A compilation of Laurie Anderson’s work includes early breakthrough material featuring spoken word, electronically manipulated voices, and violin, with a poppy Cajun/reggae/art-rock feel and lyrics inspired by controversial performance artist Chris Burden. Pre-breakthrough recordings reveal New York’s downtown art scene in the late 1970s and show Anderson trying different styles. Later releases move toward conventional 1980s art-pop, with Talk Normal featuring avant guitar and lyrics that playfully frame the singer as a clone. The Lake presents a film soundtrack that meditates on loss through spoken word and ambient music. Only an Expert combines Reed’s feedback-heavy guitar with stop-start house music and steely observations about big business. Beautiful Red Dress is noted as unusually approachable.
"From a compilation released by William Burroughs associate John Giorno fellow contributors included Patti Smith, Philip Glass and the Fugs comes the fledgling sound of Laurie Anderson's breakthrough Big Science: spoken word, electronically manipulated voices, violin. It doesn't quite work, but it's worth hearing, not least for the distinctly country-ish slant to her violin playing. Trawling through Anderson's pre-Big Science recordings gives you a fascinating glimpse both of New York's downtown art scene in the late 70s and of Anderson trying on different styles. Here, an appealing, oddly poppy Cajun/reggae/art-rock hybrid with lyrics inspired by controversial performance artist Chris Burden."
"Anderson's concert movie Home of the Brave moved her closer to conventional 80s art-pop (two tracks were collaborations with Nile Rodgers). But Talk Normal is the pick: squalls of avant guitar courtesy of Adrian Belew, and a great lyric that sees a passerby describe the singer as another Laurie Anderson clone. Anderson performs at the New York West Village Halloween Parade, 2023. Photograph: Rob Kim/Getty Images 17. The Lake (2015) Heart of a Dog is an album perhaps only Anderson would have made: a film soundtrack that meditates on loss not of her late husband, Lou Reed, but their pet dog Lolabelle via spoken word and ambient music."
"The Lake is closer to a conventional song, being sweet, sad, fragile and fraught with terrifying childhood memories (the original version appeared on 2010's Homeland). 16. Only an Expert (2010) Reed's guitar in coruscating feedback-drenched mode meets warp-speed, stop-start house music, topped with Anderson's steely spoken-word observations on how big business dominates our lives by deliberately inventing problems only they can solve. Further embellished with a remarkably catchy chorus, Only an Expert is sharp, funny, smart and wildly enjoyable. 15. Beautiful Red Dress (1989) Ironically, Anderson's most approachable albu"
Read at www.theguardian.com
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