Life on a String (album)

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Life on a String
Lifeonastring.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 21, 2001
Recorded2000–2001
Studio
  • Lobby Studio, New York City
  • Magic Shop, New York City
  • Edison Recording, New York City
Genre Avant-garde
Experimental music
Pop music
Length43:55
Label Nonesuch
79539
Producer Laurie Anderson
Hal Willner
Laurie Anderson chronology
Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology
(2000)
Life on a String
(2001)
Live in New York
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Life on a String is the sixth studio album by American performance artist Laurie Anderson, released in 2001 on Nonesuch Records.

Contents

One of Anderson's predominantly musical (as opposed to spoken-word) albums, Life on a String was recorded at the Lobby Studios in New York City under the musical direction of Skúli Sverrisson, and produced by Anderson and Hal Willner. Guest musicians on the album include Van Dyke Parks, Mocean Worker, Mitchell Froom and Lou Reed.

The first three songs, "One White Whale," "The Island Where I Come From," and "Pieces and Parts," were taken from her show Songs and Stories from Moby Dick. The song "Slip Away" is about the death of her father. "Washington Street" is about Washington Street, Manhattan.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Laurie Anderson, except where indicated

  1. "One White Whale" – 1:58
  2. "The Island Where I Come From" – 4:08
  3. "Pieces and Parts" – 3:36
  4. "Here with You" – 2:22
  5. "Slip Away" – 5:50
  6. "My Compensation" – 2:28 (Anderson, Skúli Sverrisson)
  7. "Dark Angel" – 3:22
  8. "Broken" – 3:19
  9. "Washington Street" – 4:41
  10. "Statue of Liberty" – 4:24
  11. "One Beautiful Evening" – 5:05
  12. "Life on a String" – 2:57

Some copies have "Rumba Club" as a bonus track.

Personnel

Technical

References