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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Transitory Life | |||
| 2. My Right Eye | |||
| 3. Thinking of You | |||
| 4. Strange Perfumes | |||
| 5. Only an Expert | |||
| 6. Falling | |||
| 7. Another Day in America | |||
| 8. Bodies in Motion | |||
| 9. Dark Time in the Revolution | |||
| 10. The Lake | |||
See all 12 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Homeland: The Story of the Lark | |||
| 2. Homeland Chapters | |||
| 3. Laurie's Violin | |||
Product Description
Review
Laurie Anderson's O Superman, her first, most famous and, indeed, only hit, was released in 1981, when Reagan had just swept to power and the American Empire was reaching something like its zenith, with the Cold War entering its final phases. Twenty-nine years later, and on Homeland Anderson seems fairly certain she's bearing witness to that crumbing, deluded and debt-ridden Empire's end.
That may sound a somewhat portentous subject, but in fact Anderson's whimsical sense of humour remains a constant, at times a little wearingly so. Then again, if you are essentially releasing an album about the credit crunch, it's probably best to try and sneak some chuckles in there. Certainly Homeland's catchiest track, the chattering techno pop of Only an Expert, succeeds as a brilliantly vicious satire of the hollowing out of the American Dream, managing to find a through thread between the Iraq War, the bail out of the US banks and the empty wisdom of Oprah Winfrey.
However, the album really does come into its own when Anderson allows herself to hit a more sombre note. Certainly the latter portions of the 11-and-a-half minute, pitch-shifted tour de force Another Day in America are extraordinary. Over a wraithlike keyboard figure, wreathed in wordless backing wails (courtesy of Antony Hegarty), ambient hiss, dissonant strings and trembles of keyboard she bids farewell to the junk and the glory of the 20th century, questioning "how do we begin again?", intoning, yearning, that "the reason I really love the stars, is that we cannot hurt them", before concluding, ominously: "but we are reaching for them".
To some extent Only an Expert and Another Day in America dominate Homeland to the point of slightly unbalancing it, the first catchy and pugnacious, the other epic and quotable. Yet the rest of the tracks don't really try and compete: elsewhere Homeland offers a more textural journey, populated by squalls of free jazz, melancholic knots of electronica, uncomfortable pauses and low, distorted vocals. There are still witticisms aplenty, but the overall effect is an air of creeping dread, the perfect soundtrack for a journey into America's night.
--Andzej Lukowski
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I saw Homeland performed at the Barbican in April 2008, I took some friends who had never heard of her and they blown away. The CD is not as good as live as when performed, you have the multi media aspects, it's live and also she put's in highly topical lines that fit with the time of the performance - about now I guess it would oil leaks.
The lyrics are like razors attached to mirrors for American culture and modern society in general. While it's been said this is an album about the credit crunch, yes It must have been a strong influence but there comments about a lot more flaws in our society than money. At time the Homeland can be hypnotic, disturbing, fearful but at the same time combined with humour and irony that keeps it enjoyable.
Not a party album but from experience people listening to "Only an Expert" enjoy the song and everyone grins or laughs at times.
This was the best concert I saw in 2008 and 2009 and despite a line in the performance "And CD's are available in the lobby at a very reasonable price" they weren't, and it originally intended for release in early 2009. Had to resort to some very dodgy things to get parts of this album from you tube but now it's here and have bought a couple of copies, one for me the other for my best m8 who still raves about it.
For me this is Laurie Anderson's best piece of work so far, and I've rated all her albums also I've seen a performance of Delusion on April 2010 but thought this was a progression of Homeland but did not reach it heights, but still go and see it if you have the chance.
The lyrics are like razors attached to mirrors for American culture and modern society in general. While it's been said this is an album about the credit crunch, yes It must have been a strong influence but there comments about a lot more flaws in our society than money. At time the Homeland can be hypnotic, disturbing, fearful but at the same time combined with humour and irony that keeps it enjoyable.
Not a party album but from experience people listening to "Only an Expert" enjoy the song and everyone grins or laughs at times.
This was the best concert I saw in 2008 and 2009 and despite a line in the performance "And CD's are available in the lobby at a very reasonable price" they weren't, and it originally intended for release in early 2009. Had to resort to some very dodgy things to get parts of this album from you tube but now it's here and have bought a couple of copies, one for me the other for my best m8 who still raves about it.
For me this is Laurie Anderson's best piece of work so far, and I've rated all her albums also I've seen a performance of Delusion on April 2010 but thought this was a progression of Homeland but did not reach it heights, but still go and see it if you have the chance.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This has to be one of the best albums of 2010 so far for me. ( Up to now it has been Howe Gelb and A Band of Gypsies- Alegrias and Timber Timbre - Timber Timbre).
Homeland is so moving and creative. Some of it does take a few listens to become a favorite track
such as 'Another day in America' while other tracks such as 'Transitory Life' and 'My right eye' are immediately great.
This for me is an album that gives me the 'tingles' down the spine. It wakes up my brain.
I'm so glad folks such as Laurie are still making such intelligent, moving and creative work.
Homeland is so moving and creative. Some of it does take a few listens to become a favorite track
such as 'Another day in America' while other tracks such as 'Transitory Life' and 'My right eye' are immediately great.
This for me is an album that gives me the 'tingles' down the spine. It wakes up my brain.
I'm so glad folks such as Laurie are still making such intelligent, moving and creative work.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Any release by Laurie Anderson gives us cause for celebration.
It doesn't happen very often so it's time to put on our party hats!
Her last studio outing 'Life On A String' (2001) was a box brimming
over with wonders. 'Homeland' is no less so. It is a visionary work.
Her preoccupation with documenting her own complex emotional
reflections and responses to her country's heart and history is
born out of deep love and an indestructible sense of hopefulness.
(Her 1984 masterpiece 'United States Live' is another vivid
and stirring testimony of profound dedication to her muse).
Ms Anderson, despite her marriage to Lou Reed, doesn't make
rock and roll. (She does, however, have a creditable dalliance
with things-disco on 'Only an Expert'!)
These twelve compositions, together, create an extraordinary
sonic tapestry. The gentle, haunting, inimitable voice, sometimes
bleakly alone, sometimes gloriously multi-tracked; the plaintive
power of her electric violin, both a sword and a shield with the
power to sooth and heal or blister and burn are both present and
correct and uniquely affecting.
From the sublime opening track 'Transitory Life', with its
heart-rending ululating vocal by Aidysmaa Koshkendey slicing
the ether like a knife ; through the wry, pithy and hillarious
observations about contemporary American culture (the sub-prime
mortgage debacle comes in for a particularly potent bashing!)
of the aforementioned, dance-oriented, spectacle of 'Only An Expert'
(Mr Reed's rip-roaring guitar contribution makes the ground tremble
beneath our feet!); to the gentle string threnody of the luminous
and utterly beautiful final track 'Flow', 'Homeland' is probably
the most important musical event to have burst into the listening
world so-far this year (at least to these hairy ears!)
Other treasures would have to include the dreamily exotic
'Strange Perfumes' and the monolithic 'Another Day In America',
both blessed with the near-spectral presence of Antony Hegarty's
otherworldly voice woven almost imperceptibly into the mix.
Ms Anderson has never been afraid to stare the devil down.
'Homeland' is an exorcism, an exegesis and a transcendent
vehicle for renewed optimism.
(The accompanying DVD sheds light on the creative process via
facinating interviews with many of the key figures involved
in bringing this richly rewarding musical meal to the table.
Lou Reed is an absolute sweetie!!
The packaging for both discs is of the finest quality and
further illuminates our enjoyment and understanding of the
project through additional textual and phographic material).
Essential.
It doesn't happen very often so it's time to put on our party hats!
Her last studio outing 'Life On A String' (2001) was a box brimming
over with wonders. 'Homeland' is no less so. It is a visionary work.
Her preoccupation with documenting her own complex emotional
reflections and responses to her country's heart and history is
born out of deep love and an indestructible sense of hopefulness.
(Her 1984 masterpiece 'United States Live' is another vivid
and stirring testimony of profound dedication to her muse).
Ms Anderson, despite her marriage to Lou Reed, doesn't make
rock and roll. (She does, however, have a creditable dalliance
with things-disco on 'Only an Expert'!)
These twelve compositions, together, create an extraordinary
sonic tapestry. The gentle, haunting, inimitable voice, sometimes
bleakly alone, sometimes gloriously multi-tracked; the plaintive
power of her electric violin, both a sword and a shield with the
power to sooth and heal or blister and burn are both present and
correct and uniquely affecting.
From the sublime opening track 'Transitory Life', with its
heart-rending ululating vocal by Aidysmaa Koshkendey slicing
the ether like a knife ; through the wry, pithy and hillarious
observations about contemporary American culture (the sub-prime
mortgage debacle comes in for a particularly potent bashing!)
of the aforementioned, dance-oriented, spectacle of 'Only An Expert'
(Mr Reed's rip-roaring guitar contribution makes the ground tremble
beneath our feet!); to the gentle string threnody of the luminous
and utterly beautiful final track 'Flow', 'Homeland' is probably
the most important musical event to have burst into the listening
world so-far this year (at least to these hairy ears!)
Other treasures would have to include the dreamily exotic
'Strange Perfumes' and the monolithic 'Another Day In America',
both blessed with the near-spectral presence of Antony Hegarty's
otherworldly voice woven almost imperceptibly into the mix.
Ms Anderson has never been afraid to stare the devil down.
'Homeland' is an exorcism, an exegesis and a transcendent
vehicle for renewed optimism.
(The accompanying DVD sheds light on the creative process via
facinating interviews with many of the key figures involved
in bringing this richly rewarding musical meal to the table.
Lou Reed is an absolute sweetie!!
The packaging for both discs is of the finest quality and
further illuminates our enjoyment and understanding of the
project through additional textual and phographic material).
Essential.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Language is a virus from outer space...
I haven't actually bought this yet, and clicked in here in preparation, but the recording I've been listening to at Anderson's website bears little relation to the music described... Read more
Published 3 months ago by john gill
Laurie Anderson Homeland
Well worth the long wait since her previous album. As original as always, musically itriqueing and good value. If you know and like her work, this will not disappoint.
Published 16 months ago by Furneux Pelham fan
Another Laurie Anderson!
As usual, it's an excelent album from Laurie Anderson.
Always the same style, but always a very good work.
To listen, and listen again.
Always the same style, but always a very good work.
To listen, and listen again.
Published 21 months ago by António Magalhães Mateus
If not a fan, don't start here
Laurie Anderson's earlier works 'Mister Heartbreak' and 'Strange Angels' would easily make it to my top 30 favourite albums and I loved many of the tracks from 'Big Science' (O,... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Little Eddy
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