Mister Heartbreak

Mister Heartbreak is the second studio album by American avant-garde artist, singer and composer Laurie Anderson, released on February 14, 1984, by Warner Bros. Records.

Mister Heartbreak
Studio album by
Laurie Anderson
ReleasedFebruary 14, 1984 (1984-02-14)
RecordedJuly–December 1983
Studio
  • The Lobby (New York City)
  • RCA (New York City)
  • A & R (New York City)
  • 39th Street Music (New York City)
Genre
Length40:16
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
Laurie Anderson chronology
Big Science
(1982)		 Mister Heartbreak
(1984)		 United States Live
(1984)
Singles from Mister Heartbreak
  1. "Sharkey's Day"
    Released: 1984

Contents

Like its predecessor, it contains reworked elements of Anderson's live album United States ("Langue d'Amour", "Kokuku", based on musical elements from "Rising Sun", and "Blue Lagoon"). However, Anderson also introduced new material ("Sharkey's Day"/"Sharkey's Night" and "Gravity's Angel"), while "Excellent Birds", written in collaboration with Peter Gabriel, was written for a 1984 project for video artist Nam June Paik called Good Morning, Mr. Orwell.

Background

"Gravity's Angel" borrows imagery from Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow (1973). Anderson had "wanted to make an opera of that book ... and asked him if that would be OK... He said, 'You can do it, but you can only use banjo.' And so I thought, 'Well, thanks. I don't know if I could do it like that."[3] "Blue Lagoon" contains allusions to other tales of the sea: William Shakespeare's The Tempest (Ariel's song) and Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851).

The album's opening track, "Sharkey's Day", formed the basis of a popular music video. Author William S. Burroughs read the lyrics of the closing track, "Sharkey's Night", while Peter Gabriel provided vocals on "Excellent Birds", an alternate version of which, titled "This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)", also appeared on his studio album So (1986).[4] According to Anderson, she and Gabriel "could never agree on what a bassline was. (I think I probably don't hear so well down there.) I wanted to learn from him, but it turned into a standoff and so we each put out our own version of the song."[5] A third version of the song can be heard in the music video version, directed by Dean Winkler.

Most of the songs on the album were later performed in Anderson's concert film Home of the Brave (1986). Burroughs appears in the film in two brief segments, reciting lines from "Sharkey's Night", although it is Anderson herself who performs a complete version of the song at the film's conclusion. "Gravity's Angel" was used in a trailer for the film Naked Lunch (1991), an adaptation of William S. Burroughs' 1959 novel of the same name. "Sharkey's Night" featured in the Australian short documentary film Ladies Please! (1995)

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
The Village VoiceA−[2]

Track listing

All songs written by Laurie Anderson, except where otherwise indicated.

Side one

  1. "Sharkey's Day" – 7:41
  2. "Langue d'Amour" – 6:12
  3. "Gravity's Angel" – 6:02

Side two

  1. "Kokoku" – 7:03
  2. "Excellent Birds" (Anderson, Peter Gabriel) – 3:12
  3. "Blue Lagoon" – 7:03
  4. "Sharkey's Night" (Anderson, William S. Burroughs) – 2:29

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

  • Laurie Anderson – co-producer (tracks 1–2, 4–7), producer (track 3), art, graphics
  • Bill Laswell – co-producer (tracks 1, 4, 7), mixing assistance (track 3)
  • Roma Baron – co-producer (tracks 2, 6)
  • Peter Gabriel – co-producer (track 5)
  • Leanne Ungar – engineer
  • Bob Bielecki – technical consultant, systems design, Synclavier spectral displays
  • Mike Getlin – assistant engineer
  • Joe Lopes – assistant engineer
  • Pat Martin – assistant engineer
  • Larry Franke – assistant engineer
  • Tim Cox – assistant engineer
  • Mike Krowiak – mixing assistant
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering
  • Bud Shark – printing

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1984 The Billboard 200 60[8]
1984 Canada RPM 41[9]
1984 Dutch Album Chart 23[10]
1984 Swiss Album Chart 19
1984 New Zealand Album Chart 12
1984 Swedish Album Chart 46
1984 UK Album Chart 93[11]

References
  1. Widenbaum, Marc (March 1997). "Eponymous Rex Article". The Pulse Magazine.
  2. Christgau, Robert (March 24, 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide: Laurie Anderson: Mister Heartbreak". The Village Voice. Posted at "Consumer Guide Mar. 24, 1984". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 10 January 2012. Relevant portion also posted in "Laurie Anderson > Consumer Guide Reviews". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
  3. "Silicon Valley Radio. Transcript of the Laurie Anderson Interview". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  4. "Genesis News Com [it]: Peter Gabriel - So25: So DNA - Review". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
  5. "Laurie Anderson on Sculpting Sounds with Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and More". Red Bull Music Academy. June 10, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  6. Allender, Mark W.B. "Mister Heartbreak". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2005.
  7. Loder, Kurt (April 12, 1984). "Laurie Anderson Mister Heartbreak > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 419. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
  8. Mister Heartbreak - Laurie Anderson > Charts & Awards > Billboard Album at AllMusic. Retrieved 31 March 2006.
  9. "RPM Top 100 Albums - May 5, 1984" (PDF).
  10. "Laurie Anderson - Mister Heartbreak".
  11. "LAURIE ANDERSON | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.
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