― Moka, Saturday, 17 April 2010 06:55 (3 years ago) Permalink
Lyrics-wise I think Unravel is one of the most simplistic but gorgeous songs she's done. Music-wise I'd go with Pluto... my vote will veer between them two. Whole album is quite consistent though, not too much of a Bjork fan myself but could easily choose any song in here and wouldn't feel wrong.
Also this photo cracks me up:
― Moka, Saturday, 17 April 2010 06:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit
― gucci mane leflaur leflah eshkoshka (The Reverend), Saturday, 17 April 2010 07:11 (3 years ago) Permalink
shiiiiiit
damn
this aint even one of my favorire albums by this bia but daamn homie
― gucci mane leflaur leflah eshkoshka (The Reverend), Saturday, 17 April 2010 07:12 (3 years ago) Permalink
Jóga has some of the best singing ever, I can't really see past it
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 17 April 2010 08:04 (3 years ago) Permalink
Yeah Joga is pretty good too, the way she uses her voice all the way from 'emotional landscapes' through 'state of emergency' is very impressive...
Not my favorite album neither but as conceptual bjork albums go this is by far the most effective she's ever done. Seems to me she found the perfect balance in here between her curious, playful sound from the first albums and the ambitious experimentation that would end up consuming it all in her next albums. How I wish she knew how to be fun and innocent again instead of becoming all weirdy and artsy by the minute.
― Moka, Saturday, 17 April 2010 08:26 (3 years ago) Permalink
Thinking 'Heirloom' off of Vespertine is the last time she wrote a song with an authentic hint of humor in it.
― Moka, Saturday, 17 April 2010 08:29 (3 years ago) Permalink
this should be really hard, considering it's my favourite björk album, but it's not - "jóga", easily, just one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard. the STRINGS.
― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Saturday, 17 April 2010 09:31 (3 years ago) Permalink
the answer's "Hunter" but fuck a month-long poll tbh
― Bone Thugs-n-Carmody (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 17 April 2010 11:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
Alarm Call.
― Marty Innerlogic, Saturday, 17 April 2010 12:56 (3 years ago) Permalink
Alarm Call for me too
― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Saturday, 17 April 2010 15:10 (3 years ago) Permalink
Alarm Call for me too!!
By and far my favorite Bjork album.
― they taste fresh (Stevie D), Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:04 (3 years ago) Permalink
This is tough, all these songs are on the same level of amazing.
― Adam Bruneau, Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
Voted "Unravel" cos the first time I saw her live (opera house in Boston in 2001) she played this and i lost it.
― Adam Bruneau, Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:33 (3 years ago) Permalink
this is absurdly difficult... I could basically pick any song besides "alarm call" (worst song on the album for me, only one that I skip occasionally)... I'm gonna go with "all neon like" though.
― The Brainwasher, Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:38 (3 years ago) Permalink
ok now i wish I voted for "pluto"
― The Brainwasher, Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
― gucci mane leflaur leflah eshkoshka (The Reverend), Saturday, April 17, 2010 3:11 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark
― in movie 2001 resurrect thread on planet jupiter (Pillbox), Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:43 (3 years ago) Permalink
I voted for Joga. This is my favourite album of the 90's and one of the most perfect albums I can think of.
― Kitchen Person, Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:49 (3 years ago) Permalink
Voted "5 Years". Love this album.
― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
I can narrow it down to "Unravel" or "All Neon Like" or "5 Years" or "All is Full of Love" but asking to pick one is impossible.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Saturday, 17 April 2010 17:02 (3 years ago) Permalink
This must have felt like the future of music when people first heard it in 97.
I went with "All Neon Like".
― Davek (davek_00), Saturday, 17 April 2010 17:37 (3 years ago) Permalink
"5 Years," just barely over "Pluto," "Bachelorette," and "Alarm Call." I haven't listened to this straight through in years - thanks to Moka for getting me to break it out again! Sort of burned out on it after it was one of like five cassettes I took with me on an overseas trip but with a fresh listen, lord, what a gorgeous-sounding album. Remarkably consistent, too - I don't think there are any straight-up duds here and it benefits tremendously from a straight-through listen. Good texture.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 17 April 2010 17:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
"Bachelorette," although "Joga" comes damn close.
― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:13 (3 years ago) Permalink
I always wanted Bjork to do a "Happy Furry Monsters" thing and appear on Sesame Street, with Bert and Ernie trying to figure out how they can be sure to wake up on time for the picnic tomorrow. THIIIIIIS IS AN ALARM CLOCK!
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:22 (3 years ago) Permalink
She's no fucking Muppet
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:24 (3 years ago) Permalink
Oh wait, she is.
i'm not getting the "alarm call" love...don't dislike it, but tend to skip it (and in fact have just done so again). it's a bit of a mess, and is the most out of place track on the album.
― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:24 (3 years ago) Permalink
god damn i shoulda voted "pluto," this shit blew my mind at age 20
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:25 (3 years ago) Permalink
The radio/music video mix of "Alarm Call" would've probably been even more out of place on the album, but it's undeniably a better single.
I'm probably alone in that the track I skip most often on the disk is "Bachelorette."
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:26 (3 years ago) Permalink
"bachelorette" is awe-inspiring - the heart of the album for me
― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:27 (3 years ago) Permalink
I'd go with "Joga" for that one, of the two expected poll-winners.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:28 (3 years ago) Permalink
another vote for "Bachelorette", one of the most staggering songs I've ever heard
― bakerstreetsaxsolo, Saturday, 17 April 2010 18:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
'Bachelorette' had a terrific video too
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 17 April 2010 19:03 (3 years ago) Permalink
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.)
Ditto. Love the lyrics and think it's good and all but tend to skip it... comes off as too histrionic for my taste.
― Moka, Saturday, 17 April 2010 19:26 (3 years ago) Permalink
for me this is hunter vs. bachelorette vs. all neon like
Though I love this album through & through with the exception of "Alarm Call" and the original mix of "All Is Full of Love"
― Turangalila, Saturday, 17 April 2010 21:46 (3 years ago) Permalink
Also Bachelorette is the best James Bond song that never was.
― Turangalila, Saturday, 17 April 2010 21:47 (3 years ago) Permalink
A state of emergency is where I want to be, especially if it sounds like the last thirty seconds of "Pluto."
― Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 17 April 2010 21:52 (3 years ago) Permalink
excuse mebut i just have toexplode
explode this bodyoff me
i'll wake-up tomorrowbrand new
a little bit tiredbut brand new
― Moka, Saturday, 17 April 2010 22:11 (3 years ago) Permalink
impossible choice... love this album dearly, about as much for mark bell as bjork. the drums on this are so strong. dunno if she'll ever find a better match.
― jerk orbison (another al3x), Saturday, 17 April 2010 22:27 (3 years ago) Permalink
original mix of "All Is Full of Love"
Since you mention it, I think I'm also in the minority that loves the ambient album version of "Love" waaaaaaay more than any of the remixes.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Saturday, 17 April 2010 22:50 (3 years ago) Permalink
xp
Actually, the match that I don't think she'll ever be able to top is her collaborations with Eumir Deodato, which imo almost always led to transcendent results. He arranged all those impossibly gorgeous & lush string arrangements everyone loves in Post & Homogenic.
― Turangalila, Sunday, 18 April 2010 01:29 (3 years ago) Permalink
i.e., I don't think it's mere coincidence that the albums he hasn't worked on have basically sucked, a few redeeming moments (e.g., "Oceania") aside.
― Turangalila, Sunday, 18 April 2010 01:31 (3 years ago) Permalink
This - plus, yeah, the strings.
― Gavin in Leeds, Sunday, 18 April 2010 10:07 (3 years ago) Permalink
might be joga
― la senora (surm), Sunday, 18 April 2010 11:28 (3 years ago) Permalink
"emotional landscapes" is probably the most poignant-while-simplistic pop-bytes i've ever heard
― la senora (surm), Sunday, 18 April 2010 11:29 (3 years ago) Permalink
trolling.. zzz
― fndgo, Sunday, 18 April 2010 19:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
― Turangalila
If I'm right he didn't have anything to do with Post. He only collaborated producing and creating arrangements for Homogenic and closest thing he did collaborating for Post is the magnificent Isobel mix for Telegram... stands as the definite version of the song for me.
― Moka, Sunday, 18 April 2010 20:04 (3 years ago) Permalink
You're wrong, though. Check again. He wrote all the string arrangements for Post.
― Turangalila, Sunday, 18 April 2010 20:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
i wish some of the other songs on this had a little more of the softness in All is Full of Love. just a little more to break up the homogeneity of the production.
― la senora (surm), Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:06 (3 years ago) Permalink
Nah, it's just over 40 minutes. One of those goes a long way.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:07 (3 years ago) Permalink
(Plus, "Unravel" and "Immature")
well, i meant softness in terms of texture as opposed to composition, but i see what you're saying.
― la senora (surm), Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:08 (3 years ago) Permalink
Not dismissing entire tonalities, obv. Just find Alarm Call does sound cloying in that way which only forced "joyful" music makes me feel. None of the other major key songs in this album sound this way; they're perfectly balanced.
― Turangalila, Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:09 (3 years ago) Permalink
There definitely is something about it that seems to throw a lot of people off. I've heard a lot of people say they skip it. I always chalked it up to having a latent trip-hop vibe.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:14 (3 years ago) Permalink
Yes, and I can hear that. It's not the production that bothers me, it's the vocal melody tbh.
― Turangalila, Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
i can see how it could sound a little pre-packaged in its joy -- point taken on that front. but it did always make me happy, genuinely.
― la senora (surm), Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
As I said before, I got the radio mix on my iPod, not the album version.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:18 (3 years ago) Permalink
"alarm call" is basically just björk tossing off a michael jackson pastiche though, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but its funk-lite bassline and hip-hop beats are really out of place on an album which is otherwise about ~epic strings~ and *crunching industrial beats* - plus i think she sort of makes a mess out of a perfectly good song by trying to make it too off-kilter and björky rather than a straight-up pastiche - everything in it sits together rather oddly.
i've never heard any of its remixes though! i should.
― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Monday, 19 April 2010 08:35 (3 years ago) Permalink
also, i def remember reading somewhere that it was to be originally titled "jacko" - no idea if this is true though
lex otm
― Turangalila, Monday, 19 April 2010 10:14 (3 years ago) Permalink
i don't think being out of place is necessarily a bad thing, tho
tho the more i think about Alarm Call now, the less i want to listen to it, i do think it got a lot of people's attention who wouldn't normally have listened to bjork (i can attest to this based on a few friends)
― la senora (surm), Monday, 19 April 2010 22:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
her phrasing on "joga," it's like she's discovering language. amazing song.
― women are a bunch of dudes (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 01:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
don't they say she recorded this in the mountains?
― la senora (surm), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 12:35 (3 years ago) Permalink
like actually in the fields
Thought it was a mic cord all the way out to the ocean, but that might've been Post.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 12:48 (3 years ago) Permalink
I'm kind of baffled by people out-and-out dismissing "Alarm Call".
― don't you steal my Sunstein (HI DERE), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 13:07 (3 years ago) Permalink
I like Alarm Call but it doesn't quite fit here, it feels like a throwback to the first couple of hours.
I love the opening seconds of both Hunter and Joga but there's nothing here that quite measures up to the swept-off-your-feet-fucking-hell-we're-FLYING feeling of Batchelorette.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 13:12 (3 years ago) Permalink
Nope, I'm with you. This was my vote, I love all these songs but "Love" just towers above her entire catalog.
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 13:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
Tough call between Joga, Bachelorette and All is Full of Love, but I went for the third one. It's as close to a song capturing a pure emotion as I can think of - spectacular. Strangely I didn't like it that much until I heard the video version of "Love", which helped me understand the structure.
― Vinnie, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 13:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
i forgot how much i like 5 years!!
― la senora (surm), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 00:08 (3 years ago) Permalink
That song sort of describes the exact way I handle relationships.
― Moka, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 00:55 (3 years ago) Permalink
I mean it describres it backwards... mhmm it's like Bjork is singing it to me... in my mind '5 years' and 'Hounds of Love' by Kate Bush are call and response songs. I sing out 'hounds of love' and then Bjork comes out calling me a coward, telling me I can't handle love... which is pretty much true.
― Moka, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 00:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
xxpyeah, surm, 5 years has grown on me a lot over the years.
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 14:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
it's very listenable, and touching without being too much
― la senora (surm), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 15:02 (3 years ago) Permalink
5 Years was my first favorite on this album, but then it moved to Alarm Call and I'm never looking back.
― they taste fresh (Stevie D), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 15:47 (3 years ago) Permalink
I Love 'Unravel', it's simple and beautiful and great songwriting and a fantastic vocal again. It's a tune I'd really like to cover, were I a musician.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 16:10 (3 years ago) Permalink
the lyrics are also perfect on that one
― la senora (surm), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 16:12 (3 years ago) Permalink
The vocals in this album are her most forceful and beautiful, imo. As someone else pointed out, her phrasing here is consistently strange and lovely.
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 17:35 (3 years ago) Permalink
Very hard to choose, but "Unravel" for me too, mostly for personal, sentimental reasons: the best song for a long-distance relationship ever?
― elephant rob, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 18:01 (3 years ago) Permalink
The lyrics to "Unravel" seem, to me, a loose adaptation of Breaking the Waves.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 18:07 (3 years ago) Permalink
The lyrics to "Pluto" seem, to me, an example of prophecy inveighing against the hypocrisy of our times.
― Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 18:09 (3 years ago) Permalink
lol
― la senora (surm), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 18:17 (3 years ago) Permalink
All complaints directed against "Alarm Call" are coming from crusty but benign managing editors at defunct alt zines.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 19:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
and lady cops.
― Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 19:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
We're up to our ears in this thread.
― who's always getting head from the commissioner (Eric H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 19:33 (3 years ago) Permalink
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Friday, 4 June 2010 23:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
Pulling the trigger and voting "All is Full of Love." Because it will likely need more love.
― rim this, fuck that (Eric H.), Friday, 4 June 2010 23:11 (2 years ago) Permalink
Immature got my vote.
― mmmm, Friday, 4 June 2010 23:33 (2 years ago) Permalink
I voted for Joga but this album is pretty close to perfect. I think I only had to remove one track when I recompiled for the portable digital music player™
― brotherlovesdub, Friday, 4 June 2010 23:52 (2 years ago) Permalink
One time on this board max said if Obama was going to declare a "state of emergency," he should sing it like the Bjork song, and ever since then "Joga" has been a very amusing song to me.
― breaking that little dog's heart chakra (Abbott), Saturday, 5 June 2010 00:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
Alarm Call, duh.
― Tori, I must seem greatly intriguing (Stevie D), Saturday, 5 June 2010 00:27 (2 years ago) Permalink
I can't remember if I voted for Unravel or Pluto :P
― Moka, Saturday, 5 June 2010 05:54 (2 years ago) Permalink
lol Stevie D @ your nickname and how it totally sounds as if she's saying that
― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Saturday, 5 June 2010 16:10 (2 years ago) Permalink
I think "Joga" is one of the most beautiful sounding pop songs I've ever heard, so that.
― billy, Saturday, 5 June 2010 19:34 (2 years ago) Permalink
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 5 June 2010 23:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
The right one of the two titans won, imo.
― rim this, fuck that (Eric H.), Sunday, 6 June 2010 06:05 (2 years ago) Permalink
All Is Full Of Love 6
^ should have more imo.
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Sunday, 6 June 2010 18:12 (2 years ago) Permalink
I never heard "Unravel" until this evening. I'm somewhat lost right now.
― Mule, Thursday, 25 October 2012 22:52 (7 months ago) Permalink
