Search - Lou Reed :: Raven (Dig)

Lou Reed's greatest album is here...somewhere

Boy | 11/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First thing to know about this sprawling double album is that well over half the "songs" listed on the box are actually spoken word performances backed by minimalistic electronica, sparse orchestral arrangements, and, at some points, utter silence. The amusing and eclectic crew of dramatists lending their voices to the project include movie actors Willem Dafoe (LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST) and Amanda Plummer (PULP FICTION). That Lou Reed himself does not contribute a single peep until track five is both disorienting and off-putting, and yet when he does finally arrive, it is with a vengeance. His vocal performance here ranks among the most energized and unhinged of his career, and his trusty band of long-time collaborators match his raw performance with muscular, fuzzed-up guitar riffs, howling horns, and a hard-driving rhythm section.



The problem is that the average listener is not likely to make it to track five, having been effectively turned off by the album's first ten-plus minutes of plodding poetry recitals and disjointed instrumentals. Now I'm not saying the spoken word material isn't worth listening to, it's just that if you paid your money expecting to get a Lou Reed rock and roll album, you are likely to feel initially shortchanged.



There is, however, a solution.



When I first decided to cook up a mix of THE RAVEN excluding all spoken word pieces, I had no idea I was inadvertantly putting together what would become my all-time favorite Lou Reed album. Midway through the first listen, I realized I was hearing Lou Reed's most ambitious, inspired, and accessible album ever.



The track listing I recommend is the following:

Disk one, tracks 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 13.

Disk two, tracks 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, and 21.



Fifteen songs in all, this is the Lou Reed album that has it all: rousing, instrumental opener ("Overture"), head-on, anthemic rocker ("Edgar Allan Poe"), furious, up-tempo jams ("Change," "Blind Rage," and "Burning Embers"), haunting melancholy ("Call On Me" & "Vanishing Act"), creepy remakes ("The Bed", "Perfect Day"), groovy, gritty funk ("Guilty"), bluesy, soulful swagger ("I Wanna Know"), David Bowie ("Hop Frog"), surging, spectacular epic ("Who Am I?"), blistering, soul-throttling instrumental ("Fire Music"), and climactic, poignant finale ("Gaurdian Angel"). Many of these tracks, all stand outs, call to mind the very best material from Reed's wildly varied discography.



I recommend this "rock mix" first, to get yourself hooked on THE RAVEN, and then the full version later when you are more ready to experience those eerie and unsettling interpretations of Poe's stories and poetry.



Lou Reed's best album is here - you just have to find it."

Let's put on a show!

02/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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?!"

Definitely a curiosity, but NOT a rocker...

John C. Bowerman | Enola, Pennsylvania United States | 02/11/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A very interesting album...but it probably won't make it into anyone's heavy rotation list. If you like Lou's music, then get the single-disc version of "The Raven." However, if you want to dig in to Lou's interpretations and reworkings of some of Poe's greatest works, then invest in the limited edition 2-cd set. Either way, I think this album will futher enhance Mr. Reed's reputation and critical standing, but I don't believe this somewhat pretentious and stiff album will recieve much air time and will gather dust on many a shelf. With that said, the album is of interest to die-hard Lou Reed fans and collectors. If you fit in this category, it is certainily worthwhile to own one (or both) version(s). The guest appearances of David Bowie, Willem Dafoe, Ornette Coleman, Laurie Anderson and others definitely increase the "curiosity factor" of this album. however, if you are only a casual fan (or if you cringe at the idea of someone like Reed revising the classic works of Poe), then I would suggest waiting until this album hits the bargin bins. (NOTE: I gave the single-disc version a 4-star rating because it is more focused on the music instead of the spoken tracks..."