I first heard Laurie Anderson’s Strange Angels in 1989, the year it was released. I found it—and her—captivating: mostly the cleverness of the lyrics and her willingness to be completely untethered from reality in a way that always felt spontaneous and sincere. From there I worked my way back to her 1982 studio album Big Science which was a revelation. Eventually I memorized every lyric to the songs on her first four albums (the other two were Mister Heartbreak and the live recording Home of the Brave). I quoted from them randomly and worked hard to get the delivery right. It really annoyed my friends.
The track I’m starting with today is probably my favorite Laurie Anderson song of all of time, “Let X=X / It Tango.” The first part, “Let X=X” starts with a deadpan observation, moves into the fanciful and veers into the absurd. A melancholy takes over when “It Tango” starts. It’s a keenly observed meditation on how easy it is for us to misunderstand each other. And the coda is a very brief but lovely explanation of why it’s still worth trying. (The handclaps are a beautiful touch.)
“Ramon,” from Strange Angels, always makes me feel better. At the beginning of the song Anderson sings about the randomness of our fates, the seeming senselessness of our existence, and the insignificance of our place in the universe. She ends by reminding us of the importance of lifting each other up; of caring for each other. And it’s very moving.
I’m including “Smoke Rings” as a bonus track, because it’s hysterical and we could all use a little musical wit. Oh, the places this song goes.
Laurie Anderson