Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed - Worst Album Ever Made?

[@WilliamMaranciMashups]

HELLO EVERYONE, MY SON IS INSANE!

[@SuperSpeedRaven1]

Crazy how the goat commented on this video

[@Z-eb]

Lou fans : WTF is Lou doing with these losers, Its just noise / Metallica fans : WTF is Metallica doing with this old geezer, he just rambles on and on and on..........

[@HiddenHandMedia]

*losers

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

It's a great album and I'm better than you.. Eat me.

[@Jason-lx3zu]

This might be the most fair and thoughtful review of a critically panned album I've seen. Great job!

[@chasedwards9626]

I tried to find the emoji for people fisting each other but I gave up

[@Tomversal]

Unrelated to this, but I managed to find a copy of We Buy A Hammer For Daddy at my local record store, the owner had never heard of it! Thanks for introducing me to such a strange but cool record! :)

[@daccrowell4776]

Lemon Kittens FTW! Also, check Danielle Dax's incredible cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows"...very different but very satisfying!

[@DJBUndathereOfficial]

Do you have any idea how lucky you are? I’ve been looking for it for years and still haven’t found it in the wild.

[@daccrowell4776]

@@DJBUndathereOfficial Feel ya...my copy was bought brand new at the SF Rough Trade shop. There's a ton of material like this, that sort of vanished when United Dairies and later World Serpent both succumbed to industry issues in the 1990s/early 2000s. These days, getting the NWW and their various Happytime Music Pals' albums as CD reissues is somewhat easier, but there's other stuff that was on UD that you utterly CANNOT find. "We buy a hammer" is difficult but possible when compared to David Jackman's projects or...one I pray for every night..."Bringing Up Baby" by Musique Concrete. That thing is like experiencing music heard while slipping in and out of a drug-induced coma! You should be able to find the ain't-never-gonna-be-a-hit-single "Wreath Pose at Sacrifice" online...and no, your soundcard isn't fried, it's supposed to sound like that! 🥴

[@Tomversal]

​@@DJBUndathereOfficial Yeah I am very lucky! They also have This Heat by Deceit and I really wanna get that too but it's too expensive for me - hopefully you find a Lemon Kittens record!

[@Tomversal]

​@@daccrowell4776 I will check that out! I haven't heard any other things by the band/members, I only got into We Buy A Hammer because of this series, it's such an interesting album I'm in the UK so maybe that's why it wasn't hard to find it, but I think realistically I just got lucky because I've never seen another copy of it!

[@kentvikman1086]

David Bowie made it sparkling crystal clear upon Lulus release that Lous music were to be fully understood 25 years post-release.

[@swimsvg1855]

Hes probably right

[@chasedwards9626]

Lucky for him he’s dead and doesn’t have to back up that statement

[@erikdaniels0n]

Welp, see you in 12 years

[@jonny_panic]

I design tables, so I kind of get what he's saying.

[@dmplacencia]

Could you perhaps be the table?

[@jooree7696]

To be fair, this isn't the weirdest collab album i've heard considering that Weird Al and Wendy Carlos made a parody of Peter And The Wolf together. But yeah this is a close second place for "Most WTF Mainstream Collab Album"

[@medes5597]

That album is strange because it's not exactly a parody. It's like halfway between a parody and a new recording of Peter and the Wolf. As if Wendy got half way and decided to start messing around and somehow Weird Al got involved.

[@jimmypadilla3441]

What the hell I gotta listen to this

[@SlyHikari03]

Of course those two would work together.

[@canadianstudmuffin]

I am a huge Lou Reed fan and although I am not a fan of Metallica's music, I respect them. Since I own all of Lou Reed's albums I had to buy this one. It was better than I expected it to be, although I've only listened to it twice. It certainly isn't horrible.

[@LoftyAnimationz2000]

Yes, Cactus Malpractice is back with another banger of an episode of one of my favourite series’s. Also, I really hope the wheel of lame recommends you to cover any of Merzbow’s albums, since I can’t stand any of Merzbow’s albums

[@mezykin]

But whole point of Merzbow is cacophonous noise

[@p1nh3dlarry72]

Merzbow is rad

[@swimsvg1855]

Merzbow is one of those artists who you either love to death or are actively dying listening to it lmao. Its a specific taste that most people cant really understand, like black licorice or strong mustard.

[@fuccboiz1568]

Even “Merzbeat”? Cause that album absolutely BANGS!

[@pissbone]

I guess Pulse Demon would at least be a fun torture group listening. Reviewing most Harsh Noise in this format is kinda pointless. No really much to comment on, its just textures. It is what it is and will never be a " thing " in its purest form (like what Merzbow does usually) outside the niche group of people that " get it ".

[@jamespierce9779]

I just discovered your channel by the algorithm dropping this into my feed. I have gone back and watched a bunch of your back catalog. I hope folks like me can help the channel grow. Your videos are entertaining and informative.

[@ddduv]

How coincidential, just yesterday I gave Lulu a full listen and I really love it! Great to see someone actually reviewing it and making sense of it. Really good video man!

[@thedivinemrm5832]

The music-loving world really just wanted Hetfield and Lou to release an album of covers by 60s70s Scottish chanteuse Lulu. Reed snarling through "To Sir, With Love" and Metallica ripping "Shout" and "The Boat That I Row"? An absolute thrash of the Bond theme "The Man With the Golden Gun"?? C'mon, I'd buy that sh1t all day long!

[@davidbarton1928]

Weeelllll.... You make me wanna shout... THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA AT ALL.

[@mezykin]

13:16 every single time a wrestler falls on a table _and it doesn't break in half._ Thank you Maffew from Botchamania.

[@StonyBlazestation]

13:50 I've heard that "the table" lyric was actually supposed to be "the tablet" and James read it wrong. I don't know how much better that makes it, but I never understood anything about this album. After one full listen I never revisited it.

[@GasmaskAvenger]

he does say "I am the tablet" in the song, so this theory is a bit YMMV.

[@AO-oi5vc]

​@@GasmaskAvenger A little bit YHWH, you mean?

[@Waluigifan95]

My main gripe with this album without question is the the album length, especially in the back half. If they stuck to the same song length that they gave to The View, or Pumpin' Blood I wouldn't have minded it as much, but even with the context of the play in hand songs 6 through 10 were a chore to sit through. The biggest examples in my opinion are Cheat On Me where they dedicate 4 minutes to repeating the song title over the same slow riff, and Junior Dad where ten literal minutes of the same chord progression plays on loop. I'm not saying that 8 minute, 10 minute, hell even 20 minute songs don't work. American Pie, Roundabout, Jesus of Suburbia, and 2112 are all masterpieces. Hell, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida does even less lyrically, and the instrumental break more than makes up for the slack! If you're going to make a song that long you need to make it interesting past minute 3, otherwise all you've done is made a musical endurance test.

[@emperorofrome692]

Albums being too long has been an issue with Metallica for decades.

[@matthewdean2669]

completely agree - i really enjoy the first half and Junior Dad is great but the rest of second half is a real dirge

[@chasedwards9626]

Stopped reading this manifesto after the word “gripe”. Paragraphs sir, paragraphs!

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

It's repetitive in a Melvins or Swans type way. It's over your head just like all the other idiots here.

[@Waluigifan95]

@@deathmetaldouglas69 Very delicately spoken...

[@jonnw]

I'd like to nominate Dark Side of the Moon Redux by Roger Waters as a worst album!!

[@hichaelhyers]

Seconded

[@medes5597]

I don't think redux is bad enough for this show. It's just kind of there. It's not a disaster. It didn't get excoriated by critics. It didn't sell badly. It basically just got "these songs are good, this isn't as good as the original, but it's fine" as a reaction. Honestly it's just not interesting enough.

[@hichaelhyers]

@@medes5597 The slow, dragging nature of every song as well as the abundance of spoken word passages, plus kinda being offensive towards the collective process that gave birth to the source material makes this one pretty surreal IMO. But I can also see your point, I can still listen to this and it's not that bad as there just are nice melodies and sounds (along with, of course, the unbeatable compositions of the original).

[@Agrimorfee]

I am the biggest Floyd fan and Waters apologist, but this thing...I have not been able to finish the two tracks he previewed, so dreary-so devoid of enjoyment.

[@pauli2169]

Not just worst but the most booooooring.

[@GortholMormegil]

Always loved this album to death. I've consumed the cd when it came out, for me it's to Lou Reed what "Blackstar" is for David Bowie, the final concept opus. The lyrics are insane and the music is the most original thing Metallica have done since some of the also super-underrated pieces from the mid-90's like "Bleeding Me", "Fixxxer", "Outlaw Torn". "Cheat on me" is really a masterpiece imo.

[@ClaydenLee]

Extremely confusing first listen for me. Wincing, expecting the worst: instead I heard a great record. They sound like enraged old men having fun in a garage, what's not to like?

[@thefitnerd5116]

This is a really well done channel, and it is surprising that i only just recently stumbled on it, and he doesn't have more subscribers. Highly underrated, and i have been marathoning his stuff this week.

[@Matt_Presents]

I remember being so disappointed by this album. As a fan of Lou Reed and Metallica, I was excited to hear them collaborate. And as soon as Lou Reed started singing I realized I had made a mistake and that these two do not work well together at all. Still not the biggest disappointment in Metallica's catalog.

[@MegaMetallicaMASTER]

I’m curious.. what IS your biggest disappointment ?

[@Matt_Presents]

@MegaMetallicaMASTER Probably St. Anger. I know it's the whipping boy of Metallica's catalog, but there's a good reason for that.

[@YouStinkFather]

It’s NOT a Metallica album. It’s a Lou Reed album FEATURING Metallica.

[@DarkDissent]

@@YouStinkFathersorry to break it to you, but it’s a collaboration album, meaning it is on metallicas discography.

[@Soundwave32791]

@@YouStinkFather That is literally what it should have been marketed as.

[@__JiG__SaW__]

Thank you for finally doing this album justice. Knowing the backstory makes this album make so much more sense and sound more like some twisted rock opera or musical than a traditional Metallica album, and as always, you've done a great job guiding us through the story. The unfortunate thing about Lulu is that the fans simply weren't ready for such a thing, they didn't understand it, and most importantly, it wasn't what they were expecting, so that's where this completely undeserved hate started.

[@jollygrapefruit786]

Say what you will about it being avant-garde or whatever, but it just doesn't sound good. The Wall was avant-garde AND sounded good, as well as Primus as a band, tons of Bjork, and so on, so it's not really an excuse.

[@Speedojesus]

"The unfortunate thing about Lulu is that the fans simply weren't ready for such a thing, they didn't understand it, and most importantly, it wasn't what they were expecting, so that's where this completely undeserved hate started." I was gonna type up something regarding a project's intent, and how it intersects with its reception and such. But I just wanna say that this is one of the most head-up-ass comments I've read in a long time. "No bro, don't mind the fact that it sounds like garbage and Lou Reed's voice is failing in tone, pitch, and delivery, as well as the instrumentation sounding like what you'd play whilst dialing an amp or after tuning to pitch - you just don't understand it. Your mind, incapable. Your expectations, unreal." Mind you, I can appreciate the story and context, as well as some of what the album does, and doesn't pull off especially as a Metallica enjoyer and someone with an open palate. I just think you sound like a twat.

[@jeffulilweeb]

​@@jollygrapefruit786the wall is not avant-garde lmao

[@Deadguy2322forreal]

@hopeeternal7470 Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 is not at all representative of the rest of The Wall, and most of the rest of that album is much more challenging and uncommercial.

[@pissbone]

@@jollygrapefruit786 There's degrees to " avant-garde " and I'll tell you, The Wall is like cotton soft avant-garde. It is a little out there with how the narrative of the concept is told and contextually, yes it was quite quirky coming from a band like Pink Floyd. But musically it never breaks any real boundaries (outside of being like the first album with binaural audio and doing the loop thing I guess), it plays around existing styles to help paint the emotions of the story. But never really thought it was super experimental and challenging. Same with Bjork. Much more experimental in comparison to The Wall but still is just pop with a twist. Same with Primus, Funk Metal but they liked The Residents (and for that they are the weirdest of the three). They are weird and by mainstream standards are completely bananas but in contrast with the whole scene of Avant Garde, they are just a filtered, squeaky-clean, kids meal version of it (which isn't a bad thing, but it is like that). Avant-garde musicians aren't there to give you an obligatory enjoyable listen, is not about that. The only rule is that there are no rules. You can criticize experimentation for not being legit and a lame attempt at it, but not because it wasn't digestible. And just for the record: I love The Wall, Bjork and Primus a lot but I've been listening to really weird stuff for a while and thats how I see it. You can open your ears or not, but Avant-garde was never about being pleasant.

[@ThierryRocksTV]

Wowwww you actually got round to this album! Perfect candidate for the channel and a much better choice than St Anger which has been done to death at this point.

[@mimkyodar]

I've not listened to all of Lulu, but based on what Garrett shows here, yeah, much worse than St. Anger.

[@ORLY911]

st anger is a mess but its by no means unlistenable and it does have a few good songs on it, at least. I would just rate it as mid

[@ThierryRocksTV]

@@ORLY911 The trash can snare and song lengths are the main issues, but thankfully there were no 19 minute long songs. I love how psychotic St Anger gets and there are some amazing riffs!

[@josepha3805]

Metallica broke up in 1991

[@ThierryRocksTV]

@@josepha3805 Me and ur mom broke up in 1991

[@TheMerseySound1]

Lulu was always really a Lou Reed album with Metallica providing the accompaniment, and should have been marketed as such David Bowie said it was Lou’s greatest work and his masterpiece. “Just wait, it will be like [Reed’s 1973 album] Berlin. It will take everyone a while to catch up.’”

[@mikeanderson3773]

It's been over 12 years and it still pretty much sucks.

[@HiddenHandMedia]

Out of the 30 or so David Bowie albums how many were good?

[@richardsonfamily7594]

All except Never Let Me Down and the Labyrinth soundtrack

[@ConvincingPeople]

⁠@@richardsonfamily7594The Labyrinth soundtrack has nostalgia value and a few bops, and even Never Let Me Down has some decent writing and musicianship in places despite the impossibly dated production. I've admittedly not heard Hours and a lot of people say that one's a snore but I think even that one has its defenders.

[@mattlane9241]

David Bowie was wrong

[@kronictonic]

i love this channel and this series. i literally get excited when i see a new episode pop up on my feed.

[@KamikazeGames]

Bro how do you not have more subs you deserve the world

[@Technocolor00]

I remember by mom, a huge Metalica fan, getting this album day one popping it in the car for us to listen to and just sorrowfully taking it out after a couple songs asking what the hell that was

[@bassvibasics479]

Bless you, my child- I've been waiting for your take on this. I listened to this album precisely once. I haven't ever been the biggest Lou Reed fan, but the collaboration seemed intriguing. I hoped for an interpretation of the early 20th century opera by Alban Berg, but I got a rich man's vanity project instead. The Pitchfork review was all about who recorded the album. It was a backlash reaction, and nothing else.

[@jackdearman5880]

The great version of this album is the Scott Walker and Sunn O))) album Soused.

[@Kurbisa]

I remember of a pre-Lulu live version of Brandenburg Gate by Lou. Had it been his solo record, I think it would've performed and sounded better. The Raven is underrated and this is the direction he was taking in his final years. One of the most innovative authors of the last 60 years, without a shadow of a doubt. Have a good one, guys, and thanks for the review.

[@kemosabe98]

Just discovered your channel, your videos are amazing, you deserve to blow up

[@p1nh3dlarry72]

I really like this album. I’m already a pretty big fan of both Metallica and Lou Reed (more so Reed), and their combination made something bizarre but endearing to me. It’s a mix of two things that shouldn’t go together but end up going surprisingly well precisely because it’s a combo that shouldn’t work at all. It’s neat to go back to and don’t know very many albums or songs in general that sound like it.

[@josepha3805]

Metallica has not been a band since 1991.

[@ClaydenLee]

Occasionally they sound like Godspeed lol

[@fclefjefff4041]

@@josepha3805Comments like this are so juvenile I’m actually embarrassed for you 😄

[@josepha3805]

@@fclefjefff4041 Sorry, I meant 1994. That was a good tour.

[@partyhouseroad]

WOO GOO!! THE CACTUS MAN HAS GIFTED US WITH A NEW VIDEO! HUZAH!!! WEE HOOO!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@rockguitarfun]

When you're staying up all night drinking alone Junior Dad is too short. I play it at least twice in a row.

[@CrowleyEstMortus]

I like this video, you put a lot of work into it. I love the videos you've done and I've seen them all. I'm sure you get a ton of recommendations but could you consider a review of Caroliner Rainbow Open Wound Chorale's Rise Of The Common Woodpile? It would be cool if you did.

[@BobLee-df4zh]

The fact that you actually researched the source material shows you did more than 99% of the "critics" did. Not to mention the crowd just piling on that have never even listened to it.

[@Rr0gu3_5uture]

I think if you had the multi-tracks to Lulu, you could knock together a pretty cool, sorta dub remix of sorts. I'd artificial double track and compress Reeds shaky spoken word stuff, dial back some of Hetfields "Ooo Yeahs!" maybe shroud a bunch of the music under reverb and tape delay, then augment and link together a bunch of the stuff with glitchy gates, weird analog synth/drum replacement sounds, fx/ samples, feedback and maybe add a bit of John Zorn style saxophone. If you did that, you could potentially have a really great album. Sadly, they didn't make the album mental sounding enough. It basically sounds like a ham-fisted Metallica garage demo with some grandpa mumbling over the top.

[@joeanthony7759]

Want to produce my album? 😹

[@jameswarhol442]

Interesting take about the additional sound effects and definitely John Zorn, or possibly Ulrich Kreiger, would have made for a more sonically strong album. However I don't hear "mumbling." The vocals are pretty clear and clean throughout. Lou is obviously not a classic rock singer but I've always loved his conversational tone and the way he uses his voice as an instrument. I find his vocals very expressive and impactful throughout, but get that "the old man voice" is not something one hears on a typical rock record.

[@moresnqp]

wow this sounds great lol ill have to put this in the box of stuff i should make...

[@EricStanway-ky9ys]

I had this on steady rotation in my car for two months. It's great, but I'm a massive Lou Reed fan. I do agree that Pumping Blood should have been further along, however. And Junior Dad actually becomes Lou's own eulogy. It's absolutely brilliant.

[@SuperSpeedRaven1]

I have loved Lulu forever and I'm incredibly glad that what I consider the magnum opus of both Lou and Metallica is finally given a due thorough examination. Incredible video

[@br_916]

HI RAVEN

[@SuperSpeedRaven1]

@@br_916 HI BRADEN

[@ssoundfan]

These videos are so, so good. You are criminally underrated

[@alexbird2670]

A point I never see anyone make is that “Lulu” isn’t *just* a reference to the play it was also supposedly Andy Warhol’s nickname for Lou. There’s a big autobiographical component to the lyrics especially in the second half

[@clivemaybe]

This channel is insanely underrated, keep doing what youre doing man, great vid

[@kayfimt7769]

Love you Garret, never stop never stopping. I have reviewed this album myself and it’s pretty bad EXCEPT I quite like the final song Junior Dad. Getting there is hard though. Got my fingers crossed for Frank Zappa’s Thing Fish soon.

[@Agrimorfee]

Thanks once again for a enlightening and entertaining review. I gave this a listen a few years ago, and while not enamored with it, I didn't think it was the worst thing ever. The background about the Lulu plot explained so much.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

I actually really like the song The View. David Bowie told Lou Reed's widow that he thought that Lulu was one of the best things that Lou ever did and that it'd take a long time for people to realize it.

[@swimsvg1855]

I actually think david is right

[@jackal59]

It's really strange to see Laurie Anderson referred to as "Lou Reed's widow."

[@JadeCryptOfWonders]

Cactus Malpractice always engages with the albums in good faith and on their own terms. This is also the only Metallica album I own on CD because I was waiting for the remasters to invest in until I bought Master of Puppets which always sounded quiet on the mp3s I downloaded.

[@noahabatten]

I couldn't agree more with your points in this video, been desperately trying to get people to give this album a chance for years. If I can add a recommendation to the pile, I'd really love it if you could review Pop Tatari by Boredoms for Worst Album Ever Made. Especially the original Japanese Version, which is the definitive version as far as I'm concerned. I think you'd have a fun time with it, and have lots to say. These guys were friends with Nirvana, Ween, and Sonic Youth, and make really out there stuff that could use some more attention.

[@moresnqp]

idk why this is in my reccomended but im glad it did! probably from watching more traditional music reviews have you gotten many Quentin Reviews comparissons? like even speaking patterns are similar, its uncanny lol

[@Dhakadice]

Well, I can still listen to "Results May Vary". Fred Durst WAS a jack-ass, but at least he wasn't a table.

[@weirdalofficialvevo]

great review as always, really served that album justice you did

[@ThePortalGeek1337]

Been on a velvet underground binge. Needed this to neutralize myself

[@AO-oi5vc]

Doesn’t "I am the table" make sense, though? The reference isn't to a table as a piece of furniture, but to a list or tablature - as in the table of the laws. "I am the ten stories," like the commandments on the stone tablets? "I am the table," as in "I am the Law"? Maybe?

[@DrStuff142]

absolutely what it means, yes.

[@ConcreteJungleSickness]

I’d say that one of the most interesting albums that you could review for this channel that has the same emotional impact as Lulu, is Oar by Skip Spence. Lowest selling album on a major label.

[@anarchywon4170]

In response to your thoughts on 'junior dad'. I agree fully with the idea of a man struggling with getting older and having to depend on others to do everything for him and how that affects his view of himself. My grandfather always said: "Once a man, twice a child"

[@Agrimorfee]

No doubt in my mind it's Lou's fear of his mortality. A lot of that is explored in his "The Raven" which imho is a masterpiece of music and audio theater.

[@ProStriker92]

The world was not ready for James TableField & MeTABLEca feat. Lou Reed. Personally at the time i didn't have any idea about Reed music, so it was understandable why i was shocked and confused with this album. Fortunately, many people (include myself) became aware about Lou Reed because this album and most importantly: both him and Metallica had a good time making this record. Off topic: nice Garfield plushie.

[@YungSkeeto]

Hey, wanted to say I liked the video and appreciate your perspective on this particularly divisive album, and will probably check out other vids of yours, but I wanted to say the camera auto focus zooming in and out throughout the video is really distracting kept taking my focus away from you talking. Hope you keep at it and hone your craft!

[@uforad170]

I always felt like people were down on this album because it's weird and offputting. Genuinely I think it's greatest crime is just being really boring. Everything goes on too long, and I guess knowing the backstory makes it a lot more interesting in theory but still a huge slog in practice, at least for me.

[@renatocfrancisco]

Thank you, Mr Cactus for the context. I had no idea. Great video.

[@lanceuppercut8220]

They were originally going to call it ReedReed but, settled on Lulu.

I love this album, it's not perfect, but I do encourage people give it a fair shot. It does showcase the best of both worlds, with a bit of fat of course, but it's a really ambitious piece of work, ultimately.

[@mattlane9241]

Calling this album 'best of both worlds' is insulting to both Master of Puppets and The Velvet Underground

@@mattlane9241 think you take that phrase a bit too literally, but that's on you

[@chiaramuller-kallweit9590]

This album sounds as if your weird uncle insisted on singing self-written lyrics over some pretty nice Metallica songs on Karaoke Night.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 That is 100% spot on. I think I wet myself laughing

[@AriannaCunningham]

Hey, a new request for your Worst Album Ever Made Series: I understand you already reviewed the Portsmouth Sinfonia Plays the Popular Classics album, though I'm wondering if you could also review one of their other 2 albums. Either "Hallelujah", where they had a live performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Or their non-classical/Rock Album called "20 Classic Rock Classics" where they do covers of Rock Music that was around at the time within the 70s.

[@RobbieLugos]

My hero is back!!!

[@BloodPump]

I always kinda thought lulus hate was overexaggurated tbh. Its a failed experiment for sure, but I still consider it quite better than st anger

[@eyeguyslyguy]

Moust underrated youtuber

[@KaSwipeSter]

Another album that I see get this treatment is Sonic Youth's NYC Ghosts and Flowers. It got a 0/10 on pitchfork. I absolutely love that album and think it's amazing myself.

[@archiverMoth]

I like your thoughts on the themes of the songs. What do you think was the reason for including the ambient music for the final 10 minutes? It does somewhat resemble Lou's Hudson River Meditations album which he made as music for focus and healing to go with his Tai Chi practice or anyone's meditation practice. It could be sort of respite and return from the intensity of the previous themes, or a moment for the listener to reflect on what they have just heard, and maybe it could be an opportunity to heal the aspects of the themes touched on that many of us unfortunately carry due to our frail human nature. Because it is there I assume it was placed with an intention. I don't think Lou would have just tacked it on. But i never read anyone's thoughts on why or what he was trying to do or say with it.

[@SlyHikari03]

Is this Season 2 of WAEM?

[@rhodahaque]

I have loved Lulu since it came out, and have defended it endlessly.

[@TylerKingNuReview]

As a fan of both Lou Reed and Metallica, this is still one of the worst albums that I've ever heard

[@OvercookedOctopusFeet]

I have a question but i haven't done enough research to find out if you have been asked this question before, and wether you have answered it, but here goes: What's wrong with the focus settings on your camera?. Thanks in advance.

[@ddwatchings]

you're one of my favorite channels

[@GravenWorldwide]

Cant wait for the St Anger vid (good album too btw)

[@swimsvg1855]

Never understood the absolute vitriol towards st anger and death magnetic, yes the mixing was bad for both but they definitely didn't make the albums unlistenable or bad imo.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

I actually enjoy St. Anger a lot.

[@fishactivation5087]

I think the conclusion we can draw from this is that this album would have been fantastic if it was instrumental.

[@leesakowski9145]

But then you'ld still have Lou's bad ass guitar parts to deal with and I'm not referring to the acoustic bits. The dark textured lines Cheat, Little dog, Dragon. If you don't like it, you can always grab a tissue or call the cops.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Is there an instrumental version?

[@leesakowski9145]

@@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812 Yeah ...it's called Metal Machine Music.

[@stupendoushorrendous8258]

This review inspired me to listen to the album, and I think I actually really love it.

[@geocraftsman]

Have you considered looking at Panchinko Deathmetal for this show? I know you care about artists' intent (therefore the disc rot shouldn't count against it) But as this show is often an exploration and appreciation of unusual music and sounds I think it would be an interesting way to exemplify that aspect.

[@JorgeRodriguez-iz2hq]

The first time I heard Lulu, I liked without knowing the play but you have to see it as a len's of Lou Reed's fan.Musiclly, its awesome. But if you see it as a Metallica album then you're going to hate it. Also check Wesley Willis ' greatest hits!

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

Alanis Morrissette!

[@fleshrags]

FINALLY IVE BEEN WAITING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS

[@JuliusHowe]

Junior Dad is heartbreaking. There’s a great 9 minute live version on KZbin that’s worth a listen.

[@DinobotTM2]

No Botchamania mention? From someone as hooked on Wrestling as Cactus is, that one was missed.

[@CalicoSilver]

Your review is a very welcome review indeed, because you are right - Lulu is a very interesting and powerful album. I'm glad you referenced the Wedekind plays throughout your review, and that you've let your viewers know that there was indeed a story behind these lyrics, but I am going to assume you've not actually read the plays yourself because many/most of your lyrical interpretations of the songs here would have been quite different if you had. For example, The View is not the POV of a "god" but of Lulu herself, and Mistress Dread is about the frustrated lesbian attraction of the Countess in the play towards Lulu, and there were other mis-interpretations in your review also.....BUT I am very pleased to run across a review that actually addresses the Wedekind connection and that actually expresses admiration for the Lulu project rather than knee-jerking a response based on a very superficial listen. Lou Reed was very active in the theatrical arts world in his later years and this album reflects that. Thanks again for the review.

[@YouShouldntBeDancing]

I love learning about bad music!

[@kevintrjohnson]

Speaking of Lou Reed, you should listen to Surfsiders--The Surfsiders Sing the Beach Boys Songbook from 1965. He sang on at least two songs (Surfin' and Little Deuce Coupe). The Surfsiders were just a bunch of session musicians told to capitalize on the surf trend by their bosses at The Design Records.

[@Charles2112pp]

I really feel like if you’re a fan of Metallica, Lou Reed, or music in general this was just a disappointing mess of a record. Despite pitchforks absurdly low rating and there being a concept behind the album it’s still an extremely disappointing album and nowhere near the quality of an album that would stay in very many people’s rotations. Probably not the worst album ever, but it’s just not a good record.

[@rorybell2161]

Fascinating review & explanation

[@camerondodge2070]

Coming at this album from the perspective of a Wesley Willis fan and casual Lou Reed enjoyer, with the only thing I knew being that Lars and Lou almost got into a fist fight, I thought the album was alright.

[@ZeacorZeppelin]

Lulu is also a really dark Opera that a 1980s production inspired two dudes to make Carry: the musical.

[@cornsyruptrucker]

I liked this before I even watched it. Cool new setup man, especially like Mrs miller up there in back ❤

[@LunarianDelia]

I appreciate this video for helping to elucidate some things as regards what's going on with this record. It actually did help out quite a bit! But also it kinda helped reinforce my belief that this album ain't great. A fine idea, but the execution has Problems. A big problem with it, that I had forgotten about (and yet I have no idea WHY), is that a lot of this sounds really bad in a similar way to how Death Magnetic sounded bad (have Metallica released a halfway-decent-sounding studio album since the 90s?). If this had been recorded 20-ish years earlier (or just had a significantly wider dynamic range I guess) and just was more possible to understand the vocals and make better sense of the arrangements, and the vocalists were just better (Hetfield has only one setting, and Lou Reed... well, age has not been kind to him). Basically, when I listened to this back when it came out, it was very hard to understand much of anything except a few memed-into-oblivion phrases, which is a problem because it seems like there's a lot going on when you're not thinking about tables or self-mutilation related to Boris Karloff with a minimum of easily-understood context. I think just improving that would make this significantly better once you get past the "excuse me what" portion of the project (the names attached, the cover art). It would probably still be a tall ask for a lot of people, but I'd probably vibe with the album better. I do get why people would still not like it, though. Look, I'm a huge fan of Blue Oyster Cult and consider their album Imaginos to be really good. Among the many infamous traits of that album, its songs are out of order, they do not tell the full story even for the ONE story arc of the saga they cover, and basically you need a manual with you while you're listening to be able to hash things out a lot of the time, especially since lyricist Sandy Pearlman has an... interesting way with words. And I generally think a lot of average joe listeners don't like the prospect of having to have extra documentation for a record just so they can make sense of it. No surprise, but a lot of people, even ones who like the MUSIC, think it's a load of horse hockey. Regardless: it's nice to get a better perspective from someone who understands it better than I do. At least I get it now. Or maybe I don't, but at least I know why and how I don't.

[@Albee213]

Lulu without vocals would have been pretty good. That would have turned the table.

[@Skullkan6]

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE. PERFECT WAY TO COME BACk

[@SIDEKICKDUSTY]

I was kind of dreading this one, because I think this album is pretty good and doesn't deserve its reputation Edit: I should have seen this coming, Cactus Malpractice agrees with me after all

[@mezykin]

Garrett better do St. Anger too!

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

St. Anger is a masterpiece compared to this disjointed mess.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

What's next a team up of Willie Nelson & Twisted Sister doing an album based on CATS the musical? 😱

[@Hastenforthedawm]

Video isnt playing

[@CactusMalpractice]

Oh no! Is it working for you now?

[@neilpye6089]

​@@CactusMalpracticestill not playing I guess you broke the internet

[@chrismackie7900]

Were you meaning malevolent when referring to the god? I was confused and not sure if you meant the god was benevolent, but when ascribing the seeming misanthropy he possesses I assumed you were intending to state the character was malevolent.

[@Glassandcandy]

“Le table- c’est moi!” - King Lou XVI ^^There it is folks, there’s the most high brow, aristocratic, conventionally cultured and sophisticated joke I will probably ever make. From this point on it’s just gonna be dick and fart jokes probably (which is ok too)

[@necropink9200]

Personally I couldn't care less what the critics say about an album or band. I like this album simply because the music and concept appeals to me.

[@GUNUFofficial]

You know what would have made this work? If Lou did slower and quieter parts parts and James did all the aggressive parts

[@PlayerToBeNamedLater1973]

Maybe he really is the table. Have you considered that possibility?

[@biygas]

I know for a hard fact you don't take requests, but if you want something out there I suggest you look into the Happy Flowers.

[@buzzbabyjesus]

Worth at least 6 stars, and has aged well.