New Lou Reed album: "The Raven" (01/28)
 

http://www.loureed.org/raven/raventitle.gif

I noticed Lou Reed is going to release a new concept album based on Edgar Allan Poe's works on January 28. The album is called The Raven and will be released as a two disc set containing readings of Poe's poetry (by people like Willem Dafoe, no less) to the tune of Reed's new music and a second CD of music. There will also be a shorter one-disc release.

Now, this looks like it'll stick out from the grey mass of most album releases. It's pleasing to see there are still people willing to go off on a tangent to explore new musical venues in rock.

Check out http://www.loureed.org, and for something really weird, add a . (dot) at the end of the address.


You can listen to two songs from the album here:

The Raven (read by Willem Dafoe)

Burning Embers

A Lou Reed...uhh....concept album?

Wait...he's actually done stuff like this before. Would he scowl angrily at me if I told him that he shares company with the dreaded "prog-rockers"? ;)

Anyone pick this up today? I'm headed to Best Buy shortly - hopefully they'll have the 2 disc version. I really liked "Who Am I" when he performed it last year on that Bravo show. And, hey, it couldn't be worse than Metal Machine Music.

Also want to pick up Pulp's "His 'n Hers" and the soundtrack to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The other Best Buy I went to on Sunday had neither. :(

I'm passing on this one, although I'm a big Lou fan it just doesn't sound interesting to me. I heard him in Seattle last summer and the material from this album he played just stopped the show dead in its tracks. Too much spoken word on what he played. It's an interesting idea but in execution it just comes off as really dry and pedantic. Pretty mediocre reviews so far of what I've seen too. Of course, I've never particularly liked Poe, but I like Reed when he deals with the modern era better.