Big Science (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Big Science
Type = Studio album
Artist = Laurie Anderson


Released = 1982
June 18, 2007 (reissue)
Recorded = The Lobby, The Hit Factory, New York City
Genre = Avant-garde
Experimental music
Pop music
Length = 38:19
Label = Warner Bros. Records
23674

Nonesuch/Elektra Records (reissue)
79988
Producer = Laurie Anderson
Roma Baran
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:difqxq95ldse link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=laurie+anderson link]
*Music Box Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2007/laurieanderson-bigscience-09232007.html link]
*Pitchfork Media (8.7/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/44356-big-science link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/laurieanderson/albums/album/118865/rid/5945420/ link]
Last album = "You're the Guy I Want To Share My Money With" (1981)
This album = "Big Science" (1982)
Next album = "Mister Heartbreak" (1984)

"Big Science" is the 1982 debut album by avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson and the first of a 7-album deal she signed with Warner Bros. Records. It is best known for the 8-minute epic "O Superman", which reached #2 in the UK. The album is minimalist and monochrome in sound, and like a great deal of Anderson's work is based largely on spoken word. It is a selection of highlights from her eight-hour production, "United States Live", which was itself released as a 4-LP box set and book in 1984. "United States Live" was originally a performance piece, in which music was only one element. After "Big Science" music played a larger role in Anderson's work. [GroveOnline|Laurie Anderson|Susan McClary|September 1|2006]

Although considered her debut album, Anderson had previously recorded one side of a 2-LP set titled "You're the Guy I Want To Share My Money With", a collaboration released on Giorno Poetry Systems with William S. Burroughs and John Giorno. She had also contributed two pieces to a 1977 compilation of electronic music.

A newly remastered version of the album was released on 18 June 2007 by Nonesuch/Elektra Records with new liner notes, a bonus track, "Walk the Dog" (which was the B-Side of the original "O Superman" single), as well as the "O Superman" video.

The album has been sampled in a number of hip hop songs:
* "From the Air" was sampled by Mr. Lif in the song "Home of the Brave" on his "Emergency Rations" EP. The song deals with political repercussions of September 11, 2001 playing off the original songs description of a plane crash descending into New York City.
* "Raspberry Fields" by Cannibal Ox contains a sample from "Sweaters."
* "This about the City" by cLOUDDEAD contains a sample from the song "Big Science."

Track listing

All tracks by Laurie Anderson.
# "From the Air" – 4:29
# "Big Science" – 6:14
# "Sweaters" – 2:18
# "Walking & Falling" – 2:10
# "Born, Never Asked" – 4:56
# "O Superman (For Massenet)" – 8:21
# "Example #22" – 2:59
# "Let X=X/It Tango" – 6:51 ("Let X=X" – 3:51; "It Tango" – 3:01)

Personnel

*Laurie Anderson – vocals, vocoder, farfisa organ, percussion, Oberheim OB-Xa, sticks, violins, electronics, keyboards, handclaps, whistling, marimba
*Roma Baran – farfisa bass, glass harmonica, sticks, handclaps, casiotone, accordion, whistling
*Perry Hoberman – bottles and sticks, handclaps, flute, sax, piccolo, backing vocals
*Bill Obrecht – alto sax
*Peter Gordon – clarinet, tenor sax
*David Van Tieghem – drums, rototoms, timpani, marimba, percussion

Additional personnel

*Rufus Harley – bagpipes on 3
*Chuck Fisher – alto sax on 7, tenor sax on 7
*Richard Cohen – b-flat clarinet on 7, e-flat clarinet on 7, bass clarinet on 7, bassoon on 7, bari sax on 7
*Leanne Ungar – backing vocals on 7
*George Lewis – trombones

ample

Sound sample box align right|"Big Science (song)" by Laurie Anderson

Charts

Album

References