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Laurie Anderson|Life on a String

Life on a String

Laurie Anderson

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Language available : english

2001's Life on a String is a peculiar entry in Laurie Anderson's career, in that elements of it echo her previous work without sounding much like anything she's done before. In particular, the album has ties both to 1982's Big Science (like that album, Life on a String largely consists of songs taken from a much larger work, her musical theater piece Moby Dick) and 1989's Strange Angels (it returns to the more musical side of her style, which had been largely abandoned on her two '90s releases). Unfortunately, it doesn't measure up to either of those career high points. In its favor, the sound is a new and intriguing development for Anderson; an accomplished violin player who previously had only used the instrument pretty much as a prop, Anderson fills all of these songs with front-and-center string sections that provide an entirely different texture for her usual meandering melodies. On the minus side, the lyrics largely feel about half-written, full of jarring transitions and lines that seem to be there to take up space until Anderson writes the real words. The primary exception is "Slip Away," a moving song about the death of her father that's probably the most direct and emotional song Anderson has ever written. It's the clear high point of Life on a String; unfortunately none of the rest of the album compares.

© Stewart Mason /TiVo

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Life on a String

Laurie Anderson

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1
One White Whale
00:02:02

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals, MainArtist - Joey Baron, Percussion - JOHN KELLY, Backing Vocals - Tom Nelis, Vocals

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

2
The Island Where I Come from
00:04:08

Greg Cohen, Bass Guitar - Laurie Anderson, Composer, Vocals, MainArtist - Mino Cinelu, Percussion - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar, Organ - Chris Speed, Saxophone - Cuong Vu, Trumpet - Danny Frankel, Percussion

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

3
Pieces and Parts
00:03:35

Eyvind Kang, Violin - Laurie Anderson, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - MITCHELL FROOM, Keyboards - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar - Eric Friedlander, Cello

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

4
Here with You
00:02:23

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Violin, MainArtist - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar - Eric Friedlander, Cello

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

5
Slip Away
00:05:50

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Peter Scherer, Keyboards, Percussion - Jamshied Sharifi, Additional Keyboards - Joey Baron, Drums - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar - Eric Friedlander, Cello

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

6
My Compensation
00:02:28

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Lyricist, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Skuli Sverisson, Composer, Programmer

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

7
Dark Angel
00:03:23

Van Dyke Parks, Conductor, String Arranger, Keyboards - Barry Finclair, Violin - Joel Pitchon, Violin - Laurie Anderson, Composer, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Jan Mullen, Violin - Ann Leathers, Violin - Ricky Sortomme, Violin - Sue Pray, Viola - Carol Webb, Violin - Ellen Payne, Violin - Enrico DiCecco, Violin - Fredrick Zlotkin, Cello - Heidi Modr, Violin - Jean Ingram, Violin - Jonathan Dinklage, Violin - Judith Wilmer, Viola - Vincenti Lionti, Viola - Jeanne LeBlanc, Cello - Karen Dreyfus, Viola - Timothy Cobb, Bass Guitar

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

8
Broken
00:03:20

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Peter Scherer, Keyboards - Joey Baron, Drums - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

9
Washington Street
00:04:40

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Keyboards, Violin, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Bill Frisell, Guitar - Joey Baron, Drums - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar - Ben Rubin, Bells

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

10
Statue of Liberty
00:04:25

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Keyboards, Violin, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar - Eric Friedlander, Cello

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

11
One Beautiful Evening
00:05:05

Lou Reed, Guitar - Laurie Anderson, Composer, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Mocean Worker, Keyboards - Martin Brumbach, Percussion - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar - Eric Friedlander, Cello

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

12
Life on a String
00:02:58

Laurie Anderson, Composer, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Peter Scherer, Keyboards - Vinicius Cantuaria, Percussion - Skuli Sverisson, Bass Guitar, Keyboards

© 2001 Nonesuch Records ℗ 2001 Nonesuch Records

Albumbeschreibung

2001's Life on a String is a peculiar entry in Laurie Anderson's career, in that elements of it echo her previous work without sounding much like anything she's done before. In particular, the album has ties both to 1982's Big Science (like that album, Life on a String largely consists of songs taken from a much larger work, her musical theater piece Moby Dick) and 1989's Strange Angels (it returns to the more musical side of her style, which had been largely abandoned on her two '90s releases). Unfortunately, it doesn't measure up to either of those career high points. In its favor, the sound is a new and intriguing development for Anderson; an accomplished violin player who previously had only used the instrument pretty much as a prop, Anderson fills all of these songs with front-and-center string sections that provide an entirely different texture for her usual meandering melodies. On the minus side, the lyrics largely feel about half-written, full of jarring transitions and lines that seem to be there to take up space until Anderson writes the real words. The primary exception is "Slip Away," a moving song about the death of her father that's probably the most direct and emotional song Anderson has ever written. It's the clear high point of Life on a String; unfortunately none of the rest of the album compares.

© Stewart Mason /TiVo

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