The Raven (Lou Reed album)

Last updated
The Raven
LRRaven.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 28, 2003 (2003-01-28)
Recorded2002
Studio
Various
  • Sear Sound, New York
  • Clinton Recording Studio, New York
  • Cove City Sound Studios, New York
  • The Looking Glass Studios, New York
  • Roof Recording, New York
Genre Rock
Length125:04 (2-disc edition) * 74:59 (1-disc edition)
Label Sire
Producer Lou Reed, Hal Willner
Lou Reed chronology
Legendary Lou Reed
(2002)
The Raven
(2003)
Animal Serenade
(2004)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 54/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Pitchfork Media (2.0/10) [5]
Robert Christgau B+ [6]

The Raven is the nineteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released on January 28, 2003 by Sire Records. It is a concept album, recounting the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe through word and song, and was based on his 2000 opera co-written with Robert Wilson, POEtry. [7]

Contents

The Raven features new and very different versions of two songs that Reed had released on earlier albums: "Perfect Day" (originally found on 1972's Transformer ) and "The Bed" (from 1973's Berlin ). In addition to Reed, the album features a number of guest vocalists including Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Antony Hegarty, Steve Buscemi and Willem Dafoe. The co-producer of the album, Hal Willner, had previously overseen the Poe tribute album Closed on Account of Rabies .

The recording was simultaneously released as a two-disc set of recordings and in an edited single-disc version. Painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel created the cover. The Raven would prove to be the final solo rock album by Reed, as 2007's Hudson River Wind Meditations consisted entirely of meditational new-age music, and 2011's Lulu was a collaborative rock album with heavy metal band Metallica.

Track listing

All tracks written by Lou Reed.

Limited edition double CD set

Disc 1: Act 1: The Play

  1. "The Conqueror Worm"
  2. "Overture"
  3. "Old Poe"
  4. "Prologue ( Ligeia )"
  5. "Edgar Allan Poe"
  6. "The Valley of Unrest"
  7. "Call on Me"
  8. "The City in the Sea/Shadow"
  9. "A Thousand Departed Friends"
  10. "Change"
  11. "The Fall of the House of Usher"
  12. "The Bed"
  13. "Perfect Day"
  14. "The Raven"
  15. "Balloon"

Disc 2: Act 2

  1. "Broadway Song"
  2. "The Tell-Tale Heart (Pt. 1)"
  3. "Blind Rage"
  4. "The Tell-Tale Heart (Pt. 2)"
  5. "Burning Embers"
  6. "Imp of the Perverse"
  7. "Vanishing Act"
  8. "The Cask"
  9. "Guilty", spoken
  10. "Guilty", sung
  11. "A Wild Being from Birth"
  12. "I Wanna Know (The Pit and the Pendulum)"
  13. "Science of the Mind"
  14. "Annabel Lee – The Bells"
  15. "Hop Frog"
  16. "Every Frog Has His Day"
  17. "Tripitena's Speech"
  18. "Who Am I? (Tripitena's Song)"
  19. "Courtly Orangutans"
  20. "Fire Music"
  21. "Guardian Angel"

1 CD edition

  1. "Overture"
  2. "Edgar Allan Poe"
  3. "Call on Me"
  4. "The Valley of Unrest"
  5. "A Thousand Departed Friends"
  6. "Change"
  7. "The Bed"
  8. "Perfect Day"
  9. "The Raven"
  10. "Balloon"
  11. "Broadway Song"
  12. "Blind Rage"
  13. "Burning Embers"
  14. "Vanishing Act"
  15. "Guilty"
  16. "I Wanna Know (The Pit and the Pendulum)"
  17. "Science of the Mind"
  18. "Hop Frog"
  19. "Tripitena's Speech"
  20. "Who Am I? (Tripitena's Song)"
  21. "Guardian Angel"

Personnel

Adapted from The Raven liner notes. [8]

Musicians

Production and artwork

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Reed</span> American rock musician (1942–2013)

Lewis Allan Reed was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band The Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Although not commercially successful during its existence, the Velvet Underground became regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music. Reed's distinctive deadpan voice, poetic and transgressive lyrics, and experimental guitar playing were trademarks throughout his long career.

<i>Tales of Mystery and Imagination</i> (Alan Parsons Project album) 1976 studio album by The Alan Parsons Project

Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Edgar Allan Poe) is the debut studio album by British rock band The Alan Parsons Project. It was released on 25 June 1976 in the United Kingdom by Charisma Records. The lyrical and musical themes of the album, which are retellings of horror stories and poetry by Edgar Allan Poe, attracted a cult audience. The title of the album is taken from the title of a collection of Poe's macabre stories of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Conqueror Worm</span>

"The Conqueror Worm" is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe about human mortality and the inevitability of death. It was first published separately in Graham's Magazine in 1843, but quickly became associated with Poe's short story "Ligeia" after Poe added the poem to a revised publication of the story in 1845. In the revised story, the poem is composed by the eponymous Ligeia, and taught to the narrator in the fits of her death throes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect Day (Lou Reed song)</span> 1972 song by Lou Reed

"Perfect Day" is a song written by American musician Lou Reed in 1972. It was originally featured on Transformer, Reed's second post-Velvet Underground solo album, and as B-side of his major hit, "Walk on the Wild Side". Its fame was given a boost in the 1990s when it was featured in the 1996 film Trainspotting and after a star-studded version was released as a BBC charity single in 1997, reaching number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Norway. Reed re-recorded the song for his 2003 album The Raven.

<i>Transformer</i> (Lou Reed album) 1972 studio album by Lou Reed

Transformer is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lou Reed. Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, the album was released in November 1972 by RCA Records. It is considered an influential landmark of the glam rock genre, anchored by Reed's most successful single, "Walk on the Wild Side", which touched on controversial topics of sexual orientation, gender identity, prostitution and drug use. Although Reed's self-titled debut solo album had been unsuccessful, Bowie had been an early fan of Reed's former band The Velvet Underground and used his fame to promote Reed, who had not yet achieved mainstream success.

<i>Thank You</i> (Duran Duran album) 1995 studio album by Duran Duran

Thank You is the eighth studio album by English new wave band Duran Duran. It was released on 27 March 1995 by Parlophone. Consisting of cover versions, the album performed moderately on the charts, reaching number 12 on the UK Albums Chart and number 19 on the US Billboard 200, but received negative reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal Willner</span> American record producer (1956–2020)

Hal Willner was an American music producer working in recording, films, television, and live events. He was best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles. Willner died during the COVID-19 pandemic from complications brought on by the virus.

<i>Sally Cant Dance</i> 1974 studio album by Lou Reed

Sally Can't Dance is the fourth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in September 1974 by RCA Records. Steve Katz and Reed produced the album. It remains Reed's highest-charting album in the United States, having peaked at #10 during a 14-week stay on the Billboard 200 album chart in October 1974. It is also the first solo Lou Reed album not to feature any songs originally recorded by Reed's earlier band, the Velvet Underground, as well as the first of Reed's solo studio albums to be recorded in the United States. The album art was designed by noted Fillmore and Broadway poster artist David Edward Byrd and was one of the few album covers he ever designed.

<i>Life on a String</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Laurie Anderson

Life on a String is the sixth studio album by performance artist Laurie Anderson, released in 2001 on Nonesuch Records.

<i>New Sensations</i> 1984 studio album by Lou Reed

New Sensations is the thirteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in April 1984 by RCA Records. John Jansen and Reed produced the album. New Sensations peaked at No. 56 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at No. 92 on the UK Albums Chart. This marked the first time that Reed charted within the US Top 100 since his eighth solo studio album Street Hassle (1978), and the first time that Reed had charted in the UK altogether since his sixth solo studio album Coney Island Baby (1976). Three singles were released from the album: "I Love You, Suzanne", "My Red Joystick" and "High in the City", with "I Love You, Suzanne" being the only single to chart, peaking at No. 78 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for "I Love You, Suzanne" did, however, receive light rotation on MTV.

<i>The Blue Mask</i> 1982 studio album by Lou Reed

The Blue Mask is the eleventh solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released on February 23, 1982, by RCA Records. Reed had returned to the label after having left Arista Records. The album was released around Reed's 40th birthday, and covers topics of marriage and settling down, alongside themes of violence, paranoia, and alcoholism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe and music</span>

The influence of Edgar Allan Poe on the art of music has been considerable and long-standing, with the works, life and image of the horror fiction writer and poet inspiring composers and musicians from diverse genres for more than a century.

<i>Live: Take No Prisoners</i> 1978 live album by Lou Reed

Live: Take No Prisoners is a 1978 live album by American musician Lou Reed, recorded during May 1978 at The Bottom Line in New York.

<i>Animal Serenade</i> 2004 live album by Lou Reed

Animal Serenade is a live album by American rock musician Lou Reed, recorded in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theatre in 2003 after The Raven. The show features a drummer-less band. In addition, Anohni, of Antony and the Johnsons fame, contributes background vocals throughout and sings the lead on "Set the Twilight Reeling" and "Candy Says".

<i>NYC Man (The Ultimate Collection 1967–2003)</i> 2003 compilation album by Lou Reed

NYC Man is a 2-CD anthology of Lou Reed's work. All songs of this career spanning collection were chosen, sequenced and remastered by Lou Reed himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hop-Frog</span> Short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"Hop-Frog" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1849. The title character, a person with dwarfism taken from his homeland, becomes the jester of a king particularly fond of practical jokes. Taking revenge on the king and his cabinet for the king's striking of his friend and fellow dwarf Trippetta, he dresses the king and his cabinet as orangutans for a masquerade. In front of the king's guests, Hop-Frog murders them all by setting their costumes on fire before escaping with Trippetta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe in television and film</span>

American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe has had significant influence in television and film. Many are adaptations of Poe's work, others merely reference it.

<i>The Dark Chapter</i> 1994 studio album by Michael Romeo

The Dark Chapter is the first studio album by Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo, released in April 1994 through Zero Corporation (Japan) and reissued in 2000 through InsideOut Music (Europe).

<i>Lulu</i> (Lou Reed and Metallica album) 2011 studio album by Lou Reed and Metallica

Lulu is a collaborative studio album between rock singer-songwriter Lou Reed and heavy metal band Metallica, released on October 31, 2011, through Warner Bros. Records in the United States and Vertigo Records elsewhere. The album is the final full-length studio recording project that Reed was involved in before his death in October 2013. It was recorded in San Rafael, California, during April to June 2011, after Reed had played with Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert which led to them wanting to collaborate. The lead single, titled "The View", was released on September 27, 2011.

<i>A Midnight Visit</i> Australian immersive theatre experience

A Midnight Visit is an Australian multi-sensory immersive theatre experience based upon the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The audience walks at their own pace through a variety of theatrically designed rooms featuring adult concepts, uneven floors, small and large spaces, and low-level lighting. Finding themselves as co-creators of their own experience, audiences are transported into a macabre dream world, and negotiate encounters with peculiar characters who sing, act, dance and even perform circus aerials.

References

  1. "The Raven by Lou Reed". Metacritic . Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. Deming, Mark. The Raven at AllMusic
  3. Decurtis, Anthony (2003-01-14). "Lou Reed: The Raven : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2009-05-31. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  4. Blender (magazine) review Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  5. James, Brian (2003-02-06). "Lou Reed: The Raven: Pitchfork Review". Archived from the original on 2003-02-19. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  6. "Robert Christgau: CG: Lou Reed" . Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  7. "POEtry" . Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  8. The Raven (CD booklet). Lou Reed. Sire Records. 2003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)