Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music REVIEW - Worst Album Ever Made?

[@eliasmg9144]

I genuinely wonder what's your take on this album now that you've talked about more industrial and noise albums who were inspired by this very album. Have you warmed up to it? Do you hate it even more? Do you learn to appreciate the sounds on this album while also disliking? I'm curious.

[@CactusMalpractice]

I have gone back to metal machine music and It's not nearly as bad as I thought it was back then. I can enjoy it way more now even though it's still not my cup of tea. I honestly cringe rewatching this review as it comes off as ignorant and close minded now in highlight. My next review is about an album which is in a very similar style to this and it's been a very enjoyable experience thus far. So yeah I think I did this album a disservice with this video but I won't delete it since I think it now showcases my growth in this weird rabbit hole experience

[@clarkkent4227]

Funny story, years ago when I first started buying records, I was visiting a local record store every week checking for any new Lou Reed vinyl amongst others. One day I walk in and on the special records wall I see “Metal Machine music” with a piece of paper labeled “music to relax to”. Grab it and go to check out, the owner insists on playing it before letting me buy it, he yells for everyone in the store to cover their ears and then plays it. Went back on the wall. Kind of regret it, have grown to appreciate it, it’s a good album to drown out the world on a bad day.

[@jamescaldwell405]

Fun fact: lou reed's final Facebook post before he died was a picture of a parody of the album cover of metal machine music with one of the characters from my little pony replacing lou Reed on the album cover

[@experi-mentalproductions5358]

Legend...

[@mitchellhicks6639]

My friend Troy, worked in the music section, at Borders Bookstore, in the mid 90's. He was a guitar player for a metal band "Prong" and was very opinionated. He would often give people bad recommendations they would ask for something uplifting and he would recommend Morrissey. One day his little game backfired and he recommended Public Enemy for someone looking for "dance music", little did he know the person he made the bad recommendation to was the new general manager. He was called into the back office and was written up for having an unprofessional attitude. They told him that they needed him to "smile more" and work on his attitude. He worked most of his remaining shift that day smiling ear to ear like a crazy person , but just as the store hit it busiest part of the day 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm he went into the office. Once inside he put "Metal Machine Music" on full volume, over the stores P.A. system, broke the handle off the door to the office, and left the store without looking back.

[@LateNightPerson]

That is sweet revenge

[@jonathanwhitfield2864]

Was really inspired by this album and felt challenged to make noise that was even worse. Wish me luck.

[@claudiasolomon1123]

1 year has gone by.. . DID you succeed????!!!!

[@SlyHikari03]

Dude let me here it.

[@jonathanwhitfield2864]

@@SlyHikari03 kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIK9hIWgg56bodk I ended up making a bunch of random noise, but let me know what you think dude!

[@mbergeron1487]

The end of side 4 of the original vinyl release was a lock-groove that looped infinitely.

[@HALchannel108]

Exactly like the British vinyl release of sgt. pepper, except it was actually music before the loop

[@jigensylvain6833]

That would be lovely to wake up if falling asleep to Metal Machine Music is your bag.

[@Glassandcandy]

As unlistenable as this album is, I kind of respect it for as bold as it was to make especially for the time. Total subversion of what “music” is supposed to be, making you consider what elements of sound can be called musical and which cannot (e.g. when feedback is used in a different context, like how Hendrix uses it it’s undoubtably music but by itself it isn’t, shit like that). The album was also a pioneer for later genres such as noise/harsh noise music. Lou Reed basically did Merzbows shit way before he did.

[@alphalax7747]

You call it unlistenable i say i wouldnt prefer to listen to anything else besides it

[@chrisbarnette7137]

Lou used it just to get out of a contract. I dig harsh noise music and thank Lou for presenting it to the masses.

[@peterdavidallison]

I actually feel a strange connection to Metal Machine Music. I've listened to it all the way through more than once, the first time I did so was done as just a challenge, to see if I could. I remember talking to a friend after the experience, about how challenging and painful it often was. Then I went to bed, and when I awoke, Lou Reed had passed away. It felt almost cosmic, like I'd opened a doorway, taking that challenge as he faded away.

[@ConcreteJungleSickness]

Beautiful story.

[@lukebouchard1164]

I'll be honest, this is my second favorite Lou Reed album. I love it so much. The noise is fantastic. It's so trippy and upside down. It's like walking through a nightmare, and I love it.

[@GiulianoIannotta]

The obvious question is: which one is your favorite, then?

[@lukebouchard1164]

@@GiulianoIannotta Berlin. I also really like the Bells

[@MatthewvanR.music.]

I agree with this.

[@ERidesOn2]

I was so pissed the first time I tried to listen to Metal Machine Music. I only bought it because I blew lot of hard earned money on a 4 channel sound system. This was one of the few "discrete quad" not "quadrophonic" albums produced and I was also a big Lou Reed fan. It does sound like Lou to have made this just to tic some corporate people off at a record company. So I'll finally give him a pass. For the last 45ish years I've cursed him for making it.

[@TheCranberrySource]

Although you did get a sweet quadraphonic system, so it wasn't all bad. He later released the Quad version on DVD if you want to relive the memories 😀

[@thewrongsorcerer]

Metal Machine Music seems like the kind of album people pretend to like without ever actually listening to it in order to seem cool

[@wolfetteplays8894]

So like all those Queen dickriders then 😆

[@From-North-Jersey]

It is the album version of "Sonic Youth"

[@briangonigal3974]

Honestly, it's more like a "dare" album. It's like bragging rights if you get all the way through it. Even Reed claims in the album's liner notes "No one I know has listened to it all the way through including myself." (Of course, the extensive liner notes to the album are notorious for being pretty much complete nonsense, except maybe for the final sentence "My week beats your year.")

[@odkres]

I didn't even know of this album, so I checked and Pitchfork gave it an 8.7 out of 10. So, yes.

[@Sophie-gn9sn]

People who aren’t into noise or don’t listen to noise need to stop judging it, they don’t have an accurate framework for it. The album is truly not the worst thing in the world. It’s only real sin is being dated and kinda boring as a result, but intentional or not it was a massive turning point in how noise music is made and doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near a worst of all time debate. That being said it really isn’t anything special either by today’s standards, like a 5/10 imo.

[@frankcallo6630]

I played the entire album on a community radio station I used to DJ for. I actually like it. A lot like listening to Yellow Swans. It's not for everyone. PRO TIP: try listening at very low volume, surprisingly calming.

[@__JiG__SaW__]

Was that by any chance FM 97.6 in Portland, Oregon?

[@frankcallo6630]

@@__JiG__SaW__ WOZO LP-FM 103.9 FM in Knoxville TN

[@__JiG__SaW__]

@@frankcallo6630 Hey thanks for the reply! The station I guessed was KZRY LPFM, which was a complete mystery. They played weird and sometimes downright scary sounds including what sounded like MMM and people had no idea as to who was doing it or why. Nexpo did a great video on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGjEc3yKoNdmjZY

[@donnydarko2100]

I bought it when it was originally released in 1975. I loved it then and I love it now. I have played it all the way through every time I listen to it. I was 19 when I first bought it. I'm 67 now.

[@Kurbisa]

I'm a hardcore fan of Lou's work, MMM was more of a giant "fuck off" to part of the audience and to his label than a serious record (although he did his best at the time to deny such allegations, even declaring that there are melodies taken from classical music hidden in there) and its liner notes are hilarious. However, it's only fair to say it really was the first attempt at noise and drone music. And of course, you sir have balls of steel to have listened to the whole album from start to finish. I didn't make it. Even Lou admitted he never listened to the whole thing. Lou was the man. You are too. Have a good one!

[@thesecretsuspects]

Good thing my work is at least boring and irritating and can’t hurt anyone listening. no matter how irritating and painful some of my songs truly are, nothing ever comes close to anywhere even near as bad as Metal Machine Migraine over here.

[@chyrrry]

From the clips in this video, this album sounds more like it would be the sound effects of a horror game. I'd say that if implemented well with proper ambience (and some musical tweaking), this could actually work pretty well in certain scenarios.

[@nicholasgeorge4156]

I like that shaggs album. I play it in the backroom at work a lot. I’ve even played a couple songs off trout mask replica. All it gets are a couple weird looks and not a single person doesn’t ask me what I’m listening to. But I will refuse to play metal machine music ever again. I’m not sure what that other album is on your list. I don’t recognize it

[@CactusMalpractice]

Its an independent album from a guy in canada who claimed his album was the worst one ever made its not really that bad but its extremely amature speed metal. His name is Backfat and the album is called Step Inside My Head! Thanks for the comment by the way if you have any suggestions on what I should check out for the show let me know nicholas! :)

[@nicholasgeorge4156]

Garrett's Secret Account there is an ep by Halestorm. It’s called time man. It sounds entirely different than the Halestorm people know today. It’s not that bad for teenagers pre recording an album, but still.

[@tonyjewitt1221]

You are not supposed to like this album. It was recorded to escape a recording contract. It worked!

[@jacobbelyea7945]

Nah this story is fake, Reed himself said just a few years before he died that it was just something he just wanted to make. The story of it being recorded to help him escape a contract is a 40+ year cope lol

[@ghiblinerd6196]

I dont hate it though. I can’t explain what I KIND OF like about it.

[@TheseBitchesWantNikes]

That's a false story.

[@andygtmo]

I actually really like this album

[@patricklauer4452]

Andrew Reed same

[@jacquiecotillard9699]

Sometimes it’s just yer shit. It’s my shit too

[@mistergone5156]

Same, man. It helps me sleep, too, if I'm stressed. Go figure!

[@nintendonut100]

It's a masterpiece of sonic textures and dissonance.

[@ZeeDDD65]

This album is honestly a masterpiece in noise and drone music.

[@colin6603]

Nope

[@mrsticker2]

That review is hilarious. I LOL'd several times. "nothing but awful awful sounds you'd hear in a nightmare". "I'd rather listen to 24 hours of The Shaggs Philosophy of The World, then 10 minutes of Metal Machine Music." I actually enjoy The Shaggs, but Metal Machine Music is absolute shit. I had it in my collection for a long time as a sort of "notch in my belt" of weird albums, but it's completely unlistenable. I commend you for listening to the whole thing. I certainly never did. It's handy to have if you ever want someone to leave your home. Thanks for the review. I might watch it again, because it made me laugh so many times.

[@robpalmer9051]

The Shags is enjoyable enough that even Kurt Cobain ranked Philosophy of the World No. 5 on his 50 best albums list. MMM is not on his list :(

[@II-xl7lj]

@@robpalmer9051 so what? Many who talked to kurt said that he was well versed in music, this top of his refutes this

[@robpalmer9051]

@@II-xl7lj thanks for responding a year later. Lol....Especially now that I have a greater appreciation to music that is non conforming to general audience tastes. Also IMO this youtube series has now kinda shit the bed.

[@II-xl7lj]

@@robpalmer9051 Wow, you're not like everyone else, should I praise you? Or just give a kick

[@robpalmer9051]

@@II-xl7lj I now run the Abnormal Music Group on Facebook since January. Btw people can change in a year +. If you got a problem with people changing tastes and being better than you can go fly a kite. Btw don't f-ing threaten me. You have a good day.

[@SUNSHINE-t-m]

i'm two years late but "harsh noise" exists as a genre and MMM fits that label better

[@rude9412]

If you love to play with feedback on guitar this is one of the greatest albums ever.

[@mrsticker2]

On a related subject. NON - Pagan Muzak released in 1978. It's an Industrial-noise one-sided 7" vinyl (in a 12" jacket). The release is 17 tracks of locked grooves and includes an off center hole drilled for an alternate method of play. Keeping in mind you can also mess with the RPM speed to further change the sounds. Good luck finding this album. Original copies sell for a lot of money. It's not something I would put on and listen to, but I can at least recognize that it's a fun interactive idea which can result in creating some hypnotic sounds. Here's a link of someone playing the record kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3jNZ6qLeb-lhJY

[@CactusMalpractice]

That sounds super intense! I'll be sure to keep my eye out for it sticker! I'm surprised more artists didn't follow suit that's a really cool idea with the medium!

[@lucyferabyss1886]

This series never fails to make me feel immensely better about my own works: ‘Cause if these guys can succeed in selling their abysmal albums and gaining the spotlight, then there is still plenty of hope for my “mid” works :p

[@grizzlystation]

It's really serendipitous that an episode of this series came out today. I was showing my friend The Shaggs and thought of you and this series and then later I saw you uploaded a new episode. Strange, but welcome! Unless you're beaming signals into my brain like last time. Also I shouldn't have worn headphones for this video, holy shit.

[@CactusMalpractice]

The Shaggs album has a parasite that feeds into our hive mind

[@TheVioletBunny]

Underrated channel you deserve Way more subs I’m really glad the KZbin algorithm directed me to your channel.

[@mralexforbes]

The Shaggs on the board of shame... cmon man that album is awesome :) definitely has a special place in my heart.

[@starshinestudiosofficial]

Say what you want about Metal Machine Music, but don't deny that it opened the door for guys like Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and all those other guys who do that industrial noise music that this album attempts to do.

[@gbioabngd]

Just because it was first doesn't mean it was good.

[@adonis699]

I think everyone has a hipster phase that will make you like this album.

[@doomsdaydanceparty7646]

this album is a goddamn masterpiece. but yes, i agree, it's awful

[@hungryburger1170]

A modern art masterpiece. Guess this is what toilets hear when someone has taco bell

[@MelodyBurst]

How could you say something so controversial yet so brave?

[@tmat2024]

I've listened to the entire album...just to say I did. Very grueling undertaking. Ummm...you're not supposed feel this way listening to music. LOL!

[@randallhesse5011]

Your story, and review is the same as mine.

[@telephono007]

I once read a comment, I believe on KZbin where two North American guys, on vacation in Japan, stopped at a bar after music shopping. The bartender saw they had made purchases and insisted on playing something. He grabbed Metal Machine Music put it on...after a short time ran over...saying in Japanese what probably translated to "what is this shit?!" and snatched it out of the CD player. 😂 The guys had tried to warn him, using words like "brutal music."

[@machoke666]

There's a similar, but kinda different, album, or mixtape, that you should give a shot - Yung Rapunxel pt. II by Azealia Banks. I feel like it's the hip hop iteration of this album. It' so chaotic, angry, and intense and unlike anything I've ever heard before, and I've heard a lot of music

[@paint3d]

I don't understand why, but nobody seems to remember that John and Yoko also did the same sort of thing, and the album was called "Two Virgins." That doesn't show up on any worst albums list any more.

[@dar3mor6]

"Life with the lions" it's better than "2 virgins".

[@ChristyAbbey]

@@dar3mor6 Yes. Yes it is. Especially the heartfuck of an ending.

[@krisscanlon4051]

Lou...whew what can you say? The albums intent is multi-faceted...the best part is we are still talking about MMM 47 years later and 10 years after his death! For uninitiated read up on John Cage first...

[@TheCranberrySource]

The album's subtle "The Amine β Ring" is a hint to what Reed was aiming for. It's a reference to chemical compounds found in amphetamines. The idea being a sound piece that mirrored the physiological experience of having methamphetamine course through your nervous system. Or as Dangerous Minds put it - "a speedfreak symphony". Anyway - still better than Nostalgia Critic's The Wall.

[@kelhard]

Love the review! Hilarious but very true! I think your next review should be “Two Virgins” by John Lennon & Yoko Ono.

[@phideauxxavier6428]

I actually enjoy this album, and find it best to listen at low levels so it's an ambient hum. It's genius audacious release! I also think it's the same side 4 times in a row (however, I have not investigated that - someday I will strip it into pro tools and compare the wave forms.)

[@Zehnuss]

Glad to see Trout Mask Replica taken down....it's nowhere near as unlistenable as this!

[@AnimationVault]

I used to go to sleep with this on in the background. It's lovely.

[@Musicradio77Network]

I never had this LP, but I might get one in the future, but I like some including “Take a Walk on the Wildside” which was his only song, but this double album of “Metal Machine Music” drove me insane. The Audio Fidelity’s “Sound Effects” and the Elektra’s “Authentic Sound Effects” albums are sounded so cool, but this album is absolutely annoying. Both Audio Fidelity and Elektra sound effects albums are absolutely fantastic, and it’s fun to experimenting all of the sounds you hear if you close your eyes and pretend you are in a city, a train station, on an airplane, at a fireworks show, at a factory, or anything you hear on this album where it keeps you calm and relaxing. I checked eBay that the original vinyl double LP release of this album is pretty darn expensive.

[@runrig97]

"his only song"??

[@runrig97]

I'll just mention "Sweet Jane" and slowly back away.

[@nathanielcrabtree5123]

Why would you do this to your self. Also I did the same thing when I found my dads vinyl copy of this album. Fun fact did you know that the vinyl version of the album has a very special way of ending side 4. It doesn't end. The vinyl is just high enough to not let the album end. One of my dad's friends decided to play this at a party (I don't know why) they were drunk and when side 4 ended it just went on for like 20 min and my dad's friend said why haven't this album ended yet. My dad also found an 8 track version of the album that really does not end.

[@ehi8243]

It’s been two years since this video came out, and I only hope you’ve changed what you think what a ‘noise’ album sounds like. A lot of these are super unpleasant. Sad/Happy to see Trout Mask Replica get booted off the board, though!

[@thorn99thorn]

I... don't hate this album. I've heard way more grating music, and there is some level of harmony in all the chaos. Don't think I would sit through an hour of it, but if I were forced to, I would only be a little mad.

[@slothDAMN]

None of the examples you give of 'noise' music you have on in the background when you read etc. seem like they're actually 'noise' music records - the sounds you describe seem more like things you would hear in ambient, field recording, or even electronica records... I'm not sure you really do know what noise music is, and it seems like you wouldn't really be into very much of it if you heard it, anyway.

[@erikdaniels0n]

This….. this is one of the worst things I have ever heard, and yet I can’t not admire it. Lou Reed was a genius, and this may be the best display of that. It takes true talent and effort to be able to create something that sounds THIS BAD

[@flynn6904]

You think THIS was bad? Try “Pulse Demon” by Merzbow ;)

[@johnchurchillmusicart]

I love this album. It's the soundtrack to my mind.

[@willowsparks4576]

you should listen to The Seer by Swans - its a very drone and ambient/noise driven post rock album that last 2 hours - its an amazing album but i think you should listen to it anyway x

[@markofrontz1343]

I used to use this to test people's patience.

[@onionrinrins]

that left audio pan at the start made me think my headphones were broken omg

[@neilpye6089]

You need to listen to it on lp part 4 has a locked groove which will only stop when you lift the tone arm off the record

[@thatonedude9744]

Metal Machine Music is interesting. As far as noise goes, it’s actually a lot lighter than future artists like Merzbow or Kazumoto Endo, and it even has an identifiable key? The high pitched are probably the worst part tho

[@Waluigifan95]

I am currently listening to each of these albums on my walk home from work and making my own personal best to worst ranking of each piece of work. This is currently number one. I can now say that I listened to Metal Machine Music while walking through rural America at midnight. The only thing I regret is the fact that I listened to it at all. I will say that the last 3ish minutes of the album has an unintentionally decent rhythm though.

[@davidbarton1928]

If you're curious what MMM might sound like with a touch of bass and a bass drum pulse, try listening to Seefeel's 'Climatic Phase No. 3'. Lou Reed may have made MMM to annoy and confound, but he was so, so close to the Shoegaze and IDM made a couple of decades later.

[@king_chicken36]

VIdeos like this kind of prove that noise is 'aquired taste' (that sounds like the cringiest thing but hear me out). If you show any major noise project like Pulse Demon or G.R. you're going to get one of two reactions; they'll be extremely confused, think you're an insane person and describe it as pretention postmodern art or have a weird intrigue in what they're listening to. For me it was a bit of a slow introduction; I first started listening to some releases with weaker inpterpretations of noise (more like a harsher industrial sound) and then slowly started exploring noise as a whole. I absolutley think there's some sort of method to noise. You can't just get white noise and a harsh synth and call it a day, that would feel more like drone or an extreme version of harsh noise wall. Adding some sort of variation or at least trying to make it interesting is what takes a noise project from bad to good in my opinion. The way I see noise is less being songs to remember and more being an experience. Sure you can make noise projects memorable like Deathpile did with G.R. or to a further extent Uboa with how she incorprorated noise in her albums. It's sort of the same thing with avant-garde music, you can either think stuff like Laurie Anderson are up their ass or you can appreciate what she tries to do with creating abstract art. Noticed you have Trout Mask Replica on 'the wall of shame' a couple spots below Philosophy Of The World. I can understand why, but The Shaggs were three sisters with no musical ambition that were forced to make music by a crazy father, but Trout Mask Replica was an experiment made over two years where Captain Beefheard wrote nonsensicle songs with intentionally bad vocals and made all the members of His Magical Band had to learn instruments they'd never played. That entire album was calculated, they practiced their songs to be out of sync and nonsensicle for so long that they spent only three hours to record the album.

[@acidwizzardbastard]

Pulse Demon is far from Merzbow's best. There's Venereology, Door Open at 8am, and Hybrid Noisebloom; all way better but sadly don't get the same attention.

[@hugomontoya9029]

Another contender for 'worst album' status: Half Gentlemen / Not Beasts by the band 1/2 Japanese.

[@robbiebagby201]

Agreed & I like several of their other albums. But that album is a massive piece of shit.

[@fearsomestm00c0w]

I wonder if Lou Reed ever fucking listened to it. I picked it up on a download of his discog and it came on one day while I was serving people at work. Thought it might just be an intro and let it play for way too long. It was a concept and the concept was never to be a good music. I see it as an art object rather than music.

[@rommix0]

He did perform it

[@jacquiecotillard9699]

I think you just may not have played it loud enough. More bass! Maybe next - An Evening With Wild Man Fischer?

[@neilpye6089]

Merry go round is a classic

[@sandroracer2925]

It's because this álbum is in another level. Maybe we are not in this level yet, to undestand.

[@sugarjoe50]

I'm a major LR fan, bought the album upon its release. Played it all the way through expecting to possibly hear a 'song' hidden in the tracks...no such luck.

[@Hellspiral-lr8yh]

I'd already been through the gauntlet of merzbow, NWW, organum, acid mothers temple etc in my early 20s. So by the time I came to check out this album in my late 20s, with its fearsome reputation, I found it downright ambient. It's actually quite a pleasant listen, if you are that way inclined. Btw listening on that shitty boombox for the first listen, ofc you're gonna hate it. You need full spectrum maaan. I think it's just the fact that this was released by LOU REED, and the expectation that comes with that, is what gives this album its reputation.

[@timmy841212]

This would work better as the score to a horror movie than as a standalone album lol

[@josemorenorahn]

Why do people consider Metal Machine Music to be bad? It's noise music. It is not supposed to be Lou Reed's Transformer or Berlin, etc. It is its own thing. I am a big Noise music aficionado, and I have always loved this album for doing exactly this: pissing people who want to listen to guitar, drums, bass and voice and nothing more over and over again from an artist. I love this album for what it is. After listening to Merzbow and Masona, Sonic Youth, Suicide, Bill Orcutt, Harry Pussy, SWANS, how is this a hard to listen to album? I love it. It's a pallet cleanser, it's fresh, it's timeless.

[@wolfetteplays8894]

Are you a robot?

[@josemorenorahn]

@@wolfetteplays8894 Are you?

[@Weatherman93]

This album in particular paved the way for artists in the noise/power electronics genre. Lou was always ahead of the curve in terms of song writing. It was considered career suicide at the time, but decades later it’s looked upon as one of the greatest noise records to exist. Les Rallizes Dénudés were inspired by VU and Lou’s solo material. I understand people not enjoying it for sure. Music is subjective.

[@jaibhimadevi5805]

IN DOVER AGAIN, lol. Came to the playlist just to see if this album was here. I remember reading the Rolling Stone review, something akin to "pointless electronic beeping and farting"... IIRC MMM was a "middle-finger" album made to fulfill a contractual obligation.

[@XenIsWhen]

The whole album nonstop? I think we just found the new TikTok challenge.

[@ForARide]

MMM was nothing new at the time, in Avantgarde and Experimental music drones had been used for decades before. The likes of Arnold Schönberg, Anton Webern and Karlheinz Stockhausen were the first wave Avantgarde musicians who then influenced the likes of John Cage, LaMonte Young and Yannis Xenakis. Reed's former VU bandmember John Cale had studied the works of the former three musical pioneers at Goldsmith's Collage in London, before emigrating to the US on a Leonard Bernstein scholarship in 1963. There he was schooled by and collaborated with the latter three, most prominently with LaMonte Young's Theater Of Eternal Music, together with further Avantgarde musicians Terry Riley and Tony Conrad. Cale brought all those different experimental influences into the Velvets sound and arrangements, making him the main driving force behind their then groundbreaking sound on those first two seminal VU albums, which he schould have been credited for, but Reed's enormous ego stood in the way. John Cale taught Reed the different techniques and structures of Avantgarde music, such as the drone. Besides being in the Velvets, John Cale recorded several DIY recordings, predating MMM by a decade. Unfortunately these recordings weren't officially released until the millenium on the Table Of Elements label as John Cale - New York In The 1960s (kzbin.info/aero/PLNINWcxxj9hHMJx4_oFVWNLznPeMWKRVW&si=n14ZmCwebf2Tp4C_), which would make the discussion of Reed being the pioneering musical genius all these superficial narratives make him out to be, pretty obsolete.

[@IndustrialFan666]

I think Metal Machine Music highlights my favorite textures and atmospheres in the sort of power electronic sense. Since there’s a weird fixation on HiFi glitchy electronics, there’s something so beautiful about a sort of hypnagogic analog fever dream of a sound collage, created with a ton of cool interesting feedback noises

[@finylvinyl66]

Would you believe I have a DJ/promo copy of the vinyl? Got it at a used record store I once worked at. As if someone would put this on the air.

[@DavidMorash]

I quite like this album. Not the worst album by far... it's no Drake.

[@baldrick98007]

You need to listen to the double vinyl - like I did. Bought the album and put on side 1 to fall asleep to. I'm still listening to side 1 umpteen hours later. It loops at the end and took forever for me to realise.

[@madahad9]

What was unique about Lou was that he pandered to no trends or audience expectations. You were either along for the ride or you stayed on the sidelines. I've never heard anything more of Machine Metal Music than the excerpt that appears on the Between Thought And Expression box set and probably up after a minute or less. I think was just Lou screwing with the record company and is more a big FU than a serious album. I was stunned when I heard that he had died. The guy wrote songs like no other person. He had a way of using words in the most sparing way but created these unforgettable short stories set to music. Perfect Day is my favourite song after Walk on the Wild Side. He's deeply missed.

[@Peter-Burbank]

I remember once going to Moby Disc Records in the 70’s, and seeing about 20 copies of MMM in the used bin, I wish I’d bought one!

[@DrWrapperband]

Metal Machine music is an amazing album, after listening to it my head was filled with music making sense of the "noise". Well worth a listen for any serious musician.

[@MrGhostown81]

It sounds like something you might find on shortwave radio, near a Mexican numbers station and the Canadian Universal Time station.

[@haweater1555]

There is no way that Google Content ID could make sense of this to flag it. You are safe in posting this.

[@zeusmanlord1602]

Oh sweet Jesus! What sad Hell is this, Lou?

[@GRWMusic]

in the mid 80's i found MMM on 8 TRACK in a second hand store in North Carolina. I though it would be cute to play it at maximum volume in my dorm room then leave and lock my door---because i was an artsy fartsy asshole kid. 8 TRACK TAPES play forever on a loop.

[@mrsticker2]

This is one of the best album reviews... ever!

[@dar3mor6]

It would be sounds fair to say that Lou Reed was the Rock & Roll Anti-Christ???

[@rheck86]

Only a few videos in and I don't think this will ever be dethroned as Worst Album Ever Made. There's an entire side of Yoko Ono's Fly that is just her impersonating the sound of a fly buzzing. It's a fairly decent impression. It's annoying, but not physically painful.

[@gynandromorphism]

merzbow soon? :) loved the review btw

[@tmac9972]

I didn't have to google the worst album ever made, I bought it in 1975 and quickly threw up. This is the worse kids take my word , this album makes Yoko Ono sound like Bach.

[@mywifeleftmeandmychildrend7550]

I just listened to this album and Jesus it was like torture

[@notthebody]

MMM is nothing. Check out The New Blockaders 'Simphonie In X-Major' album.

[@farrellmcnulty909]

Metal Machine Music is one of the best laughs I've ever had.

[@houndsaregreat]

Oh man, those bits of the album you played were so awful. You had such a pained expression on your face, haha. That one's officially added to my list of things to never check out.

[@Mondomeyer]

But imagine how it must sound on vinyl.😊

[@ChromeDestiny]

Especially the Quadraphonic version.

[@banjogyro]

This album is like one minute of the 18 minute song Antennas To Heaven, labeled edgyswingsetacid, except 61 times longer and 9 times less enjoyable.

[@briangonigal3974]

I don't know, I thought that third clip you played was pretty good! (That fifth one though..., that REALLY sucked!)

[@sparkybonehead]

I found that album in the 'bargain bin' when i was 15 years old. Listened to it often like any other and enjoyed it. Of course, i was listening to The Residents, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Can and Brian Eno as well. I've actually had people HATE me for enjoying it. Hah! 😎

[@ZeacorZeppelin]

I like Lou Reed. I'm going to listen to it tonight. I will update

[@GEM99Show]

What are the last two albums called after you moved Metal Machine Music and the Shaggs?

[@CactusMalpractice]

Thats Captain Beefheart and his magic band's Trout Mask Replica from episode 1 and Backfat's Step inside my head from episode 3

[@mr.amadeuscrisantemus6267]

Im sorry but that album its pure nonesnse, what was lou reed thinking? Its just ear burning noise and i think it was made with the most snob pretention ever

[@oatz8708]

If you put a lofi filter on this album and told me this was made by James Ferraro back in 2008 I would believe you 100 percent

[@3vergiven]

You should give Stallagh a try.