The Raven - by Lou Reed (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Raven" includes Reed's distinctive takes on Poe's most celebrated works, as well as song lyrics written for the 2001 musical. "The Raven" is a fascinating meeting between a dark chronicler of the 20th century and his 19th-century counterpart.

Book Synopsis

One of the most influential and innovative recording artists of the past three decades, Lou Reed has always offered a shrewd view of life in the big city in all its colors. It is no surprise, then, that he considers Edgar Allan Poe a spiritual forefather. In The Raven, Reed immerses himself in Poe's enigmatic world and sets out to reimagine his work to mesmerizing effect. In 2001 Lou Reed, legendary theater director Robert Wilson, and an all-star cast presented the musical POEtry at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Reed's subsequent studio adaptation, The Raven, has been hailed as one of his more daring and challenging albums. Here, accompanied by photographs by the acclaimed artist and director Julian Schnabel, is the definitive text of the CD release. The Raven includes Reed's distinctive takes on Poe's most celebrated works, as well as song lyrics written for the musical. The Raven is a fascinating meeting between a dark chronicler of the twentieth century and his nineteenth-century counterpart; the work on one iconoclastic genius offering a haunting exploration of another.

Review Quotes

"[Reed] strides fearlessly through and beyond his known territories. ... He adds his own lines even to some of the best-known pieces, jolting the listener with an anachronism while adding a dimension of the here and now."