Customer Reviews

Raven

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

Lou Reed's in his sixties and has been a legend for more than half his life. Listen to the 2 CD set of "The Raven," though, and you won't see so much as a hint of the considerable baggage of years or career that he brings to the project. Sure, doing Poe isn't a new idea. Alan Parsons did it back in the 70s; Hal Wilner (who returns to the haunted cellar on Reed's project) put together an all-star cast for the underappreciated "Closed On Account of Rabies" a few years ago. What makes Reed's foray into the arabesque so different is also what makes it run the risk of alienating his listeners, Poe "scholars," and them what likes a good tune: a complete disregard of expectations and a lot more risk-taking enthusiasm than anyone would expect from Lou at this stage of the game.

Sure, Reed cuts Poe's work to ribbons and pastes together the pieces he likes best, so if you believe at all in the sanctity of the text, stay away from "The Raven." Once Reed starts mixing his own lines in with those of EAP, all notions of this being a musty museum piece or anything approaching respectability goes out right out the window. Despite Reed's eminence grise pose in the liner notes and in the Julian Schnabel photography, there's a gymnasium full of naiveté here. The shouted choruses, Steve Buscemi's foul-mouthed Fortunato in "Cask of Amontillado" (the name of the wine, incidentally, being mispronounced throughout), Willem Dafoe's relish in growling out his lines-all give "The Raven" the feeling of a bunch of 14-year-olds making a Halloween tape after watching a couple of Vincent Price movies. It's a poster-painted haunted house of gloom and doom where kids are playing the car radio too loud in the parking lot and cheerleaders in fright wigs and Elvira make-up are trying to sell you caramel corn and colas before you go in.

And the lyrics! When Reed himself sings, "These are the stories of Edgar Allan Poe/Not exactly the boy next door," can anyone still believe that this thing is going to be "high-minded" and "serious of purpose"? Early on the second disk, we're also treated to a "Broadway Song" that is the most lounge-lizardish thing you've heard since Tom Waits treated us to "Frank's Wild Years." Leave it to Reed to write a song in which the singer ends a verse with "Let that saxophone blow" only to follow the line with a flute.

Reed takes very few of the lead vocals himself, something else that's sure to anger the faithful, but members of his assembled cast (including a ham-fisted David Bowie playing Hop-Frog) seem to share his gum-smacking, lets-put-on-a-show enthusiasm. And you may be sucked into it yourself. My first time through, I found myself making up verses about the titular raven sitting on a bust of Pallas; in my take, he's jonesing for an egg-cream. Lou doesn't take it that far, but he comes close! I hadn't intended to listen to the whole thing the first evening, but I couldn't stop. As one song came to an end, I would say to myself, "I just have to find out what the hell he's going to do to the next one." The operative phrase here is "do to," not "do with." Two treasured relics Reed hammers to bits are his own songs "The Kids" and "Perfect Day," versions almost textbook-perfect in how to infuriate those who love the early 70s Reed and expect him to stay there.

It's rare that such joy and energy comes through on a record. Here, you always have the sense that the artists are really having a good time in doing what they're doing. On "The Raven," it's anything goes. I never expected this record to be so much fun, as if everyone involved had never seen a recording studio before and was just knocked out with all the cool stuff they could do.

The verdict? Basically, no matter what you're expecting, you're going to be surprised-possibly appalled, possibly delighted. You'll be shaking your head in wonder or shock throughout, and-well, we'll see if you ever want to hear it again. Don't forget, Reed's frustrated the fans before. Think about "Metal Machine Music" (four sides of feedback) or "Take No Prisoners" (which featured a 17-minute version of "Walk on the Wild Side" during which Reed never got around to actually singing the song). I thought he'd topped himself with the "Possum Day" song from "Ecstasy," but as it turns out, he was just warming up.

Welcome back to the funfair, Lou. Now what in the hell were you thinking?!

This cd is great for what it is-- a creation of the world of Poe through using Poe's words, Reed's own words blended in with Poe's words (since he must have a similar outlook and/or admiration for Poe to undertake such a project Reed's own words fit seamlessly), background music by Reed to the readings , and Reed's own original songs that fit into the themes expressed in Poe's work and in Reed's apparent shared outlook on life.

Sure, it's not the kind of cd you're going to pop on to get you going in the morning on your drive to work, but it's not meant to be. It's like this holistic experience recreating a mood, an atmosphere, a sense of life through the words and music combined. It's more like reading a novel set to music or watching a movie than your conventional rock album; an aural experience that attempts to evoke the visual as well. Sort of like a concept album but a step beyond that in that it weaves itself into the fabric of your soul while you're listening to it and let's you experience another perspective on existence. Reed has created a new form of art here and this is destined to be a classic.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. But I still enjoyed it after my one listen to it and am looking forward to delving into that world again. It helps if you've read Poe before because then you know where all the references are from and what's going on; you have a point of reference so you don't feel totally lost having been thrown into the cds' universe without a map. I've read my fair share of Poe so I can't imagine what the album might be like if I hadn't read Poe though. But I'm sure it would still shine through since a work of art should be able to stand on it's own even if further knowledge deepens your appreciation of it even more (in this case knowing the works of Poe).

But hey, I guess that was Lou's goal, to expose people to Poe's work and probably to get them interested and read some of it. If people don't want to exert a little effort for this album then that seems weird since most people are Reed fans for the intelligence, perceptions/observations, and new inventions and ways of expressing these ideas and concepts he has in his head.

So don't be scared off by negative reviews and not buy it. Buy it and give it time and immerse yourself in it and maybe pick up a Poe anthology. It will be quite rewarding in the end I think. (Definitely get the 2cd version)

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.

First of all, I must say that I view Lou Reed as today's foremost poet, definately in a class with the great Edgar Allen Poe. The beauty of Lou's music is that it allows white collar America a voyeuristic view into a world that we would never see otherwise. Lou has put out music that has offended me, made me cry, and made me wonder what the hell he was thinking. My favorites from Lou are his concept albums (Songs for Drella, Magic and Loss). These are not albums to be listened to for their danceability, but for their content (if you want a rockin' Lou Reed album, buy New York-it's priceless). It would be impossible to try to ingest Poe or any other poet while trying to do anything else. Find a quiet room, unplug the phone, lock the door, and let the words and voices wash over you. This is definately not an album for the Lou Reed beginner! Buy the Limited Edition, it's worth the extra money.

This cd is great for what it is-- a creation of the world of Poe through using Poe's words, Reed's own words blended in with Poe's words (since he must have a similar outlook and/or admiration for Poe to undertake such a project Reed's own words fit seamlessly), background music by Reed to the readings , and Reed's own original songs that fit into the themes expressed in Poe's work and in Reed's apparent shared outlook on life.

Sure, it's not the kind of cd you're going to pop on to get you going in the morning on your drive to work, but it's not meant to be. It's like this holistic experience recreating a mood, an atmosphere, a sense of life through the words and music combined. It's more like reading a novel set to music or watching a movie than your conventional rock album; an aural experience that attempts to evoke the visual as well. Sort of like a concept album but a step beyond that in that it weaves itself into the fabric of your soul while you're listening to it and let's you experience another perspective on existence. Reed has created a new form of art here and this is destined to be a classic.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. But I still enjoyed it after my one listen to it and am looking forward to delving into that world again. It helps if you've read Poe before because then you know where all the references are from and what's going on; you have a point of reference so you don't feel totally lost having been thrown into the cds' universe without a map. I've read my fair share of Poe so I can't imagine what the album might be like if I hadn't read Poe though. But I'm sure it would still shine through since a work of art should be able to stand on it's own even if further knowledge deepens your appreciation of it even more (in this case knowing the works of Poe).

But hey, I guess that was Lou's goal, to expose people to Poe's work and probably to get them interested and read some of it. If people don't want to exert a little effort for this album then that seems weird since most people are Reed fans for the intelligence, perceptions/observations, and new inventions and ways of expressing these ideas and concepts he has in his head.

So don't be scared off by negative reviews and not buy it. Buy it and give it time and immerse yourself in it and maybe pick up a Poe anthology. It will be quite rewarding in the end I think. (Definitely get the 2cd version)

Much of this panoramic record comes from collaboration with Robert Wilson. So it's much like those Tom Waits dual records from a year ago. But this combines dramatic readings by actors like Willem Dafoe and Amanda Plummer, and music inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, which Reed calls "the most classical of American Writers" and sees him in a tradition with William Burroughs and Hubert Selby. Even David Bowie and Ornette Coleman make appearances here, and Julian Schnabel does the artwork. Reed had to scour NYC for any notable figures with a Poe [prejudice]. Some highlights include Antony singing "Perfect Day" and Reed himself on "Who Am I?" Musically it's all over the place, combining jazz, rock and roll, and folk music. One of Reed's most listenable albums for a long time.