Björk

[Mirror Image]

Indeed! Your cd buying and listening is prolific by any standards!

I will say this buying and listening could be a double-edged sword in the sense that in many cases too much of something is not a good thing. I just try and listen to Bjork's albums over and over again until I feel comfortable enough to actually say I know that album well.

[Mirror Image]

Just bought for $14:



Bjork: Live At The Royal Opera House

Does anyone own this DVD? I watched a few performances off of YT before buying this DVD and it looked, and sounded, fantastic.

[TheGSMoeller]

Just bought for $14:
Does anyone own this DVD? I watched a few performances off of YT before buying this DVD and it looked, and sounded, fantastic.

Yes. It is. 
All of her concert DVDs are worth buying.

[Mirror Image]

Yes. It is. 
All of her concert DVDs are worth buying.

Which I'm probably going to find out soon.

[Mirror Image]

So many of Bjork's songs have acted as earworms for me over the past week or so. Right when I think "Okay, it's time to go back to classical," she pulls me right back in. Such infectious music.

[71 dB]

I listened to 'Post' on Spotify. I heard the album a few times when it came out in 1995 because my sister bought it. Björk is strange, very contradictory. There's things I like, but there's things I don't care about. The music sounds creative and banal at the same time. I think Björk uses banal music ideas and puts them together in creative ways to have this contradictory result. Björk keeps things "innocent" and gets sympathy points for that ('Army of Me' is just a mediocre trip hop track if you forget it's Björk), but occationally she also shows genuine creativity and musical bravery. Post is a nice album for sure, but there's something that annoys me about Björk's art.

Frankly, I don't know what to think about her...   

P.S.: I'd be interested to hear Lea Michele sing 'It's Oh So Quiet' .

[TheGSMoeller]

P.S.: I'd be interested to hear Lea Michele sing 'It's Oh So Quiet' .

Based on this, it might be clear Bjork is not for you. 

[Mirror Image]

I listened to 'Post' on Spotify. I heard the album a few times when it came out in 1995 because my sister bought it. Björk is strange, very contradictory. There's things I like, but there's things I don't care about. The music sounds creative and banal at the same time. I think Björk uses banal music ideas and puts them together in creative ways to have this contradictory result. Björk keeps things "innocent" and gets sympathy points for that ('Army of Me' is just a mediocre trip hop track if you forget it's Björk), but occationally she also shows genuine creativity and musical bravery. Post is a nice album for sure, but there's something that annoys me about Björk's art.

Frankly, I don't know what to think about her...   

P.S.: I'd be interested to hear Lea Michele sing 'It's Oh So Quiet' .

It's strange to see two posts from you in this thread, 71 dB. Both posts contain the same general message which is "I don't really care much for Bjork." Each time you post here, I can't help but to continue to think "Why is he even on here?" This said, I'm glad you listened to Post, but I don't think she's for you at all.

[71 dB]

It's strange to see two posts from you in this thread, 71 dB. Both posts contain the same general message which is "I don't really care much for Bjork." Each time you post here, I can't help but to continue to think "Why is he even on here?" This said, I'm glad you listened to Post, but I don't think she's for you at all.

I have posted here twice (plus this answer to your question) because this thread has been (surprisingly) active and I am curious why Björk is so liked among classical music fans (how about Sigur Rós?). My second message was after I listened to 'Post' again after almost 2 decades (to re-evaluate Björk).

How would you know whether Björk is for me or not? I like some of her music (e.g. Hyper-ballad) but not 100 % of it.

Based on this, it might be clear Bjork is not for you. 

Really? I'm not a big fan of Lea Michele. I just think her voice would work well with 'It's Oh So Quiet' .

[Mirror Image]

I have posted here twice (plus this answer to your question) because this thread has been (surprisingly) active and I am curious why Björk is so liked among classical music fans (how about Sigur Rós?). My second message was after I listened to 'Post' again after almost 2 decades (to re-evaluate Björk).

How would you know whether Björk is for me or not? I like some of her music (e.g. Hyper-ballad) but not 100 % of it.

People like things for different reasons. I'm sure if you ask to Bjork fans what they enjoy about her music, you'll get two different answers. What attracts me to her music is it's eclectic sound-world. Also, the instrumentation is quite different. Like, for example, on Homogenic she uses a string octet which augments the more electronica soundscapes and I just think this is so cool sounding. But her music would mean nothing to me if I didn't actually feel some emotion from it. Anyway, I think she's a genuine, honest musician who is always trying to find new surroundings and trying to find ways of bringing those surroundings into her music.

I love Joga from Homogenic:

http://www.youtube.com/v/oFV4QCq9SEU

[Sergeant Rock]

It's strange to see two posts from you in this thread, 71 dB. Both posts contain the same general message which is "I don't really care much for Bjork." Each time you post here, I can't help but to continue to think "Why is he even on here?"

"Why is he even here?"      Yes, I've wondered the same about you, John 

Why did you feel it necessary to post in the Lloyd thread when you really don't care much for Lloyd?

Can't say I've been particularly impressed with any work I've heard by Lloyd. Certainly not up to par with some of my favorites.

Or Satie?

Historically, Satie was very important and a big influence on other French composers of the day, but his music isn't remotely interesting at least to me.

Or Glass?

Okay, I just listened to the slow movement to Glass' Violin Concerto on YouTube and I'm not very impressed. I think my biggest problem is there's nothing harmonically interesting about his music for me. Rhythmically it's not interesting either. He continues to rely on the same old tricks over and over again. There's no kind of motivic development that I enjoy in composers such as Bartok, Stravinsky, Ravel, Koechlin, etc.

It's hypocritical of you to chide dB for something you've done numerous times; in fact, something you routinely do.

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

"Why is he even here?"      Yes, I've wondered the same about you, John 

Why did you feel it necessary to post in the Lloyd thread when you really don't care much for Lloyd?

Or Satie?

Or Glass?

It's hypocritical of you to chide dB for something you've done numerous times; in fact, something you routinely do.

Sarge

Ooch...yes, so you nailed me. (digs claws out of back)

[Sergeant Rock]

Ooch...yes, so you nailed me. (digs claws out of back)

I hope I didn't draw too much blood 

Let me just add that I don't mind negative comments or reviews--from you or anyone else. It's a legitimate part of any topic, I think.

On topic: I loved her band Sugarcubes but haven't really clicked with her subsequent solo career. She's really cute though 

Sarge

[71 dB]

Thanks Sarge. 

People like things for different reasons.

Yes. People also dislike things for different reasons. My reasons are responded with words "why is this guy here?". 

I'm sure if you ask to Björk fans what they enjoy about her music, you'll get two different answers.

Two? More like thousands of different answers.

What attracts me to her music is it's eclectic sound-world.

Yes, Björk has eclectic sound-world. Björk takes some trip hop beats by Graham Massey, adds sugary strings and sings a chidren's song on top it all. As I said, a creative combination of banal components.

Also, the instrumentation is quite different.

Different from what? Pop music?

Like, for example, on Homogenic she uses a string octet which augments the more electronica soundscapes and I just think this is so cool sounding.

I don't think I am familiar with 'Homogenic'. I'll check it out on Spotify. 

After 'Post' Björk somehow disappeared from the mainstream and I wasn't force-fed with herr music by my sister so my exposure of Björk has been minimal.

But her music would mean nothing to me if I didn't actually feel some emotion from it.

That's a truism, isn't it?

Anyway, I think she's a genuine, honest musician who is always trying to find new surroundings and trying to find ways of bringing those surroundings into her music.

Yes, I think she is genuine. That doesn't mean I automatically love everything she does.

I love Joga from Homogenic:

http://www.youtube.com/v/oFV4QCq9SEU

Nice track. Not mindblowing, but good. I'll check the whole album on Spotify. 

How long have you been into Björk? 20 years or only lately? I have the album 'Courtesy of Choice' by Leila Arab who worked with Björk. Her music is quite strange too.

[Sammy]

People like things for different reasons. I'm sure if you ask to Bjork fans what they enjoy about her music, you'll get two different answers. What attracts me to her music is it's eclectic sound-world.

That's the very feature of her music that turns me off.  I hadn't even heard of her until this thread began.  I've listened to all the clips provided and was disappointed with each of them.

[71 dB]

That's the very feature of her music that turns me off.  I hadn't even heard of her until this thread began.  I've listened to all the clips provided and was disappointed with each of them.

Don't say that, even Albuquerque must love Hyper-ballad! 

[jut1972]

Yes, Björk has eclectic sound-world. Björk takes some trip hop beats by Graham Massey, adds sugary strings and sings a chidren's song on top it all. As I said, a creative combination of banal components.

That's harsh.  She's much more inventive than most other "pop" acts.  She's worked with the Brodsky and Kronos quartets, Inuit throat singers.. so to say she's banal is wide of the mark. 

[71 dB]

That's harsh.

It's harsh if you interpret my words unilaterally.

She's much more inventive than most other "pop" acts.  She's worked with the Brodsky and Kronos quartets, Inuit throat singers.. so to say she's banal is wide of the mark.

Yes, she is. Basement Jaxx uses London Session Orchestra on some of the tracks of their album 'Kish Kash'. Does this make Basement Jaxx creative or banal?

[Mirror Image]

That's the very feature of her music that turns me off.  I hadn't even heard of her until this thread began.  I've listened to all the clips provided and was disappointed with each of them.

Then don't listen, it's that simple.

[Mirror Image]

That's harsh.  She's much more inventive than most other "pop" acts.  She's worked with the Brodsky and Kronos quartets, Inuit throat singers.. so to say she's banal is wide of the mark.

You have to remember one thing: 71 dB is a fan of Ke$ha. That's all that needs to be said.