Laurie Anderson has always had an admirable sense of ambition, but this time she may have overstepped the mark. Based on Songs And Stories Of Moby Dick, her 1999 multi-media show based on Herman Melville's classic novel, this is a disjointed and confusing record that never really lives up to its promise. Since the stage show didn't have enough songs to fill the album, Anderson adds compositions about freedom, bereavement and New York, all of which are lacklustre by her usual high standard. Thankfully a couple of her trademark monologues and some intriguing whale songs redeem the album and make it a worthwhile, if flawed, addition to her catalogue.
