Yes, the title of this topic is no joke. I’m 100% serious on it. Lou Reed & Metallica just uploaded the “Lulu” album in it’s entirety on their website, just the day after they uploaded 30 second clips of each song. Weird, right? Well I actually sat here and listened through the whole thing from start to finish.

After all these people slamming this album, calling it “shit”, saying this collaboration shouldn’t happen, and blah blah blah. I mean, really? Did they listen to the same record I did? Most people bashing this album, have no intelligent argument to back it up with. I’m sure most of them, just listened to it for a little bit, then they stop, go in facebook and bash it, just for something to bash at, and join the bandwagon with their followers.

The thing that people don’t understand about this album, “Lulu”, well, it’s a concept album, a rock musical opera. Kind of like what the Who did with “Tommy/Quadrophenia” and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”, like I explained before. It’s all experimental music. Ever listen to Iron Butterfly and ELO? Those two bands did the experimental thing back in their time too with their records.

The kids that bash this album are mostly Metallica fans, expecting this album “Lulu” to be a pop record. For example, people expect, “Lulu” to be full of hits and radio singles that Metallica is well known for. Well, if you’re expecting this record to be full of catchy songs, where you can sing along with and bang your head to, well you’re probably not gonna like this album. This album was never meant to be for pop radio singles that you were hoping for.

The thing about Lou Reed, that he is a bit older than most of us. So he doesn’t look at today’s music like we all do. He’s an old school kind of guy and I can kind of see that in this record. When I listened to this album, it is all Lou Reed. Everything. Metallica is just a backing band, that’s it. James Hetfield only provided backing vocals for the choruses and stuff.

Lou’s songwriting style in this record is kind of similar to his older stuff he did with the Velvet Underground and solo records. Yes, there’s a bit of similarities to “Walk on the Wildside” and “Sweet Jane” to some of the songs on the album, if you know what I mean by that. Lou just plays an organ throughout most of it. There are some songs where it’s just him and his organ alone with no band back up, then the band will kick in later.

Lou is the narrator, he’s doing the spoken word thing for a good reason. He talks over throughout most of the songs because he’s telling a story, about a woman named Lulu who had a troubled life. Mostly about hate, greed, suicide, and love. The lyrics are going to be very dark and controversial, but if they weren’t, then people wouldn’t even listen to these songs.

Some people like to pick which songs are the best and they pick out the best riffs from Metallica, but that’s not what this album was made for. This album is like a book or a movie. It wants you to know the story about Lulu. Just my 2cents, have you ever gone camping and you sit around a campfire with a group of family & friends, and you have a storyteller telling you campfire stories? Well, that’s kind of what’s going on here. Except it’s Lou Reed reading you a story.

There’s a lot of emotion and sadness in Lou Reed’s singing, especially in the song, “Junior Dad” which was the most powerful track on the whole record. The whole album is great but “Junior Dad”, really hit me hard, and a song never did that to me before. It maybe a long 20 minute song, but the song is very emotional. I can see why the song made Metallica cry in the studio after listening to it. It almost makes you feel sorry for Lulu even though she is just a fictional character. Of all the terrible things she went through. The songs on the album will describe the things she went through.

I think this was the best thing that Lou Reed & Metallica has ever done. So far, this is the best album of 2011. You get way too much crap mainstream music like all this pop & rap garbage you hear in the top 40 everyday, but finally real music is being made with Lou Reed & Metallica. It definitely felt like the 60’s  & 70’s all over again with this “Lulu”, album. This album was a true work of art. I’m definitely buying this album when it comes out.

This Lulu story by Frank Wedekind is something else, and people deserve to learn about it. Despite the negative feedback on this album, the story is already grabbing people’s attention whether they like it or not. Lou/’Tallica will probably go on tour for this record soon and I can definitely see Lou/’Tallica not playing their hits, and playing this “Lulu” album in it’s entirety on their tour. Seeing them playing these songs live would be an emotional experience.

To those that are giving this album negative feedback, give this album another listen and stick through the whole thing. Give it time, it’ll grow on you, and soon you’ll realize that this album is a masterpiece. I loved it. I really did.

Kev