The Raven (Lou Reed album)

The Raven
Studio album by Lou Reed
Released	January 28, 2003
Recorded	2002
Genre	Rock
Label	RCA
Producer	Hal Willner, Lou Reed
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Blender link Rolling Stone link
Lou Reed chronology
The Raven (2003) Animal Serenade (2004)

For the album by The Stranglers, see The Raven (The Stranglers album).

The Raven is a concept album by Lou Reed released in 2003. Its goal is to recount the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe through word and song. Both "The Bed" and "Perfect Day" are new and very different versions of well-known Reed songs from previous albums, and the song "Fire Music" is white noise. In addition to Reed it features a number of guest vocalists including Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Antony Hegarty, Steve Buscemi and Willem Dafoe. The producer, 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. Album art and photography from New York painter Julian Schnabel.

Track listing

Limited edition double CD set

Disc 1: Act 1

1. "The Conqueror Worm"
2. "Overture"
3. "Old Poe" (with Steve Buscemi)
4. "Prologue (Ligiea)"
5. "Edgar Allan Poe"
6. "The Valley of Unrest"
7. "Call on Me" (with Laurie Anderson)
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" (with Antony)
14. "The Raven" (with Willem Dafoe)
15. "Balloon"

Disc 2: Act 2

1. "Broadway Song" (with Steve Buscemi)
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" (with Steve Buscemi)
9. "Guilty", spoken
10. "Guilty", sung (with Ornette Coleman on sax)
11. "A Wild Being from Birth"
12. "I Wanna Know (The Pit and the Pendulum)" (with The Blind Boys of Alabama)
13. "Science of the Mind"
14. "Annabel Lee - The Bells"
15. "Hop Frog" (with David Bowie)
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 (with Laurie Anderson)"
4. "The Valley Of Unrest"
5. "A Thousand Departed Friends"
6. "Change"
7. "The Bed"
8. "Perfect Day"
9. "The Raven (Willem Dafoe)"
10. "Balloon"
11. "Broadway Song (Steve Buscemi)"
12. "Blind Rage"
13. "Burning Embers"
14. "Vanishing Act"
15. "Guilty (Ornette Coleman on sax)"
16. "I Wanna Know (The Pit And The Pendulum) (with The Blind Boys Of Alabama)"
17. "Science Of The Mind"
18. "Hop Frog (David Bowie)"
19. "Tripitena's Speech"
20. "Who Am I? (Tripitena's Song)"
21. "Guardian Angel"

• Produced by Lou Reed and Hall Willner
• All titles composed by Lou Reed
• [1]