wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly) (05/27/85)
Here's another recommendation for Laurie Anderson's United States Live album. It's a sometimes appalling but almost always funny look at alienation and communication in our whacked-out society. The overlap with the Big Science album is small enough that owners of both albums won't feel ripped off for buying both. The unfortunate thing is that the visual aspects of the performance are missing; I'd sure like to see this thing on stage! Here's a sample spoken text from side two that gives the flavor of the performance: There was an old couple that decided to drive across country in their car; both of them were almost legally deaf. About 10 miles away from home, the burglar alarm for their car door got stuck in the 'on' position. They drove all the way to San Francisco like this. You could hear them coming for miles. The alarm didn't seem to bother the old woman at all; she thought it was -- sort of -- pleasant. Near Chicago, she said to her husband, "It sounds like far away bees on a summer day." Her husband said, "What?" Note: this is my own transcription, so I apologize for any errors in it. The interesting thing here (besides the obvious humor and poignancy in this little tale) is what it has to say about relationships and communication. The intention of the burglar alarm's constructors, which is subverted by it's always being on and the old couple's inability to hear it except as a possibly pleasant background noise carrying with it associations from their own past (summers, picnics, a nearly forgotten lover, perhaps); the effect of the couple's near-deafness on communication in their relationship, which is only hinted at here. And there's the couple's unintentional communication with the inhabitants of the landscape they're passing through as their burglar alarm blazes away, its sound devoid of its original meaning. This is very skillful and compact writing. If you haven't heard Laurie Anderson, I suggest buying Big Science before you plunk down $25 or $30 for this album, or listening to it at a friend's house. Those of you who already like her stuff won't be disappointed by this album, I think. Here's a list of pieces on the album for those of you who are thinking about buying it: -------------------------------------------------------------------- (PART ONE) Side 1: Say Hello Walk The Dog Violin Solo Closed Circuits (for voice and amplified mic stand) For A Large And Changing Room Pictures of It (for acoustic tape bow) The Language of the Future Side 2: Cartoon Song Small Voice (for speaker-in-mouth) Three Walking Songs (for tape bow violin) The Healing Horn New Jersey Turnpike Side 3: So Happy Birthday EngliSH Dance of Electricity Three Songs for Paper, Film and Video Sax Solo (for tape bow violin) Sax Duet Born, Never Asked (PART TWO) Side 4: From the Air Beginning French O Superman Talkshow Side 5: Frames for the Pictures Democratic Way Looking For You; Walking And Falling Private Property Neon Duet (for violin and neon bow) Let X = X The Mailman's Nightmare Different Listening Hour Side 6: Language Is A Virus From Outer Space (by Bill Burroughs) Reverb If You Can't Talk About It, Point To It (for Ludwig Wittgenstein and Reverend Ike) Violin Walk City Song Finnish Farmers (PART THREE) Side 7: Red Map Hey Ah Bagpipe Solo Steven Weed Time And A Half Voices On A Tape Example #22 Strike False Documents New York Social Life A Curious Phenomenon Yankee See Side 8: I Dreamed I Had To Take A Test ... Running Dogs Four, Three, Two, One The Big Top It Was Up In The Mountains Odd Objects (for light-in-mouth) Dr. Miller Big Science Big Science Reprise (PART FOUR) Side 9: Cello Solo It Tango Blue Lagoon Hothead (La Langue D'Amour) Stiff Neck Telephone Song Sweaters We've Got Four Big Clocks (And They're All Ticking) Side 10: Song For Two Jims Over The River Mach 20 Rising Sun The Visitors The Stranger Classified Going Somewhere Fireworks Dog Show Lighting Out For The Territories -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope I haven't misspelled too many song titles. -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly
jad@hpfclo.UUCP (jad) (06/18/85)
I'll put in my plug for USLive, too. If you like pop music, though, forget it. This is DiFfEreNT! Not like other music. And yeah, I too wish I had the visuals with it instead of just the album. I saw her in concert and it was an art event, not a music show. She is not just a musician, she's an artist. And if you have Big Science, I do too, and USLive is still worth it if you liked Big Science. Many of the tracks on the Live album are vert different from the studio version; you're not wasting the money. So get into it! "This is not a paid advertisement" -- jad -- UUCP: {ihnp4}! hpfcla!jad ARPA: terrapin@purdue