Lou Reed Received Death Threats From Metallica Fans Over Loutallica

via Loureedmetallica.com

Oh sure, you've read about the cranky metal Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration Lulu—maybe you've even seen the Muppets covering Loutallica. But have you actually tried listening to the album? It seems some Metallica fans haven't, but they're still not too happy about it: "[Metallica's fans] are threatening to shoot me, and that's only because I showed up. They haven't even heard the record yet, and they're recommending various forms of torture and death," Reed told USA Today in an interview about the team-up.

The album, a perverse mixture of finger-tapping dirge-y riffs with Reed's froggy spoken word lyrics, has finally been released to less-than-enthusiastic responses: Pitchfork gave the "exhaustingly tedious" album a 1.0, the commenters have nominated it for worst album of all time, and Chuck Klosterman said it "might be a successful simulation of how it feels to develop schizophrenia while suffering from a migraine, although slightly less melodic."

And while Metallica might be carefully creating some distance between their brand and Lulu ("This is a one-off project. It's a new collective."), Reed gives a giant bearhug to the whole bizarre thing in the USA Today interview, utilizing as much Lou Reedian-wit as he can muster: he compliments Metallica for playing off his edge ("They are my metal blood brothers. They're very brave, and they can play. I'm not easy to play with."), slags off producers and new recording technologies ("If I had my way, they'd all be shot and dumped in the Hudson. They put everyone in isolation booths."), and declares that he hasn't had any fans since 1975's Metal Machine Music: "They all fled. Who cares? I'm essentially in this for the fun of it."

But most ominously, despite all the negative reviews and criticism, Reed could imagine going forward with the collaboration: "No one wants Lulu Part 2, but on Radio Lou, in my head where I hear these songs, I want more of it." This cat took the words right out of our mouths:

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By Ben Yakas in Arts & Entertainment on November 2, 2011 5:38 PM

Comments [rss]

Frank

Neither Reed nor Metallica have given us anything REALLY worthwhile in decades (since Transformer and Master of Puppets respectively) so both of these artists are completely irrelevant to anyone who actually likes music.

Their combined terribleness is a sum much greater than its parts; this ought to be a clue for you.

Arguing over who's better...fucking morons.

[edit: also, am I blind or does this articles headline grossly misrepresent its contents?]

Kyle Kennicott

I really hate Lou Reeds voice. How can anyone listen to that shit?

sluggita

Love the singing kitty! So weird!

Jason White

I like Lulu. (LouLoo?) But I haven't listed to the whole thing yet. So far it sounds really rough. Kinda hard to listen to if you are looking for that sweet ballad-y spot that Metallica sometimes hits. But if you like the mental toughness of Death Magnetic (Broken Beat and Scarred! in fact what are the lines? They scratch me, they scrape me, they cut and rape me... so I don't think they are too concerned with what the naysayers are saying... Shoot me again I aint dead yet!) you will probably be into the rugged metal poetry project with Lou.

Greg Froober

I think this collaboration is a great match due to the fact that Lou Reed and Metallica are both completely irrelevant, and have been for many years

Eggcream

Metallica? Lou Reed is a fucking god. A sanitation truck sounds better than Metallica. But, I expect this reaction from Metallica fans.

whitecastlerock

Metallica sucks move along kiddies

CityFace

Metallica Machine Music.

Steven Srebrenick

Someone actually thought this collaboration was a good idea? I'm a huge fan of both Lou and Metallica, but this album is an atrocity.

remyngtin

organ grinder meets chimp

Fluffhead513

Tebow > Metallica Fans

marco_esquandolas

Well done.

virgilstarkwell

he isn't already dead? i saw him on prince street not long ago and you'd swear you were looking at a fucking corpse.

luke_1

Damn, you beat me to the punch.

cr17

Metallica fans relax: There's no reason to hate on Lou because no one on this planet seems to hate themselves the way Lou does... except for maybe James Hetfield.