Laurie Anderson’s brilliant new record for Nonesuch Records is a fine example of an artist pulling influence into a cohesive whole, and tracks Amelia Earhart’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 1937, and her impact on the world of aviation. It’s a touchingly delivered tribute by one of the greatest working avant garde composers today, and is an absolutely fascinating listen in both scope and sheer compositional beauty.
“I spend a lot of time in the studio by myself doing stuff with a bunch of instrument panels, and I felt like I was making something that was gonna go somewhere somehow, so I had a feel for her,” Laurie tells author and journalist Jonathan Cott in a conversation about her new album, ‘Amelia,’ and her connection to Amelia Earhart. You can watch that conversation plus one with conductor Dennis Russell Davies, see archival photographs and film, and hear songs from the album, in this video on the making of ‘Amelia.’
‘Amelia’ is Laurie Anderson’s beautiful tribute, charting the story of Amelia Earhart’s ambition to be the first female pilot to circumnavigate Earth in 1937. It’s full of soaring melodies and tender plucks of delayed guitar, topped with Anderson’s evocative reading of letters and reports of the time. A stunning dedication, and a rousing, transportive listen.
The Fat Angel Sings 