Lou Reed and Metallica, 'Lulu'

Release date: Nov. 1, 2011
Record label: Warner Bros.
Official website: http://www.loureedmetallica.com/

The buzz: When Lou Reed and Metallica performed together at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert in 2009, it seemed like a fitting one-off, pairing one of the coolest, gruffest rock stars from the ‘60s and ‘70s with the biggest metal band in history. Each side has always enjoyed thwarting audience expectations, so it wasn’t a shock when they decided to do an experimental album together. The early buzz, though, has been more like a backlash.

The verdict: “Lulu”’s destiny is almost surely to be a rock-and-roll punchline—a tedious, overindulgent clash of the titans. Reed is the chief culprit. He’s such a formidable icon that he molded the infamous egos of Metallica into a glorified session band (presumably that would not have happened pre-therapy). He croaks and monotone-rasps like a self-satisfied cross between Grandpa Simpson and Brak, and writes “edgy” lyrics like an undergrad who just discovered the Marquis de Sade. For their part, Metallica rip into some signature riffs, but the tension never goes anywhere, the big James Hetfield growl-splosions never happen and the good moments stretch on to grating repetition. Say what you will about Metallica’s career path, but they’ve never been meant to be wallflowers. An admirable adventure on paper, “Lulu” is a disaster on record.

Did you know? “Lulu” was originally conceived as an album of remakes, with Reed tackling his past catalog with the help of his new friends.