Kirk Hammett on Metallica’s Controversial Album ‘Lulu’

It's been nearly 14 years since Lou Reed and Metallica released the album Lulu. Despite the amount of time that has passed, fans and critics still can't get behind the controversial (and heavily panned) album. Meanwhile, it seems like the members of Metallica still dig it.

The latest comments about Lulu come from Kirk Hammett. He recently told Rolling Stone that the LP really means a lot to him. Particularly, he recognized the lyrics, which he referred to as "poetry from track to track." Hammett also recalled how Reed first played "Junior Dad" for him and James Hetfield, and they both cried.

"I'm a huge Lou Reed fan," said Hammett. "To be able to hang out with him and work with him musically meant so much.

In March 2023, Lars Ulrich opened up about Lulu in the book The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi. The book was a posthumous release from Lou Reed with help from his widow, Laurie Anderson. The book explores Reed's relationship with music, Tai Chi, and meditation. The book also featured a number of new interviews, including one with Ulrich.

In the book, Ulrich is quoted saying, "What the f-ck is it about 'Lulu' that it got that kind of reaction? I can't quite figure it out, but years later, it's aged extremely well. It sounds like a motherf-cker still. So I can only put the reaction down to ignorance ... It took our fans to a place I wish they would go more often."

He added, "Maybe it would be a better time to release it now with what's going on outside in the world, the chaos. I don't know, but I am very proud of this record."