Chicago-born Laurie Anderson was a true artist. The former sculptor hit the New York City music scene in 1977 with her violin-driven art-rock approach after attending Columbia University. After years of work, her recording career finally took off when she released O Superman in 1981.

      It's hard to call Big Science a compilation of songs. Anderson's recordings are more like pop music with bizarre yet perceptive narratives spoken over them. Nevertheless, the spoken word is by no means just talk. On this release, her voice is electronically mixed and synthesized to form another instrument.

      To describe each track on the album can be difficult. Experimental in every way, you just sort of have to listen to it to understand the themes that are evoked. Big Science highlighted her speech-based minimalism, roughly speaking on such topics as technology, culture and alienation with a cynical, insightful simplicity. In the track "Sweaters" the arrangement sounds like a human cry amplified with a mixture of violin and saxophone. There are human voices all over the album, and Anderson sings/talks over the 'noises' in a very comforting yet sinister way. You never get comfortable, but you remain focused.

      In addition to the voice, these tracks also incorporate a slew of instruments, including bass guitars, drums, harmonicas, violins and saxophones. Anderson has collaborated with Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, William Burroughs and Lou Reed, and even had an affair with the late Andy Kaufman. She still contributes to the arts as NASA's only commissioned artist and will be releasing a DVD box set containing her short films, a concert movie named Home of the Brave, a book of drawings titled Night Life and a new album, Homeland, in 2008.

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