"Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'"
That's exactly how I felt after listening to Lou Reed's new album, aptly-titled The Raven. This recording is absolutely horrible.
Maybe I just don't get the genius that is Lou Reed. Like many artists, he does have his diehard fans that hang on to every word that he says. But come on people - a tribute album to Edgar Allen Poe?
Reed tries to spread his newfound love for Poe with the help of guests ranging from Steve Buscemi ["Broadway Song"] to David Bowie ["Hop Frog"] and Willem Dafoe ["The Raven"].
The most heinous song on this entire coffee coaster is [who is this guy?] Antony's rendition of one of Lou Reed's best songs, "Perfect Day." Listening to this track made me wish I were Mark Renton, Ewan McGregor's character from Trainspotting who was dying from a heroin overdose.
"Balloon," which is performed by Kate and Anna McGarrigle, sounds like it was sampled from the old nursery song "I'm a Little Teapot."
This album moves erratically, from the fast-paced "Burning Embers," which sounds like Reed's version of Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart," to the slow, sleepy-paced, "Vanishing Act."
The album is not completely devoid of merit, though. There are some songs that could be enjoyed if they weren't surrounded by all the other crap. I just can't think of any right now because my mind has gone completely numb.
Reach the reporter at ryan.eilders@asu.edu.
|
Lou Reed The Raven Warner Bros.
(out of four) |
