What's this? A largely spoken word concept album based on the works of 19th century Gothic icon Edgar Allan Poe? It can only be Lou Reed, the grizzled veteran of the Velvet Underground whose hallowed status effectively allows him to follow through on whatever grandiose project takes his fancy. And grandiose is the word - The Raven consists of readings by actors such as Steve Buscemi and Willem Dafoe, interspersed with spooky instrumentals and a handful of new Reed songs including guest vocalists including David Bowie and the McGarrigle sisters. It's a daring idea - but unfortunately it ends up falling between two stools. The updating of Poe's language will offend literary purists, while Reed fans will almost certainly be disappointed by the kitsch nature of much of the music. That said, there are plenty of incidental pleasures here, from Dafoe's powerful reading of the title poem to some effective Hammer Horror sound effects. And while Reed's judgement may be erratic to say the least, his enduring sense of ambition can only be applauded. A flawed experiment - but one still worthy of investigation.
