HYPERBALLOT: ILM Artist Poll #88 -- Björk Resultsness

i should've put "arisen my senses" higher on my ballot

a lot of bjork's music codes as extremely romantic and sensual but i almost feel like she perfected the balance on "arisen." it actually sounds like falling in love to me

^ Yeah, it's almost like the millisecond of lips touching for the first time stretched out to a song length.

hell yeah

I have a belated comment on Heirloom, actually it’s more of a question, are there any other songs whose second half is just a repeat of the first but with the pronouns changed? It’s a simple trick but a really effective one imo, really opens up the dreamy feeling of domestic intimacy to include the listener. So generous, and especially effective as part of a more driving track in between some slower reveries, as Dan said.

I kind of wish Bjork had stuck with this intimate and charming sort of bedroom electropop sound for another album before jumping into medulla.

She should’ve made a full album with Matthew Herbert

at least róisín did

https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/34-i-miss-you.jpg

34. I Miss You (Post, 1995) -- 458 points; 12 votes

great song though it feels like it placed correctly

I think that’s the only Post single I didn’t vote for, feels unfinished

Desired Constellation, Heirloom, Immature - these are all core Bjork songs to me.

god i love this song, my favorite off post. some days that little riff runs through my head all day long

Desire Constellation is such a beautiful beautiful track.

No one can imbue words 'repeatedly' quite like Bjork do it. It's something I can't explain very well, but it's like the word is a whole world into itself.

xpost agreed, it's one of my favorites from Medulla for sure

Also Where Is The Line shreds more than almost any rock guitarist has ever dreamed of shredding.

xp I really like I Miss You too, the combination of the Latin-sounding percussion, hurdy gurdy (?) drone, saxophones and trumpet really make it unique

https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/33-play-dead.jpg

33. Play Dead (The Young Americans soundtrack, 1993) -- 472.5 points; 12 votes

I don't dislike this song or anything, but for me it falls outside the official Bjork canon.

Evidently many disagree. It was top 10 in that alternate poll linked upthread, which perplexes me.

No one can imbue words 'repeatedly' quite like Bjork

When I think of "Desired Constellation" I somehow always hear Kate Bush singing "instinctively."

oh wow i completely forgot about play dead on my ballot! glad to see it place!!

I expected Play Dead to be much higher. It's collaborative, but so much else is (like I Go Humble, which I am giving up hope of seeing place now, it's Bjork singing over an LFO track, and that's great)

Dang, I hoped for "Crying" at #7, not 37. A great life-in-the-city song, with such a magnificent lead up to the chorus.

Hearing 'Play Dead' for the first time now (as far as I can remember). That epic 90s trip-hop vibe. The bass really stands out, makes sense that Jah Wobble was involved (thx wikipedia). Also only recently realized that Jah Wobble is a white British dude.

+ who beat up Nick Kent with a bike chain

https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/32-alarm-call.jpg

32. Alarm Call (Homogenic, 1997) -- 478.5 points; 15 votes

never heard 'Play Dead'

“play dead” ruuuuules

I always get Pluto and Alarm Call confused, since Pluto sounds like it should be called 'Alarm Call'.

I LOVE "ALARM CALL" SO MUCH!!! Album and single/video edits both

"I'm no fucking Buddhist, but this is enlightenment"

in case y'all missed it the demo of this song is TRANSCENDENT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU_nI4DO7iM

"Alarm Call" is fine but to me a bit of an odd one out on Homogenic. It's interesting that early versions of the song had the working title of "Jacko", as a tribute to Michael Jackson.

xpost that's the one I'm talking about.

never heard 'Play Dead'

seriously?

I had never heard it either until listening to everything again for this poll

https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/31-come-to-me.jpg

31. Come To Me (Debut, 1993) -- 496 points; 13 votes; 1 first-place vote

And the recap so far at the halfway point ...

31. Come To Me (Debut, 1993) -- 496 points; 13 votes; 1 first-place vote
32. Alarm Call (Homogenic, 1997) -- 478.5 points; 15 votes
33. Play Dead (The Young Americans soundtrack, 1993) -- 472.5 points; 12 votes
34. I Miss You (Post, 1995) -- 458 points; 12 votes
35. Desired Constellation (Medúlla, 2004) -- 456 points; 13 votes
36. Immature (Homogenic, 1997) -- 420.5 points; 13 votes
37. Crying (Debut, 1993) -- 408 points; 11 votes
38. Heirloom (Vespertine, 2001) -- 391 points; 13 votes
39. The Anchor Song (Debut, 1993) -- 383 points; 10 votes
40. Arisen My Senses (Utopia, 2017) -- 349 points; 12 votes

41. Domestica ("Pagan Poetry" B-side, 2001) -- 332 points; 10 votes
42. Crystalline (Biophilia, 2011) -- 330.5 points; 11 votes
43. Oceania (Medúlla, 2004) -- 308.5 points; 10 votes
44. Wanderlust (Volta, 2007) -- 303.5 points; 9 votes
45. Scatterheart (Selmasongs, 2000) -- 300 points; 8 votes
46. Where is the Line (Medúlla, 2004) -- 294.5 points; 8 votes
47. Headphones (Post, 1995) -- 289 points; 9 votes
48. It's Oh So Quiet (Post, 1995) -- 286 points; 8 votes
49. Violently Happy (Debut, 1993) -- 282 points; 8 votes
50. I've Seen It All (Selmasongs, 2000) -- 268.5 points; 8 votes

51. Blissing Me (Utopia, 2017) -- 258 points; 8 votes
52. Sun in My Mouth (Vespertine, 2001) -- 257.5 points; 7 votes
53. Virus (Biophilia, 2011) -- 255 points; 7 votes
54. Lionsong (Vulnicura, 2015) -- 254 points; 8 votes
55. Amphibian (Being John Malkovich soundtrack, 1999) -- 224 points; 6 votes
56. Mutual Core (Biophilia, 2011) -- 222 points; 8 votes
57. There's More to Life Than This (Debut, 1993) -- 217 points; 7 votes
58. Generous Palmstroke ("Hidden Place" B-side, 2001) -- 216 points; 6 votes
59. An Echo, A Stain (Vespertine, 2001) -- 210 points; 5 votes
60. Quicksand (Vulnicura, 2015) -- 196.5 points; 7 votes

come to me way too low. top ten björk track

"Alarm Call" is fine but to me a bit of an odd one out on Homogenic.

it sounds like a Post song! and that's part of why it rules. :)

in case y'all missed it the demo of this song is TRANSCENDENT

i did miss it, and yeah it's great! i'm listening to it now.

i love Alarm Call but somehow didn't vote for it. too many good songs for this ballot

i also love "alarm call" but couldn't find room in my ballot for it. "it doesn't SCARE me at all" is one of her best hooks

also the "beep beep, beep beep, beep beep, b-b-b-b-beep" in the background seems v mj

the demo drum sound is v v mj

"Come to Me" made many a CS-90 in the nineties for phantom girls whom I later realized were phantom boys

damn, somehow i missed that it just showed up!

it was my #1, which, honestly, i have a hard time lifting up any of my bjork top 7-8ish above another. but "come to me" is definitely in that top tier for me and there are certain times when it's the only song that will do.

Oh, the first release of Debut didn't have Play Dead? It's such a standout track on the album, can't imagine it not being there

yeah, the Debut cd sold in the US at the time didn't include it

was it ever on debut? my copy (CD, bought around 1997 probably) didn't have it, and it doesn't show up on the Spotify version of debut.

My tape had it, think I got it in 94