TS: "O Superman" vs "Loving The Alien" vs "Love Comes Quickly"

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Three songs recorded within four years of each other, all of which feature intentionally stuttered, recurring vocal hooks. Which is the best?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:31 (twenty years ago)

Er, which "Love Comes Quickly" are you talking about? Because there's no stuttering in the PSB one.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:33 (twenty years ago)

"O Superman"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:34 (twenty years ago)

There sure is, starting about 25 seconds in. It goes, "ah ah ah ah"

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:34 (twenty years ago)

"O Superman" crushes both of these effortlessly.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 8 July 2005 16:59 (twenty years ago)

Oh no it doesn't! Although I have to hear "Love Comes Quickly" again because I can't visualize anything that wasn't a synth outside of Tennant's lyrics.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

By comparison -- despite their brilliance -- both the Bowie track and the PSB track sound like bog-standard pop songs next to Laurie Anderson's singular meisterwerk.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

This is only true if you've drunk the Kool-Aid that tells you that Laurie Anderson is an edgy artistic genius and not really a boring, skinny, non-sexual version of Annie Sprinkle.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:16 (twenty years ago)

I admire Anderson's song more than enjoy it; for years I felt exactly the same about the PSB song. Now it makes me weep.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 8 July 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

This is only true if you've drunk the Kool-Aid that tells you that Laurie Anderson is an edgy artistic genius and not really a boring, skinny, non-sexual version of Annie Sprinkle.

Whether you think she's a dingbat or not ---NAME ANOTHER SONG THAT SOUNDS EVEN REMOTELY LIKE "O SUPERMAN"!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 8 July 2005 23:05 (twenty years ago)

See? You can't!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 00:49 (twenty years ago)

No other song sounds remotely like "Love Comes Quickly."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 9 July 2005 01:13 (twenty years ago)

I would name one if I could actually remember what "O Superman" sounded like!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 9 July 2005 01:17 (twenty years ago)

You both fail. See me after class.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:33 (twenty years ago)

This is only true if you've drunk the Kool-Aid that tells you that Laurie Anderson is an edgy artistic genius and not really a boring, skinny, non-sexual version of Annie Sprinkle.

I don't even agree with you, Dan, but HIGH FUCKING FIVE!

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:42 (twenty years ago)

Seen Annie Sprinkle lately? She's not too appetizingly sexual herself these days.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:49 (twenty years ago)

I suspect detention with Alex would involve lots of Killing Joke records and - when our bodies have expired from the abuse - he'll play Luther's "Give Me The Reason" for his own amusement.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:50 (twenty years ago)

Why would I reward your tin-eared petulance with Killing Joke?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:51 (twenty years ago)

because you love us?

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:52 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone listen to Laurie Anderson anymore, or has anyone who might care conceded that she's just Uncle Lou's mistress with the Fraggle-Rock hair?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:55 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone listen to Uncle Lou anymore?

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Saturday, 9 July 2005 02:59 (twenty years ago)

what's more fun - playtime with Uncle Lou or detention with Alex?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:01 (twenty years ago)

has anyone who might care conceded that she's just Uncle Lou's mistress with the Fraggle-Rock hair?

Have you listened to Strange Angels? It's her pop album, and you'll like it. And Matos OTM re: Uncle Lou.

Other than that, Alex in NYC is right, Dan and Alfred have lost their mindsand live, Laurie Anderson is strangely hott in a compelling-performer way.

That is all. Carry on.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:26 (twenty years ago)

"O Superman" by a mile. I've said it before and I'll say it again. A great counter-example to people that think that "mechanical" and "emotional" are inherently cast in opposition, as I think I said on the "songs that make you inexplicably sad thread. If I didn't, I meant to.

Forgive me for my rambling style. I am very tired, and not drunk enough yet to flow...

― John Justen (johnjusten), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:12 (twenty years ago)

Get the M.A.N.D.Y. remix of "O Superman" and have the best of both worlds! (Anderson/PSB that is. Sorta.)

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:37 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, O Superman does indeed crush them both into gravel and dust.

― Hydrochloric Shaved Weirds (Bimble...), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:42 (twenty years ago)

Another vote for O Superman.

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Saturday, 9 July 2005 06:24 (twenty years ago)

'O Superman'. One of the very best songs of 1981, easily. Makes me wish I could get into Anderson outside of the single and 'Big Science'.

― I.M. (I.M.), Saturday, 9 July 2005 10:58 (twenty years ago)

Out of this threesome, I'd go with "Love Comes Quickly" by a short hair over "O Superman" (confessing I don't even know what "Loving the Alien" is!), but might prefer "Moments in Love" to all of them (which fits as well, no?).

― s woods, Saturday, 9 July 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

I just went to soulseek looking for "Loving the Alien" - I'll assume it's David Bowie we're talking about here and not Velvet Revolver? Has Slash gone all Fairlight on us?

― s woods, Saturday, 9 July 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

roger - apart from "From The Air," Big Science just ain't that compelling. I've tried.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 9 July 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

That's why I recommended you Strange Angels.

Big Science, iirc, is the Reader's Digest version of some of the musical pieces from United States. I agree that most of them work better in context. The performance itself might well seem trite now, but at the time I thought it was pretty damn cool (and hadn't been copied to death yet).

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Saturday, 9 July 2005 16:10 (twenty years ago)

Plus, how can you not love this?

http://www.laurieanderson.com/images/pics/lalola.jpg

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Saturday, 9 July 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I love Strange Angels. I might even start an In Praise Of; a damn good album.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 9 July 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

Is there a film of the United States performances? I've never found the 4-disc audio recording that compelling--obviously many of the pieces are missing a central element (the visual). 'Big Science' works for me as stand-alone music.

― I.M. (I.M.), Saturday, 9 July 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

(I'm betting that if I heard "O Superman" right now, I'd love it, but then I wouldn't be able to stand behind my awesome Annie Sprinkle slam.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 9 July 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

gmail GO! to Dan. Hi Dan!

― John Justen (johnjusten), Saturday, 9 July 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

Hi John! You are a magical music genie.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 9 July 2005 21:53 (twenty years ago)

I was going to respond that you had to rub me the right way, but I was concerned that people might start reading into our relationship a bit more than desired.

It should be there, BTW. Warning, it's long, and you have to listen to all of it...a quick 45 second perusal will not change your mind at all.

― John Justen (johnjusten), Saturday, 9 July 2005 21:56 (twenty years ago)

I will listen once I come back from seeing "The Fantastic Four".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 9 July 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

O Superman ffs

I would name one if I could actually remember what "O Superman" sounded like!

i don't believe you, sorry.

Get the M.A.N.D.Y. remix of "O Superman" and have the best of both worlds! (Anderson/PSB that is. Sorta.)

please don't - it's completely fucking awful.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 10 July 2005 00:46 (twenty years ago)

Is there a film of the United States performances?

I know I've seen it on video, but it was a looooooong time ago. Don't know the current release status.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Sunday, 10 July 2005 02:41 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I love Strange Angels. I might even start an In Praise Of; a damn good album.

Yay! If you start that thread, please don't leave out Baghiti Kumalo's fretless work on "Ramon." Or the heartbreakingest song I know that's dedicated to Walter Banjamin.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Sunday, 10 July 2005 02:44 (twenty years ago)

"please don't - it's completely fucking awful."

Jed, I taste polarity reasserts itself!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 10 July 2005 06:26 (twenty years ago)

these are all great songs!

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 10 July 2005 06:31 (twenty years ago)

I know many attractive women who enjoy listening to both Lou and Laurie

― Luckiest Man Alive (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 10 July 2005 09:30 (twenty years ago)

Jed, I taste polarity reasserts itself!

Tim, i dunno what that means but i halfway typed that sentence about it being awful then i thought i may be wrong and listened to it again. There's the factor of something you love being tampered with, which is always hard to get past. That remix is horribly cheesy though and loses the bitterness of the track. it also makes the "ah ah ah" sections sound comic. i really do think it's completely dreadful, it doesn't have anything at all to commend it.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 10 July 2005 10:01 (twenty years ago)

However, my man is here and says i'm totally wrong and that the remix is great. he thinks the original is rub, though.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 10 July 2005 10:40 (twenty years ago)

Sorry I meant to type "our taste polarity reasserts itself".

The remix is very cheesy. I found this surprising and enjoyable when I listened to it, as I expected it to be some sort of serious prog-electro work-out in keeping with the original. Instead it's a very Jacques Lu Cont-ish transformation.

Mind you I'm basing all this on the one time I heard it.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:38 (twenty years ago)

There sure is, starting about 25 seconds in. It goes, "ah ah ah ah"

I have listened to "Love Comes Quickly" about seven times in a row (YAY) and there is an echo-land handclap that fires off about on sixteenth-notes at about the timeslice mentioned by Alfred; there's no hint of anyone going "ah-ah-ah-ah" anywhere in the album version.

Unless, of course, he's actually talking about the repeated "love" that happens on every quarter note for about 24 bars of the song's intro, but that's not stuttered at all.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 July 2005 18:28 (twenty years ago)

"Unless, of course, he's actually talking about the repeated "love" that happens on every quarter note for about 24 bars of the song's intro, but that's not stuttered at all. "

You sob-sister! I probably should have just written "repeated" instead of "stuttered"

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 14 July 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

Would "Nature of Love" - Ministry fit the criteria? (I'm not close to it right now, so I can't quite remember.) If so, I'll vote for that as an equal to "O Superman".

Dan, what did you think of "O Superman"? I'm tough, I can take it...

― John Justen (johnjusten), Thursday, 14 July 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

1. O Superman (For Massenet)
2. Love Comes Quickly
3. Loving The Alien

I caught myself sounding remarkably like Laurie Anderson in my art show today, with an 80s string machine loop backing a narrative about Hummers, recited in that glazed-appalled schizo-mesmer sprechgesang style that Laurie has made her own over the years. Later I found myself at Lexington and of course Lou's "up to Lexington, 125, feel sick and dirty more dead than alive" popped into my head.

Later, coming out of the Lincoln Center, I saw a grandpa-grandma couple looking a bit dithery on the street. He wore long shorts, a Hawaian shirt, steel-framed spectacels. His hair was long and silvery at the edges. Suddenly I realised it was Lou Reed. "If that's Lou Reed, the woman behind must be Laurie Anderson!" I thought, and sure enough, glancing at me to see if I recognised her too, it was Laurie, looking tiny and, like Lou, surprisingly frail and rather lost, like your parents from a small town, lost in the big city.

― Momus (Momus), Friday, 15 July 2005 03:33 (twenty years ago)

Don't know about "Love Comes Quickly", but "O Superman" and "Loving The Alien" are brilliant. Also, "Loving the Alien" is not, as Alex in New York so snarkily asserts, bog-standard pop. It's actually haunting and cryptic. The video is totally acid-addled nonsense as well. (I mean that as a compliment.)

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Friday, 15 July 2005 03:53 (twenty years ago)

I hate the video for "Loving The Alien." It was standard-issue, MTV-style surreality, not Bowie's

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 July 2005 10:56 (twenty years ago)

I've only had the opportunity to listen to the first three minutes of "O Superman". Those three minutes are kind of ~~silly~~cool.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 15 July 2005 11:37 (twenty years ago)

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