Strange Angels

Strange Angels is the fifth album overall and fourth studio album, released by Warner Bros. Records in october 24, 1989.

With this release, Anderson attempted to move away from her previous image as a performance artist into a more musical realm. Although music had always been part of her performance, it was never brought to the fore as much as it was on Strange Angels. Anderson did more singing on this album than she did on previous albums. As a result, completion of this album was delayed for nearly a year when Anderson decided that she needed to take singing lessons; in the process she discovered that she was a soprano.

The album includes contributions from vocal artist Bobby McFerrin. Its cover photo was shot by Robert Mapplethorpe, who died several months before the album’s release. One of the songs on this album, “The Dream Before” (also known as “Hansel and Gretel Are Alive and Well”) had been introduced several years earlier in her short film What You Mean We? while she had performed “Babydoll” and “The Day the Devil” years previously on Saturday Night Live.

Reaction to Anderson’s new direction was mixed, with some critics praising her new style, while some accused her of abandoning her performance art roots, even though Anderson soon began work on a major piece titled The Nerve Bible. Her next album would not be released for five years.

Strange Angels received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.