Laurie Anderson

While I don't really know Laurie Anderson personally, I feel I have a tenuous connection with her. We both love Lou Reed and share a birthday. June 5, 1969 is the day I started dying. Gotta say, so far it's been a good run but I have some complaints. My knees, they haven't worked right since the Navy. My eyesight, it's getting to near legendary badness and being born colorblind (thanks Pappy) doesn't help any. My weight, while I still get on a bike and chase my... MORE

We’ve just seen a phenomenal, historic Super Bowl – one for the ages. (How ‘bout them Giants?!?) And, two days later, while the cities of New Orleans, Rio, Venice, and their ilk are reaching the heights of the fevered rites of Carnival, the rest of the U.S. is focused on Super Tuesday – featuring the most significant number of primaries prior to the presidential election in November. Although I hope that all registered voters in those states with primaries have done their ... MORE

No one knew quite what to make of Laurie Anderson's ethereal thingamabob, Big Science, back in the early 1980s, but they liked what they heard, and this weirdly atmospheric track became a most unexpected hit.

Laurie Anderson has the sort of voice that captures your attention. Not because it is loud and forceful, but it has that tone of a flight attendant at times, and it makes you think that maybe you should pay attention. Laurie and a trio of musicians performed her new work, Homeland, at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday to an attentive and appreciative audience of fans. We were all covered in that beautiful sound Laurie can create with a mixture of voice and electronics and s... MORE

People tend to think that alternative rock's commercial breakthrough came in the early 90's, when Nirvana's Nevermind became a surprise smash, but no one seems to recall the early 80's, more especially '82-'83, when The Plasmatics and The Clash were suddenly filling stadiums, XTC actually got into heavy (if brief) MTV rotation with "Sense Working Overtime," frat boys across the country were rocking out to Talking Heads and, most improbably of all, Laurie Anderson actually ... MORE

Today (June 5, 1969) is my 38th birthday. My first with MOG. I must say it has been good a good birthday so far, but the day is young. My kids got me a membership the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society. I know, I know the first thought you had after seeing that is "GEEEEK". Well you are right, but the coolest thing about membership is access to some super cool telescopes. Most notably a 40" Cassegrain which is supposedly the largest privately owned scope in the US.... MORE

I've always been a fan of e.e. cummings, because his poetry is so song-like; you can hear the music in this quote from his poem "somewhere i have never traveled": (i do not know what it is about you that closes and opens; only something in me understands the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses) nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands Generally, I'm not a big fan of spoken-word, or poetry with music... except for Laurie Anderson's work, because she's so... MORE

I took the day off yesterday and we went to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary , which is about an hour north of Philadelphia. What a cool place! After a stroll up the side of the mountain we sat and enjoyed the view: In the brief time sitting on the cold rocks (note to self: bring coffee and a blanket next time!), we saw three red-tailed hawks. And then we journeyed to a bastion of red-state America, Cabelas in scenic downtown Hamburg. Ok, so it was at the intersection ... MORE

This is a great classic track by Laurie Anderson off her Big Science album. Dig it.

Wiki

EDIT

Haha, "This Video Is No Longer Available."
Uncle Bill says that IS the video, then. Where's my mugwump? Is control controlled by its need to control?

I was thinking of the spiritual mothers and fathers of experimental bands of today, and while Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart get their due, Laurie Anderson gets completely passed over. I tried to pick an easy introduction song for anyone who never heard her. Really, where to start on a Sunday morning but Sharkey's Day. I have always thought L.A. is the ultra shiznit when it comes to music and invention. She created a violin with recorded analog tape for the bow "strin... MORE

I compose my first MOG post in tribute to my favorite album by my favorite aritst: Big Science by Laurie Anderson. In 1982, she made a record that-- in 1990, or so-- would send my childhood world of music, media and thought crashing into the future. Though artists have taken influence from it (Spiritualized particularly come to mind; they didn't just cover "Born, Never Asked," either-- try the Farfisa parts on their first three records), Big Science remains a singular pres... MORE

Laurie Anderson has a new, better website ... and with this comes three announcements, with decreasing specificity: - Big Science (my favorite album ever, and the subject of my very first MOG post) to be issued in a remastered and expanded edition in June, including "rarities, remixes and never before heard tracks." - A new album called Homeland to be released in early '08, accompanied by a tour (which is unfortunately only in Europe this summer, but I can't imagine ... MORE

1. Rien Dans Les Poches (Nothing In My Pockets): an audio diary by Laurie Anderson for Radio France. Part one; part two. I'm only 15 minutes into part one - each one's about 75 minutes - and since she speaks most of it in French (fairly slowly, since she doesn't really speak French, thankfully for me), it suits itself more to background headphone listening; I keep drifting in and out of attention, but I'm pleased to hear her voice, understand snatches of what she's sayin... MORE