- Laurie Anderson commemorates an influential American figure in aviation through her music album.
Labeling Laurie Anderson as just a musician undermines her true talent. She's far from that simple categorization. Born Laura Philips Anderson in 1947 in a tiny Illinois town, this artist is a rare breed known as a "multitalent": she sings, crafts unique, self-designed violins, creates thought-provoking performances in the art world, and fits seamlessly into both the literary and film scenes. This decorated artist, who's earned praise in various fields, is a captivating storyteller.
She demonstrates this again on her latest album "Amelia", released today. This concept album, featuring 22 spoken-word tracks, narrates the tale of American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart's final journey. In 1937, five years after Earhart's groundbreaking Atlantic flight, she aimed for another feat: becoming the first person to circumnavigate the Earth at the equator. On May 21, 1937, she commenced her pioneering expedition, only to disappear six weeks later during her final takeoff from New Guinea.
No easy listening
Anderson captures the despair of this one-way journey in nearly two dozen short vignettes: sound collages, music-like sequences, melodies, and sound clips, as she delves deep into Earhart's emotions and thoughts during her 87-year-old flight. It's not for the faint-hearted, neither musically nor thematically. The sparsely arranged tracks carry a somber anticipation that seeps into the optimistic titles with nearly classic melodic arcs like "Brasil", "India And On Down To Australia", and "Road To Mandalay".
Her most compelling portrayal of the uncompleted record flight is in the track "Broken Chronometers" - an internal monologue of Earhart, where she confronts her physical weaknesses and dismal chances of a successful landing, repeatedly trying to curb negative thoughts with a stern "Stop!".
"vanished without a trace"
It might have been similar when Earhart vanished over the Pacific at 8:40 AM on July 2, sending her final radio message. Shortly afterwards, the US government initiated a massive search operation involving 64 aircraft and 8 warships, covering over 400,000 square miles of Pacific for over two weeks before pronouncing her "missing, presumed dead".
Those who immerse themselves in this grand audio drama, made possible with the help of musicians like Rob Moose, Marc Ribot, or the Czech orchestra Filharmonie Brno, might find it hard to believe that Laurie Anderson once graced the mainstream: in 1981, her harmonious sound experiment "O Superman" became a chart-topper in the UK.
Artistic power couple
However, Anderson's prime was in the mid-1990s, when she and her close friend and later husband Lou Reed formed a powerhouse artistic duo, much like John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Until Reed's demise in 2013, they kept the New York art scene buzzing with surprising developments.
Despite her advanced age, the artist with the distinctive hedgehog hairdo remains active and versatile: in 2015, she directed the film "Heart of a Dog"; in 2016, she was invited to serve on the jury of the Venice International Film Festival; in 2018, she won a Grammy for her collaboration with the Kronos Quartet; and in 2020, she was granted membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
The release of her latest album "Amelia" serves as a testament to Laurie Anderson's enduring talent. This album, centered around Amelia Earhart's final journey, showcases Anderson's ability to capture complex emotions through her unique musical style.
The album release marks another milestone in Anderson's illustrious career, further establishing her as a multi-talented artist who continues to captivate audiences across various platforms.
