Lou Reed making a rare public appearence at Barnes & Noble to promote "The Raven." Oddly enough, Lou began this evening by searching for his Starbucks, taking a sip, and then telling a huge crowd of fans that Starbucks is good. We will not be surprised if Starbuck Cafes all around country will become major distributors of Lou Reed's latest creation, "The Raven."..New York, January 30, 2003.....About "The Raven" from E! Online: There's timeless material, an impressive guest list and plenty of telltale heart in Reed's homage to writer and Goth icon Edgar Allan Poe. But this two-disc set, which features David Bowie, Willem Dafoe, Steve Buscemi and others performing and reading from the writer's texts, is less Poe-tent than the assembled talent would have you believe. Produced by Hal Wilner (who did his own fine tribute Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe), the disc has a few bright spots like singer Antony's quavering take on Reed's "Perfect Day," Buscemi's jaunty "Broadway Song" and the instrumental "A Thousand Departed Friends," which sounds like Morphine (the band, that is). Although clearly a Poe boy, Reed's lyrical skills are not apparent in lines like, "These are the stories of Edgar Allan Poe/Not exactly the boy next door." Though perfect for hipster English-lit teachers, ravenous Reed fans will find themselves saying "nevermore." Please byline: Alecsey Boldeskul/NY Photo Press. ..*PAY-PER-USE* ....NY Photo Press: ..phone (646) 267-6913; ..e-mail: info@nyphotopress.com