Video Archive: Laurie Anderson United States I-IV
For those of us who actually got to see Laurie Anderson’s 8 hour United States I-IV multimedia performance way back when then this first of a three part German interview is probably the most recorded video footage available of how some of that show looked. Way ahead of anything else at the time it featured music, back projection, films, narration, audio and performance art. I bought the later release of the audio recordings and to this day can still see in my minds eye the visuals that went with the sound despite the passage of time, such was the impact it had on me.
In the same year I saw United States I-IV at the Dominion Theatre London, the UK premiere of Philip Glass and Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi with live film score and in David Bowie’s serious moonlight tour at Milton Keynes but after the first two music and art combined experiences I almost entirely turned my back on mainstream pop music (and Mr Bowie was not at his best in the 80’s). The scale and gravitas of the weightier events put pop and rock music in a very poor light for me.
I wish my German was better as the interviews are dubbed into German but I can lip read some of it at least.
Parts 2 and 3 can be found via my vodpod widget.
There’s a much better copy of that performance of o-superman on YouTube.
I’ll try to make a link
The link is there, but you have to mouse-over to see it.
This is unbelievable. Thank you!