A real electric synergy ignited between Metallica and Lou Reed the night they first appeared together live at the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert. Rosemary and I witnessed this incredible collaboration in person at Madison Square Garden on October 30th, 2009. It was the first time we were seeing Metallica and Lou Reed in concert. They performed two Velvet Underground classics, “Sweet Jane” and “White Light/White Heat“. It was powerful!
The raw force they generated with “Sweet Jane”, done Lou Reed, Rock and Roll Animal style made me think to myself…(Wow, I hope that Lou Reed and Metallica get around to recording together some day because they are just scratching the surface for what they can carry out together seismically.) Loutallica! My silent wishes have been granted. Lou Reed and Metallica will be releasing a new studio recording, LuLu on November 1st, almost two years to the day of their auspicious NYC concert début.
There is a Web site focused on this important teaming, http://www.loureedmetallica.com/. It has published content early and will be further updated as we get closer to the drop date.
Five of the 10 songs planned are now listed, (Tracks 3,6-9), ” Frustration, Junior Dad, Little Dog Mistress Dread, and Pumping Blood.”
I find the inspiration of the LuLu recording, challenging and revealing all at once. LuLu was inspired by German expressionist writer Frank Wedekind‘s plays “Earth Spirit” and “Pandora’s Box,” which tell a story of a young abused dancer’s life and relationships and are now collectively known as the “Lulu Plays.” Lou Reed says about LuLuand Metallica:
We had to bring LuLu to life in a sophisticated way, using rock and the hardest power rock you could come up with would have to be Metallica. This is the best thing I ever did. And I did it with the best group I could possibly find. By definition, everybody involved was honest. This has come into the world pure. We pushed as far as we possibly could within the realms of reality.
Gentlemen, Bring It On! (60 days and counting…)
Related articles
- Lou Reed Makes Metallica Cry (spinner.com)
- Metallica and Lou Reed Announce Album Title (rollingstone.com)
Filed under: Heavy Metal, Rock and Roll Tagged: 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert, Frank Wedekind, LouReed, LuLu, Madison Square Garden, Metallica, postaday2011, Sweet Jane, Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat
