John Elliott is not fond of Metallica and Lou Reed’s 2011 album ‘Lulu.’ He shared his thoughts on it in a March 2024 interview with The Rockpit.
When the interviewer asked him which album recording he would want to witness, the singer jokingly commented:
“The Metallica and Lou Reed album. I would tell them, very, very gently (in separate rooms) that it is okay if they just stopped the recording of the album and never picked it up again, Ha-ha.”
The Lou Reed-Metallica Collaboration
Metallica decided to work with Lou Reed on a record after they performed together at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary Concert. The project was inspired by Frank Wedekind’s ‘Lulu plays.’
The album mostly featured spoken words by Reed with Metallica handling the instrumental parts. The ‘Sweet Jane’ singer was also responsible for most of the lyrics.
Ulrich’s Response To The Album’s Critics
‘Lulu’ faced a lot of criticism from fans after release. Lars Ulrich responded to the feedback in a chat with USA Today:
“In 1984, when hard-core Metallica fans heard acoustic guitars on ‘Fade to Black,’ there was a nuclear meltdown in the heavy-metal community. There have been many more since then.”
He noted about the songs:
“This is something they’ve never heard. Nobody hears rhythms or delivers poetry the way Lou does. It’s not for everyone, but I think it’s a fantastic record.”
James Hetfield Said The Issue Was The ‘Fear’ of New
Reed revealed even receiving death threats from Metallica fans at the time. James Hetfield criticized the negative reactions in another 2011 interview:
“It’s not so much conservative either. It’s fearful. There are fearful people who are probably typing from their mom’s basement that they still live in. They’re afraid to move on or to experience life. They need that safety, and if something that they have embraced in their life that’s speaking for them changes, they don’t know what to do.”
He added:
“It can be a scary thing when your favorite artist of all time tries something new. But like Lars says, we’re artists and we have to spread our wings. How do you know you’re not supposed to go somewhere until you go there?”
You can check out ‘Lulu’ below.