Bjork's new program "Vespertine" Total Victory or Total Failure?

Vespertine is undoubtedly Bjork's most exquisite work to date. From start to finish, there exists nothing more creative, more original, more awe-inspiring, more unique.

She teaches us that passion and spirit can be derived as easily from a 60-piece orchestra as from almost nothing whispers. With every listening, feel free to soar higher and higher. For there is nothing better.

A "Lovers midnight sleigh-ride across a pristine Narnia snowscape" ur sumthin'.

And face it, we all secretly love children's choirs.

I think this album, moreso than the others, requires a particular set of moods. I adore the album to death, but the last time I played it I was vaugely annoyed and coming home from a night club with my wife, one of her best friends (who'd just turned 30), and the 19-year-old boy he'd gotten thrown out of the bar for. The album was bizarre and jarring for me, while the two "lovebirds" in the back were making moon-eyes at each other and drowning in each others' souls.

It's very context-specific music.

me, i think this is her best work yet. even if you hate or love bjork, you have to admit one thing.... it is her, and it is totally unique. its so personal... i dont know how the hell you people can say its just the other people doing her work for her, you really need to get a clue. Look at any other pop artist and you can find maybe 2 or 3 songs actually written by them (most of the time just cowritten) nevertheless produced. and i really dont care what anyone says, but her lyrics and her melodies are very original and interesting (not to mention they suit each other perfectly).

So i dont know... we are all entitled to our own opinions, but keep the facts straight -Rex

Strangely, apart from the "no songs" accusation, most of what you say about Vespertine is true. But misses the point. I can't really explain it, but all the yardsticks by which one previously judged a Björk record just don't seem to be of any use with this album. AND it sounds gorgeous into the bargain.

Record of the year so far, then.

I was wondering about that too, until I saw a promotional shot of Bjork wearing the same dress as on the cover. If you look at it very closely, you'll notice it's the head of the swan.

Why is Vespertine un-Bjork-y? Why do you think she has ceased to be herself? Sounds like she's writing exactly the songs she wants to and doing it exactly the way she wants to to me, so I think Vespertine is Bjorky, but even moreso than normal.

Why is it OK for Radiohead to put out albums that don't sound like Radiohead but it's not OK for Bjork? (Okay, don't answer that one, that was a low blow, but I'm still curious about the first question.)

a) The strings are actually wonderful. No, the arrangements and compositions are all wonderful The opening few seconds of "Harm Of Will" are a triumph and maybe the best 5 seconds of pop this year. But I can't argue your point here so we'll have to agree to disagree.

b) Okay, I take exception to this. You seem to be boxing Bjork into what you think she should be here. Why does Bjork have to be the things you've said? I reckon if you're distilling and reducing the essence of Bjork's charm to "alien and passionate" then maybe you don't like the other albums so much. Surely she has more going for her than that? I find lots of things I love about Bjork on Vespertine in greater quantity than on, say, "Post".

c) The reason I bought up Radiohead is because this exact same criticism (which I imagined you might use) surely applies to half of Kid A and some of Amnesiac too. But it doesn't apply to Vespertine. "Heirloom", "It's Not Up To You" and "Unison" even have hooks for heaven's sake! HOOKS! Or are those verboten? Please further qualify "energy" - really how energetic is "Headphones"? Or "All Neon Like"? Not very energetic AT ALL but still great songs. The same applies to "Coccoon" and "Undo" or whatever other songs you think aren't energetic.

d) As for (B). You're boxing Bjork into your narrow pre-conceived perceptions of what she should be doing. Oh heaven forbid she should say, NAY EXCLAIM "I love him!". Of course, if it were "I just need to explode this body!" that'd be OK, I'm sure.

HOWEVER, I reserve the right to completely change my mind about this, as "Post" took weeks and "Homogenic" possibly *months* to worm their way into my favour. I thought they were mostly rubbish at first (and I've only had the new one a fortnight or so).

OK, so Melissa doesn't like "Vespertine". So what. I think it's amazing. So do lots of other Bjork fans. That's enough for me.

she loves him
she loves him
she loves him
she loves him

best bjork thing ever period, dont @ me

as an amateur bedroom electronic music person, this is one of the most influential records for me

upon further, still total victory

cosign the love, probably my favorite overall record of hers. Although the insane peaks of Homogenic top any individual moment here, the record flows so well and is so integrated. Plus, Zeena Parkins.

Really, that Björk has basically the top 2 greatest albums ever recorded, is there any real need to decide which of the two is greater?

this is the only Bjork album I've ever really listened to, it sounded wonderful on a snowy day.

it's also interesting to hear this record at the peaks of valleys of love in your life. the mood is completely changed depending on how you're feeling. it's natural to hear things through the filter of your own emotional state, and some albums can take on a more powerful meaning if the listener is in a certain life state (like yo la tengo's atntiio and depression+divorce).

i don't know wtf i'm talking about but eventually i was trying to argue that vespertine has at least several different distinct emotional/life/sound ties like that, at least for me, and it seems otherworldly and always refreshingly current and relevant for that reason

great post Karl

I hate to say this is the last I really was invested in Bjork. The Royal Opera performance of Vespertine is essential as well.

Vulnicura revived my love in her though

This is probably her best album.

it's also interesting to hear this record at the peaks of valleys of love in your life. the mood is completely changed depending on how you're feeling. it's natural to hear things through the filter of your own emotional state, and some albums can take on a more powerful meaning if the listener is in a certain life state (like yo la tengo's atntiio and depression+divorce).

― Karl Malone, Monday, July 17, 2017 4:09 AM (twelve hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Goddamn right and expressed so eloquently. The album can hit you in a myriad of ways, soundtracking both the peaks and the valleys of love. Thinking about this further I have a hard time coming up with an album, or even a single song, that does this. Take 'Pagan Poetry'. The whole gut-wrenching 'I love him, I love him' sequence is equally applicable to both the euphoria of love as the utter destruction of it all falling to bits. Embracing love with such force and swallowing it whole, opposite the lamenting and hysteria of love that died/is dying. That song alone has accompanied me in both sides of the spectrum.

(fp'd you for saying 'I don't know wtf I'm talking about' bcz, clearly, you do)

Went to re-listen to this. Receipt for my first pack of condoms sitting under the CD tray. Oof.

I think she would be happy about that.

final track on this record is my favorite bjork song of all time. i can remember thinking i didn't like this as much as homogenic at the time but now i v much feel the contemporary consensus. imo homogenic feels like it's always trying to explode where vespertine seems like it's always trying to be quiet. her best record along with medulla (which i like more than most)

Medulla's when her quailty control started slipping - all her records since have been patchy.

I like this album a lot but I never listen to it, whereas I go back to Post and Homogenic (and selected songs from Medulla and Volta) a lot.

I think the original title for Vespertine gives us a nod to why it's so quiet - Domestica

Anyone heard the Vespertine opera, any good? It's now released on CD:

https://www.galileomusic.de/cover/400/oc978.jpg

Funny to see the intital lukewarm reaction to this now ILX certified classic.

that is weird. IMO it's clearly her best album and also the last album of hers I really loved.

I'd agree, except maybe with the 'clearly'.