That then is the B’s done, I suspect there will be a rogue one popping up, but on the whole that is it. I am scratching my head as to where The Internationale is, Billy Braggs more overt than normal, overtly political album of political anthems. The home of my favourite Billy Bragg track. It is either misfiled, only on LP or by the stereo.
That is of no consequence, this is about the most killer of the killer B’s, the best albums of the best albums. This is what this is about.
I must admit the B’s took a lot longer than expected, it wasn’t so much of a chore but as I had a lot of albums by a few artists, it did get a little laboured, of all of the B’s only 8 received 10 out of 10. Maybe in hindsight that should have been 6, maybe.
I have to admit that Let It Be is my favourite Beatles album and one of my favourite albums of all time. Its perfect, utterly perfect. But its quite predictable to say it was the best B, but it was in a lot of respects.
The B for me that was the best though was Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Howl. A complete surprise musically that was thoroughly enjoyable and was nothing like what I was expecting.
Gone were the NME New Rock Revolution bollocks and they ploughed the furrow they wanted that was away from what was considered circa now. Introduced to me by a friend that has a knack of suggesting something that appeals to me, he doesn’t always get it right, but when he does, I take those things totally to my heart. Gene Clark, The Pernice Brothers and now Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Howl.
Howl by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
And so as they draw to a close, the best B, Howl. Perfect.
The worst B? Rather unsurprisingly it was Bjork, and her a capella album, Medulla. The thought of it now sends shivers down my spine. Dreadful, just really really dreadful.
Showing posts with label bjork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bjork. Show all posts
Friday, 16 October 2009
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Debut
As I approach the tail end of the B’s I know that todays offering is the final Bjork CD, her first solo album, Debut. That is unless little ern has bought another one behind my back. I guess I will know over the next two to three weeks.
I don’t really have much to say about this album, its one that I know reasonably well due to the play it received when me and the current Mrs D were courting. I was far too polite back then to say no really, Bjork is not my cup of tea at all.
Debut features singles such as Big time Sensuality, Violently Happy and Venus as a Boy. None of which mean shit all to me, her jazz ramblings on this album, mixed with outdated beats means that an album has been produced that for me has not stood the test of time and makes me wonder, even as her most accessible album, if she really doesn’t care about selling records.
Maybe that’s the point.
Maybe though she has caught me on an off day, maybe I caught her on an off day but at the end of all this I will be glad that I never have to return to a Bjork album. 4 out of 10.
Venus as a Boy by Bjork
I don’t really have much to say about this album, its one that I know reasonably well due to the play it received when me and the current Mrs D were courting. I was far too polite back then to say no really, Bjork is not my cup of tea at all.
Debut features singles such as Big time Sensuality, Violently Happy and Venus as a Boy. None of which mean shit all to me, her jazz ramblings on this album, mixed with outdated beats means that an album has been produced that for me has not stood the test of time and makes me wonder, even as her most accessible album, if she really doesn’t care about selling records.
Maybe that’s the point.
Maybe though she has caught me on an off day, maybe I caught her on an off day but at the end of all this I will be glad that I never have to return to a Bjork album. 4 out of 10.
Venus as a Boy by Bjork
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Medúlla
Medúlla the 2004 album by Bjork today on the commute. When God writes the book of life and it comes to bjork, because of this album there will be a gap between Bjørgvin and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. Shitter than a shit flavoured shit stick from the shit shop. 0 out of 10
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Vespertine
Vespertine today, Bjorks album and one that I had planned out in my mind, just how intolerable it was going to be. I think Bjork has been the real surprise of the B’s as I found this album strangely pleasing.
I decided that it was going to be a 2 before it went on, I do that for all albums, I judge books by their covers and every CD I mark it before I play it and adjust that mark accordingly, so Vespertine was initially a 2.
It isn’t a two though as it is a really well formed and interesting album, it was the follow up to selmasongs and that alone should have alerted me to the fact that this album would be quite exciting, and it is, it’s a really enjoyable journey in all honesty.
I don’t profess to being a lyrics man, very few songs do I even listen to lyrics, and even fewer songs do I know the lyrics to, but this album seems rather sad in its own way, rather mournful and regretful. That may be just my take on it.
Coccon, track 2, which is a beautiful song, is rather filthy mind, it would make you blush, but where it is rather saucy, it does it in a beautiful way, its not Sid James.
So in summary, I really enjoyed this album, I like the Schneider TM like beats, I love the lyrics, Bjorks singing on this album is inoffensive and the production is fairly great, all in all I must be getting old. 7 out of 10.
Cocoon by Bjork
I decided that it was going to be a 2 before it went on, I do that for all albums, I judge books by their covers and every CD I mark it before I play it and adjust that mark accordingly, so Vespertine was initially a 2.
It isn’t a two though as it is a really well formed and interesting album, it was the follow up to selmasongs and that alone should have alerted me to the fact that this album would be quite exciting, and it is, it’s a really enjoyable journey in all honesty.
I don’t profess to being a lyrics man, very few songs do I even listen to lyrics, and even fewer songs do I know the lyrics to, but this album seems rather sad in its own way, rather mournful and regretful. That may be just my take on it.
Coccon, track 2, which is a beautiful song, is rather filthy mind, it would make you blush, but where it is rather saucy, it does it in a beautiful way, its not Sid James.
So in summary, I really enjoyed this album, I like the Schneider TM like beats, I love the lyrics, Bjorks singing on this album is inoffensive and the production is fairly great, all in all I must be getting old. 7 out of 10.
Cocoon by Bjork
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Selmasongs
Selmasongs today, the one and only Bjork album that I like, and I do like it. It was the 2000 soundtrack to the Lars Von Trier film, Dancer In The Dark.
Now the reason why I like this album may be because of many reasons, maybe its because Bjorks vocals on this album are as close to her vocals on The Sugarcubes material, maybe because it’s the soundtrack to an outstanding film, maybe because the songs are pretty good, or maybe it weighs in at 7 tracks long.
Along those 7 tracks I do have to put up with Thom Yorke so its not the walk in the park that is assumed, thankfully his presence isn’t too great and is merely an interruption, you know like Adrian Chiles on The One Show, its worth suffering him for the opportunity to see Morrissey being asked fucking inane questions.
Cvalda features the fragrant Catherine Deneuve, who doesn’t look like a mole with a shit haircut that looks like her mum has done it, but this isn’t about Thom Yorke, Cvalda uses the noise of the factory for its backing and you may assume that its some man shouting something about Jordans boobies or the terrible state of immigration in this country but no, you would be wrong, Mark Bell, the producer has quite cleverly got industrial sounds not only to back Bjork but also in a way got Bjork to create sounds that fit in with the scenes in Dancer In The Dark.
New World appears twice on the album, as the opening Overture and the final track and the normal run of things, effectively the same Bjork track twice on one album that would be a fate too nasty to comprehend but as this is my favourite Bjork track (admittedly it’s a very shallow pool) it is a bit of a delight.
So a great mini album, thoroughly enjoyable, start to finish, that soundtracks a ridiculously good film. 9 out of 10.
New World by Bjork
Now the reason why I like this album may be because of many reasons, maybe its because Bjorks vocals on this album are as close to her vocals on The Sugarcubes material, maybe because it’s the soundtrack to an outstanding film, maybe because the songs are pretty good, or maybe it weighs in at 7 tracks long.
Along those 7 tracks I do have to put up with Thom Yorke so its not the walk in the park that is assumed, thankfully his presence isn’t too great and is merely an interruption, you know like Adrian Chiles on The One Show, its worth suffering him for the opportunity to see Morrissey being asked fucking inane questions.
Cvalda features the fragrant Catherine Deneuve, who doesn’t look like a mole with a shit haircut that looks like her mum has done it, but this isn’t about Thom Yorke, Cvalda uses the noise of the factory for its backing and you may assume that its some man shouting something about Jordans boobies or the terrible state of immigration in this country but no, you would be wrong, Mark Bell, the producer has quite cleverly got industrial sounds not only to back Bjork but also in a way got Bjork to create sounds that fit in with the scenes in Dancer In The Dark.
New World appears twice on the album, as the opening Overture and the final track and the normal run of things, effectively the same Bjork track twice on one album that would be a fate too nasty to comprehend but as this is my favourite Bjork track (admittedly it’s a very shallow pool) it is a bit of a delight.
So a great mini album, thoroughly enjoyable, start to finish, that soundtracks a ridiculously good film. 9 out of 10.
New World by Bjork
Monday, 27 July 2009
Post
If the only music that existed in this world was Bjork, then todays commute CD would be king. It would be played constantly and celebrated as the pinnacle of recorded sound, out of Bjork it would be 10 out of Bjork……but it isn’t the only music that exists in this world, life, thankfully, isn’t that cruel.
That paragraph does however give you an indication of what I think of this CD when compared to Bjorks other releases, it is the best, well, it isn’t the best, but it is better than anticipated. Selma Songs is better, but we aren’t playing Selma Songs, we are playing Post.
Lets discount It’s Oh So Quiet from this album, it’s a big hit that everyone knows and forever tainted by Janice Battersby stomping all over Celebrity Stars In Your Eyes, trying, vainly to recreate the violent diminutive Icelander. 10 out of 10 to Janice for trying but unfortunately you have destroyed any credibility that song may have had.
The remainder of the album, its not bad, which shocked me, its better than other B’s and it surprised me in places. Sure Bjork did her trick of getting a song, making it sound like an intro and stringing it out for 4 minutes, she likes songs that sound like intros. Alas the intro to Katrina and The Waves, Walking on Sunshine isn’t represented, its purely intros to Bjork songs.
I think what Bjork needs is someone, Quincy Jones, or Phil Spector to produce her and not take any of that avante garde rubbish, sing proper you puffin eating nutter. As it goes though 6 out of 10.
Hyperballad by Bjork
That paragraph does however give you an indication of what I think of this CD when compared to Bjorks other releases, it is the best, well, it isn’t the best, but it is better than anticipated. Selma Songs is better, but we aren’t playing Selma Songs, we are playing Post.
Lets discount It’s Oh So Quiet from this album, it’s a big hit that everyone knows and forever tainted by Janice Battersby stomping all over Celebrity Stars In Your Eyes, trying, vainly to recreate the violent diminutive Icelander. 10 out of 10 to Janice for trying but unfortunately you have destroyed any credibility that song may have had.
The remainder of the album, its not bad, which shocked me, its better than other B’s and it surprised me in places. Sure Bjork did her trick of getting a song, making it sound like an intro and stringing it out for 4 minutes, she likes songs that sound like intros. Alas the intro to Katrina and The Waves, Walking on Sunshine isn’t represented, its purely intros to Bjork songs.
I think what Bjork needs is someone, Quincy Jones, or Phil Spector to produce her and not take any of that avante garde rubbish, sing proper you puffin eating nutter. As it goes though 6 out of 10.
Hyperballad by Bjork
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Homogenic
This whole listening to my CD albums in alphabetical order seemed a great idea a few months ago, the A’s weren’t that fallow and the variety meant that I never knew what was coming up. Now I am in the B’s and B’s is made up on the whole of a relatively low amount of artists, certainly as ratios, albums to artists go, there is little variety.
When I think of B’s I think of Billy Bragg and Belle and Sebastian, what I forgot to think of was Bjork. We have too much Bjork and all of it is my wifes. Every single album, every single single, every LP with the Sugarcubes, everything, its hers. I had Birthday by The Sugarcubes on 7” but in an effort to woo my wife I gave her that single, it worked by the way, she is easily bought. The first compilation my wife did for me she put a couple of Bjork tracks on a tape for me, she has since learned the rules of doubling up on tapes, but back then she put Aeroplane and Come To Me on a tape and as I wanted to do rude things with her I said that’s great, ace, thank you.
I hate Bjork, I find her difficult to listen to, tuneless, and purposefully odd. This shit sells is perhaps the Guðmundsdóttir mantra. Actually I do like one album, it isn’t this one though, this one is Homogenic, the 1997 album. This one didn’t pass the old grey whistle test, this one didn’t catch me absent mindedly tapping out a rhythm on the top of my gear stick, this one didn’t see my car accelerating and slowing down as my foot was tapping, this one had me glancing at the display on my CD player and thinking, Christ its only track 3.
Under my own set of loosely enforced rules I have to listen to the album once each way, and the thought of Homgenic soundtracking the journey home has me thinking that I may work over tonight.
Even the highlights were low, Bachelorette, All is full of love, really really really bad. Is it the worst Bjork album, I fear not, I fear that will go to one that I know remains unplayed in a cellophane wrapper that may tip me over the edge. So with that in mind Homogenic. 1 out of 10. Why 1? I haven’t got the first clue other than I predict an album will be worse than this so I have to allow something lower than this.
All Is Full Of Love by Bjork
When I think of B’s I think of Billy Bragg and Belle and Sebastian, what I forgot to think of was Bjork. We have too much Bjork and all of it is my wifes. Every single album, every single single, every LP with the Sugarcubes, everything, its hers. I had Birthday by The Sugarcubes on 7” but in an effort to woo my wife I gave her that single, it worked by the way, she is easily bought. The first compilation my wife did for me she put a couple of Bjork tracks on a tape for me, she has since learned the rules of doubling up on tapes, but back then she put Aeroplane and Come To Me on a tape and as I wanted to do rude things with her I said that’s great, ace, thank you.
I hate Bjork, I find her difficult to listen to, tuneless, and purposefully odd. This shit sells is perhaps the Guðmundsdóttir mantra. Actually I do like one album, it isn’t this one though, this one is Homogenic, the 1997 album. This one didn’t pass the old grey whistle test, this one didn’t catch me absent mindedly tapping out a rhythm on the top of my gear stick, this one didn’t see my car accelerating and slowing down as my foot was tapping, this one had me glancing at the display on my CD player and thinking, Christ its only track 3.
Under my own set of loosely enforced rules I have to listen to the album once each way, and the thought of Homgenic soundtracking the journey home has me thinking that I may work over tonight.
Even the highlights were low, Bachelorette, All is full of love, really really really bad. Is it the worst Bjork album, I fear not, I fear that will go to one that I know remains unplayed in a cellophane wrapper that may tip me over the edge. So with that in mind Homogenic. 1 out of 10. Why 1? I haven’t got the first clue other than I predict an album will be worse than this so I have to allow something lower than this.
All Is Full Of Love by Bjork
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
