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Ian Astbury Defends Lulu!?
The Quietus , January 31st, 2012 12:19

...while saying Lou Reed is "deteriorating"

Recently panned across the board, the Metallica and Lou Reed collaboration Lulu has been defended by The Cult's Ian Astbury.

While pondering the "authenticity" and "life credentials" of some critics in an interview with Rolling Stone, Astbury took time to oppose the flack that the album has sustained.

He said that the album was "something I've argued with many people about. You know, everyone's saying 'Oh, it's disgusting, it's an abomination. You know the amount of hate they got for that record. Hate! I think Pitchfork gave it like 1, or 0."

"Lou Reed, he's a 67-year-old man," Astbury continued. "His body of work is stellar, he is one of our greatest laureates. If you know anything about Lou Reed, he's not well right now. He's deteriorating, his body's sick, he's getting frail and fragile. He's chosen Metallica to be his muscle, to be his armor, so he can come out one more time and make a statement of what's happening in his internal life, and he's using this Weimar Republic play, Lulu, to put himself over."

"If you actually listen to the record, there's some phenomenal moments on it, by anybody's standards. 'Junior Dad' for example, I think is a fucking brilliant piece of music." The Cult's ninth studio album Choice Of Weapon, recorded with Chris Goss (QOTSA, U.N.K.L.E.) and Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith), is due for release on May 22.