Lou Reed & Metallica: Lulu – review

Based on the work of early 20th-century expressionist playwright Frank Wedekind, Lulu features some of Lou Reed's more "challenging" lyrics set to Metallica's misfiring metal. It's not a successful union: the songs are too close to aimless, unfinished jams, Reed sounds as if he's trying too hard to be controversial (his opening line is "I would cut my legs and tits off when I think of Boris Karloff") and at 95 minutes it's far too long. It all comes together just once, on "Dragon", the band locking into a monolithic riff that recalls the end of their own "Orion", but there's precious little else to recommend about this unlikely project.