People

By Guy D. Garcia

The notion of a country-rock and torch-ballad singer fronting an electronic avant-garde ensemble may seem fairly far out, but it appeared to be a normal idea to Composer Philip Glass. Last week the minimalist music master completed a five-show, three-city tour showcasing Songs from Liquid Days, a song cycle performed by the likes of Linda Ronstadt and The Roches to lyrics by Paul Simon, David Byrne and Laurie Anderson. Anyone hoping for a Top Ten single from the extravaganza is likely to be disappointed. The songs are more symphonic than pop, Glass explains. "There's really no rock in them." The program, which was performed in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, included a piece written for Dancer-Choreographer Twyla Tharp, and an orchestration of Edgar Allan Poe's A Descent into the Maelstrom. "It's almost like a vaudeville show," muses Glass. "People moving and blending. That's the thing about the '80s -- it's all about collaboration."