BRIGHT RED

The best way I could describe most of Laurie Anderson's albums, will be like galleries of "paintings", that although they hold a "conceptual" title, they are independent and free of it. "BRIGHT RED", released in 1994, is my personal best experience with this multi/talented musician.

Laurie Anderson, besides being a talented arranger, performer (violin, keyboards), song writer, composer and vocalist, has no match as far as comparisons go. Her musical world and language stands alone. Therefore, in able to suggest the greatness of "BRIGHT RED", I will have to turn for some kind of metaphors to explain a language without translation.

Songs constructed in independent styles, that never fall far from Mrs. Anderson's realms, and yet, go through all kinds of transitions and states of emotions, that are always "glued" by the never oversized, "dark" and "angelical" voice, that more than singing, "croons" austoundingly intelligent and intimate lyrics, that never lose their wit or humour, even if the feeling of the song goes the opposite way. Her means of "expression" as far as known styles go, go from "Ambiental/Cabaret" to "Progressive/Folk/ Electronic" to "Ambiental story telling" (if such a thing exists and no "Prog/Pop" on this one), and yet her musical identity and musical language is never lost in these "trips" of emotions. The best attribute I find in Mrs. Anderson's music, besides all of the above, is how her music, without compromises, neither market-wise nor audience-like, can be so damn personal and friendly at the same time, to the lucky person who gets to witness her intimate soul, delivered out in the open, in her pen-written compositions.

"BRIGHT RED" compresses all of these attributes into one single "crossover" experience. Austere, intelligent, deep as no one else can go, and still laugh about the whole thing.

A "Masterpiece" of Prog, both unique and flawless in performance and composition. Add all that, equals ***** 5 PA stars.