Have You Listened to Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music?

I started to listen to Lou Reed not long ago, I started my exploration with his work with the Velvets, Transformer, Coney Island Baby, you know, the “accesible” stuff.

I’ve always read about Metal Machine Music, how awful it was, it was one of the worst albums ever and so on. So I decided to give it a try.

And....

I only lasted 5:27 minutes because it gave me a headache. I’m not kidding. Truly unlistenable.

So I’m curious, most people here seem to make jokes about this album, but how many of you have actually listened to it? (If you have listened to one “song” only, it also counts).

Pitchfork’s rating is 8,7. Ha.

 

I own two versions, including the quad, as well as the Metal Machine Trio album. I kick myself for not seeing the MMT show in L.A. in '08.

 

I'm a massive Reed fan and have a copy of everything he recorded...except MMM.
I did listen to one of the parts on a sampler cd and quite enjoyed it.
It's like free jazz, you can't do conventional listening, more let it stay there and absorb the vibrations...

 

I've listened to it, one side at a time. I hear it as ambient music, more texturally interesting than most examples.

 

If there's something on the opposite end of the scale to 4:33, this is it.

 

I think I've listened to a little sample of each of the sides. Twas enough.

 

Wow, you’re brave!

Yes, I absorbed too much I think.

 

I enjoy it.

 

Heck, I forgot about the other side. I’m gonna listen to side 2 later.

 

I guess it is not my thing.

 

When I read Reed's quote "Anyone who gets to the end of Side 4 is stupider than I am", I took it as a challenge.

So yeah, all 4 sides, back to back. It becomes background noise pretty quickly.

 

I missed the concerts in New York too. Didn’t know until too late. I missed his Berlin album show as well.

 

lol, my brain doesn’t tolerate the noise apparently. But I’m gonna try again

 

And if you play side 3 backwards you can hear "actually John was the Walrus...Paul was 3rd base"...

 

There are 4 sides total, in vinyl speak. Enjoy?

 

Yes - Unfortunately.

 

Don't feel obligated. His contemporaneous interview with Lester Bangs makes clear that the project was an amphetamine delusion. In it he claims that there are quotes of Beethoven's Eroica symphony in the 9th harmonic if you know how to listen for them, and other foolishness.

 

Lol yeah, I streamed it though. I meant I forgot about pt 3 & 4.

 

MMM is pretty tame compared to stuff like Prurient or a lot of Merzbow's stuff.

 

Is the cure of cancer also on it?

 

I found MMM particularly edifying when I was drunk and had the spins.

 

I have. Twice, in fact.

 

I wonder if David Lynch listened to it when looking for music for Twin Peaks Season 3 Episode 8 and thought: "...too melodic..."

 

I think this attitude may fit some definitions of “insanity”.

 

Best thing I’ve ever read about MMM. Nuff said.

I’ve had it since around 1986, when I was 14, and have listened to it once a year I guess. Not all at once I hasten to add. It’s pretty funny if you play side one, then put on say, a Peggy Lee album side, then MMM side two, then a cup of tea. Then say, a side of Stevie Wonder, then MMM side three. etc etc. I’m not kidding. It’s fun like that when you’re in the mood for an unusual, er, day, rather than...a Perfect Day.