Unexpected Collaborations
 

Sometimes artists cross paths and decide to work together to the surprise of one or both of their audiences. One of the most recognized examples is Metallica and Lou Reed' Lulu which was largely rejected by both fanbases (I think it's a solid album though). I find that unexpected collaborations tend to either be artists awkwardly stacking their styles on top of each other (see Jesu & Sun Kil Moon) or they can be a display of all sides really coming together and pushing their boundaries (such as Actress & London Contemporary Orchestra's Lageos). Both are welcome so long as they're unexpected, but I'm more interested in the latter. What are some of your favourites?

To kick things off, here's Faust with Dalek

William Shatner and Ben Folds and Henry Rollins, etc.

One collaboration that was a bit unexpected when I found out about it was Dirty Mac. Like most collabs short lived with very little material. Yer Blues was a Beatles song written by John Lennon. Dirty Mac were the nexus of 60s bands: The Beatles, Stones, Cream and the Jim Hendrix Experience. It was a one time collab for the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus film. I wish they did an album or two together.

Yer Blues - Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell)
5:15*·*YouTube

Symphony & Metallica. Michael Kamen pouring some symphonic goop over various Metallica tracks with pretty much only meh-to-bad results. Sounds very forced. Should have changed the original Metallica arrangements a bit to accomodate for a symphonic reworking. Just pouring a full orchestra on top of a completely unchanged metal song doesn't work at all.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PblCqNxincU

Alt metal band Dir En Grey and video composer Akira Yamaoka. One song from their 2014 album Arche getting a very nice reworking. Yamaoka turns it into a track that sounds like it was always his own and it works damn well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOLPdbEIjwo

Boris and Merzbow. ****in' crazy dude.

Not really.

Black Sabbath and Ice T on not very good 90's Sabbath album Forbidden.

Vernon Reid and Bill Frisell


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_tXNZ0AR88

^