Laurie Anderson, "O Superman" (electronica, spoken word)

[Poll_Blind]

  Just thought I'd inflict this on anyone who still happens to be up. My great shameful secret is, during the 80's when I was a teenager, I wasn't listening to 80's pop music. I've been living a lie all this time, nodding along as friends gushed about how great Duran Duran, Oingo Boingo, etc. were. I simply had no knowledge of their songs. Except for a few songs which were popular on the radio I was listening to Laurie Anderson, Tangerine Dream, Art of Noise, Philip Glass and basically any other electronica I could get my hands on or that would play on Hearts of Space. If you're up and bored, give it a listen. You might like it. You can play this song 100 years from now and it still won't be dated, in my opinion.

Laurie Anderson, O Superman on YouTube

  I listened to Oingo Boingo, consciously, for the first time less than a year ago. I started glutting on 80's music (the good stuff, anyway) and it's like discovering a second set of genitals. I'm grateful, there's very little in the realm of popular music currently that I find enjoyable to listen to.

PB

[enigmatic]

1. One of my all-time favorite songs

I love this song; bought the original 12" import on the reccomandation of a guy I played in a band with when it came out and it's still in my top 10.

"So hold me Mom, in your long arms...."

[Poll_Blind]

2. I heard somewhere that her electric violin is in the Smithsonian...

...collection. I can believe it. I'd already been listening to her for years when she started hosting "Alive from Off Center" on PBS. It was so nice to see moving pictures of her. I finally got to meet her about 10 years ago. Of course, very nice lady. I met up with her after a concert. She was walking, completely alone, eating an apple and thumbing through some book about Tibetan monks after a nuclear holocaust. I was very happy to get her autograph. I've gotten autographs of many more "famous" people, but hers is the one that I enjoy the most.

PB

[peekaloo]

3. ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

I love this song. I used to goof on a friend by leaving the title line on his answering machine, since we were the only two who loved that song.

Gawd bless college radio.

[Drum]

4. I was so into Laurie!

I love Big Science and the next few projects that came afterward. She is and was definitely a "palate-cleanser," standing apart from all others, and collaborated with many respectable/interesting musicians too. For several years I had that little part of O Superman---"Hello hahaha I'm not home right now..."---as my outgoing answering-machine message. I'm also very fond of the tune "Born, Never Asked" and use it when I'm teaching dance classes, include it nearly every time.

Once I was out in San Francisco years ago, and reconnected with a dear friend Karen. Karen was making some part-time $ working coat-check at a music club there, a place called Slim's perhaps, and I went to visit her. Imagine my dilemma, when I came in and heard Laurie's electric violin wafting through the hallway. I kept breaking off my chat with Karen to go check out Ms Anderson downstairs, until K graciously told me to go ahead, we could catch up later. It was thrilling to plunk down 20 ft away from Laurie for the rest of her show, quite unforeseen by me. A treat!

[RetroLounge]

5. I saw her in the 80's at the Chicago Theatre...

was totally blown away by her show...

RL

[evlbstrd]

6. I got to hear her perform that live at my college.

And it was before it was released. Way too cool.

[MorningGlow]

7. Here come the planes!

They're American planes.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh loves me some Laurie. Thanks for the earworm!

:headbang: