48] 9
Japanese Albums Chart[49] 14
New Zealand Albums Chart[40] 12
Norwegian Albums Chart[40] 11
Polish Albums Chart[50] 6
Portuguese Albums Chart[40] 8
Russian Albums Chart[51] 10
Spanish Albums Chart[52] 12
Swedish Albums Chart[40] 9
Swiss Albums Chart[40] 14
UK Albums Chart[53] 36
US Billboard 200[39] 36

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Lou Reed, Velvet Underground Leader and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 71". Rolling Stone. 27 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Metallica and Lou Reed post clip of new single 'The View' online — audio". NME. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Kane, Tyler (19 August 2011). "Lou Reed/Metallica Collaboration Gets a Release Date". Paste. Wolfgang's Vault. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  4. ^ "Bridge School Benefit history". Retrieved 15 January 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Bojalad, Alec (16 June 2011). "Metallica Records New Album with Lou Reed". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  6. ^ Sciarretto, Amy (15 February 2011). "Metallica Working on a Project That Is 'Not 100 Percent a Metallica Record'". Noisecreep. AOL. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  7. ^ NME Staff (30 August 2011). "James Hetfield: 'Lou Reed asked us to stamp Metallica on Lulu'". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  8. ^ Thiessen, Brock (19 August 2011). "Metallica and Lou Reed Set Release Date for Collaborative Album". Exclaim!. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  9. ^ a b "Metallica's Collaboration With Lou Reed: More Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  10. ^ a b Fricke, David (15 June 2011). "Exclusive: Metallica and Lou Reed Join Forces on New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  11. ^ "Lou Reed & Metallica | 'Lulu' Available October 31 (Worldwide) & November 1 (North America)". Loureedmetallica.com. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Lou Reed challenged Lars Ulrich to street fight". 3 News NZ. 7 May 2012.
  13. ^ "Full Metallica-Lou Reed track hits net". The New Zealand Herald. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ By David Fricke (28 September 2011). "The View | Song Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  15. ^ "Lou Reed & Metallica "The View" — Song Review 4.5 out of 5 stars - ARTISTdirect News". Artistdirect.com. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  16. ^ "Track Review: Lou Reed & Metallica – "The View"". One Thirty BPM. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  17. ^ Gottlieb, Steven (5 December 2011). "Watch It: Lou Reed & Metallica "The View" (Darren Aronofsky, dir.)". Video Static. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  18. ^ Stusoy, Brandon (3 November 2011). "Darren Aronofsky to Direct Video for Loutallica's "Iced Honey"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  19. ^ Bumbery, Brian (2 December 2011). "Darren Aronofsky-Directed Video for Lou Reed and Metallica "The View" From Their Album Lulu to Premiere Exclusively on IFC.com on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 10 AM EST". Marketwire/Warner Bros. Records/BB Gun Press. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  20. ^ a b c "Lulu Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  21. ^ by. "Lulu - Lou Reed". Allmusic. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  22. ^ Larson, Jeremy D. "Album Review: Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu". Consequense of Sound. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Lou Reed & Metallica: Lulu, CD review". Telegraph. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  24. ^ Anderson, Kyle (4 November 2011). "Lulu (2011)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 4 June 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ a b "NME Album Reviews - Album Review: Lou Reed & Metallica - 'Lulu'". Nme.Com. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  26. ^ a b Bermant, Stuar (28 October 2011). "Lou Reed & Metallica". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  27. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/lulu-20111101
  28. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/lulu/critic-reviews
  29. ^ a b "Lou Reed and Metallica - Lulu (staff review)". Sputnikmusic. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  30. ^ "Chuck Klosterman on the release of the new Metallica and Lou Reed album". Grantland. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  31. ^ Marszalek, Julian. "Reviews: Lou Reed & Metallica". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  32. ^ Kaye, Don. "Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  33. ^ Quantick, David. "ALBUM REVIEW: LOU REED & METALLICA - LULU". Uncut Magazine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  34. ^ Perry, Andrew (27 October 2011). "Telegraph review". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  35. ^ Allan, Jennifer Lucy (16 January 2012). "Telegraph review". London: The Wire. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  36. ^ a b Gundersen, Edna (1 November 2011). "Metallica, Lou Reed go on a genre bender with 'Lulu'". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  37. ^ http://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/lou-reed-metallica#page2
  38. ^ McCormick, Neil (7 December 2011). "Lou Reed and Metallica: interview". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  39. ^ a b Greene, Andy (9 November 2011). "On The Charts: Justin Bieber Annihilates Loutallica". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
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  41. ^ mediatraffic.de
  42. ^ http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/ALBUMS.html
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  47. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Albums Chart. GfK. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
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  53. ^ "Archive Chart". UK Albums Chart. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  54. ^ Fricke, David. "Fall Music Preview: The Season's Hottest Albums". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  55. ^ http://www.loureedmetallica.com/credits.php
  56. ^ a b c d e "Metallica's Collaboration With Lou Reed: More Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 29 August 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
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