Metallica is teaming up with Lou Reed (Velvet Underground) to create a ten song album that has no title yet. I heard the news on this I think Wednesday or Thursday and I still don't know how this will sound or how I feel about it. I'll try to flesh out my feelings throughout this post.

David Fricke of Rolling Stone got to hear the album and said its "a raging union of [Reed's] 1973 noir classic, 'Berlin', and Metallicas '86 crusher, 'Master Of Puppets'." But he had to say that or else he wouldn't have been brought into the studio to listen to it. 

Lou Reed is an acquired taste and he's not for everyone. Not everyone can pick up a Velvet Underground album and instantly take to it's avant garde approach to music. Whether it be Reed's voice or the overly sexualized subject matter, or whatever, it isn't as engaging to the non-patient. I often find myself debating the greatness of Velvet with Philistines who don't "get Reed" and claim "he's a critical darling because he's a NY Jew from the 60s, 70s." No joke on the last quote, had a guy say that to me as an argument at why we still talk about Velvet and Lou even though they sold four copies. 

Lou being from NY and a Jew has nothing to do with that wicked guitar solo he laid down in Sweet Jane or the even that memorable riff. Bands go their entire career and never write a song like Sweet Jane. Plus me being a convicted sexual deviant for masturbating in the laundromat back in 86, I love the overly sexual lyrics. I could almost climax listening to a Velvet song, except now I need auto-erotic asphyxiation, a gaggle of midgets dressed like Rainbow Brite, and an octopus dildo to officially climax. Don't worry the arrest was expunged from my record when I turned 18....JUSTICE!

Where was I? Oh yea Lou and Metallica. Metallica has backed Lou before on Sweet Jane at the 25th Rock n Roll Hall of Fame show -video below. They go a great job on the song as the backing band and are a more competant backing band than Mr. Greengenes or some other shit cover band.

That's it, I just decided I am excited to hear this work. Certainly I am more excited about this Metallica album than I have been in a long time about a Metallica album.