Lou Reed may be the most prolific of popular composer-lyricists, exploring and exploiting the underside of man's heart and desires for the nearly 40 years. One of the first to release recordings that were consistently thematically linked (and releasing very nearly an album a year), Lou is one of the father's of modern music --- the first proto-punk whose words and music suggested life was difficult, love was impossible, betrayal was the norm, but, hey, you might as well live. "The Raven," being released in both a single and sprawling double-disc extravaganza, is a tribute/homage/adaptation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. It was inevitable that one of the most depressive writers of the 19th century should be reinterpreted by one of the most depressive writers of the 20th century, and then released in the beginning of the 21st century. Sure, "The Raven" is a little over the top, but surely you didn't expect reticence and reserve when Reed does Poe. The double CD is set up in a unique way: There are Poe's stories and poems, rewritten and adapted by Reed, and boasting a supporting cast of actors who are astounding: Elizabeth Ashley, Steve Buscemi, Willem Dafoe, Amanda Plummer, Fisher Stevens and Kate Volk. But wait! Into the embarrassment of riches is added (among others) Laurie Anderson, David Bowie and Ornette Coleman, among others as guests. "The Raven" is sumptuously produced, and the combination of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries is very heady. One listen is hardly enough for the complexities here; additional listenings only enhance and deepen the experience. "The Raven" may not be for everyone, but for fans of Lou Reed (and Edgar Allan Poe), and for those interested in stretching the boundaries of popular entertainment, it is a must. (Written by staff member Stephen J. Finn.)

I won't go into too much detail here, but I will try to shed some light on a few aspects of this disc that are little-known to many others.

First and foremost, this is NOT your typical LOU REED album.
It's not your typical album...period!

What this is, is a tour de force combining the mind and music of LOU REED, his inner demons mingling with those of the writings of like-mind; EDGAR ALLEN POE.

How many times have you encountered a performer who was brave (and cool) enough to include POETRY (spoken verse) and conceptual tracks interspersed with his musical interpretions?
Not very often at all, I can assure you.

This album; RAVEN, was ORIGINALLY performed ON STAGE (in a spectacle of sound and fury) as a PLAY written by LOU REED.

It was conceived in Germany for the THALIA THEATRE and was later brought to the U.S. for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (B.A.M.), where I saw it performed at the Howard Gilman Opera House in December of 2001.

I have been searching for this album ever since.
(It was to be released shortly thereafter...assumidly under the name of POEtry, but obviously it never manifested.)
I can only assume (until I do more research) that there was some contractual problems that prevented a "cast-album", and instead graced us with celebrity voice-overs from the likes of WILLEM DEFOE (SHADOW of the VAMPIRE & SPIDER-MAN) and STEVE BUSCEMI (FARGO, RESEVOIR DOGS & ANY Adam Sandler flick).

I for one, as a POE fan, as well as one who enjoyes REED's darker musical tendancies, will enjoy hearing the haunting melodies once again (nearly 2 years after the live performance)!

Will I listen to this again and again?
To this, the RAVEN could not say; NEVERMORE.
Oh No...the only response is...EVER more!

Enjoy!

Initially I hated this album and was sorely disappointed. After listening to it for three weeks, it has won me over completely. This is Lou Reed in all of his glory and with all of his frequently aggravating excesses. You have to take The Raven as a package: 12 great songs, 6 mediocre songs and 3 fine poetry readings with verses added by Reed.

The album starts off poorly: the instrumental "Overture" may work in concert but is just filler here. The show tune, "Edgar Allen Poe," is a somewhat clever but mostly grating summary of Poe's work set to the tune of "Future Farmers of America." It is fun to hear Reed, with his NY accent, naturally rhyme "Poe" with "Door."

Things then get better. "Call on Me" starts off pretentiously, discussing the "other selves' mournings", but becomes a thing of beauty, transitioning into a stanza of verse read by Laurie Anderson and concluding with her singing the refrain. The instrumental, "A Thousand Departed Friends," sounds not like "Metal Machine Music" as some have suggested, but more like the instrumental conclusion of "What Goes On" on "1969 Live," where musical repetition grows ever so slightly in intensity and tempo and you wish it would never end. An apt tribute to the victims of 9/11.

Reed's stripped down remake of "The Bed" from "Berlin" is perfect: it captures the original's pathos while eschewing its bathos. Speaking of remakes, Reed has a singer name Antony perform "Perfect Day"; Antony's warbly high tenor is almost surreal in its beauty: I've never heard anyone quite like him. When Antony sings background vocals on tracks like "Science of the Mind" and "Guardian Angel," the combination of Reed's voice and his is almost a religious experience.

Other highlights include "Burning Embers," where Reed adopts a Tom Waite-like singing voice and sounds convincingly like the undead. "Vanishing Act" is the "Oh Jim" of The Raven: simple and powerful lyrics with minimal accompaniment. "I Wanna Know" is bizarre and fun: a gospel call and response tune(!) where Reed sings his heart out about Poe's concept of "preverseness" and the lead singer of the Blind Boys of Alabama offers a powerful echo. "Hop Frog" with David Bowie is just plain fun: pure power pop with lyrics for a children's song. "Who Am I" is simply magesterial--a beautiful track--and "Guardian Angel" reaches the sublime when Antony and Reed sing together. Finally, "Change" is an impassioned and somewhat humorous song about fear and aging.

The poetry readings are all fine and entertaining.

Now for the ugly. "Balloon" is a nothing a capella song echoing but not improving upon "I'm a Little Teapot." Reed wastes Ornette Coleman on the insipid "Guilty." "Blind Rage" is poorly conceived: if one experiences "blind rage," then one usually isn't capable of saying "I'm in a blind rage!" It's as if Reed suddenly introduced lyrics like "I'm experiencing existential despair!" into "Heroin." He knows better than this. "Broadway Song" is a throwaway, ironic show tune; its only value is the novelty of hearing Steve Buscemi sing a Reed song.

Reed has rarely sung with more heart and soul, ranging from soft and soulful ("Science of the Mind") to impassioned and yearning. Reed is experimenting and extending his usual musical and lyrical range. There are some failures, but these are more than outweighed by the glorious successes. As to whether Reed is "true to Poe," I don't particularly care: I'd rather have a Lou Reed album than a soundtrack.

If you don't have any records by Lou Reed or his old band "The Velvet Underground", you should get "The Raven". It is musically and lyrically a masterpiece of songwriting craft and Reed's singing is better than I've ever heard or thought possible. This album probably won't get many good reviews, modern music critics and consumers have become so accustomed to mediocrity that they can no longer recognize authentic inspiration when they hear it. In the country of the deaf, the one-eared man is king.

Ok, so this isn't as jumpy as "New York," as narrative as "Songs for 'Drella," or as innovative as "Metal Machine Music." Or maybe it is simply becuse it is a dazzling concept for Lou to choose to vitiate the work of another artist of another era. The paralells are clear but wouldn't be so well articulated by any other contemporary performer. It's a perfect congruence of sensibilities. This isn't a CD for background music, but to engage in an often neglected activity: partaking of art and enjoying the enobling experience.