Laurie Anderson - Mister Heartbreak

While it was O’ Superman that struck a chord with me when Laurie Anderson first hit the scene, it was her follow up album Mister Heartbreak that climbed to the stratosphere on so many levels. The crisp album with an Avant guard edge blended with pop leanings of the early 80’s features a number of outstanding luminaries of the time. Angular guitar work by King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew accentuates this album most notably on “Sharkey's Day.” Bill Laswell’s bass work grinds deeply into the bottom and Peter Gabriel’s duet with Anderson on “Excellent Birds” takes to flight with an airiness that elevates this song to one of my all-time favorites. I enjoy the heavy reliance on synthesizers which had become common in music of that era and thankfully so well executed here. This music has never become a cliché making it another fantastic addition to my Desert Island collection. Yet this album would not be complete if it weren’t for the closing track “Sharkey's Night” which featurs the legendary William S. Burroughs and is a genius bookend to Anderson’s must have release.

 Format Info

Compact Disc and Vinyl.

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