Philip Glass's 'Songs from Liquid Days' Turns 40

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Episode: Philip Glass's 'Songs from Liquid Days' Turns 40
Date: January 23, 2026

This episode celebrates the 40th anniversary of Philip Glass’s seminal album Songs from Liquid Days. Host Alison Stewart speaks with three vocalists—Melissa Bonetti, Kyla Viviana, and Sasha Gutierrez—who will be performing the album live at Lincoln Center. They discuss the album’s impact, their experiences bringing Glass’s genre-blurring work to life, and the role of New Latin Wave in supporting Latinx artists. Singer-songwriter Terry Roche, featured on the original album, calls in to share memories from the 1986 recording.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Legacy and Impact of Songs from Liquid Days

• Alison Stewart introduces the album as “a voyage of discovery,” noting it was Glass’s first project working in a pop song format, collaborating with lyricists like David Byrne and Suzanne Vega, and singers such as Linda Ronstadt and The Roches. (01:10)
• The album’s enduring resonance is underscored by its continued live performance and cross-cultural reinterpretation.

2. First Encounters and Personal Connections to the Album

• Sasha Gutierrez: Admits she hadn’t heard the album before being approached for the concert. “It’s an earworm. It’s so easy to listen to and I’m very excited to be able to sing this music.” (02:17)
• Melissa Bonetti: Also discovered the album through this project; previously performed in Glass’s Galileo opera. “Anytime I get a chance to sing Glass, I nerd out and I’m very excited.” (02:35)
• Kyla Viviana: Grew up listening to David Byrne and was thrilled to see his lyricism in Liquid Days. “It just represents love as an everyday thing that we experience...Liquid Days can kind of blend into each other as we experience life.” (03:03)

3. Glass’s Fusion of Classical and Popular Music

• Alison asks about the genre-bending nature of the work.
• Sasha: “I hear both things happening at the same time...it’s a beautiful thing to see how genres can come together...this is my little backup singer dream coming true.” (03:53)
• Melissa: Highlights the versatility now expected of classical singers: “The modern day classical singer is a very diverse singer. For us, it’s actually very natural to hop in and out of different vocal techniques.” (04:45)
• Kyla: Agrees, “This is a great opportunity to stretch into all of those genres along with our classical technique.” (05:25)

4. Live In-Studio Performance Excerpts

• The trio sings fragments of “Liquid Days,” capturing the intricate interplay of Glass’s music and Byrne’s lyrics.
  • Notable lines:
    • “We are old friends. I offer love a beer. Love watches television. Love needs a bath. Love could use a shave.” (06:15)
    • “Love rolls out of the chair and wiggles on the floor, jumps up. I’m laughing at love.” (06:38)
    • “Drink me, drive, breath, drive, sleep...” (06:52)

5. Reflections from The Roches’ Terry Roche

• Terry calls in to reminisce about participating in the original album:
  • “It was very challenging for us to sing those parts…coming from being folk singers.” (08:17)
  • Shares a story about the power of Linda Ronstadt’s voice during their live performances:
    • “Every time she looked in my direction, my ears hurt because of the power of her voice.” (09:20)
• Terry praises the new trio’s rendition: “They sound fantastic.” (08:17)

6. Preparation and Vocal Chemistry

• The vocalists reveal this is their first time singing together as a trio, though they’ve worked in various capacities previously.
  • Sasha: “We were nervous...but as soon as we sang the first note, it clicked.” (10:19)
  • Melissa: “We really wanted to honor the original recording and reflect what they were doing before. It feels like we’ve been singing together for a long time.” (11:01)
  • Kyla: “The chemistry that we have...it’s been wonderful to spend this time together and experiment and learn how our voices blend.” (11:40)

7. The Role of New Latin Wave

• Sasha: “New Latin Wave...focuses on bringing on Latin artists...they really are helping Latino artists such as myself to thrive in the music scene, to thrive in different places.” (13:43)
• Melissa: “You don’t really find a lot of Latino artists in [the classical realm of contemporary works]...it’s not just about opportunities, but it’s about community.” (14:17)

8. Concert Details and Ensemble Lineup

• The Lincoln Center anniversary concert features more Latinx classical vocalists, including Magos Herrera and Britt Hewitt. (15:32)
• The conversation highlights connections among ensemble members from past projects, underscoring the tight-knit nature of the New York classical and cross-genre music communities.

9. Final Reflections

• The trio expresses excitement even amid the threat of a winter storm, promising they’ll perform regardless:
  • “We have to be there. We’ll be there regardless of whatever happens.” (16:49)
  • “I think this is gonna be really a spectacular concert you don’t wanna miss.” (16:53)
• Episode closes with an excerpt from “Freezing,” featuring Suzanne Vega’s lyrics and Linda Ronstadt’s vocals.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sasha Gutierrez (On first hearing the album):
  “It’s an earworm. It’s so easy to listen to and I’m very excited to be able to sing this music.” (02:17)
• Melissa Bonetti (On versatility as a singer):
  “The modern-day classical singer is a very diverse singer...it’s actually very natural for us to hop in and out of different vocal techniques.” (04:45)
• Kyla Viviana (On the meaning of “Liquid Days”):
  “It just represents love as an everyday thing that we experience...Liquid Days can kind of blend into each other as we experience life.” (03:03)
• Terry Roche (On Linda Ronstadt’s voice):
  “Every time she looked in my direction, my ears hurt because of the power of her voice.” (09:20)
• Melissa Bonetti (On musical community):
  “It’s not just about opportunities, but it’s about community. And it makes me very giddy when I’m singing with a group, and I know that there’s a lot of Latino people present.” (14:17)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:10: Introduction to Songs from Liquid Days and guests
• 02:17: Vocalists share first experiences with the album
• 03:03: Reflection on David Byrne’s lyrics and the album’s themes
• 03:53: Discussion of musical genre fusion
• 06:15: First live in-studio performance excerpt
• 07:34: Call-in from Terry Roche of The Roches
• 09:20: Terry recalls live performances with Linda Ronstadt
• 10:19: The trio discusses their first rehearsal and chemistry
• 13:43: Introduction to New Latin Wave and its significance
• 15:32: Preview of concert lineup at Lincoln Center
• 16:49: Trio commits to performing “regardless of whatever happens”
• 17:25: Episode closes with excerpt of “Freezing” (Suzanne Vega / Linda Ronstadt)

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Episode Takeaways

This vibrant episode not only honors Philip Glass’s Songs from Liquid Days and its role in reshaping contemporary and classical boundaries, but also spotlights a new generation of diverse artists carrying its legacy forward. Through lively conversation, live performance, and intergenerational stories, the episode is a celebration of artistic collaboration, identity, and the ever-evolving tapestry of New York’s music life.

Transcript

[A]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the Name youe Price Tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match Limited by state law not available in all states. This. Stop that. This is all of it on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. 40 years ago, Philip Glass released an album called Songs from Liquid Days, which he described as a voyage of discovery. It was his first time writing music in song form. He got some help from writers like David Byrne, Suzanne Vega and Laurie Anderson. They sent in lyrics and Philip Glass composed music for it. Singers included Linda Ronstadt and the Roches. And it sounded like this. On Sunday, the album will be performed in full at Lincoln center, where it originally premiered. The event is curated by the Philip Glass Ensemble and New Latin Wave, an organization promoting Latine artists. In studio with me now, our three vocalists will be part of this Sunday's concert. Melissa Benetti, Kyla, Vivian, welcome to both of you.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

And Sasha Gutierrez, who I told her, stop playing with the cough button. Hi Sasha. You were here for Opera Next Door, so.

[C]

Yes, I was.

[A]

It's so nice to see you again. So Sasha, how familiar were you with this album before this concert?

[D]

I'll be honest, I had no idea about it. This album was actually a great surprise to listen to because I tell everyone it's an earworm. It's so easy to listen to and I'm very excited to be able to sing this music.

[A]

Melissa, when did you first hear of it?

[B]

Actually same when I was first just hired onto the project was the first time. This is my second time performing a work by Philip Glass. Previously it was his opera on Galileo 10 years ago. But anytime I get a chance to sing Glass, I nerd out and I'm very excited.

[A]

The title song, songs from Liquid Days, it comes from a lyric written by David Byrne, I believe. So. Kayla, what does that mean to you?

[E]

So liquid Dazed. My goodness. So David Byrne is an artist that I grew up listening to. My mom grew up during the 80s New Wave era of music and I grew up listening to albums like Stop Making Sense. So I was a huge David Byrne fan coming onto this and was very excited to hear these lyrics. And Liquid Days, to me as a song just represents like love as an everyday thing that we experience. You know, I love the way that he personifies it and the way that Liquid Days can kind of blend into each other as we Experience life.

[A]

Sasha, when you listen to the music, do you hear classical influences? Do you hear pop influences? Do you hear the combination of the two?

[D]

I hear both things happening at the same time. I think it's a beautiful thing to see how genres can come together and work together in this way and in this particular piece. Well, in this whole album you have a little bit of both. And so it's very exciting for me because I've always been a big fan of backup singers. I listen to a lot of music that has stuff like that, especially. Especially a lot of Latino music. So, you know, this is my little backup singer dream coming true.

[A]

Melissa, you all have classical and opera backgrounds. How much did you have to adjust and adapt the way you sing or you normally approach this music when you were. When you were thinking about it?

[B]

Yeah, actually I am kind of this girl in the classical world who tends to do a lot of other genres. So I'm formally trained as an opera singer. But this is really a thriving moment for fusing different genres within the classical world. And so for me, it's just. It's actually my passion. And so that's something that I fall easily into. And I think I actually also speak for the other two gals here. The modern day classical singer is a very diverse singer. And so for us, it's actually very natural for us to hop in and out of different vocal techniques.

[A]

What do you think, Kayla, do you agree?

[E]

Oh, absolutely, yes. We both have been, or we all have been fortunate to do a lot of different projects across genres, and this is a great opportunity to stretch into all of those genres along with our classical technique.

[A]

Sasha, you're going to perform something for us a little bit for us. What are you going to hear?

[D]

We're going to sing. Sing a little excerpt from Liquid Daze, which is one of the songs, of course. The album is called Songs from Liquid Days and this one particularly is called that. So we're gonna sing a little fragment and we hope you enjoy it.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

We are old friends I offer love a beer Love watches television. Love needs a bath Love could use a shape.

[B]

Love rolls out of the.

[D]

Chair and wiggles on the floor Jumps up I'm laughing at love I'm laughing at love.

[C]

Drink me, drink me drink.

[D]

Me Drink me Drive breath drive sleep.

[A]

That was Melissa Bonetti, Kyla Viviana and Sasha Gutierrez. They'll be performing this Sunday as part of a concert from Lincoln center and the New Latin wave celebrating the 40th anniversary of songs from Liquid Days by Philip Glass. Now, originally, the Roaches sang on the album. And we have a special guest calling in right now, Terry Roche herself. Terry, of course, is one of the three. Roche's sister. Hi, Terry.

[C]

Hi, Alison. It's nice to speak with you again.

[A]

It is so nice to speak with you. Do you remember how you got involved with this album?

[C]

Yes, actually, I do. Michael Reisman was friends with someone that we knew, and he brought us into the project. Michael was a conductor. Well, you were orchestra.

[A]

Yeah. You were folk singers at the time. What was it like stepping onto the classical stage?

[C]

Well, it was. This project was so much fun to work on, I have to say. But at first, I just want to say how great you guys sound.

[A]

Didn't they sound great?

[C]

They sound fantastic. You know, it was very challenging for us to sing those parts, you know, coming from, like, being folk singers, like you said. So it was just. I'm so glad you picked that one to do an excerpt of.

[A]

What did that. What did hearing that bring back for you? What memories did it bring back for you, Terry?

[C]

Well, I'll tell you something. Just recently, I was visiting.

[A]

Out in.

[C]

San Francisco, and we called the Liquid Bass album up on the computer, and we listened to it together. And it was really great because it Just, for both of us, it was such a. Like you said, 40 years ago, you know, an old memory. But we just. I was listening, thinking, oh, my God, I can't believe we sang these things. And of course. Of course Linda, you know, she has. We did this live. There were three live versions of the. Of the Liquid, you know, Liquid Days songs. And Linda and I were on the same mic, and every time she looked in my direction, my ears hurt because of the power of her voice.

[A]

Terry, we thank you so much for calling in. Terry Roach is a member of the Roaches, who were featured on Philip Glass's album Songs from Liquid Days. Thank you for calling in, Terry.

[C]

Thank you, and have a great show on Sunday.

[E]

Thank you so much.

[A]

All right, so what did you think? You got to hear Linda Rhodes say you sounded great. I mean, Terry Rhodes say you sounded great.

[D]

I mean, we are. We're geeking out right here. We're old smiles.

[A]

Did Terry say anything that stood out to you about the album that you hadn't thought about before?

[D]

I mean, first of all, I think it's interesting because we also met Michael, who's the director of the Philip Glass Ensemble. And when we were preparing to meet him, we decided to have a rehearsal, the three of us, prior to meeting him, and we were nervous. We were nervous about showing up we were not sure if he was going to lie what we were doing, but we had a great experience. We went to Melissa's place and basically we sang the first note and it clicked. It was quite impressive for us to have that experience.

[A]

What was that experience like for you? Yeah.

[B]

So we all. We haven't sung together as a trio before up until this point.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

But we have worked together in different capacities on different projects, and not necessarily in this style of singing, but I know them from before, and I just knew that it was going to be amazing to work with them. But when we first rehearsed at my place, we decided that we really wanted to honor the original recording and really try to reflect what they were doing before. So we are very much trying to sound like the original album. And so, yeah, we decided that. And it feels like we've been singing together for a long time, this music.

[A]

Do you feel the same way, Kyle, that you've been singing together for a long time, although you haven't?

[E]

Oh, yes, absolutely. Something about, you know, the chemistry that we have. And it's been wonderful to just, like, spend this time together and, you know, experiment and learn how our voices blend together. And it feels great to be told that we're doing the album justice.

[A]

Can we hear another song? A little bit of another song?

[D]

We have another segment.

[A]

Sure.

[D]

From Liquid Daze also, which is very different to the first. The first fragment that you heard.

[A]

And let's get it ready.

[D]

Land travels hard Fly home, daughter cover your ears. Fly home, daughter cover your ears okay, wait a minute.

[A]

I was filming, but I'm back. I'm back. That was Melissa Bonetti, Kyla Vianney, and Sasha Gutierrez. They are performing as part of the 40th anniversary of songs from Liquid Days by Philip Glass. It's happening at Lincoln Center. It's a partnership with the New Latin Wave. Tell us a little bit about the New Latin Wave, Sasha.

[D]

New Latin Wave is this organization who focuses on bringing on Latin artists, Latino, Latina, however you want to.

[A]

However you want to say it.

[B]

Up to you.

[D]

But what is wonderful about what they're doing is that they really are helping Latino artists such as myself to thrive in the music scene, to thrive in different places. I mean, Melissa has been working with them forever, and it's an honor to be part of this organization.

[B]

Yeah, I think this is now my fourth year doing projects with New Latin Wave, and they definitely like to focus on contemporary works, which is actually not a space that you really find a lot of Latino artists in, within the classical realm. Of contemporary works. And so this is an example of that of having primarily Latino Latin cast of singers for this upcoming project. And also, I did also want to touch on the fact that from a previous question that you asked about us getting together and clicking, it really resonates a lot with the mission of New Latin Wave. Because one of the things that is so exciting is to share this trio with the three of us. Being Latina classical singers and New Latin Wave really makes it possible for those experiences to happen, you know, and it's not just about opportunities, but it's about community. And it makes me very giddy when I'm singing with a group. And I know that there's a lot of Latino people present and that's. That's really, I think, the mission of New Latin Wave.

[A]

Kayla, do we know who else is going to sing on Sunday?

[E]

Yes. Oh, my goodness. We have an incredible lineup of featured artists, including Magos and Magos Herrera. Magos Herrera.

[D]

We have Britt Hewitt. Yeah, Brit Hewitt.

[E]

We also have worked with a couple of us in different capacities.

[A]

It sounds like you have all sort of worked together, but now you get to be together as one group with this experiment with this 40th anniversary. Yes.

[B]

No, Yeah. I actually, you've heard Sasha here on your show with the Opera next Door. Her and I have sung in a Carmen together and we've sung a lot of ensemble music together as well with a few other organizations. And Kayla and I sang with. With this indie Dominican artist kind of similar to this. She had me transcribe her music and yeah, a lot of different things. And I think you two have either worked together somewhere.

[A]

Have we? I don't think so. I think it's our first time.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[D]

Very exciting. But we've known each other from.

[A]

Yes, that's right.

[D]

You know what we do?

[A]

Hard to bring up what happens if we have a huge storm. Are you going on?

[B]

I am going. I mean, I'll be there.

[D]

We have to be there. We'll be there regardless of whatever happens.

[B]

Yeah. I hope everyone will brave through the storm, but be safe. But I think this is gonna be really a spectacular concert you don't wanna miss.

[E]

Absolutely.

[A]

It is the 40th anniversary of songs from Liquid Days by Philip Glass. It will be a concert this Sunday at Lincoln Center. It's in collaboration with New Latin Wave. I speaking to and enjoying Melissa Bonetti, Kyla Viviana and Sashi Gutierrez. Thank you so much for coming to the studio and singing for us.

[B]

Thanks for having us.

[A]

Let's go out on one more piece of music from the album. We're going to play an excerpt from Freezing, with lyrics by Suzanne Vega and vocals by Linda Ronstadt. If you had no name, if you had no history.

[D]

If you had no.

[A]

Books, if you had no family.

[F]

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