The Velvet Forum

For your listening pleasure, I give you 2 hours of Metal Machine Music at half speed - the way it was meant to be heard

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9ca3b7tr ... c9e8f&dl=0

(Hope it's ok to post a link here. I assume no copyright holder will be adversely affected)

Is this recorded at half speed from a vinyl copy, or a slowed down cassette? Or is it digitally slowed?

digitally

Thanks.

The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with MMM was to join the four tracks into one, which I wish Lou Reed had done at the time he re-released it on CD. Anyway it’s not too hard using a crossfade for the joins.

Thanks, it's certainly different.

Years ago though I played one side of the vinyl at 45rpm and didn't notice.

The reason I did this is because I believe Lou sped up his tapes to mix MMM and I think the half speed version I posted sounds like what he actually recorded, or close enough - i.e. guitars sound like guitars. The result is more organic, more "real".
Playing MMM at 45 would make if even more removed from what it was originally.

I remember making a tape copy of it in the early 80s and playing it at different speeds and backwards and heard at least one symphonic snippet (I think Beethoven)

falconwhit wrote: ↑08 Nov 2023 18:13 Playing MMM at 45 would make if even more removed from what it was originally.

It was an accident, I played a single before and forgot to change the speed.

MMM on helium - the Chipmunks version

I've only listened to part 1 so far, but I found it quite compelling. At half speed, you can hear more of what Lou is up to and it's not just leaning aguitar on an amp.