Since its release, the reaction to Lulu (TMT Review), the Lou Reed and Metallica collaboration, has been… well, not so great. Actually, make that pretty fucking terrible. The unlikely pairing of the aging metal band and the aging guy-named-Lou-Reed shocked fans and critics alike, as trash metal music under Reed’s raspy-voiced poetry is not the easiest to digest.
To quote pop culture critic Chuck Klosterman, “It might be a successful simulation of how it feels to develop schizophrenia while suffering from a migraine, although slightly less melodic.” Yet, Reed is no stranger to getting negative reactions to his work (see: everything he’s ever put out), and true to form, he once again doesn’t give a damn. In fact, Reed told USA Today that despite the album’s reception, he is actually interested in further collaborations with Metallica: “They are my metal blood brothers. No one wants Lulu Part 2, but on Radio Lou, in my head where I hear these songs, I want more of it.”
However, a second album might not go over so well with the band’s fans, who have had some trouble coping with the release of Lulu. “[Metallica fans] are threatening to shoot me,” Reed said, seemingly unfazed. “They haven’t even heard the record yet, and they’re recommending various forms of torture and death.” We suggest locking him in a room and making him listen to Metal Machine Music on a constant loop.
• Lou Reed: http://www.loureed.com
• Metallica: http://www.metallica.com