Laurie Anderson - The Ugly One With The Jewels (1995)

Laurie Anderson - The Ugly One with the Jewels and Other Stories (1995)

1.  "The End of the World"         5:00
2.  "The Salesman"             3:19
3.  "The Night Flight from Houston"     1:33
4.  "Word of Mouth"             4:50
5.  "The Soul is a Bird"         3:56
6.  "The Ouija Board"             4:11
7.  "The Ugly One with the Jewels"     5:06
8.  "The Geographic North Pole"     5:22
9.  "John Lilly"             3:34
10. "The Rotowhirl"             3:54
11. "On the Way to Jerusalem"         1:20
12  "The Hollywood Strangler"         1:50
13. "Maria Teresa Teresa Maria"     5:43
14. "Someone Else's Dream"         2:25
15. "White Lily"             1:17
16. "The Mysterious 'J'"         2:57
17. "The Cultural Ambassador"         6:47
18. "Same Time Tomorrow"         7:49

I had been familiar with Laurie's work for many years and owned a couple of her earlier records. About 3 years ago, I had to make a two-day car trip by myself across the Southern U.S. I was not getting into any of the CDs I brought for the trip. So, I stop in a shopping mall in Tupelo, Mississippi and, operating on instinct, I bought The Ugly One With The Jewels. I listened to it three times through on that trip and I rarely let more than a few weeks pass without playing the thing again, 3 years later. Laurie doesn't sing much here, focusing instead on her storytelling, spoken language/poetry, with highly effective background electronic textures. It's a stunning CD, funny as a matter of routine, and then suddenly moving and evocative. I still shutter everytime I hear "White Lily."

With tongue in cheek I label this little review "a date with Laurie." This is because, with this CD, you get to know the enigmatic Ms. Anderson a bit, and you find her to be a load of fun.

Condition is Good - some minor scratches on the Jewel Box.