Stuff That Works - Review of Laurie Anderson's Heart of a Dog
Laurie Anderson simultaneously snagged me and blew me away with her entrancing "O Superman" back when vinyl was not a specialty item. Another favorite was her tale of Sharkey's Day a couple years after Superman - I love the way William S Burroughs pronounces Kemosabe - but I digress.
Fast forward to a couple months ago. As a follower of Laurie's, I was offered a pre-order deal on the soundtrack of her new movie, "Heart of A Dog".Hell yes - I can order it now and for a couple bucks extra get a signed print???
How to categorize this CD? A guided meditation - a look at life and death through the eyes of a gifted artist - an anti-war statement - wonderful memoir - a warning of the intrusive nature of "security" in these times - sure, all that will do for a start. Laurie's voice has always had the ability to draw me in and hold my wandering "monkey mind" and she does it again here.
Who else could transport you to the pain of a children's burn ward or the rescue of twin brothers from beneath the ice and make it all sound lovely? What other voice could smooth over such things and make them palatable to the ear and mind?
Laurie's dog Lolla Belle is the center of attention here, but Laurie takes us from cute canine capers to Big Subjects and back in a blink. It is an amazing ride.
One recommendation: Listen to the entire offering in one sitting. Sure, there will be parts that you will want to sample over n over, but to get the true impact of her genius you need to let the entire CD play.
Fast forward to a couple months ago. As a follower of Laurie's, I was offered a pre-order deal on the soundtrack of her new movie, "Heart of A Dog".Hell yes - I can order it now and for a couple bucks extra get a signed print???
How to categorize this CD? A guided meditation - a look at life and death through the eyes of a gifted artist - an anti-war statement - wonderful memoir - a warning of the intrusive nature of "security" in these times - sure, all that will do for a start. Laurie's voice has always had the ability to draw me in and hold my wandering "monkey mind" and she does it again here.
Who else could transport you to the pain of a children's burn ward or the rescue of twin brothers from beneath the ice and make it all sound lovely? What other voice could smooth over such things and make them palatable to the ear and mind?
Heart of A Dog was NOT what I expected, but what else did I expect?
I could not have expected this wonderfulness. My gut told me it was gonna
be great, but my gut was not setting the bar high enough.
Laurie's dog Lolla Belle is the center of attention here, but Laurie takes us from cute canine capers to Big Subjects and back in a blink. It is an amazing ride.
One recommendation: Listen to the entire offering in one sitting. Sure, there will be parts that you will want to sample over n over, but to get the true impact of her genius you need to let the entire CD play.
It is simply wonderful.
Thought provoking.
If you happen to live in an area that will be visited by the movie - get out there and take in the whole offering. It is being shown in a number of large cities and for those of us in the hinterlands, it is my understanding it will be offered on HBO in April 2016.
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