can we please keep "dated" as a pejorative out of this thread?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:18 (six years ago) link
I am fine with what she's been doing with her albums throughout her career, but the dropoff in how many B-sides she releases is the real disappointment of her last 15 years as an artist.
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:18 (six years ago) link
ty ross = eric h!
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:19 (six years ago) link
i meant +
The 33 1/3 monograph on Homogenic didn't say a whole lot extra on the song's swap for Howie B's version other than, yeah, it's a more appropriate way to close out the album and emerge from the other side of "Pluto."
I meant to ask about that 33 1/3. Worth reading?
― Dangleballs and the Ballerina (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:19 (six years ago) link
I thought the Sugarcubes (at the time) were arch as fuck except for "Hit" and "Birthday" so Debut was ideal for blowing me away. I have a memory of returning from a road trip with friends in August 1993 and turning on the college station and hearing that whirring drum program and thinking, whoa, what the fuck have I missed the last five days?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:20 (six years ago) link
Eric yeah it’s weird she dropped off in the bsides department. She still seems fairly committed to remixes like the biophilia remix album (excellent Herbert mix on there). Most recently forest swords did a staggering ambient version of stonemilker
― Droni Mitchell (Ross), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:37 (six years ago) link
xxp it was a great beach read for me, and brought me back to what it felt like for me as a listener when Homogenic was the newest development in her career
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:42 (six years ago) link
you at the beach?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 16:56 (six years ago) link
B-sides: “Charlene” and “I Go Humble”, the two Isobel b-sided, are phenomenal .
― Tim F, Wednesday, 11 April 2018 19:19 (six years ago) link
I don't fuck with All Is Full Of Love, sry, and I remember when friends were like "oh but the PLAID remix, oh but the VIDEO version" and no no no thank you so much!
But I'm in the "Homogenic is flawed" camp-- four perfect songs ("Hunter", "Joga", "Unravel", "Pluto")-- four un-extraordinary songs marred by weird/bad lyrics, when the-wonderful-obliqueness-of-non-English-as-a-first-language-individuals-writing-lyrics-in-English collides with infantilism and/or cuteness then I get the hives ("All Neon Like", "Five Years", "Alarm Call", "Immature")--
--a song I'm surprised became a single because it feels long and has that "if you forget my name / you will go astray / like a killer whale / trapped in a bay" garbage that is Desiree levels of "ghost / most / toast" embarrassment-- yes I know it's Sjon and not Bjork herself-- and I don't like the piano bass-line either-- this is "Isobel"'s annoyingly precocious younger brother who demands that you listen to him recite the times-tables before dessert--
--and then All Is Full of Love. I don't know why it doesn't work for me.
The A-side of "Debut" is the best. "Human Behaviour"'s insane vocal entrance, completely divorced from the tuning of the timpani, some of the best new-spins-on-what-is-considered-lyrics without the cutesiness: "but oh to be involved in the exchange / of human emotion / is ever so ever so satisfying" and my Virgo heart stops and says "yes, Bjork, this is indeed true, you are singing truths"-- again, "his wicked / sense of humour / suggests / exciting sex" she is half songwriter half docent-at-the-Natural-History-Museum
There is so much interesting shit going on harmonically on those four songs, none of the songs feel complete as a result, they satisfying but also create hunger for repeat listens-- and then Big Time Sensuality is just a mission statement
I adore every song on Debut except "Violently Happy" ("...because I love you?" that is not a good rejoinder)
And Post is perfect, "The Modern Things" is the weakest track and it's still fucking amazing
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:29 (six years ago) link
I remember picking "Homogenic" up the day it came out and showing my friends the cover art and Paul said "is that good art? I don't think it is. I think it's bad."
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:31 (six years ago) link
"but oh to be involved in the exchange / of human emotion / is ever so ever so satisfying"
I still must remind myself every other day that this is true.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:34 (six years ago) link
5 years is so good tho - the distorted percussion and the strings are tops
― Droni Mitchell (Ross), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:34 (six years ago) link
Well, agreed that "Bachelorette" is inferior to "Isobel," at any rate.
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:41 (six years ago) link
Not because of its lyrics, in any case. My upbringing has all but ensured that I don't really hear lyrics most of the time.
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:43 (six years ago) link
"five years" always reminds me of marching band bc the opening synth sound resembles the pitch control function on metronomes
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:46 (six years ago) link
Which is probably connected to why I've never really been able to get into "Human Behavior." It sounds wrong to my ears the same way Shep Pettibone sounds wrong to Dan P's.
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:47 (six years ago) link
Oh, the production is wonderful across the board on those Homogenic songs
But Bjork coming over to weave a cocoon that will feed me with a luminous beam? "I dare you to take me on / I dare you to show me your palms", "you can't handle love / you can't handle love, it's obvious / you can't handle"? "I'm no fucking Buddhist / but this is enlightenment"?
I actually like "Immature"'s lyrics I don't know why I called it un-extraordinary
I mean I know it's maybe weird and shit of me as a consumer to get all "these lyrics aren't good" with an artist I adore but like... this is widely considered to be a Perfect Record in many camps, and I don't quite j'accuse but I definitely suspect that a weakness for pixie-faced-women-from-other-countries-with-adorable-accents-who-talk-about-the-men-who-live-inside-TV-sets is a contributing factor to the acceptance of clunker after clunker after clunker
Sorry btw it's always my favourite musicians that I am most critical of, I love what you've done with the place, now let me tell you what I really think
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 20:53 (six years ago) link
Bachelorette is amazing and you are all crazy
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:02 (six years ago) link
inside every young pair of pantsis a fountain(a fountain)IN THE SHAAPE OF A GIIIRLL
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:06 (six years ago) link
Five Years is one of my favorite beats ever.
Love the tango-esque piano bassline on Bachelorette, glad I don't care about lyrics much.
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:06 (six years ago) link
I like how “The Modern Things” and “Immature” serve the same function on their respective albums: the most overlooked and secretly-best songs.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:10 (six years ago) link
hmm "The Modern Things" was my go-to after burning out on "Army of Me."
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:12 (six years ago) link
I suppose “Crying” is the equivalent on Debut - a track no one ever talks about (but no one singles out for specific criticism either) which is a perfect precis of the album’s intentions and charms.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:17 (six years ago) link
Def true in the case of “Crying”
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:18 (six years ago) link
“crying” is def on my ballot until i listen to all of the other albums and have a nervous breakdown over my ballot
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:39 (six years ago) link
otoh "Big Time Sensuality" left me cold at the time but hearing remixes at the club months later unleashed it
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:41 (six years ago) link
oh! My review of Post published in the college paper was my first ever
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 21:42 (six years ago) link
One dayI found a book buried deep within the groundI opened the book and to my surpriseThere was a forestI went into the forestAnd there I found a book buried deep within the groundInside that book there was another bookOne dayI found a forest buried deep within a bookI went into the book and to my surpriseI found a book buried deep within the ground
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 22:55 (six years ago) link
For your consideration: "Cocoon"
― geoffreyess, Thursday, 12 April 2018 03:38 (six years ago) link
^that’s probably my no 1
― Euchrid Eucrow (sciatica), Thursday, 12 April 2018 03:44 (six years ago) link
Cocoon is a lovely song but it's totally overshadowed by the songs around it. It was such a weird song to see performed on Top Of The Pops. Not exactly one to get the crowd going and some reason, it only lasted a minute and a half.
― kitchen person, Thursday, 12 April 2018 03:47 (six years ago) link
Of course it's on YouTube https://youtu.be/jMRY2cy45ms
― kitchen person, Thursday, 12 April 2018 03:48 (six years ago) link
Cocoon slid inside my list at #2, we faded back into sleephood, when I awoke a second time, with my list, gorgeousness, it was still at #2
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Thursday, 12 April 2018 06:02 (six years ago) link
I mean I know we all know right but it’s just challops to say that Hyper-Ballad isn’t the best song of the 90s and in the top 10 of all time right
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Thursday, 12 April 2018 06:09 (six years ago) link
It’s hard to communicate now how inspiring Homogenic was to me as a teenager. At the time it seemed like there was I other pop star marrying the influence of aphex twin and IDM with stirring melodies and vocals. Shame aphex took the piss out of Bjork on “funny little man”
― Droni Mitchell (Ross), Thursday, 12 April 2018 06:30 (six years ago) link
No other I mean **
― Droni Mitchell (Ross), Thursday, 12 April 2018 06:31 (six years ago) link
Is "funny little man" taking the piss out of bjork? Heard it many times and it's never occurred to me.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 12 April 2018 06:41 (six years ago) link
i heard that once but it's unsubstantiated (probably bullshit tbf)
just read bjork and aphex communicate regularly and share music via email which is cool
― Droni Mitchell (Ross), Thursday, 12 April 2018 07:30 (six years ago) link
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Thursday, April 12, 2018 6:02 AM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
<3 Cocoon definitely maybe my number 1.
I for one am looking forward to immersing myself in all of her work yet again for this fine purpose. 'tis the time, 'tis the season.
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 12 April 2018 08:36 (six years ago) link
I love himI love himI love himI love him
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 12 April 2018 11:57 (six years ago) link
xp yes, third winter
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Thursday, 12 April 2018 12:12 (six years ago) link
I want to stump for the version of "Anchor Song" as performed live with the Brodsky Quartet as perhaps her most amazing vocal performance. Compare it with the album version from just a few years prior, and her total mastery or her voice is incredible. I've listened to this performance hundreds of times over the (many) years, and it still causes my hair to literally stand on end every time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgiI2gm-RIs
― Soundslike, Thursday, 12 April 2018 12:46 (six years ago) link
It is a great performance, attached to a song that just has never sunk its anchor into my turtleheart.
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Thursday, 12 April 2018 13:11 (six years ago) link
Going back to Medulla for the first time in many years I’m not finding much to love, which is a bummer because that was a reliably intense album length experience for a couple years after it came out. Even if it still had the same impact I don’t know how I’d pick which tracks to vote for.
Biophilia on the other hand is still gorgeous, I love how warm and cozy it sounds, it’s almost as intimate for me as Vespertine. Another one I almost always listen to as an album but Virus, Moon and Hollow are all going to be on my ballot, probably a few others as well.
― Euchrid Eucrow (sciatica), Thursday, 12 April 2018 15:51 (six years ago) link
One of my earliest musical experience was watching the Army of Me video over and over on a quicktime disc with my father.
Still rather confused about the the ape dentist.
― Van Horn Street, Thursday, 12 April 2018 20:48 (six years ago) link
'Medulla' has ascended over the years to being virually tied with 'Post' as my second-favorite Bjork album. It's probably still top 3 for the 2000s.
Despite being known for it's "experimental" gimmick of being all-vocal-based, it's really the last album of hers were she fused her interests in repetition and mood and concept with her huge melodic talents (as both songwriter and performer). Her music since has seemingly abandoned "song," sometimes with fascinating results, often with somewhat muddled or tedious results, and rarely with the emotional range and impact of earlier work.
I still admire and respect Bjork's work and will always give a listen, but I don't know if she'll ever produce work that moves me (emotionally or physically) like 'Medulla' again.
― Soundslike, Thursday, 12 April 2018 21:04 (six years ago) link
Lots of Medulla on my ballot
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 12 April 2018 23:06 (six years ago) link
The medulla doc is great. Lovely to see Patton and rza
― Droni Mitchell (Ross), Thursday, 12 April 2018 23:39 (six years ago) link