Big Science (Laurie Anderson album)

For other uses, see Big Science (disambiguation).

Big Science is the debut studio album by American performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson. It was the first of a seven-album deal Anderson signed with Warner Bros. Records. The album consists of a selection of musical highlights from her eight-hour production United States Live, which was itself released as a 5-LP box set and book in 1984.

Big Science
Studio album by Laurie Anderson
Released	April 19, 1982 June 18, 2007 (reissue)
Recorded	The Lobby, The Hit Factory, New York City
Genre	Art pop electronic minimalism
Length	38:19
Label	Warner Bros. Nonesuch Elektra
Producer	Laurie Anderson Roma Baran
Laurie Anderson chronology
You're the Guy I Want To Share My Money With (1981) Big Science (1982) Mister Heartbreak (1984)
Singles from Big Science
"O Superman" Released: October 1981 (UK)[1]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Blender	[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Pitchfork	8.7/10[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
Smash Hits	6/10[7]
Spin	[8]
Uncut	[9]
The Village Voice	A−[10]

The album is best known for the single "O Superman", which unexpectedly reached No. 2 in the UK after being discovered and promoted by BBC DJ John Peel. After Big Science, music played a larger role in Anderson's work.^[11]

Background

Although considered her debut album, Anderson had previously recorded one side of a 2-LP set titled You're the Guy I Want to Share My Money With, a collaboration released on Giorno Poetry Systems with William S. Burroughs and John Giorno. She had also contributed two pieces to a 1977 compilation of electronic music.

An alternate mix of "Let X=X" was released as a flexi disc in the February issue of Artforum earlier in 1982.^[12] A sleeve for the disc could be cut out from the magazine and assembled.

A newly remastered version of the album was released on 18 June 2007 by Nonesuch/Elektra Records with new liner notes, the bonus track "Walk the Dog" (the B-side of the original "O Superman" single), and the "O Superman" music video.

Slant Magazine listed the album at #44 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s."^[13] In 2018, Pitchfork listed the album at #22 on its list of the "200 Best Albums of the 1980s."^[14]

Laurie Anderson enjoyed a surprise popular hit in the United Kingdom with "O Superman" in 1981. Her subsequent albums Big Science and Mister Heartbreak each sold between 100,000 and 125,000 copies in the United States, and even the five-record United States - Live sold 40,000, according to Elliot Abbott, Anderson's manager and the executive producer of Home of the Brave. ^[15] As of 1983, the album had sold 150,000 copies worldwide.^[16]

Track listing

All words and music by Laurie Anderson

1. "From the Air" – 4:29
2. "Big Science" – 6:25
3. "Sweaters" – 2:18
4. "Walking & Falling" – 2:10
5. "Born, Never Asked" – 4:56
6. "O Superman (For Massenet)" – 8:21
7. "Example #22" – 2:59
8. "Let X=X/It Tango" – 6:52

"O Superman" mixed at The Lobby; originally released on One Ten Records
"Example #22" special thanks to Paranormals Medeline Vester, Gerhard Rozhek, Coretta Atteroc, Shelley Karson
"Let X=X" original version appeared in ArtForum February 1982

Personnel

• Laurie Anderson – vocals, Roland VP-330,^[17] Farfisa organ, percussion, Oberheim OB-Xa, sticks, violins, electronics, keyboards, handclaps, whistling, marimba, cover artwork
• Roma Baran – Farfisa bass, glass harmonica, sticks, handclaps, Casiotone, accordion, whistling
• 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

Additional personnel

• 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

"Special thanks to Patty Anderson, Lester Bangs, Robert Coe, Anton Fier, Charles Holland, Geraldine Pontius, Greg Shifrin and Gail Turner".

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1982	Billboard 200	124[18]
1982	New Zealand Albums	8[19]
1982	UK Albums	29