― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 20 November 2005 23:04 (eighteen years ago) link
Anyone ever taken on the entire United States Live box? I own it but have never been quite willing to set aside the, what, four hours it calls for...
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 21 November 2005 00:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― I.M. (I.M.), Monday, 21 November 2005 00:31 (eighteen years ago) link
This is a heartbreaking commentary on sadness -pity some people miss this.
― Brian Naughton, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 18:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Monday, 28 August 2006 06:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Monday, 28 August 2006 07:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Monday, 28 August 2006 07:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― the art ensemble of chicago house (vahid), Monday, 28 August 2006 08:13 (seventeen years ago) link
― the art ensemble of chicago house (vahid), Monday, 28 August 2006 08:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 28 August 2006 08:23 (seventeen years ago) link
I wrote elsewhere here about how i thought the "b-side" was so cool, with no indication of speed on the label, so "walk the dog" was too fast at 45 and too slow at 33. Such a playful song.
as though the a-side is the "serious art", respectful of minimalist tastes and suitably poised, a bit like a requiem or hymn, at home in the concert hall
and the other side, "walk the dog", is the playful, rock'n'roll, extended mix of that unique sound, musings on culture, what's accepted as "music" these days, etc. etc..
So that little 45 provided multiple contexts, a mini anderson show across two sided, a work-out for the new musical ideas...
So i have to take "o'Superman" as a modern double a-side, an art event on 45 that includes _both_ songs as balanced parts, ..
ie "Walk the Dog" should always be considered included in discussions of "O Superman", Laurie Anderson's extraordinary first single.
― george gosset (gegoss), Monday, 28 August 2006 09:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Monday, 28 August 2006 09:30 (seventeen years ago) link
I remember in fourth grade, for P.E. class, we had to make up some sort of dance and perform it in front of the class (no, I don't understand it either -- maybe they were just trying to see if they could somehow make P.E. even more embarrassing?) and I did mine to "Born, Never Asked". I think that officially makes me the dorkiest fourth-grader ever.
― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Monday, 28 August 2006 10:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Monday, 28 August 2006 10:35 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 28 August 2006 11:59 (seventeen years ago) link
I also like what George said upthread about how the song needs to be looked at in the context of "double a-side" single.
― sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Monday, 28 August 2006 15:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― Zeno Piston's Cruel Cartoon (Haberdager), Monday, 28 August 2006 15:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― Public Radio (public_radio), Monday, 28 August 2006 19:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― Zeno Piston's Cruel Cartoon (Haberdager), Monday, 28 August 2006 19:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 28 August 2006 19:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Zeno Piston's Cruel Cartoon (Haberdager), Monday, 28 August 2006 19:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 28 August 2006 19:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― Zeno Piston's Cruel Cartoon (Haberdager), Monday, 28 August 2006 19:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― Public Radio (public_radio), Monday, 28 August 2006 22:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Monday, 28 August 2006 22:08 (seventeen years ago) link
So back to the song: This song is such a classic! I wish I could find other songs that compared to it. So haunting, so great.
― Public Radio (public_radio), Monday, 28 August 2006 22:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Monday, 28 August 2006 22:56 (seventeen years ago) link
me too!! but 'o superman' still classic.
― IT'S MINIMALISM, ASSHOLES. (haitch), Monday, 28 August 2006 23:04 (seventeen years ago) link
Such a Laurie Anderson thing to do.
― Edward III (edward iii), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 15:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― factcheckr (factcheckr), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 22:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 22:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 22:53 (seventeen years ago) link
Having just watched the video again, though, I think the amazing thing about this isn't really in lyrics or meaning or symbols, or anything. We can kind of hint around the "atmosphere" or the "sound" of the thing, bu it's hard to describe exactly what's going on with it: I think its stillness and repetition -- and the odd way it feels soothing where you'd think it'd feel incredibly tense and irritating -- have this strange effect of sensitizing you. You very quickly stop experiencing it with the attention span of a normal pop song, and instead slow things down, focusing on each little gesture in turn, concentrating on a whole different level -- hence, in the video, she can use this language of really minimal gestures, where watching her (say) make a fist seems like all you need for the moment. It's a really enjoyable mindset to get into.
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 23 September 2006 18:26 (seventeen years ago) link
And the voice said: This is the hand, the hand that takes
― onimo, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 21:55 (sixteen years ago) link
I think I need to turn repeat on.
― onimo, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 21:56 (sixteen years ago) link
nabisco ridiculously otm.
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 22:11 (sixteen years ago) link
still one of the best hit songs of all time and yes, nabisco otm.
― the next grozart, Thursday, 18 October 2007 00:42 (sixteen years ago) link
Laurie Anderson is such a legend.
― I know, right?, Thursday, 18 October 2007 09:07 (sixteen years ago) link
nabisco deserves a medal or something for that post
― Trik Turner Fan Club President (Tape Store), Saturday, 29 November 2008 07:54 (fifteen years ago) link
dud
― The Saving Grace of Gospel House (The Reverend), Saturday, 29 November 2008 08:06 (fifteen years ago) link
^^^ Crazy talk
― Me and Ruth Lorenzo, Rollin' in the Benzo (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 29 November 2008 09:20 (fifteen years ago) link
Quite possibly my #1 track (single or otherwise) from 1981.
― Soundslike, Saturday, 29 November 2008 15:48 (fifteen years ago) link
Think outside the box, Rev.
― Watch Beer, Drink People (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Saturday, 29 November 2008 22:13 (fifteen years ago) link
Fascinating facts: This track was first aired on UK radio on John Peel producer John Walters' Saturday afternoon arts show Walters' Weekly. Apparently a big favorite with UK serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
― Soukesian, Saturday, 29 November 2008 22:44 (fifteen years ago) link
Being called 'musically poor' by Momus is like...being called irritating by a barber shop quartet featuring Damon Albarn, Brett Anderson, Liam Gallagher and Robbie Williams.
LOLOLOL
― roxymuzak, Saturday, 29 November 2008 22:48 (fifteen years ago) link
momus is great
― Trik Turner Fan Club President (Tape Store), Saturday, 29 November 2008 22:55 (fifteen years ago) link
i love momus, im mainly loling at the barbershop quartet here
― roxymuzak, Saturday, 29 November 2008 22:55 (fifteen years ago) link
this song's been in my head a lot lately.
― make like a steak and beef (dog latin), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 10:08 (eleven years ago) link
I'm surprised at sund4r's skepticism about the lyrics! People here have already rooted out some of the great stuff about them, so I won't go too far into it. But the bit of them that seems to have the most resonance in the current decade isn't the planes, so far as I can tell -- it's that asking to fall into the loving embrace of the big strong American automatic/electronic/petrochemical mom, and of course the stuff that leads up to it: "When love is gone, there's always justice; and when justice is gone, there's always force; and when force is gone, there's always mom."Having just watched the video again, though, I think the amazing thing about this isn't really in lyrics or meaning or symbols, or anything. We can kind of hint around the "atmosphere" or the "sound" of the thing, bu it's hard to describe exactly what's going on with it: I think its stillness and repetition -- and the odd way it feels soothing where you'd think it'd feel incredibly tense and irritating -- have this strange effect of sensitizing you. You very quickly stop experiencing it with the attention span of a normal pop song, and instead slow things down, focusing on each little gesture in turn, concentrating on a whole different level -- hence, in the video, she can use this language of really minimal gestures, where watching her (say) make a fist seems like all you need for the moment. It's a really enjoyable mindset to get into.― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 23 September 2006 19:26 (6 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 23 September 2006 19:26 (6 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Completely OTM. This is one of the first songs I can remember ever hearing, but obviously as a tiny infant I didn't realise how remarkable a record it was until I was much older. The whole piece sounds strangely soothing and womblike to me, but in the same way one might feel if placed inside a hermetically sealed bubble and wrapped in white towels by, well, assembly-line robotic arms. The double-entendres of "military arm/petrochemical arm" only struck me the other day while listening back.
It's strange to return to it with critical adult ears, having grown up listening to it in a totally decontextualised, unprejudiced way. But there are certain images that I'm not sure I imagined as a kid or if they're definitely there. The bit wear she says "Smoking or non-smoking" sounds so perfectly syncopated that it phases in exactly the same way as the effect you hear when on a passenger flight.
― make like a steak and beef (dog latin), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 10:29 (eleven years ago) link
this song is so gorgeous. heard it for the first time in like a decade yesterday and was suitably blown away.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Friday, 17 October 2014 20:13 (nine years ago) link