Lou Reed and Metallica?

Livin' out here in the sticks, I sometimes miss news. In fact, until I caught an offhanded reference to it in a News for Youse in the Straight, I had no idea that Lou Reed and Metallica had recorded an album together.

Yes, Lou Reed and Metallica have recorded an album together - of course to great critical disdain. I actually don't mind the one song I've heard - it kinda reminds me at times of parts of that long, near-instrumental workout that takes up most of one side of Patti Smith's Radio Ethiopia, and it makes me wonder if there's going to be a Metallica-Lou live version of "The Blue Mask," which could be an amazing thing.

 Still, I'm listening to Wolves in the Throne Room, Arkona, and Les Rallizes Denudes pretty much exclusively these days. Not sure that I have the room for this, psychically. We'll have to see.

Oh, and that Taj Mahal Travellers album that everyone's been paying big money for, the August one with the purple cover? Phoenix Records has reissued it.