Re: laurie anderson

[boris%monsoon.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Boris Chen)]

In article <911017170039.216019d3@mary.fordham.edu> ANGELINE@mary.fordham.EDU writes:
>the end result be initially disappointing.  Unlike TSW, Strange Angels has
>not grown on me...it is weak, uninspired, unintelligent and unworthy of 
>Laurie's earlier work.  Most songs are quite bad and banal, and the remotely
>interesting ones (like Babydoll and  Beautiful Red Dress) are too coy and
>soft.  Basically, Laurie wimped out...and as for the praise that she 
>finally got political, well, she always was (as anyone who's heard United
>States I-IV would know).  If Strange Angels is any indication, then Anderson's
>best work is behind her.

Hmm, I think she still retains her wit. "I could write a book, and this book
would be thick enough to stun an ox." is equivalent to "I'm asking my brain
for another word for 'horse." And he says, 'huh. how 'bout cow? that's close.'
Things like Hiawatha and Coolsville I think are close equivalents to
things like Big Science and others. She's just gotten more skilled at 
creating smoother sounds. Yeah, thinggs like "The Day the Devil" is
kinda hackneyed with mentionings of Mr. Jones and obvious alusions to
Swaggart, but saying he has the "keys to your car" strikes me as
evidence that she still has the typical Anderson flippant wit.
Coming home to see wierd things seem to be a common theme in her
songs. 

I have to admit though, I miss her voice that exubes power.

--boris
"Hey, pal. What's going on here?"