Metallica and Lou Reed Wanted to Make More Music Together
Metallica and Lou Reed’s infamous 2011 album Lulu was not well-received by fans or critics, but despite that, the iconic metal band and revered singer-songwriter still had a desire to make more music together.
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said in a new interview with NME, “Yeah. Listen, I would play with Lou anytime, anywhere and he knew that. He’d had this idea for a long time and when we played together at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame [in 2009], in his mind, he’d found the perfect band to get his vision out and we definitely talked about doing more stuff together. We just felt so connected and we stayed in touch way up ‘til his very early and untimely end. I would do anything for that man.”
Reed died in October 2013 following complications from liver disease.
Of course, as much as ‘Tallica and Reed enjoyed working with each other, their time together wasn’t without dustups. Ulrich recalled that at one point during the making of Lulu, Reed challenged him to a street fight.
“Lou was very passionate and such a big believer in what he was doing,” said Ulrich. “So many guys of that generation were royally f—ed over on every level possible by the music industry when they were younger. So they have a protective shield and when they get challenged, their first MO is to want to fight it out. This was an isolated incident.”
Ulrich continued, “We had an incredible summer together, I love Lou dearly and there’s nothing about any of it – of the process, the subsequent promotion or any of the playing we did together, that I would change a nanosecond of – even when we did challenge me to go for a throw-down in the parking lot! We come from such different ways of doing things because we [Metallica] like to mull things over and overthink and overanalyze them – and every decision he was making at the time was so impulsive and in the moment, which we admired, but at the same time, it was like: ‘Huh? What are you thinking?!’ Then he was like: ‘Let’s go outside and duke it out’ – which of course we never did!”
GALLERY: Metallica’s Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
