Probably the most pop-accessible of Laurie Anderson's recorded work, Mister Heartbreak features a number of stunning luminaries on the cutting edge of popular music at the time. Striking guitar work by King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew permeates this disc -- notably on "Sharkey's Day" -- punchy and angular. The production and bass work from Bill Laswell is superb. Peter Gabriel -- at the time still coming off the buzz of his departure from Genesis -- is featured in a duet with Anderson on "Excellent Birds." There is a heavy reliance on early-'80s synthesizers which would normally be very off-putting, but here they are executed well. Nowhere does the music slip into irreparable '80s cliché; it is still an entertaining listen. Lyrics are typical of Anderson' work -- complex, literate, provocative, difficult to fully comprehend. Haunting "Gravity's Angel" borrows imagery from Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. Spoken word delivery on "Sharkey's Night" is given by the legendary William S. Burroughs. This is a very satisfying listen and a great intro for those unfamiliar with Anderson's work.
Laurie Anderson's "Mister Heartbreak". This was one of those records that led me to other things I loved, namely the author/poet William S. Burroughs. Burroughs "performs" on the album closer, "Sharkey's Night". Also appearing on the album are Peter Gabriel and David Van Tiegham. After years listening to Yes and other progressive bands, Laurie Anderson entirely changed my perception of what "ar...
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Its a Zen thing really, Living in the now. So simple. So transparently obvious because really we can do nothing else..... "......So since I'm still here livin', I guess I will live on. I could've died for love-- But for livin' I was born" .......... Now.......is essentially all that exists for us.....Whether its this now or another now.. ....... "In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or...
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I took the day off yesterday and we went to the "Hawk Mountain Sanctuary":http://www.hawkmountain.org/ , 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 ...
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Laurie Anderson's "Mister Heartbreak". This was one of those records that led me to other things I loved, namely the author/poet William S. Burroughs. Burroughs "performs" on the album closer, "Sharkey's Night". Also appearing on the album are Peter Gabriel and David Van Tiegham. After years listening to Yes and other progressive bands, Laurie Anderson entirely changed my perception of what "ar...
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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 an...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Sharkey's Day |
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| 2 Langue d'Amour |
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| 3 Gravity's Angel |
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| 4 Kokoku |
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| 5 Excellent Birds |
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| 6 Blue Lagoon |
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| 7 Sharkey's Night |
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 "Mister Heartbreak")
