apt@inmet.UUCP (07/01/85)
Attention all Laurie Anderson fans: I LOVE 'Big Science', but don't really like 'Mister Heartbreak'. I've heard good things about 'United States Live' and would like to buy it. Before I do, I'd like to know if it is like 'Big Science'. Also, is it "too live", or lacking in a lot of the interesting effects that are so vital to 'Big Science'? I'd appreciate some feedback on this subject. Thanks... -=:| Alan Taylor |:=- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...harpo!inmet!apt ...hplabs!sri-unix!cca!ima!inmet!apt ...yale-comix!ima!inmet!apt
lsmith@h-sc1.UUCP (Liz Smith) (07/04/85)
> Attention all Laurie Anderson fans: > > I LOVE 'Big Science', but don't really like 'Mister Heartbreak'. > > -=:| Alan Taylor |:=- > Why not? Actually I felt the same way until I remembered that 'Big Science' bugged the hell out of me the first few times I listenend to it, so I gave 'Mister Heartbreak' some more listens - and I love it too now! The music tends to be less minimalistic than 'Big Science', and it doesn't seem to be as much of a 'concept' album. Currently my favorite track is 'Gravity's Angel.' Liz Smith
wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly) (07/07/85)
In article <58300001@inmet.UUCP> apt@inmet.UUCP writes: >I LOVE 'Big Science', but don't really like 'Mister Heartbreak'. I've >heard good things about 'United States Live' and would like to buy it. Sigh ... this was discussed a few weeks ago. You might see if you can dig up a copy of the postings on U.S. Live from that time period. >Before I do, I'd like to know if it is like 'Big Science'. Yes. No. It's like Big Science and unlike Big Science. I THINK fans of Big Science will like U.S. Live, but it all depends on your expectations. > Also, is it >"too live", or lacking in a lot of the interesting effects that are so >vital to 'Big Science'? Whaa ... You ARE aware that Laurie Andersen is a PERFORMING artist? How can music be "too live?" I can't comment on interesting effects, since I have no idea what's interesting to you. If your primary interest is 'funny noises,' you'll probably be disappointed. She tells a HELL of a good story, though, and her sense of humor is a lot more evident in the performances in U.S. Live than in Big Science. I posted a sample 'story' from U.S. Live a few weeks back; check it out. It says everything about the nature of the performances on this album and about Ms. Andersen's concern with communication or the lack of it in our whacked-out society. -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly
mupmalis@watarts.UUCP (M. A. Upmalis) (07/09/85)
In article <58300001@inmet.UUCP> apt@inmet.UUCP writes: >Attention all Laurie Anderson fans: > >I LOVE 'Big Science', but don't really like 'Mister Heartbreak'. I've >heard good things about 'United States Live' and would like to buy it. >Before I do, I'd like to know if it is like 'Big Science'. United States Live reflects the live persona of Laurie Anderson, there is a side of Laurie Anderson that is in a sense a stand up comic, or more likely a person with a bent viewpoint of where we are, The United States Live is actually five albums that encompopasses the entire show, music talk, song, patter etcetra that spanned several nights, A quick summary first, the quality is good, the material is intriguing if difficult and the production is good for what is essentially a live recording, I do not think studio overdubs were done or considered necessary. Some other comments the album is heavy going, you listen in bits and chunks and feel frustrated because there is visible stuff that is mentioned on the album and is reacted to by the audience and that you don't see, however the pieces ( and the perfromance ) is multi media so enough information seeps through, The songs and the patter is wide ranging and i am surprised that Moriarity at Fluke doesn't use some of it in his sign off lines, because it is perofmance art it is fundamentally different from the other albums (ie Big Science and Mr. Heartbreak) though some of the artists like David van Tiegham (sp?) is on both. To get a taste of performance art, watch Live from Off Centre on PBS, Laurie Anderson was on already and may be on again, so is David Byrne of the Talking Heads...great stuff.. -- Mike Upmalis (mupmalis@watarts)<University of Waterloo> ihnp4!watmath!watarts!mupmalis
ljp@trwrba.UUCP (Laura J. Pearlman) (07/12/85)
>> Alan Taylor > Bill Ingogly >> I've heard good things about 'United States Live' and would like to buy it. >> Before I do, I'd like to know if it is like 'Big Science'. Yes, very much so; in fact, every song in Big Science is also in "United States", although many of them are performed differently. The Big Science album cover describes that record as "songs from `United States I-IV'". > I THINK fans of Big Science will like U.S. Live, but it all depends on your > expectations. Well, I agree, but I'm almost sure that anyone who liked Big Science *more* than Mister Heartbreak will like United States. > > Also, is it > >"too live", or lacking in a lot of the interesting effects that are so > >vital to 'Big Science'? > > Whaa ... You ARE aware that Laurie Andersen is a PERFORMING artist? > How can music be "too live?" Before I bought United States, I was a little worried that without any of the visual effects from the performance's "special blend of music, slides, films, tapes, ... hand gestures, and more" the music itself might lose a lot in translation. It probably has, but what's left is great, anyway. About "interesting effects" -- she plays with sound a lot on United States. She finds yet another way to distort her voice in "Walk the Dog"; half of "I Dreamed I Had to Take a Test" is backwards; she experiments with different speeds in "So Happy Birthday". > She tells a HELL of a good story, though, and her sense of humor is a lot > more evident in the performances in U.S. Live than in Big Science. True! But I think her (comic) sense of timing is more well-developed in Big Science than in United States; compare "From the Air" on Big Science to "The Language of the Future" on United States. By the way, does anyone out there know where I could get a copy of "It's Not the Bullet That Kills You -- It's the Hole", "Word of Mouth", or "You're the Guy I Want to Share My Money With"? Laura Pearlman {decvax,ucbvax,hplabs}!trwrb!ljp "I said, it's just like those lip marks that appear every week on your mirror. And she said, what lip marks?"
nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (Doug Alan) (07/12/85)
> From: mupmalis@watarts.UUCP (M. A. Upmalis) Regarding "United States Live": > Some other comments the album is heavy going, you listen in bits and > chunks and feel frustrated because there is visible stuff that is > mentioned on the album and is reacted to by the audience and that you > don't see, however the pieces ( and the perfromance ) is multi media > so enough information seeps through, The songs and the patter is wide > ranging. There is a book that goes along with the album. It contains all the lyrics and photographs of what's going on on stage and reproductions of much of what is shown on the projection screens. I have found that this book has greatly increased my enjoyment of the album set. It'll cost you another $20, though! "Picture a Christmas tree with lots of little sparkly lights, and each light is totally seperate, but they're all sort of hanging off the same wire. Get the picture?" Doug Alan nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (or ARPA)