Big Science

by Laurie Anderson

Big Science cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: April 19, 1982
  • Label: Warner Bros., Nonesuch, Elektra
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 44:38
  • Community rating: 4.58/5 from 12 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Drawn from her expansive multimedia performance piece *United States Live*, 'Big Science' distills Laurie Anderson's art-world concepts into a landmark of avant-pop. The album juxtaposes her detached, vocoder-processed spoken-word narratives against a minimalist electronic soundscape of synthesizers, saxophones, and sparse percussion, exploring themes of technology, communication, and modern anxieties with a distinct, ironic wit. Propelled to wider recognition by the improbable UK chart success of its single "O Superman," the record solidified Anderson's position as a pivotal artist who successfully bridged the gap between experimental performance art and popular music.

Genres

Descriptors: spoken-word, minimal, experimental, avant-garde, leftfield, electronic, conceptual

Tracklist

  1. From the Air (04:33)
  2. Big Science (06:22)
  3. Sweaters (02:23)
  4. Walking and Falling (02:13)
  5. Born, Never Asked (04:56)
  6. O Superman (08:25)
  7. Example #22 (02:59)
  8. Let X=X (03:54)
  9. It Tango (03:02)
  10. Walk the Dog (05:51)

Credits

  • Laurie Anderson - vocals, roland vp-330, farfisa organ, percussion, oberheim ob-xa, sticks, violins, electronics, keyboards, handclaps, whistling, marimba, cover artwork, producer
  • Roma Baran - farfisa organ, glass harmonica, sticks, handclaps, casiotone, accordion, whistling, producer
  • Perry Hoberman - flute, saxophone, piccolo, backing vocals, bottles and sticks, handclaps, assistant producer, art direction
  • Bill Obrecht - alto saxophone
  • Peter Gordon - clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • David Van Tieghem - drums, rototoms, timpani, marimba, percussion
  • 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
  • Cindy Brown - design
  • Jon Smith - assistant mix engineer
  • Bill Kipper - mastered by
  • Bob Ludwig - mastered by
  • James Hamilton - back cover photography
  • Greg Shifrin - front cover photography
  • Bob Bielecki - technical consultant & systems design
  • Al Fierstein - assistant engineer
  • Arthur Payson - assistant engineer
  • Bob Musso - assistant engineer

More from Laurie Anderson: full discography