Lou Reed Revisits "Lulu" with Metallica on Board

 

(loveitloud)

The justly legendary Lou Reed continues to defy expectations with his latest release. A performance with metal band Metallica at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anniversary concert has resulted in a full-on collaboration. The new album is called Lulu and is inspired by the Frank Wedekind plays Earth Spirit and Pandora's Box from over 100 years ago.

Reed's connection to the Wedekind plays also includes a stage collaboration with theater visionary Robert Wilson, who recently staged a production of Lulu with the Berliner Ensemble. Reed is the sole composer of that production, whereas this new album features lyrics by Reed with music composed by Reed and Metallica.

A track titled "The View" was the first to be made available for streaming, and it has met with a decidedly mixed response. While I am no Metallica aficionado, it is clear this song is as heavy as anything Reed has ever recorded. Reed sounds inspired as he delivers his poetic lyrics in a low baritone, offering a taut contrast with the hyper metal stylings of the band. The song works best when Reed is singing, and only slips into hard rock cliche when Metallica singer James Hetfield steps up to the mike and later a pedestrian guitar solo closes out the song.

The remainder of the album has its subtle charms, particularly when Reed's singing is showcased, the better to enjoy his sparse, evocative poetry. An interesting, late career maneuver, it's possible that Lulu will introduce a generation or two of metal fans to Reed and encourage them to explore his rich and varied career, both as a solo artist, and with the Velvet Underground.

Not unlike Paul McCartney and Bryan Ferry, Reed has both enjoyed a lengthy, successful solo career, and born the curse of having to follow such a formidable act as the Beatles and Roxy Music respectively; along with the Velvets, arguably the most influential bands in rock history. Both Ferry and Reed dominated their bands as lead singer and primary songwriter, as well as ushering out their artier cohorts (Brian Eno and John Cale respectively) to shepherd their bands in a more accessible direction. McCartney was more of a team player in the Beatles, but he had a massive shadow to escape, due to the band's unparalleled popularity.

Where Ferry has largely chosen to blur the lines between his Roxy work and that of his solo career, both McCartney and Reed have attempted to carve their own paths by attempting to ignore their past. Reed has proved that while he is capable of accessible rock recordings, particularly the glam-era gem Transformer in '72 and the rueful Coney Island Baby in '76, he has largely followed his own muse, recording his brand of poetic yet uncompromising rock that has gradually become more subdued over the years. 

While the VU could rock with the best of them, particularly on their second album, 1968's White Light/White Heat, Reed's solo work, particularly on the controversial Metal Machine Music in '75, pointed towards a style of metal that would prove even heavier and sport more assaultive guitar riffs. Metallica may be one of the premier proponents of vintage heavy metal, but even the best metal lacks the subtlety of '70s forebears such as the VU, Led Zeppelin, and the Stooges. While Metallica may be one of the best American metal bands, it is Reed's work with American theater pioneer Robert Wilson that excites me more and which seems more in line with Reed's increasing literary reputation.

If Lulu proves a commercial success like Metallica's track record would indicate, then Reed will have succeeded in reaching a wider audience, always a plus. It also should put to rest any doubt that Reed can still rock out like a man half his 69 years. His recent work for the stage, including another Wilson collab titled POEtry, based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe, points towards the sort of artistic ambition that is sure to only burnish Reed's legacy even further. His work with Antony Hegarty also suggests a branching out that points to continued artistic growth. Whatever the future holds, Reed has proved that as an author, composer, and musician, his recorded career is unparalleled in its diversity and artistic ambition.