Track by Track review of Lou Reed and Metallica's "Lulu"

Unless you have been living under a rock, you already know about the unlikely collaboration of Metallica and Lou Reed. One of the biggest metal bands in the world, teaming up with one of the biggest avent-garde artists in the world. The album is based on the plays "Earth Spirit" and "Pandora's Box" written in the early 1900's by German expressionist Frank Wedekind. The plays tell the story of a young and abused dancer and her relationships. It is a disturbing and fucked up story that's more interesting than it sounds. Pretty good material for a concept album if you ask me. A few weeks ago, we got a sneak peak at the albums first single "The View" which I wrote about here. If you were not a fan of that song and it didn't grow on you over time, you won't enjoy this album. It's a tough listen. Before we begin, here are a few tips that will help you enjoy the ride.

Listen with headphones on:

This isnt a typical Metallica album that you can jam to in your car. It's best to give "Lulu" a listen in isolation, away from distractions.

Do some quick research on the "Lulu" stories:

It really helps to know the source material that Lou Reed has based this album on. My first though was "A play about a dancer and her relationships? What a boring topic!" after reading up on the stories, I found them to be disturbing and a pretty good basis for a concept album. Death, sex, incest, and drugs litter the stories of Lulu. Even Jack the Ripper makes an appearance!

View the lyrics as you listen:

This is very important, Lou is telling a story in these songs. It will help you pay attention to his vocal delivery which is hard to digest at times. Metallica are just the backing band, playing the soundtrack. Lou is the actor in this musical.

If you prepare yourself for this odd piece of music, It is a bit easier to digest. Lou Reed has a really strange approach to his vocal duties. It is 99% spoken word mixed with some strange off key singing. James Hetfield has a few backing vocal parts in about four songs. Like i said, this isn't a typical Metallica album (or metal album!) so it is imperative that you understand this before listening. Lets begin!

Track by Track Review:

Brandenburg Gates:
The album starts off with some pretty acoustic strumming. You know it's gonna get weird when Lou starts off with his lyrics

I would cut my legs and tits off

When I think of Boris Karloff and Kinski
In the dark of the moon

It made me dream of Nosferatu
Trapped on the isle of Doctor Moreau
Oh wouldn’t it be lovely

I was thinking Peter Lorre
When things got pretty gory as I
Crossed to the Brandenburg Gate

I was feeling snappy perhaps I’d been napping
And I’d just ate
A following heart can tear you apart
On a midnight to 8 shift A graveyard romance can only give one chance
As the tombstones weave and breathe

The acoustic parts don't last long though as Metallica gets heavy for the rest of the song. It's upbeat and fairly simple. James Hetfield sings (rather oddly) the lyrics. "Small town girlllll!" over Lou Reeds half singing/half talking style of delivering lyrics. The mood of the song really paints the picture of Lulu being optimistic about her future (Yeah that wont last long!) It gets a bit repetitive, but it's one of the shortest songs on the album so it doesn't overstay it's welcome. I found this to be one of the weakest tracks on the album though.

The View:
Since ive had a few weeks to listen to this song and let it grow on me, I can appreciate the song a bit more. It starts off with a pretty simple Lars Ulrich drum beat, nothing special about it. Then it busts into a sabbathy drone riff while Lou recites his lyrics. He speaks from the perspective of Lulu

I have no morals
Some think me cheap
And someone who despises
The normalcy of heartbreak
The purity of love
But I worship the young
And just formed angel
Who sits upon the pin of lust
Everything else
Bores me

On this song his spoken word style of singing seems to work well. He describes Lulu as a manipulative whore, A woman who causes pain and misery to all of the people she falls in love with. James Hetfield has his largest singing part on this song. "I am the root! I am the progress! I'm the aggressor! I am the tablet!" he growls, and he sounds really good on this one compared to "Brandenburg Gates." The end of the song has a faster heavy riff with some Kirk Hammett guitar noise thrown in there. This is also another short song clocking in around 5 minutes. It also gets a bit repetitive with the same droning riff over and over. If you are listening while reading the lyrics it is less noticeable. I consider this track to be pretty average.

Pumping Blood:
This track starts off with some violins playing. Lars Ulrich's bass drum starts pulsating like a heartbeat. The guitars enter and it sounds a bit like the middle part of Metallica's "Judas Kiss." Lou Reed starts chanting in a monotone voice "Pumping blood! Pumping blood!" This intro goes on for another minute or so and Kirk starts to make some guitar noise (like the intro to Metallica's King Nothing) Then everything goes quiet and Lou starts reciting more lyrics.

Off the pump
Off the thing
The blood that I’m pumping away

If I pump blood in the sunshine
And you wear a leather box with azaleas
And I pump more blood
And it seeps through my skin
Will you adore the river
The stream, the trickle
The tributary of my heart

Rob Trujillo plays some pretty things on his bass and Lars starts to play some drum fills into a pretty heavy riff that would be right at home on a Megadeth album. This is a good time to point out that the drumming sounds 10 times better than "Death Magnetic" Lars usually gets a lot of negativity thrown at him for not being a very creative drummer. On this song, his playing is a lot more interesting than it has been in years. The production of his drums is great as well. Near the end of the song, things start getting chaotic. From what i understand Lou is singing from the perspective of Lulu as she is being murdered by her newest "client" Jack the Ripper. the song starts to speed up as Lou yells "Jack!, Jack!, Jack! I beseech ya!. This goes into an awesome fast thrash riff from Metallica. I hope they have songs of this style on their next album. When the song ends it goes back into the intro riff, then and fades seamlessly into the next song.

Mistress Dread:

The song starts with the aftermath of "Pumping Blood". After a few seconds it blasts into the fastest playing Metallica has played since "Dyers Eve" on the album "And Justice For All.." it proves that Metallica can still play fast with the rest of their metal peers. The riff sounds a bit like "Disposable Heroes" and it sounds great. Lou comes in and recites these lyrics:

I'm built like you are

I have a dress and a train

Your snake cold lips

Make a harsh straight line

That echoes through my brain

You're perfect

Let me lift a glass high
Let me follow in your footsteps
Let me follow in your sigh
Let me follow in your sigh

I’m a woman who likes men
But this is something else
I’ve never felt such stirrings
I feel like I
Was someone else

I wish you’d tie me up and beat me
Crush me like a kick
A bleeding strap across my back
Some blood that you could kiss

The rest of the song is pretty much the exact same riff with Lou delivering his lyrics (that deal with s&m) in the same monotone voice which gets old really fast. There are a few subtle lead notes thrown in to break up the repetitiveness but to me it's not enough. The song is about seven and a half minutes long. To me this is a track that is really lacking. It would be better if there were more riffs and Lou had delivered the lyrics in a more interesting way.

Iced Honey:

"One, two, three, and..." Lou counts into "Iced Honey," The albums most straight forward rock song.

You can’t put a butterfly in a jar

If the effort’s too high no matter who you are
You can’t catch the moon, or the sun or the stars
It doesn’t matter who you are
Iced honeyNow me I’ve tried a million tricks
To make life cold and make it stick
Not running heat that flames then out
But the proud piece of ice that always floats
Iced honey

His voice fits here better than any of the other tracks. It sounds a lot like the version of "Sweet Jane" they performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concerts. James Hetfield sings a bit on here as well. It's an upbeat song and fairly short. They could have used this as the first single instead of "The View" and people probably would have accepted it with less negativity. There is not much else to say. "Iced Honey" is a pretty average song

Cheat on Me:
Here we go into the more experimental second half of the album. It starts with some electronic stuff going on in the background. It's a pretty long intro. Lou starts to sing and he sounds a little bit like Johnny Cash. He plays the continuum on this song and it sounds really cool, Rob Trujillo starts playing followed by Lars and James. Lou sings "Why do I cheat on me?" James also sings this line which sounds out of key and weird.. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of Lulu

I’m only young onceI want to taste it all and have fun
I have no real feelings in my soul
Where most have passion I got a hole
I really got nobody elseI want lovers like the rain
So many of them, so much the same
You say you love me, I know it’s true
But I, I, I don’t love you

Lars has some pretty cool drum fills on this compared with the raping of the snare drum that he usually does. This song is one of the better tracks on the album and shows that Lou and Metallica can mesh well together. It's a bit too long for me though (11 minutes!) They probably could have done without the 3-4 minutes of electronic intro.

Frustration:
This one starts with a menacing electronic intro. Metallica slams into awesome riff and Lou starts singing:

Frustration

In my lexicon of hate
I see you with your portraiture
Does he love you?
Does he love you too?The brush strokes
Kiss your breasts and toes
I cry icicles in my stein
The heartbeats flutter
With an abnormal rhythm

I imagine this song is sung from the point of view of Dr. Goll, the medic who Lulu is married to. In the play "Earth Spirit" He takes her to get her portrait painted by Schwarz. Lulu eventually seduces him and Dr. Goll confronts them, has a heart attack, and dies. Lou is apparently singing from Dr. Goll's perspective as he is dying from a heart attack. One of my favorite parts of this song is when Metallica cuts out early into a fake ending. Lou starts a vocal part and Lars plays an avent-garde drum solo over the top of his lyrics. Lars is still not as good as his peers in Megadeth, Slayer, or Anthrax but he is doing his best on this album. Lou really goes all out on this song "I WANT YOU AS MY WIFE!" he cries out, and he sounds as if he is really crying. It is very creepy and adds to the mood of the song. This is one of the best tracks on the album. It's still kind of long (8 minutes) but there is enough going on to keep it from getting repetitive. Mark this track a success.

Little Dog:

Three more tracks left and so far the album is a mixed bag. "Little Dog" is an acoustic song with some electronics in the background. Lars only appears playing a few subtle things on his drum set. The guitar sounds very pretty and Lou Reed starts singing like Johnny Cash (and it sounds good)

Little dog who can’t get in

Moaning at the bed side
Moaning from each limbLittle dog who can’t get in
Can only cry but
Can not swimPony legs, little trot
Little dog has to wait a lotThe bigger dog has got his spot
And elbowed him awayListen to him barking
Listen to him call
Little dog don’t have much at allA puny body and a tiny dick
A little dog can make you sickIf you got the money you can go to the top
The female dog don’t care what you got
As long as you can raise that
Little doggie face to a cold hearted pussy
You could have a tasteA taste of what the big dog got
A taste of what the big dog got
The little dog with the one hundred dollar spot
Can run his tongue over the hot in trot
Hot in trot
Run his tongue over the hot in trot

Lou is not holding back with his perverted metaphors here, He sounds very creepy singing about Lulu's prostitution. Unfortunately, this song runs 8 minutes long so it gets a bit boring musically. I can see this being on a movie soundtrack sometime in the future though.

Dragon:

The usual electronic intro starts this track off. Then Lou starts with his opening monologue. This song is over 11 minutes long and there are plenty of lyrics to follow as you listen. The lyrical theme is similar to "The View" but sung from a different perspective as the character scolds Lulu for her whorish ways of life.

You don’t actually care
Love for you is no beginning
You’re not really there
Hallucination
I thought you were listening
Hallucination
I thought you were listening
HallucinationI understand you think you’re above it
The adolescent sense of the sky
The feeling of billowing heartbeats
The fingertips run through your hairThey run through your hair
Hallucination
HallucinationOh you think you’re so special
That there’s no law meant for you
You come and go like the goddess you are
We’re mere mortals below
Fingertips run through your hair
We are mere mortals below

Metallica starts a few minutes into the song and the riff they play is one of my favorites on the album. It reminds me a little bit of "Ricochet" by Faith no More. If they can take the dark mood and feeling of this album and put it on the next real Metallica album, I will be happy. This album is filled with awesome and diverse riffs. the main problem with this song is it get repetitive. 11 minutes of an awesome riff can't save it from getting boring. If you are paying attention to the lyrics you probably won't notice that problem. This is lyrically my favorite on the album. It's perverted and Lou's delivery is very aggressive (Not in the James Hetfield way though). Despite the length and repetitiveness, I consider this song a success because the lyrics are the focus of this song.

Junior Dad:
The final track of "Lulu" is the one I was looking forward to hearing the most. Stories were circulating the internet about how this song brought the mighty James Hetfield to tears along with Kirk Hammett (Who both have lost their fathers fairly recently). Another reason i wanted to hear this, is because the running time for this track is almost 20 minutes long. This is the longest track Metallica has ever played on. Unfortunately the last 8-9 minutes is just ambient string music so I feel kind of cheated. This is a very emotional sounding song. The riffs sound a lot like "Unforgiven III." I can see why it brought James and Kirk to tears. Im having trouble figuring out what the lyrics mean to this one.

Would you come to me
If I was half drowning
An arm above the last waveWould you come to me
Would you pull me up
Would the effort really hurt you
Is it unfair to ask you
To help pull me upThe window broke the silence of the matches
The smoke effortlessly floatingPull me up
Would you be my lord and savior
Pull me up by my hair
Now would you kiss me, on my lipsBurning fever burning on my forehead
The brain that once was listening now
Shoots out its tiresome messageWon’t you pull me up
Scalding, my dead father
Has the motor and he’s driving towards
An island of lost souls

I think it may be sung from the point of view of Alwa, Lulu's current husband, The son of Dr. Schion (Lulu's former husband whom she shot and killed) mainly because the lyrics speak about his dead father. It might also be sung from the perspective of Lulu speaking about her father/ sex partner (Yeah it's a fucked up story) who raised her on the streets.

Sunny, a monkey then to monkey
I will teach you meanness, fear and blindness
No social redeeming kindness
Or – oh, state of graceWould you pull me up
Would you drop the mental bullet
Would you pull me by the arm up
Would you still kiss my lips
Hiccup, the dream is over
Get the coffee, turn the lights on
Say hello to junior dad
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
Psychic savageryThe greatest disappointment
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad

Although i couldn't quite figure out the meaning of this track lyrically I enjoyed the beautiful guitars and strings that play under it. The last 8 or so minutes of ambient strings is unnecessary but it sets the mood well and ends the album on a somber note. Lou sounds good on this track too, his voice very calm and never clashing with the music. It is a track that an average music listener could appreciate. This is one of the best tracks of the album.

The Final Verdict:

The first half of the album is hit or miss. "Brandenburg Gates" is kind of a weak opener and the thought of James Hetfield singing the words 'Small town girllll!!!" will surly scare off the common stereotypical metalhead. While the songs are not perfect, "Pumping Blood," "Iced Honey," and "Cheat on Me" are the highlight of disc one.The second disk is heavy on length and experimental songs but they mesh well with Lou Reed's odd vocal delivery. "Lulu" is a deep album that deserves more than one listen. It also requires all of your attention which can be hard on the first few listens because of Lou Reed. The story he tells is sick, twisted, and depressing, and the lyrics are really the part that deserves most attention.

Every metal critic seems to be focusing on what it sounds like to an everyday metalhead who would want to listen to this in their car. It's not going to appeal to them. This is a concept album that will appeal mainly to Lou Reed fans. Sometimes Lou/Metallica doesn't work, (Mistress Dread) but other times it works well (Junior Dad). I'm taking some points off here because it gets very repetitive and long sometimes. I also have to take points off for the lack of real "solos" from Kirk Hammett. His role seems to be just playing guitar noise solos like Tom Morello in Rage Against the Machine. If anything I have taken interest in more of Lou Reed's work and the Lulu plays. Also i have high hopes for the next Metallica album (Which is currently being written as you read this). I'm going to have to rate this and it was hard, At first i wanted to give it a low score., 3 out of 10 just because I absolutely did not like what i was hearing out of Lou Reed. after I really sat down and payed attention to the lyrics and read the basic plot of Lulu, I started to change my view.

It's still not perfect but im going to give this album 7/10

Don't agree? Discuss it in the comments.