Customer Reviews

Big Science

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

While we feel that the remastering of Laurie Anderson's Big Science dramatically improves the sound quality of the original CD, there was indeed a small omission: the first of two wolf howls that introduces track 2, "Big Science," is missing in the master used for the initial production run of the reissue. This error has since been fixed. Anyone who purchased the CD with the 'truncated' introduction to the title track may return it to us and we will send you the corrected version free of charge. Please see the product description above for more details.

Having been a fan of different and "alternative" music, I was intrigued when I first saw the videos for "Sharkey's Day" and "O Superman" on MTV. I was just blown away. So, I went out and picked up my first Laurie Anderson album, Big Science. I was simply amazed at the quality and consistency of this album. I wanted to hear O SUPERMAN first, but when I started with FROM THE AIR, I didn't stop until the album was over. Mesmerizing is the best word I can think of in describing this album. While the lyrics may seem loony, they are actually very intelligent and thought provoking. One of the most haunting songs is BORN, NEVER ASKED. There is a line in that song that says, "What is behind that curtain?" This just underscores the simple yet fascinating aspects of Laurie's lyrics. I just never knew that I was "always falling when I was walking." If you didn't know that, then you must own this album. In fact, everyone should. This is simply a magical piece of art.

When "Big Science" was originally released in 1982, it was one of the most unexpected successes of that year, not only as an album, but also generating one of the most unlikely top 10 singles ever with the 8+ min. "O Superman (For Massenet)". Certainly the video helped it make a success, but there was more than that.

Now, 25 years after the original release, comes the remastered and upgraded version. "Big Science" (9 tracks, 41 min., plus bonus materials) starts off with one of its best tracks, "From the Air", a threatening piece from the perspective of an airline captain. The beautiful title track follows, with its slow yet mesmorizing tone. Other highlights for me on the album are of course "O Superman", which still sounds as intruigingand hypnotizing as it did 25 years ago (I still lived in Belgium then, and can attest that this was a genuine hit single there and in many other European countries), and "Let X = X", another minimalist masterpiece. Some of the shorter tracks, such as "Sweaters" and "Walking & Falling" doen't really catch on for me, but it doesn't diminish the overall classic status of the album.

I had this on vinyl but never got the original CD issue, so I don't know how much the audio differs or improves, but regardless I think the audio quality of this remaster is great, so I'm not certain what the complaint about that could be. The bonus materials on the enhanced portion of the CD are skimpy but nice: the video for "O Superman" and an audio file for for "Walk the Dog", which was the B-side of "O Superman". Even though the song is certainly not "essential", it's too bad that it wasn't added onto the regular audio portion. Laurie Anderson also provides some nice liner notes. Overall, I am very happy that I finally got this in my collection, and this album is a true classic of American minimalist music. Highly recommended!

This remastered and "expanded" 25th anniversary edition of Big Science is a huge letdown. Not only is the one audio bonus track not included on the cd proper (it's a file on the enhanced portion of the cd) but the remastering itself is negligible. Also, the introduction to the title track has actually been truncated from the original version. My disappointment is compounded by my purchase of Holger Czukay's Movies which was remastered with such care that, even though it was recorded slightly earlier than Big Science, sounds like it was recorded yesterday.

Big Science is a phenomenal and groundbreaking album. If you're interested in delving into Laurie Anderson's work, this is the place to start. However, if you're already a fan and you already own Big Science on cd, this is simply a waste of money.

The strangeness of this album's lyrics, instrumentation and structure is eclipsed and made totally irrelevant by the absolute beauty and vision of the work. As others have said, Big Science is a highly "technological" album, using a lot of collage elements, which she often uses as the basis for her tracks. I'd say the most unusual example of this (with the exception of Example #22, which could've been a bonus track on Bjork's "Telegram" if it didn't pre-date it by more than a decade) is "O Superman" where she uses a tiny vocal sample less than a second long as a metronome over which she layers enigmatic lyrics and a beautiful, fluttering flute melody.

Another one of the most amazing songs on the album is "Sweaters" not for the lyrics, or for the melody, but because it manages to use the bagpipes in a serious way without trying to be cute or gimmicky, and without it sounding like Laurie is trying to get a (now-fashionable) "Celtic" sound. It's just used in a totally un-selfconscious way and it comes off beautifully.

The songs, while diverse in sound and structure, are all marked by a simplicity of design and a clean-lined beauty that is really a joy to listen to, again and again. (And believe it or not, this is coming from an 18-year-old who's only had this album for about 4 months. I was in diapers when this was released, which should give you some idea of this record's timelessness.)

An essential album. Despite the enormous popularity that "O Superman" received as a single, everyone seems to have forgotten this astonishing album. It is not a curiosity, not simply weird or quirky; it's a masterpiece: a complex, lovely, and intelligent combination of poetry, humor, sound, and atmosphere. It avoids the most common mistake of spoken word + music attempts: rather than simply using the music as a background for the words, this album integrates the music with the words and with the rhythms of the sentences, enhancing every syllable with its presence. The style of the music is indescribable. While the tools are thoroughly 80's: low tech synth, strange electronic noises, etc, the music does not sound dated. Far from it, it seems ahead of our time as well as its own. The overall atmosphere is foreboding and surreal (as exemplified in the hit single "superman"): a plane without a captain in "from the air", a soulless city of cars and malls in "big science", and the kafkaesque themes of disorientation and mystery in "walking and falling" and "born, never asked". But it's quite diverse, and it's best moments go beyond mere atmosphere and into the sublime--as in the stunningly chaotic, infectious, and joyful "example #22" and in the deeply moving final tracks "let x=x" and "it tango". After listening to these last two tracks, you might discover that your feet are no longer touching the ground. There's a quality of anti-gravity in the music. It's easy to appreciate Anderson soley for her intriguing writing (marvellous lines like: "It's a sky-blue sky. Satellites are out tonight. Let x=x."), while forgetting to notice the role played by the music. This album is a brilliant musical creation, as well as a brilliant linguistic one. It deserves our attention.

The quality of the remastering is excellent. The material was totally unique when first released, and still is.

The extra MP3's are very cool. The "O Superman" video is basic but very innovative.
Laurie really knows how to use all the various elements she does in the video and it is a reflection of some of the multi-media tools she uses in her live shows.

The packaging is very nice as well. Groovy pics and a nice booklet with lyrics and backround information.

Note: I found that dragging the cursor from the track listing (Mp3's) and going over the little face in the middle allows you to create your own little "doggie" songs.

Go buy this now!

I can't wait for Mister Heartbreak and the live multi-disc remastered!

Simply put, this CD and the soundtrack for 'Home Of the Brave'
are Laurie's two best albums.

After 20+ years of listening to it, I still come back to this album and find it as fresh now as it ever was. The music on this album is full of striking sounds and imagery and at its centre the cool, crisp, mostly spoken vocal delivery and I do love that voice. The thing I feel that is most often overlooked is the humour in the imagery, many of the tracks raise a smile or a chuckle and may confound your expectations.
The music can be wonderfully calming one moment but will have you bolt upright the next. Surprisingly for a mostly 'electronic' album it hasn't dated at all, perhaps because it's all done with a delicate touch and great melodies will always stand the test of time.

This CD release is a nice repackaging effort. The sound does seem a little sharper and the disc is accompanied by a booklet containing some insightful notes from Laurie Anderson, the lyrics(which were also included with the previous edition) and some photos not present on the previous edition.
The video to 'O Superman' and its B-side, the(audio only)track 'Walk the Dog', are included in the 'Enhanced' section of the disc, which means you can only play them on a computer(although it gives you the option of Wave/MP3 download). To be honest neither added anything to the original album but I suppose it's nice to have them here.

If you already own a copy of this album and, like me, love it, it is probably just about worth buying this new edition. If you don't own it: Why not?

I just listened to a CD I really enjoyed. It isn't new. It is the 25 anniversary reissue of "Big Science" by Laurie Anderson. I don't remember anything from it when it originally was issued...although I have a vague recollection of hearing "From the Air" or O Superman" before. "Big Science" is a really refreshing combination of spoken word, vocals and musical instrumenation. She also uses a variety of electronic techniques and newly designed versions of the violin. The combined effort pushes sound and human experience to the edge of something that maybe isn't quite music anymore. What is it? Well, I guess it is still music, for lack of another word. It is definately amazing to listen to.

The 25th anniversary edition also has the flip side of the hit single (in Europe) of 'O Superman," "Walk the Dog" as well as the video "O Superman" in a very creative DVD format.

I don't know how I managed to miss this ride for 25 years but I am on board now. "We are all going down. Together"