The Charlie Rose Interview, 2003

"She does everything. She writes. She paints. She does photography. She sculpts. There's nothing she can't do. She is the absolute perfect person to go up there because she could come back to you and could put it in any kind of media you wanted."

(Lou Reed on Laurie Anderson's artistry-in-residence at NASA)

In May 2003 Laurie Anderson and Lolabelle joined Lou Reed at Charlie Rose's interview table (apparently to everybody's satisfaction). Their conversation rambled from 'NYC Man' (Lou Reed's then-recently released retrospective song collection), through Andy Warhol, to the aspects of the relationship between Lou and Laurie.

(FYI: This video had been hosted by Google and was 'rescued' to YouTube since Google has recently gave up video hosting.)

At the Shrink's

Timeiswide, major contributor of Laurie Anderson-related goodness on dimeadozen, was kind enough to allow Mnemosyne to feature a previously 'unpublished' piece here, among Files on a String: an excerpt from a previous big touring retrospective, entitled The Record of the Time: Sound in the Work of Laurie Anderson. This recording was made in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2003. The story can be read in Stories from the Nerve Bible: a Twenty-Year Retrospective (page 84 - thanks, Timeiswide), it basically deals with the insolubly different perspectives every human individual has.

• At the Shrink's (audio length: 2 mins 10 secs, file size: 2.98 MB)

FYI: It's worth comparing this version with the original which was made 26 (or 28) years earlier and an excerpt of it can be found in the Catalogue of Netherlands Media Art Institute.

You remember Warhol.

"And there's Andy Warhol's fifteen minutes. His time limit for fame, for the spotlight. And so why is it fifteen minutes, and not ten or three? Or a New York minute? And then I remembered - fifteen was a famous number at that time. It was in all the papers: fifteen minutes was the time that took for an ICBM to reach New York City from Moscow. You remember Moscow."

(Laurie Anderson, Happiness Tour, 2003) 

Andy Warhol and Laurie Anderson, 1984

Photo by Ann Clifford

Source: LIFE archives

Semi off-topic extra: Lou Reed's 'Pale Blue Eyes' is a part of the soundtrack of Andy Warhol's exclusive 3D exhibition in Budapest (open until tomorrow). Whatever.

Charlie Rose interviews

If you are not familiar with them: really worth watching. If you are familiar with them: really worth re-watching.


1. A conversation with Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson of "The Velvet Underground"
July 8, 2003

A conversation with musicians Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson of "The Velvet Underground" about their careers in glam rock, Reed's album "NYC Man: Lou Reed the Collection", and Anderson's work as a performance artist.

Video length: 31:18

2. A conversation with performance artist Laurie Anderson
May 20, 2004

A discussion with sculptor, filmmaker and performance artist Laurie Anderson about bridging the gap between art and pop culture.

Video length: 15:10