LAURIE ANDERSON - EXCELLENT BIRDS

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

Laurie danced to the beat of a different drummer, but it was a pretty cool drummer.

[r0yalgate]

peter gabriel is the opposite of rock, compared to laurie anderson.

[r0yalgate]

laurie rocks, and peter does not.

[Babyhowdy233]

I much prefer Laurie's version over Gabriel's.

Her version is far more delicate, exquisite.

Like too many of his songs, Gabriel's

version of this ("This Is The Picture")

is too heavy-handed, too much

thudding base in the mix. It ruins

the song's innate ethereal beauty

that Laurie envisioned.

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

Attention Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Beyonce, Kesha, here is a chic with REAL talent!!!!!!!!!!!

[descreet]

It was first released on Ms. Andersons album "Mister Heartbreak" -84 as Excellent Birds. And then it had to be a part of Mr. Gabriels "So" album from -86 as This Is the Picture.

[rbctavares]

I interviewed her in Brazil, some 20 years ago. I was in college and I was a huge fan, so, I arranged with my sister, a journalist, a badge for a press conference at the hotel. It ended up that she gave me and my friend a twenty minutes exclusive after the conference. Laurie Anderson is one of the most interesting people I ever met. And I still love her work.

[Daisan]

so amazing music, real music....

[MuzikJunkyAES]

Gotta love that Linn Drum! Peace.

[hellospacegirl]

She's amazing, the REAL artist.

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@hellospacegirl an innovative, creative and talented artist, very much overlooked, perhaps she didn't try to be mainstream.

[Dannyboy6009]

I didn't know this 'Peter Gabriel' song was Not HIS... what a Great tune And performance by Laurie and co., and Great to see Adrian playing here as well ~ LOVE it!!

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@Dannyboy6009 Peter often introduces this as a song co-written with Laurie anderson, now that i have heard this version, liek it better than Peter's, though the So album has him and Laurie singing together

[lizrdgolfer]

It's Adrain Belew but not Bill Bruford...David Van Tighem was the percussionist.

[MuzikJunkyAES]

I wish this movie was on Blu-ray Disc! Peace.

[cranie4]

And I believe that's Janice Pendarvis and Dollette McDonald singing backup..later they would be on Sting's first solo album "Dream of the Blue Turtles".

[videovedo36]

@cranie4 i was about to point out just that! they were wonderful there and in the subsequent movie of the live tour, Bring on th night.

[SkeksisBestSongEver]

1:02 pretty sure that´s Adrian Below on the guitar!

[cranie4]

@SkeksisBestSongEver That's definitely Adrian Belew.

[shanir97]

@SkeksisBestSongEver

Also Bill bruford on the drums

[gettzyphoto]

all song its amezing!!

[TekeelaSheila]

@Intravert - I was almost positive that was Belew, but only got a flash of him. Thanks for confirming.

[peaceiloveyou2]

she is one of a kind....God made her and broke the mold...guess He knew too many Laurie Anderson's roaming the planet might get a little freaky. ;P

[cranie4]

@peaceiloveyou2 Just one was almost too much ;) She was definitely a performer in the Peter Gabriel mode with an 80's look. He picked up a lot of his later stage visuals from her.

[Intravert]

nice to see Adrian Belew here, too :)

[unmedication]

Did she sung that with Peter Gabriel in So album?

[stockhausen]

YES

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@unmedication ALSO CHECK OUT PETER GABRIEL'S LIVE VERSION OF THIS SONG, WHEN HE INTRODUCES THE BAND AT THE BEGINNING, PETER PUT TOGETHER A GREAT BAND, TONY LEVIN AND DAVID RHODES HAVE PLAYED WITH HIM SINCE DAY ONE OF HIS SOLO CAREER, NO ONE PLAYS BASS LIKE TONY, WHO HAS SPENT TIME WITH KING CRIMSON AS WELL AS WITH OTHER SOLO ARTISTS DOING SESSION WORK, ONE OF THEM ROBBIE ROBERTSON OF THE BAND WHO DID FIRST SOLO ABLUM IN 86

[unmedication]

@BLUESMANRONCHICAGO Wow. Cheers. I would not go that far.

Let me explain myself. Some friend introduced me with Genesis work in '77 with "Follow you, follow me" andI really got a crush on it at the time.

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@unmedication PETER'S LEAVING GENESIS WORKED OUT FOR BOTH HIM AND GENESIS, I ALSO LOVE THEIR WORK FROM 77 ON, PHIL COLLINS' HANDLING OF VOCALS AND HIS SONGWRITING SKILLS BECAME VERY EVIDENT IN ALL THEIR LATER ALBUMS, AND PETER CONTINUED TO BRANCH OUT AND HIS SONGWRITING GOT PROGESSIVELY STRONGER THRU HIS SOLO CAREER

[unmedication]

@BLUESMANRONCHICAGO 7 years later as I was drawing some stuff out one tape of P. Gabriel "Biko" one friend said it waspretty dull. I did not listen to this kind of music since. Then in late 80's a friend offerd me a tape of "So" for crhistmas (I offered him the woodentops first LP). Now I'm going back to this period but with a certain "culture" gained over 20 years of punk derelictious behavoir ;-))

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@unmedication THERE IS A VIDEO IF HIM AND HER DOING THIS SONG ALSO OUT HERE, THEY SUNG IT WELL TOGETHER

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

also check out video for gravity's angel, another interesting tune by a very talented and unique performer

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

excellent song which peter gabriel also covered, laurie was truly innovative and ecclectic, a talented lady, adrian belew on guitar is cool, check out his electronic guitar work

[pichochea]

it looks like Ross Geller on that chapter of the TVshow Friends.. LoL

[greg5566]

I don't want to brag or anything, but I've never played drums a day in my life, and I could still be Laurie's drummer.

[macwan80]

@greg5566 That's weird because Laurie's drummer can do anything greg5566 could possibly attempt

[ThijsBertram]

I bet you couldn't

And it isn't about the difficulty of the drums AT ALL. It is about the composition. How creative and what a good songwriter she is..!

[xnonsuchx]

you REALLY need to hear all of David Van Tiegham's other stuff if you really believe that.

[greg5566]

It's amazing, isn't it, how metaphoric language is over the head of most people? Do you think when someone in a museum says "I could do that!" they REALLY mean it? Or are they making a point that it seems simplistic or whatever? Not only do I not need to listen to David Van Tiegham's, I really could have lived the rest of my life without even having his name in my brain. Thanks for that.

[The1frown]

its really good a on acid, or at least it was in the 80's when i did it.

[sirhcnehcsig]

great performance ... unique! 5*

[IRproductionstudios]

haha

[IRproductionstudios]

I always listen to this stuff when i need a good laugh thank you!!!

[CioCoc]

but i don't get it. why does it make you laught? In my eyes she's fantastic and i love really love the chillin experimental she's making over here.

[modelleg]

L.Anderson...D. Byrne? Which is which?

[Sawbones84]

There are a striking number of similarities between this stage setup and that of Stop Making Sense

[blahmfingblah]

I was at a Peter Gabriel show at Madison Square Garden oh somewhere around '87 or '88 and Laurie came on stage and did this song with Peter live. Truly amazing!!!!

[ORAquabat]

I'm so jealous. Got to see her about four times; seems like each time she sang a little less and performed/spoke a little more.

Strangely, I was introduced to Peter Gabriel through her. Kind of backwards, I know. Love them both. And both great in concert.

[kripiczemunie]

oh they really deserve the applause they get, it's a pleasure to listen and watch

[CapLockFreak]

This version is actually better than the one that was on her album, but I still think that Peter's version was better.

[cadancer2009]

love this song!

[streetspiritlive]

Oh Yes Indeed

The amazing and awesome

Adrian Belew on guitar!

Laurie sure knew how to pick em!!

Raging Gabriel fan that I am

Still, Laurie's et all Excellent Birds

Is the Best!!! :)

A Great Work of Music and Art....

*****+

[hoga1962]

And the awesome and under rated Adrian Belew on guitar.

[kenrubes]

not underrated at all..Adrian is uber respected pretty much everywhere....

[Sawbones84]

Until he gets inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame, I'll consider him underrated.

[TerrierBram]

What me strikes me is the level of quality of this life performances. It is just like on the studio recorded record, incredible.

[jimjurtz]

man I remember paul van dyk's early drumming career

[BaldexSoldier]

She was sooo AWESOME to see in concert. Thanks and the audio is perfect!@@@!!

[wotgorilla1]

No its David Van tiegham on percussion.

[alxthe1]

Does anyone know if Home of The Brave will be released on DVD?

[MisterKamikazi]

That's Adrian Brody on percussion!

[kochschinkenbrotchen]

Co-written with Peter Gabriel, who released this song calling it 'This is the picture', released on the CD version of the 'So' album and as a B-Side. Both versions of the songs have a different mix; "Laurie was emphasizing the atmospheric part, while I was focusing on the rhythm", Peter stated in interviews for teh 'So' promotion in 1986.

[warwickharris]

the version with peter gabriel was off mr heartbreak...

[GabrielWilsonCollins]

@warwickharris There's also a verison of this song on Peter Gabriel's "So" from 1987.

[khamsin59]

One of her most musical songs, this one sneaks up on you.