Big Science (Laurie Anderson album)

For other uses, see Big Science (disambiguation).
Big Science
Studio album by
Laurie Anderson
ReleasedApril 19, 1982
June 18, 2007 (reissue)
RecordedThe Lobby, The Hit Factory, New York City
Genre
Length38:19
Label
Producer
Laurie Anderson chronology
You're the Guy I Want To Share My Money With
(1981) 		Big Science
(1982) 		Mister Heartbreak
(1984)
Singles from Big Science
  1. "O Superman"
    Released: October 1981 (UK)[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Blender[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Pitchfork8.7/10[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
Smash Hits6/10[7]
Spin[8]
Uncut[9]
The Village VoiceA−[10]

Big Science is the debut studio album by American performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson. It was the first of a seven-album deal Anderson signed with Warner Bros. Records. The album consists of a selection of musical highlights from her eight-hour production United States Live, which was itself released as a 5-LP box set and book in 1984.

The album is best known for the single "O Superman", which unexpectedly reached No. 2 in the UK after being discovered and promoted by BBC DJ John Peel. After Big Science, music played a larger role in Anderson's work.[11]

Background

[edit]

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.

An alternate mix of "Let X=X" was released as a flexi disc in the February issue of Artforum earlier in 1982.[12] A sleeve for the disc could be cut out from the magazine and assembled.

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

Slant Magazine listed the album at #44 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s."[13] In 2018, Pitchfork listed the album at #22 on its list of the "200 Best Albums of the 1980s."[14]

Laurie Anderson enjoyed a surprise popular hit in the United Kingdom with "O Superman" in 1981. Her subsequent albums Big Science and Mister Heartbreak each sold between 100,000 and 125,000 copies in the United States, and even the five-record United States - Live sold 40,000, according to Elliot Abbott, Anderson's manager and the executive producer of Home of the Brave. [15] As of 1983, the album had sold 150,000 copies worldwide.[16]

Track listing

[edit]

All words and music by Laurie Anderson

  1. "From the Air" – 4:29
  2. "Big Science" – 6:25
  3. "Sweaters" – 2:18
  4. "Walking & Falling" – 2:10
  5. "Born, Never Asked" – 4:56
  6. "O Superman (For Massenet)" – 8:21
  7. "Example #22" – 2:59
  8. "Let X=X/It Tango" – 6:52

"O Superman" mixed at The Lobby; originally released on One Ten Records
"Example #22" special thanks to Paranormals Medeline Vester, Gerhard Rozhek, Coretta Atteroc, Shelley Karson
"Let X=X" original version appeared in ArtForum February 1982

Personnel

[edit]
Additional personnel
  • Rufus Harley – bagpipes (3)
  • Chuck Fisher – alto and tenor saxophones (7)
  • Richard Cohen – clarinets, bassoon, baritone saxophone (7)
  • Leanne Ungar – engineer, backing vocals (7)
  • George E. Lewis – trombones

"Special thanks to Patty Anderson, Lester Bangs, Robert Coe, Anton Fier, Charles Holland, Geraldine Pontius, Greg Shifrin and Gail Turner".

Big Science (reduced quality)
from Big Science by Laurie Anderson, Warner Bros. 1982, Nonesuch Records 2007. Sample from Warner Bros. Label 1984 via iTunes
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Charts

[edit]
Album
Year Chart Position
1982 Billboard 200 124[18]
1982 New Zealand Albums 8[19]
1982 UK Albums 29

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bacon, Tony (2006). Singles. Backbeat UK. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-871547-73-3.
  2. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Big Science – Laurie Anderson". AllMusic. Retrieved August 31, 2005.
  3. ^ "Laurie Anderson: Big Science". Blender. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. ^ Klein, Joshua (August 2, 2007). "Laurie Anderson: Big Science". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  6. ^ Holden, Stephen (June 10, 1982). "Laurie Anderson: Big Science". Rolling Stone (371). Archived from the original on July 26, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2006.
  7. ^ Birch, Ian (29 April – 12 May 1982). "Laurie Anderson: Big Science" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 4, no. 9. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 21. ISSN 0260-3004. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022 – via World Radio History.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Hermes, Will (September 2007). "Reissues". Spin. 23 (9): 124. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  9. ^ "Laurie Anderson: Big Science". Uncut: 89. [T]he broader themes of alienation and disconnection, as voiced in deadpan manner on 'From the Air' still resonate ...
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (June 1, 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  11. ^ McClary, Susan (2001). "Laurie Anderson". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎
  12. ^ "Artforum.com". artforum.com.
  13. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s - Feature - Slant Magazine".
  14. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s - Page 9". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  15. ^ Freedman, Samuel G. "MAINSTREAM CATCHES AVANT-GARDE".
  16. ^ Shewey, Don. "THE PERFORMING ARTISTRY OF LAURIE ANDERSON".
  17. ^ "Selective Synthesis: "O Superman"". Roland Cloud. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  18. ^ Big Science - Laurie Anderson > Charts & Awards > Billboard Album at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 March 2006.
  19. ^ Charts.nz
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