Laurie Anderson, "Walk The Dog"

[BububbleWand]

I played this for my nine-year old. Upon hearing the barking dogs, he hollered “turn that off!”...but a moment later, he said “wait—what IS that?” and began to listen in earnest. I suspect many Laurie Anderson fans were hooked with a similar auditory double-take.

[oxfordye]

"O"

[monsteranus]

This is one of my favorites!

[zootius]

Hehe, in the early 80s I used to listen to this 7" single B side with the big beige headphones on my dad's Pioneer hi-fi stack. No wonder I ended up weird :D

[lucidtree]

<3

[wasabiluver]

Haven't heard this in ages! Holy shit, thanks for posting!

[Posthuman2003]

just bonkers

[SECRETAGENTSHoRTY]

Frrakin coolest shit evar! =]

[mycatslistentome]

I always listen to Laurie alone.

[Drambrarcer]

3:11 is my new everything.

[TheBMTHfreak]

@Drambrarcer Sounds like Pac Man's full up..

[JSPgamer]

Anyone know what vocal effect she used for the song?

[gabrielmba1]

@JSPgamer none

[bigbearpaws]

@JSPgamer Sped up tape

[MrNicespaces]

@JSPgamer;

I'd be disappointed if it was "an effect."

It was the early days of sampling and sequencing. I half expect she sampled and sequenced each phrase individually.

....

Yup...artists do that kinda stuff.

[TaterGumfries]

That gal really breaks it up, don't she?

[suckmeoffification]

this makes me feel like I am finally sucking myself

[GINGERALER]

She performed this live on David Letterman in 1984 and afterwards, he asked her "what was it that you just did here?" Laurie replied it was "just a country and western song" and the audience cracked up.

[pepperquentin]

Rememebering this and her in the early 80's; I thought this was the music of the future. And, yet, today it is as fresh and forward as it was then. I always thought her Dolly Parton was en pointe! No, Dolly's never going back "there". But, it sure is great going back to 1981 to revisit this as if it were yesterday. Unfortunately, I have to "open my eyes" now.

I do so appreciate your posting this on you tube. It's her best black comedy, in my opinion.

[psychicbyinternet]

I like how her other songs are more about politics and masculinity, where she uses her "voice of authority" but this one seems to be more about femininity, so she makes her voice squeakier.

[Stemax1960]

LSHIPMS

[Alexandrasaurus]

Brilliant - there should be more of this in the world!

[IRproductionstudios]

if 2012 doesnt end the world this sure as hell could!

[joomoo123]

i think i just heard all good things die in the world.

[orbitalsatellite]

i only come in to the front of my house through the back window which i positioned under the floorboards above my ceiling. its just more interesting that way.

[madmic1967]

In this day and age we are conditioned to the middle grounds, in art, cinema and music, the likes of Vettriano, The Scotts, Beyonce et al. What is worse is when "middle ground" is sold to us as "avente garde", see Hirst/Chapmans, Tarantino/Coen Brothers and Lady Ga Ga/Scissor Sisters. They are all hailed as "out there" when really they are as mainstream as possible. True artists must be recognised and supported. "O Superman" caught my ear in '81 and I have loved Laurie ever since. Kudos.

[hillysats]

At first I was WTF.

Then it remained that way for the next 5:48 minutes.

[You7ubeKillsYou]

Sounds like an acid trip for me.

[justejust]

Not only this is a classic AvantGarde, but it is also beautiful. Don't get me wrong, but I often find hard to relate to music that is ''completely out there'', like, you know, listening to sound of traffic and such (not that I'm against it).

This is so beautiful to listen to

[MrRobbieallen]

If I'm correct this was the "B" side to Oh superman, I ran a mobile disco in the 80's and this was the song I used to clear the room at the end of the night,

[legomandroid]

I used to get real stoned with this song back in the days. Now, my mind stills tripping ever I hear this, a real, ludic, and lucid trip. What today's music can inspire that? I had a very fine expiriences with "The Aliens" (ex Beta Band). Thanks for binging this, Laurie Anderson is incredible.

[assmane999]

I didn't know surrealism could apply to music, but here it is! She's the Salvador Dali of the music industry.

[dullath]

@assmane999 ----agreed. and for cinema? david lynch. hands down

[PrivateSchoolBoy]

time you understood that most ideologies' value is in their capacity for novel and suprising application. Postmodern Freudianism makes a carnival of "the hungry caterpillar", for example.

[MegaGeek325]

What is this, I don't even-

[reads comments]

AvantGarde...

I need to do studies on this mystical music's effects on my mind.

I feel it. Something is happening as I listen.

[tonyurmate]

bloody hell,im freakin out and im not even stoned aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh­hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh­hhhh,na classic whatever?????????????

[christoddur]

How did this not make the album? And why is it only on the recent re-issue as an mp3?? Why didn't they just add it???

[5degreesofbacon]

I was obsessed with this and O Superman back in the day. SO great to hear it again!!!

[OrMush]

ugh i cant stop listening to laurie anderson even though it freaks me the hell out

[mrdiamondheadTV]

Air France...Can I Hep Ya?

[sparrowcrazy]

This is creepy....seriously;P

[VANHELSING433]

A pop music version of Salvador Dali, wierd, surreal but I like it.

[TheHilbertino]

Love to let my mind go on this one

[eliactu]

Very weird music but cool!

[TheJaking87]

I'm embarrassed to say, I used to listen to this more than 'O Superman'!

[lunaleslie92]

i love this song!!! :D ♥

[vwtankgirl]

This is classic AvantGarde. One to have strange dreams by if you fall asleep listening to.

[traderjoe777]

This is GREAT!!!!

[ScareMeSexy71]

this gave me the fear when i was 8...i am still afraid..i am now 38

[theendingnote]

I was just saying the same thing. Only aged 5 and now 27. Haha.

[Karratgold]

trees made enttirely of wood are you serious!!!

[scottocheltree]

nice. used to have this on vinyl. love laurie.

[M0THERKN0WSBEST]

My dog loves this song!!!

( or hates it, I am not quite sure )

Anyhow, he sure barks his head of and starts howling if I play it.

[jackeroo08]

it's art folks

[DisneyMay101]

I don' t know whether to love or hate her music!!

Sounds like two songs stuck together.

[pseudonym1964]

Eff Off then. That is why your name is DisneyMay.

[dullath]

please try to evolve. everyone gets to say. don't mess w/ my chi.

btw- i think it's supercool. like every

[pseudonym1964]

Errrrrr... is your name DisneyMay? No, so get lost.

With regards to your Chi? AhAhAhahAhah! Where did you buy yours?

Sad.... :(

[morph628]

What does everyone make of this piece?

[thomasrealdance]

jast a-mazing when listened to on HQ!

all those extra sounds (had only heard it on 2nd hand record so far, always liked it already)

thankyou thanks & thanks again! :-)

[maha77]

it sucks that its sped up

[FallaciousExegesis]

The song's supposed to sound like that, it is sped up, but intentionally, by the artist.

[YouGuysArnt]

@FallaciousExegesis

Actually it was made with a frequency shifter. It's not sped up, her voice is raised one or two octaves. She used to do it this way live.

She would also lower it to a really deep voice she called "The voice of authority" that she used in other songs.

[turntapzap]

God bless.

[EQUUSREIN]

does anyone know were i can download this? iv searched for mp3 downloads everywere! shes such a wierdo......i love her!

[thedoorsforever]

Why does this sound like it's speeded up? I have rhe tape, and it is in slow motion. Anyone else out there know what I am talking about? I want to buy the cd, but not if it sounds like this.

Thanks

[documonster]

i am playing the original 45 and it sounds like a different song.

[qbert555]

Speed sounds off.

[DJBonc]

brilliant!

could well be a Zappa song...

[alien8ted]

"I feel so bad, I feel so sad, but not as bad as the night I wrote this song!" Hilarious, that line and the brilliant Dolly Parton impression make this one of my fave LA songs.

[blackflagsarebetter]

thanks for posting this. this and o superman used to upset my exwife terribly. she threw the record out the window at one point. i of course went out and recovered it. she has recovered since as well.

[TeeBeeBad63]

Wooden tree's? What the.........

[JakobZetterstrom]

Made

entirely out of...

wood

[TeeBeeBad63]

Just like American planes, made in America? Ba ha ha!

[JakobZetterstrom]

Oh yesss, but...

this is the time

and this is the record of the time

[warwickharris]

"i saw a lot of trees today, they were wooden trees, made entirely of wood! i came home and you were all on fire - your hair was on fire, your shirt was on fire & flames were licking all around your feet, and then a 1000 violins began to play & i did really not know what to do, so i decided to go out and uh, WALK THE DOG" ;-)

[Gene041]

Greatest song ever, of all time

[mick2spic]

Wow, this is great :)

[gerry80]

Holy shit. That's excellent and  I'm not even high

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@gerry80 think it would freak me out listening to this stoned. laurie is definitely out there, where i don't exactly know!!! still, she is unique and has done some cool stuff, check out Excellent Birds

[johnkenilworth]

@gerry80 Nah This is just holy light. Not entirely of wood.

[mypoopfloats]

yeah, man, thanks a lot for this post. im 36, and my dad had this and Oh Superman on a tape he got from some guys at work, and i remember sitting on the floor listening to this in the early 80s, blowin my lil mind. i'm partial to Oh Sup tho, because of the Oh Oh loop, and i think it has really influenced my taste in music.

[JakobZetterstrom]

YAY thanks so much! Bought the single in 1981 because I liked the A-side, but THIS was the real deal... David Robinson's (Modern Lovers, Cars) drums and Perry Hoberman's (mainly an installation artist :p) sax make her music swing jerkily and wildly like noone from Bobby McFerrin to Adrian Belew ever managed... and I lost the single in 1982, and this, the greatest version of the greatest song with the greatest lyrics from one of the greatest artists around hasn't been available anywhere since...

[JakobZetterstrom]

@ my own previous comment: Yeah OK, I DID hear of its inclusion on the Big Science re-release last year (not that I've found it in stock anywhere) - but an MP3 bonus track on a 25th anniversary reissue...? Youtube FTW!

[trombone667]

this and O superman ARE SO BIZARRE! it just kinda....wow....as eerie as it is bizarre.

[jaseyboy]

I know, I think that's what draws me to a lot of her stuff...it gets into your head successfully and can sound both comforting and eerie at the same time. O Superman particularly lulls you into an hypnotic sort of state while still making you a tad uneasy with the lyrics.

I would love to see the performance of Walk the Dog she did on Letterman that apparently completely confused the guy.

[Holydragonblade]

I remember the first time I listened to "The Ouija Board". That's the only of her songs that really, and I mean really, creeped me out.

[douglasec]

A little 1981 pitch-shifting and she really DOES sound sort of like Dolly Parton! I saw her do this (and O Superman) when this was her only release as a virtually self-released single and she was about to sign with Warner Brothers. She was wonderful, doing these songs live and (except for the lighting guy) solo at New Music America in SF before she got well known. Good times.

[warwickharris]

i LOVE it! 2nd song of laurie's i had ever heard & not on the radio! [ "well i turned on the radio, and i heard a song by dolly parton, and she was singggggggging...." ] i remember this song! what also stuck was: "i feel so sad, i feel so bad, but not as bad as the night, i wrote this song." it freaked my mother & sister out, but i reveled :)

[warwickharris]

hayley = thanks SOOOO much!!! i searched for this ages ago - and nadas, now you have it!

GREAT :)

rick

[warwickharris]

i was sold out on this song when i was at school! i bought the single 7 rpm vinyl of O Superman and when i heard Walk The Dog on the flip side of the 7 single, for the FIRST time - ms anderson had me hooked: fish, line and sinker :)

[thedoorsforever]

Hi, so what does it sound like? Is it real fast? I had the orignal, but itwas stolen. I would like to buy it again on cd, but not if it's really fast.

Janet

[warwickharris]

no she talks thruout the song! itz discordant, not melodious. very interesting song!

[thedoorsforever]

HI am looking for the original, that is slow talking, she sounds like a man. It's that slow. Someone please tell me where I can find it!!!

Janet