The Most Controversial Album Of All Time | Metal Machine Music

Today we're looking at one of the most controversial albums from any artist i've ever seen. Lou Reed is one of the most well known and influential artists of all time. Creating albums like Transformer and Berlin which are held up as some of the greatest pieces of music ever created. So it came as a shock when his album Metal Machine Music was released. An album filled with dark and desolate distortion.

[@lexicondevil6333]

I always felt like “White Light/White Heat” had hints of what would become in Metal Machine Music. Lots of ambient , incomprehensible noise. MMM is a very powerful album because of the story and attitude behind it. Great video

[@MeathookCinema]

Thank you so much for making a video about one of my favourite albums of all time. I read in an interview that Lou made the album to be an alternative soundtrack to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Which blows my mind further. Lou was close to another uncompromising artist who also doesn’t want to be loved by everyone- Morrissey. RIP Lou. One of a kind.

[@Billkwando]

You put a lot of effort into this, thanks! Not even a Reed fan, but read about the album in Lester Bangs' book and was curious, and I watched the whole thing. Well researched, well voiced, not a robot voice, no crappy looping stock footage or lazy crutches. You should be proud of yourself. This is top notch, worthy of TV.

[@sexobscura]

[ except that if something's 'top notch' it would never be on tv ]

[@donnydarko2100]

I bought MMM when it was originally released. I loved it then ( I was 18 at the time ) and I love it now ( I'm 67 now ) When I bought it, the bloke in the shop couldn't believe I liked it and wanted to buy it.

[@hayasco]

you deserve so many more people watching your stuff man, the quality of your videos is absolutely fantastic and you clearly have a great passion for music. much love from NZ

[@lswindley3451]

agreed

[@nordaj_]

also from NZ lol

[@cinemaspire7258]

Just shows this is purely controversial cos he was considered a somewhat contemporary artist; as drone and heavily distorted noise music had been around a good several years prior

[@II-xl7lj]

To give an example, of course you (accidentally) forgot, right?

[@mj.l]

@@II-xl7ljthe dream syndicate, john cage et al

[@II-xl7lj]

@@mj.l lol

[@holstonmatt]

@@II-xl7lj most of japan noise world was there before metal machine music also It was john cale who taught Reed about the different techniques of the drone, distortion and white noise. cale had worked with avant-garde luminaries lannis xenakis, John Cage and La Monte Young before bumping into Lou Reed. Some of cale's output during that time with the theatre Of eternal music and also some solo recordings while his time within the Velvets were released in 2004 as: John Cale - New York In The 1960's, some of the recordings predating Reed's MMM by more than a decade, and also Industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire or Einstürzende Neubautenannis

[@ForARide]

​@@holstonmatt​​@holstonmatt lazy copycat, copying and pasting my whole comment, wow!

[@somedude7281]

This was a really good and informative video. You obviously did your research and it shows,keep up the good work!

[@the_incoherent]

One of the best videos I've seen in a long time. Incredible work.

[@lukecockburn1140]

This was great man I really enjoyed this video Specifically you going into the history & context

[@SlyHikari03]

Great video. Ps, I love the silent hill bgm in the video. Nice touch.

[@GCSoundArtifacts]

Simply EXCELLENT video, very insightful and a brilliant deffense of the importance of this Lou Reed's creation!

[@sweetnuthin]

I did listen to the album all the way through. I thought I would just listen to a bit, one quarter or so, but I couldn't turn it off. It captivates you. Good video.

[@logoschannel23]

This is a well made video. I love how Lou Reed messes with the press.

[@christopherlove4188]

Really well done diagnosis of MMM. I thought you might mention it so I will add it here, that a classical orchestra has been put together to play the music from charts. I've heard parts of it and the orchestra changes the context of how to approach the album. It is also a measure of how seriously this piece is taken by musicians. I have MMM, I haven't gotten through all of it and it intrigues me no end as a work. I forgot that Lou wanted it to come out as a classical record which is what should have happened. When I read how the album was recorded - in a room with four gutars, each one in a corner leaned up against an amplifier facing into the room so the sounds would intermix and create differnet overtones, it helped me understand this wasn't just an "f you" but an intentional piece of music. I believe there is a quad version of this album which I have yet to get a hold of. That would be amazing to hear it in the setup it was actually recorded. MMM belongs rightly in the world of John Cage and Frank Zappa's primary influence, Edgar Varese. I sometimes think this album expresses the sounds someone, strung out on drugs, would hear and be attracted to as their soundtrack.

[@arnewoodman]

Thank you SO MUCH for this. I was talked out of buying Metal Machine Music when it came out, but I remained intrigued all these years and have a definite taste for 'ambient' as long-form electronic music became tagged (eg. Eno Thursday Afternoon). I had never got to hear it in full. Until now. You made me go seek it out. Years ahead of its time and of course as a result, misunderstood and derided. Buying it on vinyl maybe was not a great idea, the clunky mechanics of playing vinyl mitigate against this kind of immersive experience. I've listened in full via KZbin. And (dont know if you ever did this) tried setting KZbin playback at half speed. That makes it really wonderful. I actually was disappointed by Transformer, I liked the obvious tracks but others just suck (anybody still play Andy's Chest these days?). And being the naive teenager that I was when it came out, I thought that the title referred to an electrical component, so 'Metal Machine Music' wasn't such a strange title.

[@garymallett6273]

The smartest man in rock n roll

[@yy-hj4br]

I admire your standing up for such a challenging album. This was a really good video. My favorite fact about MMM is that Sonic Youth used to leave it on in shows while they tuned their guitars for the next song. I like a lot of the music MMM inspired like Sonic Youth, Swans, and the No Wave scene, but could never get into the album myself. As far as Lulu goes, as a pro-wrestling fan I will always be grateful for that album because it gave us "I am the Table"

[@TheLokiBiz]

Wait, I'm a dual wrestling and reed fan myself, and am unaware of the reference. Did someone reference the Lulu song after doing a table spot or something?

[@stevelawrie9115]

I was a massive Lou Reed fan in this time and still am. I got a brief look at this album, never bought it, I sort of admired it but mainly ignored it. I listen to Lou Reed all the time and probably always will.

[@fubokuen]

I had the vinyl as soon as it came out.This kind of sound experimentation was welcomed, to a degree, because Reed's work in the Velvets signalled it and others were doing it. MMM seemed to really expand on Robert Fripp's solo on Eno's 'Blank Frank'.

[@garymallett6273]

It came with a hammer in some Adelaide record stores

[@justinkroboth360]

I'm not a huge fan of Lou Reed, but I do love a good iconoclast, and he certainly was one.

[@billmay7364]

Lou Reed Makes Noise Cool. The Cover is anyways. Listen to Sister Ray from White Light White Heat. Lou always had elements of Sonic Freeback in his muse.

[@kc1925]

I just want to say mate, I can only imagine the inward battle you face of putting your soul into a video at it not getting many views, but please understand that the people who do watch your videos are floored by them - I'm a songwriter trying to view myself as an 'albumwriter' instead, and I cannot put into words how grateful I am for your work, even if I completely disagree with it, because it gives me such a clear insight to how deep the external minds that care about the work really will go in hyper-examining. I promise you that if you have 1000 views on a video, that is 1000 grateful people for your hard work. I can't say if the world will find you, but I can say that the one's who already have, appreciate you greatly.

[@RocketKirchner]

The overtones on that record are like singing birds . I love it .

[@ewamenamiesz]

great video

[@InsanityPrevails]

Using Self Esteem Fund as a song in the background.. Love it

[@Kurbisa]

Man, you've done your research. Respect

[@simonagree4070]

I have a sort of fondness for this album, having bought it when it was first released, and on the heels of a truly dull record (Sally Can't Dance). No, I probably never listened to all four sides straight through, but it reminded me of the kind of noise you hear between short wave radio stations, which I would sometimes linger on. If I had been aware of Eno's remarks on the birth of his ambient music at the time, I might have put on side 4 and turned down the volume until it was barely audible. Later, hearing Terry Riley, I noticed that influence, too. That said, the images on the cover were a total rip-off of a certain segment of Lou's fans -- the Rock'N'Roll Animal people. Tsk tsk.

[@simonagree4070]

Forgot to mention that the bonus disc of Neil Young's Arc/Weld was a bit of a steal on MMM. Got my copy of that from a teenage girl at a yard sale who clearly had no use for noise.

[@davidmcmaster2083]

It is hilarious, the thought of fanboys of the Rock n Roll Animal Lou, grabbing Metal Machine, putting it on, and saying, WTF? I currently do Doordash deliveries, and I put on Metal Machine when I'm waiting on an order. Just my speed. I tune into the static between stations. Hits my sweet spot, feedback. Love Rust Never Sleeps for that reason, feedback. BTW, the cover, was that Lou, or RCA. It may have been a record company decision.

[@thekraemer1757]

Eno before Eno

[@plasticweapon]

it's not before eno, and this isn't what eno sounds like.

[@brenthatcher5748]

I think Lou's HEAVY use of Speed at this time has alot to do with this album and his attitude. Look at his eyes bugging out of his head in the interviews. SpeedFreak Jive.

[@DaMurphyBeat]

I want this included in Guitar Hero.

[@corntastrophy]

9:30 uhh, Lou reed was canceled multiple times back then. It's more common for celebrities to act cantankerous now vs back then. Record companies were pretty reactionary compared to the modern day and they'd make sure someone like Reed wouldn't set foot in a recording booth ever again

[@ignasil.m.6923]

The best álbum on studio of all history of the Rock n Roll.

[@insertgenericusernamehere2402]

I'd say mayhems bootleg of dawn of the black hearts was much more than this. But each to their own.

[@jdd3786]

No mention of Street Hassle?

[@robertkahn9151]

It was made to get out of his contract.

[@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan]

Steve Albini's work like Big Black's Songs About Fucking take it even further

[@fj103]

Thank you

[@racefan2k3]

I actually listened to the entire album (vinyl) including the everlasting final groove (until I realized it wasn't going to kick off and lifted the needle)....Definitely one you need to be totally f-ed up to listen to.

[@albertoracaj2718]

An influential work in Rock'n'Roll.

[@tylerbates681]

Ayyyy first

[@korbal61]

Musically, I enjoy Metal Machine Music so much more than Hudson River or The Creation of Universe.

[@Mst-bh9ti]

Never underestimate fans' capacity to over analyze ad nauseum total tripe.

[@SunFellow941]

I like some experimental electronic music, but could never take listening to Metal Machine Music (I was working at a record store the year it came out, so we had an open copy). Try listening to Todd Rundgren's "In and Out the Chakras We Go" or "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire." That's pretty far out on a limb.

[@thomasaquinas6628]

Important to note MMM is a two-record set. I bought a new copy of $10 at Wild Woody's. Unfortunately, it is moldy from sitting in my basement.

[@gogoyubari366]

MMM is great album!

[@kingdozerr]

Masterpiece album

[@akeffo]

I bought this back in the day and was like WTF? Reed was great but this a stretch.

[@ExtremeBeatlesArchive]

Sally Can't Dance sold on the merits of the cover art.

[@jmarra07]

Never even heard of it

[@mikewest1542]

The only this I like about the album is the cover !

[@nihilioellipsis]

The idol comes to hold the audience in contempt. Sooner or later one way or another fame consumes and destroys the idol. The only way out if there is a way out for the idol is to return to being a person again.

[@KennethDumasig12]

The Reason why I play guitar is because of Lou reed

[@KirkWilliamsIsBroken]

The Greatest Musical Middle Finger Ever Recorded.

[@maynardwayward12]

I just watched the most recent Zappa doc. And golly gee, there sure were a lot of morally self-righteous journalists back then! Well....more or less until the 2000s. You don't see artists blamed as the cause of all manners of societal ills so much anymore.

[@kigabiga700]

Genius

[@johnfoster6412]

I love Reed's music, but I can't listen to MMM. It makes me ___SO___ uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure that was his aim.

[@plasticweapon]

no, that's "lulu".

[@deathxcountry]

Metal Music is essentially listening to the sounds of Lou’s speed induced psychosis. Quite sad really.

[@sandraweilbrenner67]

I own this album

[@garymallett6273]

Love Lulu

[@user-rw1rq8jz6g]

And before this the experiments of John Lennon. Revolution number 9 Two Virgins etc. Their careers didn’t suffer after. What got me was the sacking of John Cale from VU. With him being to far out. Nothing was as far out as MMM

[@jameskennedy721]

Lou fans just laughed and DIDNT buy it . He was getting sick of the fans , the labels , even Bowie , who idolized him . His extra extended nervous breakdown and partial giving up .

[@stefano.b65stef77]

with so many good and great albums from 1962 ( Bob Dylan first album) to at least 1997 ( radiohead ok computer) why should i listen to metal machine music? it's a bit like trout mask replica

[@TheLokiBiz]

"Lulu" was the worst Lou Reed album of all time, even while simultaneously being the best Metallica album of all time.

[@fishactivation5087]

what

[@TheLokiBiz]

@@fishactivation5087 It's true lol. Metallica has always sucked and i'll never forgive them for butchering Nick Cave's song "Loverman".

[@bacht4799]

@@TheLokiBizbut but.. Master Of Puppets is one of the best heavy metal albums ever and one of the best albums ever made.. or something like it.. I have listened to it .. and yes it is a great album but.. I don’t know think it a little overrated in some regards..or something like that…!

[@TheLokiBiz]

@@bacht4799 I'm really just not a huge metalhead... More into post-punk and industrial stuff, which is why Reed appeals to me more. And when i AM in a metal mood, I usually prefer something a bit more campy and fun, like Venom or King Diamond lol

[@geirsakariassen4728]

i dont like this LP

[@nicholasvertucci2054]

Nobody enjoys "MMM". Anyone who claims to has an agenda. There is nothing positive that can be said about the recordings themselves. Only the concept and it's reputation.

[@rickxnow8768]

Your judgements demonstrate the arrogance and self-importance of your opinions only, and say zero about the record and why anyone does enjoy it -- which they do! Peace One Love

[@nicholasvertucci2054]

@@rickxnow8768 I'm a massive Lou Reed fan that would like to believe otherwise. People don't enjoy "MMM". You enjoy it's reputation and telling people that you like "the worst album of all time". Cool points.

[@rickxnow8768]

​@@nicholasvertucci2054 See previous reply. Every word of what you say pure projection based on your opinion, aka meaningless perspective with no reality to it whatever. You don't like MMM, great, so what! Fair enough. Listen to something else... That you presume to tell me what I think and feel, as if your wondrous self-appointed all-knowing qualifies as any kind of authority at all, let alone a valid one, simply shows your idiocy. You don't know me, my preferences, my life experience, music making and sound system antics. I enjoy harmonics and noise, and the power of sonics -- Sun Ra, Sonic Youth, Suicide, MC5, White Chalk, La Monte Young & etc etc; and I enjoy Coney Island Baby, Street Hassle, Sunday Morning and Sister Ray, Andy's Chest and Oh Jim etc etc etc. So, finally, stfu. Good Luck and I wish you peace. Om Om Om

[@axelseaton6127]

I think it is a terrible album, on a par with Tangerine Dream, Tubular Bells and Yes

[@plasticweapon]

wow, you have absolutely horrible taste in music.

[@petercorbett3794]

I know folk with taste like Metallica. I think they’re awful. I’m not going to listen to Reed with Metallica, life is too short, and far better spent with Metal Machine Music. The sickest thing I ever heard was that Metallica had a good bass player. Please.

[@sexobscura]

*It has to be said that an album that sounds like a fluttering speaker cone gasping for air, as then come the high-pitched screeches, perhaps bringing to mind a grainy video image of seagulls circling over an open sea filled with radioactive garbage, has to be regarded as one of the true maverick gestures, nay, accomplishments, in musical history*