DU Group proposal: Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music"

[CanuckAmok]

Even Lou hasn't listened to it in its entirety, but I bet some DUers have.

Now's the time to talk about this accomplihment of modern composition.

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. I have.

Side 3 is pretty fuckin' cool.

[tigereye]

2. I suspect that won't be a big group

and I suspect I know who will be in it. Haven't heard it for a while. I drag it out every now and then.

[Squeech]

3. Me too

But it's been a long time. (I think my first wife ran off with my copy. There was a lot of stuff that went missing when she left.)

From what I remember of it, I think it would now strike me as kinda quaint. I've heard a lot of more threatening noise since then :-) especially the stuff from Japan and Germany, not to mention the guys Reed himself claimed as influences: LaMonte Young, Iannis Xenakis, etc. (I would add Cage and Gordon Mumma among others.)

Did I mention that I once got Reed to explain to me exactly how he did it? It got published in the '80s in a zine called Browbeat. If there's enough interest I'll try and dig up a copy.

My favorite MMM story involves Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. He participated in a "blindfold test," where he agreed to listen to a bunch of unidentified music and react to it for publication. One of the selections was a bit of MMM. He identified it immediately, not just that it was MMM but that it was the beginning of side 3. (Of course that's the funky side.)

[ret5hd]

4. could those who own...

Diamanda Galas complete works be honorary members?

[asthmaticeog]

5. I have the vinyl.

I have actually listened to the whole thing at a sitting, and I left the loop groove at the end of side 4 going for probably a bit too long.

Never again.