I am currently listening to the newest of the Bob and Tom Radio Show CD's "Camel Toe". Outrageously funny and very topical.........52 songs on two CD's and worth every minute of listening time.
What are you listening to right now?
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dvdjunkie
- Signature Collection
- Posts: 5613
- Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:05 am
- Location: Wichita, Kansas
The only female singer that is worth listening to these is Avril Levigne. Ashlee, Jessica, Hilary, Christina, Brittany, and especially the 'old hag' Madonna are talentless and tasteless when it comes to making "good music" nowadays.
I am currently listening to the newest of the Bob and Tom Radio Show CD's "Camel Toe". Outrageously funny and very topical.........52 songs on two CD's and worth every minute of listening time.
I am currently listening to the newest of the Bob and Tom Radio Show CD's "Camel Toe". Outrageously funny and very topical.........52 songs on two CD's and worth every minute of listening time.
The only way to watch movies - Original Aspect Ratio!!!!
I LOVE my Blu-Ray Disc Player!
I LOVE my Blu-Ray Disc Player!
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Lazario
-
Alice
- Gold Classic Collection
- Posts: 446
- Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 6:40 pm
- Location: Wønderland, New Yørk
Say that again and I'll cut ya!dvdjunkie wrote:The only female singer that is worth listening to these is Avril Levigne. Christina, Brittany, and especially the 'old hag' Madonna are talentless and tasteless when it comes to making "good music" nowadays.
Madge ain't no Hag,....she a Psycho totally different....
oh and spell that Average-Talent tween Whiner's Name right it's Lavigne,
Yayyyy! I found another spell buddy,
c'mon spell it out with me:
L-A-V-I-G-N-E
and Like Lazario said it IS a fact that Björk IS the greatest Songer/ Songwriter/ Artsist and is a Godd Actress........
Now listening to:
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - ABBA - Gold
Alice coming back with POWER! POWER!
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Lazario
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Lazario
Amazon.com's Essential Recordings, say of Bjork's "Debut":
"Her first album following the breakup of the Sugarcubes, Debut is Icelandic trickster Björk's statement of purpose: bringing curious experimentalism to the dance floor and putting her startling, expressive voice front and center. Her perspective is a little alien--it's no accident that the first song talks about 'getting close to a human' --but her leveling of genre distinctions has some wonderful results, especially the eroticized easy-listening reggae sway of "Venus As a Boy." Paired with producer Nellee Hooper (of Soul II Soul), she comes up with a series of invitingly artificial settings for her pipes, built from late-night beats and peculiar timbres, and sings like she's overwhelmed with joy from all her senses."
AllMusic.com gives it 5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"Björk takes her voice and creativity to new heights on Debut, her first work after the group's breakup. With producer Nellee Hooper's help, she moves in an elegantly playful, dance-inspired direction, crafting highly individual, emotional electronic pop songs like the shivery, idealistic "One Day" and the bittersweet "Violently Happy." Despite the album's swift stylistic shifts, each of Debut's tracks are distinctively Björk. "Human Behaviour"'s dramatic percussion provides a perfect showcase for her wide-ranging voice; "Aeroplane" casts her as a yearning lover against a lush, exotica-inspired backdrop; and the spare, poignant "Anchor Song" uses just her voice and a brass section to capture the loneliness of the sea. Though Debut is just as arty as anything she recorded with the Sugarcubes, the album's club-oriented tracks provide an exciting contrast to the rest of the album's delicate atmosphere. Björk's playful energy ignites dance-pop-like "Big Time Sensuality," and turns the genre on its head with "There's More to Life Than This." Recorded live at the Milk Bar Toilets, it captures the dancefloor's sweaty, claustrophobic groove, but her impish voice gives it an almost alien feel. But the album's romantic moments may be its most striking; "Venus As a Boy" fairly swoons with twinkly vibes and lush strings, and Björk's vocals and lyrics — "His wicked sense of humor/suggests exciting sex" — are sweet and just the slightest bit naughty. With harpist Corki Hale, she completely reinvents "Like Someone in Love," making it one of her own ballads. Possibly her prettiest work, Björk's horizons expanded on her other releases, but the album still sounds fresh, which is even more impressive considering electronic music's whiplash-speed innovations. Debut not only announced Björk's remarkable talent, it suggested she had even more to offer."
Amazon.com's Essential Recordings, say of Bjork's "Post":
"This Icelandic marvel is such an original that, even after four Sugarcubes albums and a brilliant solo Debut, she remains an acquired taste. "Army of Me" is a turbulent, darkling tune that's almost conventional next to the gloriously eclectic material that follows. Working with Tricky, Soul II Soul/U2 producer Nellee Hooper, and string arranger/one-hit wonder Deodato, Björk looses her helium-fueled voice and surreal wordplay on Gershwinesque pop (the adorable "It's Oh So Quiet"), ambient dub ("Possibly Maybe") and all kinds of fresh dance/pop hybrids ("Enjoy," "Hyper-Ballad," "I Miss You"). Too raw and adventurous for mass success, perhaps, but a more unique, engaging, oddly accessible artist just doesn't exist."
AllMusic.com gives it 4.5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"After Debut's success, the pressure was on Björk to surpass that album's creative, tantalizing electronic pop. She more than delivered with 1995's Post; from the menacing, industrial-tinged opener "Army of Me," it's clear that this album is not simply Debut redux. The songs — especially the epic, modern fairy tale "Isobel" — production, and arrangements all aim for, and accomplish, more. Post also features Debut producer Nellee Hooper, 808 State's Graham Massey, Howie B., and Tricky, who help Björk incorporate a spectrum of electronic and orchestral styles into songs like "Hyperballad," which sounds like a love song penned by Aphex Twin. Meanwhile, the bristling beats on the volatile, sensual "Enjoy" and the fragile, weightless ballad "Possibly Maybe" nod to trip-hop without being overwhelmed by it. As on Debut, Björk finds new ways of expressing timeworn emotions like love, lust, and yearning in abstractly precise lyrics like "Since you went away/I'm wearing lipstick again/I suck my tongue in remembrance of you," from "Possibly Maybe." But Post's emotional peaks and valleys are more extreme than Debut's. "I Miss You"'s exuberance is so animated, it makes perfect sense that Ren & Stimpy's John Kricfalusi directed the song's video. Likewise, "It's Oh So Quiet" — which eventually led to Björk's award-winning turn as Selma in Dancer in the Dark — is so cartoonishly vibrant, it could have been arranged by Warner Bros. musical director Carl Stalling. Yet Björk sounds equally comfortable with an understated string section on "You've Been Flirting Again." "Headphones" ends the album on an experimental, hypnotic note, layering Björk's vocals over and over till they circle each other atop a bubbling, minimal beat. The work of a constantly changing artist, Post proves that as Björk moves toward more ambitious, complex music, she always surpasses herself."
Amazon.com's Editorial Reviews, say of Bjork's "Homogenic":
"Headline-grabbing personal upheavals turn into introspective surges on Homogenic, the third album by Icelandic singer Björk. Björk gets lost in a wash of strings and minimalist techno patterns on her latest outing. The eccentricity and stylistic schizophrenia of Debut and Post have been cast away in favor of darker, more sublime edginess. Filled with songs about paranoia, heartbreak, and lost faith, Homogenic not only showcases more mature themes, but a more uniform mood. Notch that up to Björk's decision to produce the album herself. Aside from a few nominal collaborations with Mark Bell of obscure techno outfit LFO and the Icelandic String Octet, this is the purest representation of the artist's vision. Little did we know that such a quirky personality would have such a bleak world view. Homogenic is almost too heavy to take in sitting, but there are moments of inspiration that burn through the dark clouds, particularly on the contemplative "Joga" and the uplifting "Bachelorette."
AllMusic.com gives it 5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"By the late '90s, Björk's playful, unique world view and singular voice became as confining as they were defining. With its surprising starkness and darkness, 1997's Homogenic shatters her "Icelandic pixie" image. Possibly inspired by her failed relationship with drum'n'bass kingpin Goldie, Björk sheds her more precious aspects, displaying more emotional depth than even her best previous work indicated. Her collaborators — LFO's Mark Bell, Mark "Spike" Stent, and Post contributor Howie B — help make this album not only her emotionally bravest work, but her most sonically adventurous as well. A seamless fusion of chilly strings (courtesy of the Icelandic String Octet), stuttering, abstract beats, and unique touches like accordion and glass harmonica, Homogenic alternates between dark, uncompromising songs such as the icy opener "Hunter" and more soothing fare like the gently percolating "All Neon Like." The noisy, four-on-the-floor catharsis of "Pluto" and the raw vocals and abstract beats of "5 Years" and "Immature" reveal surprising amounts of anger, pain, and strength in the face of heartache. "I dare you to take me on," Björk challenges her lover in "5 Years," and wonders on "Immature," "How could I be so immature/To think he would replace/The missing elements in me?" "Bachelorette," a sweeping, brooding cousin to Post's "Isobel," is possibly Homogenic's saddest, most beautiful moment, giving filmic grandeur to a stormy relationship. Björk lets a little hope shine through on "Jòga," a moving song dedicated to her homeland and her best friend, and the reassuring finale, "All Is Full of Love." "Alarm Call"'s uplifting dance-pop seems out of place with the rest of the album, but as its title implies, Homogenic is her most holistic work. While it might not represent every side of Björk's music, Homogenic displays some of her most impressive heights."
Björk won the Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, 2000, for her performance in "Dancer In the Dark"
Amazon.com's Editorial Reviews, say of Bjork:
"In her first and most probably last screen performance (she has foresworn acting after her bruising on-set rows with von Trier), brittle Icelandic chanteuse Björk plays Selma, a Czech ((plot))... Superb song-and-dance numbers (Björk also wrote the score)."
The Chicago Sun Times' Roger Ebert (who gives the film 3 and a half stars, out of 4), says:
"The film stars Björk, the Icelandic pop star, as Selma, a Czech who ((plot))... "Dancer in the Dark" is not like any other movie at the multiplex this week, or this year. But it smashes down the walls of habit that surround so many movies. It returns to the wellsprings. It is a bold, reckless gesture. And since Bjork has announced that she will never make another movie, it is a good thing she sings."
Leonard Maltin, says:
"Björk is impressive."
Stephanie Zacharek, of Salon.com, says:
"Björk, who also scored the movie, is one of the most captivating and complex figures in pop music: She's part pixie princess, part torch singer; part deconstructivist modernist, part romantic landscapist. Her lovely wayward warble, especially her shivery reading of "My Favorite Things," is at least a welcome relief -- a familiar and pleasing voice calling out from a landscape far more rocky and parched than Iceland. She shows both a sweetness and a kind of openness that suit the character perfectly, and she knows how to deliver a line -- the odd pacing of the dialogue has nothing to do with her. Björk has claimed in a recent Esquire interview that her experience with von Trier, which she characterized as one of "profound cruelty," has soured her on acting forever, and that's a shame: She's gently appealing, and even in her toughest, most over-the-top scenes, she has a sense of restraint that allows her to maintain her dignity amid the meshugas. Her scenes with her young son, Gene (Vladan Kostic), in particular have an affable and touching quality -- she adores him and mothers him, but she's so girlish herself that they're almost like young cubs together."
Amazon.com's Best of 2000 review, say of Bjork's "Selmasongs":
"Inspired by the film Dancer in the Dark's Broadwayesque emotional sweep, Björk stretches herself with orchestral mood swings and a darker, more experimental palette. The result is the most difficult record she's made since her Sugarcubes days, but a few listens reveal the thrilling heart of a truly multifaceted and immensely brave composer. The seven tracks sound like something straight out of a Gene Kelly movie but with one major addendum: Björk's wildly imaginative, postmodern songwriting. The movie's theme of fantasy coexisting with urban industrial bleakness is represented in two recurring elements: mechanical friction (expressed rhythmically in the sounds of train tracks, car engines, chains, and even chalk) and dreamy escapism (manifested in enormous orchestral swells of strings, harp, and other fanciful instrumentation). "Cvalda" is typical of the EP's duality. Industrial noise bleeds into Björk's scatting "Clatter! Crash! Clack! Rattle!" then dives head first into a wonderful tap-dancing-on-a tin-roof, big-band cacophony. The EP's showstopper, the rousing "In the Musicals 1 & 2," sounds like it was conducted with a magic wand. Beginning with Aphex Twin-inspired beats bouncing like a ball bearing dribbled hard on pavement, the intricate rhythmic choreography tromps, flits, and changes direction with seamless angularity. These aren't just songs to dance to, these are songs that dance."
AllMusic.com, says:
"Selmasongs: Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack Dancer in the Dark is, and is not, a Björk album. While it's filled with rampant creativity, startling emotional leaps, and breathtaking vocals and arrangements, it isn't as playful as her other albums, even 1997's relatively dark Homogenic. Instead, it presents Björk as Selma, her character from Lars VonTrier's Dancer in the Dark: a Czech factory worker who is going blind but finds hope and refuge in the musicals she watches at the cinema. (VonTrier wanted to work with Björk after seeing Spike Jonze's musical-inspired video for "It's Oh So Quiet.") She acts through the music she composed, performed, and produced with conductor/arranger Vincent Mendoza and her longtime collaborators Mark "Spike" Stent and Mark Bell. Selma's unsinkable optimism and tragic end are telegraphed through songs like the irrepressible, cartoonish "Cvalda" to the sad, starry lullaby "Scatterheart." Selmasongs' best tracks are poignant, inventive expressions of Björk's talent and Selma's daydreams and suffering. "In the Musicals" shows how easy it is for Selma to slip into one of her Technicolor reveries: "There is always someone to catch me," Björk sighs as clouds of strings, harps, and xylophones rise up to meet her. "New World" reprises the simultaneously hopeful and ominous melody of "Overture," adding striking vocals and shuffling, industrial beats that reflect Selma's life in the factory as well as Björk's distinctive style. Selmasongs also succeeds as a soundtrack, sketching in details of Selma's story. "I've Seen It All," a duet with Thom Yorke, captures her stunted romance with a co-worker, while the tense "107 Steps" takes the listener to her journey's end. Intimate and theatrical, innovative and tied to tradition, Selmasongs paints a portrait of a woman losing her sight, but it maintains Björk's unique vision."
Amazon.com's Best of 2001 Review, say of Bjork's "Vespertine":
"Ever since Björk's vital, effusive 1993 debut, her music has been increasingly intimate, gently private, and concerned with seclusion. It's typical then that Vespertine's first single is called "Hidden Place." The studious solitude is rewarding, though. Vespertine is a lush, gorgeous swell of midpace electronica, symphonic strings, and Björk's uniquely alien, spectral vocals. There are fantastical wonders here. "Cocoon" (another eulogy to withdrawal from the world) is delicate as a breath, Björk sounding too fragile to be flesh as she lauds "a beauty this immense." "Pagan Poetry" and "Aurora," likewise, are adrift in an enchanted reverie. When she chooses, she crafts killer tunes; "It's Not up to You" is as lovely as anything on Post. Yet, frequently, on such tracks as the yearning, glancing "Undo," Björk seems to be simply thinking aloud, reveling in this wildly rich and visceral music. She's reclaimed cutting-edge electronica, so often the province of geeks and technicians, for the poets and the passionate. Vespertine is a landmark, a revelation, and a truly fabulous achievement."
AllMusic.com gives it 4.5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"After cathartic statements like Homogenic, the role of Selma in Dancer in the Dark, and the film's somber companion piece, Selmasongs, it's not surprising that Björk's first album in four years is less emotionally wrenching. But Vespertine isn't so much a departure from her previous work as a culmination of the musical distance she's traveled; within songs like the subtly sensual "Hidden Place" and "Undo" are traces of Debut and Post's gentle loveliness, as well as Homogenic and Selmasongs' reflective, searching moments. Described by Björk as "about being on your own in your house with your laptop and whispering for a year and just writing a very peaceful song that tiptoes," Vespertine's vocals seldom rise above a whisper, the rhythms mimic heartbeats and breathing, and a pristine, music-box delicacy unites the album into a deceptively fragile, hypnotic whole. Even relatively immediate, accessible songs, such as "It's Not up to You," "Pagan Poetry," and "Unison" share a spacious serenity with the album's quietest moments. Indeed, the most intimate songs are among the most varied, from the seductively alien "Cocoon" to the dark, obsessive "An Echo, A Stain" to the fairy tale-like instrumental "Frosti." The beauty of Vespertine's subtlety may be lost on Björk fans demanding another leap like the one she made between Post and Homogenic, but like the rest of the album, its innovations are intimate and intricate. Collaborators like Matmos — who, along with their own A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure, appear on two of 2001's best works — contribute appropriately restrained beats crafted from shuffled cards, cracking ice, and the snap-crackle-pop of Rice Krispies; harpist Zeena Parkins' melodic and rhythmic playing adds to the postmodernly angelic air. An album singing the praises of peace and quiet, Vespertine isn't merely lovely; it proves that in Björk's hands, intimacy can be just as compelling as louder emotions."
"Her first album following the breakup of the Sugarcubes, Debut is Icelandic trickster Björk's statement of purpose: bringing curious experimentalism to the dance floor and putting her startling, expressive voice front and center. Her perspective is a little alien--it's no accident that the first song talks about 'getting close to a human' --but her leveling of genre distinctions has some wonderful results, especially the eroticized easy-listening reggae sway of "Venus As a Boy." Paired with producer Nellee Hooper (of Soul II Soul), she comes up with a series of invitingly artificial settings for her pipes, built from late-night beats and peculiar timbres, and sings like she's overwhelmed with joy from all her senses."
AllMusic.com gives it 5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"Björk takes her voice and creativity to new heights on Debut, her first work after the group's breakup. With producer Nellee Hooper's help, she moves in an elegantly playful, dance-inspired direction, crafting highly individual, emotional electronic pop songs like the shivery, idealistic "One Day" and the bittersweet "Violently Happy." Despite the album's swift stylistic shifts, each of Debut's tracks are distinctively Björk. "Human Behaviour"'s dramatic percussion provides a perfect showcase for her wide-ranging voice; "Aeroplane" casts her as a yearning lover against a lush, exotica-inspired backdrop; and the spare, poignant "Anchor Song" uses just her voice and a brass section to capture the loneliness of the sea. Though Debut is just as arty as anything she recorded with the Sugarcubes, the album's club-oriented tracks provide an exciting contrast to the rest of the album's delicate atmosphere. Björk's playful energy ignites dance-pop-like "Big Time Sensuality," and turns the genre on its head with "There's More to Life Than This." Recorded live at the Milk Bar Toilets, it captures the dancefloor's sweaty, claustrophobic groove, but her impish voice gives it an almost alien feel. But the album's romantic moments may be its most striking; "Venus As a Boy" fairly swoons with twinkly vibes and lush strings, and Björk's vocals and lyrics — "His wicked sense of humor/suggests exciting sex" — are sweet and just the slightest bit naughty. With harpist Corki Hale, she completely reinvents "Like Someone in Love," making it one of her own ballads. Possibly her prettiest work, Björk's horizons expanded on her other releases, but the album still sounds fresh, which is even more impressive considering electronic music's whiplash-speed innovations. Debut not only announced Björk's remarkable talent, it suggested she had even more to offer."
Amazon.com's Essential Recordings, say of Bjork's "Post":
"This Icelandic marvel is such an original that, even after four Sugarcubes albums and a brilliant solo Debut, she remains an acquired taste. "Army of Me" is a turbulent, darkling tune that's almost conventional next to the gloriously eclectic material that follows. Working with Tricky, Soul II Soul/U2 producer Nellee Hooper, and string arranger/one-hit wonder Deodato, Björk looses her helium-fueled voice and surreal wordplay on Gershwinesque pop (the adorable "It's Oh So Quiet"), ambient dub ("Possibly Maybe") and all kinds of fresh dance/pop hybrids ("Enjoy," "Hyper-Ballad," "I Miss You"). Too raw and adventurous for mass success, perhaps, but a more unique, engaging, oddly accessible artist just doesn't exist."
AllMusic.com gives it 4.5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"After Debut's success, the pressure was on Björk to surpass that album's creative, tantalizing electronic pop. She more than delivered with 1995's Post; from the menacing, industrial-tinged opener "Army of Me," it's clear that this album is not simply Debut redux. The songs — especially the epic, modern fairy tale "Isobel" — production, and arrangements all aim for, and accomplish, more. Post also features Debut producer Nellee Hooper, 808 State's Graham Massey, Howie B., and Tricky, who help Björk incorporate a spectrum of electronic and orchestral styles into songs like "Hyperballad," which sounds like a love song penned by Aphex Twin. Meanwhile, the bristling beats on the volatile, sensual "Enjoy" and the fragile, weightless ballad "Possibly Maybe" nod to trip-hop without being overwhelmed by it. As on Debut, Björk finds new ways of expressing timeworn emotions like love, lust, and yearning in abstractly precise lyrics like "Since you went away/I'm wearing lipstick again/I suck my tongue in remembrance of you," from "Possibly Maybe." But Post's emotional peaks and valleys are more extreme than Debut's. "I Miss You"'s exuberance is so animated, it makes perfect sense that Ren & Stimpy's John Kricfalusi directed the song's video. Likewise, "It's Oh So Quiet" — which eventually led to Björk's award-winning turn as Selma in Dancer in the Dark — is so cartoonishly vibrant, it could have been arranged by Warner Bros. musical director Carl Stalling. Yet Björk sounds equally comfortable with an understated string section on "You've Been Flirting Again." "Headphones" ends the album on an experimental, hypnotic note, layering Björk's vocals over and over till they circle each other atop a bubbling, minimal beat. The work of a constantly changing artist, Post proves that as Björk moves toward more ambitious, complex music, she always surpasses herself."
Amazon.com's Editorial Reviews, say of Bjork's "Homogenic":
"Headline-grabbing personal upheavals turn into introspective surges on Homogenic, the third album by Icelandic singer Björk. Björk gets lost in a wash of strings and minimalist techno patterns on her latest outing. The eccentricity and stylistic schizophrenia of Debut and Post have been cast away in favor of darker, more sublime edginess. Filled with songs about paranoia, heartbreak, and lost faith, Homogenic not only showcases more mature themes, but a more uniform mood. Notch that up to Björk's decision to produce the album herself. Aside from a few nominal collaborations with Mark Bell of obscure techno outfit LFO and the Icelandic String Octet, this is the purest representation of the artist's vision. Little did we know that such a quirky personality would have such a bleak world view. Homogenic is almost too heavy to take in sitting, but there are moments of inspiration that burn through the dark clouds, particularly on the contemplative "Joga" and the uplifting "Bachelorette."
AllMusic.com gives it 5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"By the late '90s, Björk's playful, unique world view and singular voice became as confining as they were defining. With its surprising starkness and darkness, 1997's Homogenic shatters her "Icelandic pixie" image. Possibly inspired by her failed relationship with drum'n'bass kingpin Goldie, Björk sheds her more precious aspects, displaying more emotional depth than even her best previous work indicated. Her collaborators — LFO's Mark Bell, Mark "Spike" Stent, and Post contributor Howie B — help make this album not only her emotionally bravest work, but her most sonically adventurous as well. A seamless fusion of chilly strings (courtesy of the Icelandic String Octet), stuttering, abstract beats, and unique touches like accordion and glass harmonica, Homogenic alternates between dark, uncompromising songs such as the icy opener "Hunter" and more soothing fare like the gently percolating "All Neon Like." The noisy, four-on-the-floor catharsis of "Pluto" and the raw vocals and abstract beats of "5 Years" and "Immature" reveal surprising amounts of anger, pain, and strength in the face of heartache. "I dare you to take me on," Björk challenges her lover in "5 Years," and wonders on "Immature," "How could I be so immature/To think he would replace/The missing elements in me?" "Bachelorette," a sweeping, brooding cousin to Post's "Isobel," is possibly Homogenic's saddest, most beautiful moment, giving filmic grandeur to a stormy relationship. Björk lets a little hope shine through on "Jòga," a moving song dedicated to her homeland and her best friend, and the reassuring finale, "All Is Full of Love." "Alarm Call"'s uplifting dance-pop seems out of place with the rest of the album, but as its title implies, Homogenic is her most holistic work. While it might not represent every side of Björk's music, Homogenic displays some of her most impressive heights."
Björk won the Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, 2000, for her performance in "Dancer In the Dark"
Amazon.com's Editorial Reviews, say of Bjork:
"In her first and most probably last screen performance (she has foresworn acting after her bruising on-set rows with von Trier), brittle Icelandic chanteuse Björk plays Selma, a Czech ((plot))... Superb song-and-dance numbers (Björk also wrote the score)."
The Chicago Sun Times' Roger Ebert (who gives the film 3 and a half stars, out of 4), says:
"The film stars Björk, the Icelandic pop star, as Selma, a Czech who ((plot))... "Dancer in the Dark" is not like any other movie at the multiplex this week, or this year. But it smashes down the walls of habit that surround so many movies. It returns to the wellsprings. It is a bold, reckless gesture. And since Bjork has announced that she will never make another movie, it is a good thing she sings."
Leonard Maltin, says:
"Björk is impressive."
Stephanie Zacharek, of Salon.com, says:
"Björk, who also scored the movie, is one of the most captivating and complex figures in pop music: She's part pixie princess, part torch singer; part deconstructivist modernist, part romantic landscapist. Her lovely wayward warble, especially her shivery reading of "My Favorite Things," is at least a welcome relief -- a familiar and pleasing voice calling out from a landscape far more rocky and parched than Iceland. She shows both a sweetness and a kind of openness that suit the character perfectly, and she knows how to deliver a line -- the odd pacing of the dialogue has nothing to do with her. Björk has claimed in a recent Esquire interview that her experience with von Trier, which she characterized as one of "profound cruelty," has soured her on acting forever, and that's a shame: She's gently appealing, and even in her toughest, most over-the-top scenes, she has a sense of restraint that allows her to maintain her dignity amid the meshugas. Her scenes with her young son, Gene (Vladan Kostic), in particular have an affable and touching quality -- she adores him and mothers him, but she's so girlish herself that they're almost like young cubs together."
Amazon.com's Best of 2000 review, say of Bjork's "Selmasongs":
"Inspired by the film Dancer in the Dark's Broadwayesque emotional sweep, Björk stretches herself with orchestral mood swings and a darker, more experimental palette. The result is the most difficult record she's made since her Sugarcubes days, but a few listens reveal the thrilling heart of a truly multifaceted and immensely brave composer. The seven tracks sound like something straight out of a Gene Kelly movie but with one major addendum: Björk's wildly imaginative, postmodern songwriting. The movie's theme of fantasy coexisting with urban industrial bleakness is represented in two recurring elements: mechanical friction (expressed rhythmically in the sounds of train tracks, car engines, chains, and even chalk) and dreamy escapism (manifested in enormous orchestral swells of strings, harp, and other fanciful instrumentation). "Cvalda" is typical of the EP's duality. Industrial noise bleeds into Björk's scatting "Clatter! Crash! Clack! Rattle!" then dives head first into a wonderful tap-dancing-on-a tin-roof, big-band cacophony. The EP's showstopper, the rousing "In the Musicals 1 & 2," sounds like it was conducted with a magic wand. Beginning with Aphex Twin-inspired beats bouncing like a ball bearing dribbled hard on pavement, the intricate rhythmic choreography tromps, flits, and changes direction with seamless angularity. These aren't just songs to dance to, these are songs that dance."
AllMusic.com, says:
"Selmasongs: Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack Dancer in the Dark is, and is not, a Björk album. While it's filled with rampant creativity, startling emotional leaps, and breathtaking vocals and arrangements, it isn't as playful as her other albums, even 1997's relatively dark Homogenic. Instead, it presents Björk as Selma, her character from Lars VonTrier's Dancer in the Dark: a Czech factory worker who is going blind but finds hope and refuge in the musicals she watches at the cinema. (VonTrier wanted to work with Björk after seeing Spike Jonze's musical-inspired video for "It's Oh So Quiet.") She acts through the music she composed, performed, and produced with conductor/arranger Vincent Mendoza and her longtime collaborators Mark "Spike" Stent and Mark Bell. Selma's unsinkable optimism and tragic end are telegraphed through songs like the irrepressible, cartoonish "Cvalda" to the sad, starry lullaby "Scatterheart." Selmasongs' best tracks are poignant, inventive expressions of Björk's talent and Selma's daydreams and suffering. "In the Musicals" shows how easy it is for Selma to slip into one of her Technicolor reveries: "There is always someone to catch me," Björk sighs as clouds of strings, harps, and xylophones rise up to meet her. "New World" reprises the simultaneously hopeful and ominous melody of "Overture," adding striking vocals and shuffling, industrial beats that reflect Selma's life in the factory as well as Björk's distinctive style. Selmasongs also succeeds as a soundtrack, sketching in details of Selma's story. "I've Seen It All," a duet with Thom Yorke, captures her stunted romance with a co-worker, while the tense "107 Steps" takes the listener to her journey's end. Intimate and theatrical, innovative and tied to tradition, Selmasongs paints a portrait of a woman losing her sight, but it maintains Björk's unique vision."
Amazon.com's Best of 2001 Review, say of Bjork's "Vespertine":
"Ever since Björk's vital, effusive 1993 debut, her music has been increasingly intimate, gently private, and concerned with seclusion. It's typical then that Vespertine's first single is called "Hidden Place." The studious solitude is rewarding, though. Vespertine is a lush, gorgeous swell of midpace electronica, symphonic strings, and Björk's uniquely alien, spectral vocals. There are fantastical wonders here. "Cocoon" (another eulogy to withdrawal from the world) is delicate as a breath, Björk sounding too fragile to be flesh as she lauds "a beauty this immense." "Pagan Poetry" and "Aurora," likewise, are adrift in an enchanted reverie. When she chooses, she crafts killer tunes; "It's Not up to You" is as lovely as anything on Post. Yet, frequently, on such tracks as the yearning, glancing "Undo," Björk seems to be simply thinking aloud, reveling in this wildly rich and visceral music. She's reclaimed cutting-edge electronica, so often the province of geeks and technicians, for the poets and the passionate. Vespertine is a landmark, a revelation, and a truly fabulous achievement."
AllMusic.com gives it 4.5 (out of 5) stars, and says:
"After cathartic statements like Homogenic, the role of Selma in Dancer in the Dark, and the film's somber companion piece, Selmasongs, it's not surprising that Björk's first album in four years is less emotionally wrenching. But Vespertine isn't so much a departure from her previous work as a culmination of the musical distance she's traveled; within songs like the subtly sensual "Hidden Place" and "Undo" are traces of Debut and Post's gentle loveliness, as well as Homogenic and Selmasongs' reflective, searching moments. Described by Björk as "about being on your own in your house with your laptop and whispering for a year and just writing a very peaceful song that tiptoes," Vespertine's vocals seldom rise above a whisper, the rhythms mimic heartbeats and breathing, and a pristine, music-box delicacy unites the album into a deceptively fragile, hypnotic whole. Even relatively immediate, accessible songs, such as "It's Not up to You," "Pagan Poetry," and "Unison" share a spacious serenity with the album's quietest moments. Indeed, the most intimate songs are among the most varied, from the seductively alien "Cocoon" to the dark, obsessive "An Echo, A Stain" to the fairy tale-like instrumental "Frosti." The beauty of Vespertine's subtlety may be lost on Björk fans demanding another leap like the one she made between Post and Homogenic, but like the rest of the album, its innovations are intimate and intricate. Collaborators like Matmos — who, along with their own A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure, appear on two of 2001's best works — contribute appropriately restrained beats crafted from shuffled cards, cracking ice, and the snap-crackle-pop of Rice Krispies; harpist Zeena Parkins' melodic and rhythmic playing adds to the postmodernly angelic air. An album singing the praises of peace and quiet, Vespertine isn't merely lovely; it proves that in Björk's hands, intimacy can be just as compelling as louder emotions."
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Lazario
DVD Verdict, says of Bjork's Music Video Compilation, Volumen:
"Singer and songwriter Björk is a legend. Her rise to fame over the last decade was crowned by her recent starring role in Lars von Trier's controversial film Dancer in the Dark, for which she also wrote the soundtrack. She is one of those all-too-rare musicians whose sound is so original and unique that it defies classification, and who continually pushes back the borders of her artistic comfort zone to increasingly excellent effect.
Volumen represents the first fourteen videos of Björk's brilliant solo career. This highly watchable (and re-watchable) collection is a treat for the ears and a veritable smorgasbord for the eyes, serving up a diverse array of musical and visual images, moods and styles.
The central subject of all Björk's videos is unarguably Björk, yet watching her is never boring. This woman has a thousand faces: now silly, now alluring, one moment wide-eyed, the next hard as nails. Her music draws from a vivid palette of emotions—delight, anguish, passion, whimsy—and in Volumen she brings them all to life on the screen.
Let's face it: if you just wanted to listen to Björk, you'd buy a CD. If you just wanted to look at her, you could pull up one of hundreds of photos from Internet fan sites. Volumen offers something even better: Björk's collaborations with a range of talented and innovative directors. The list of awards for the videos collected on this disc is too long to include here.
Six of these videos are by French director Michel Gondry, whose innovative visual conceptions have earned him acclaim for both music videos and commercials. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Gondry's creative vision is his ability to weave wildly disparate images into a harmonious whole. Take, for example, "Isobel," which contrasts the mass-produced symmetry of lightbulbs and model airplanes with the organic flow of shimmering waterfalls, fluttering leaves, and the faces of children. But then Björk plants a lightbulb in the ground, and it grows and hatches out a model airplane that takes erratic, insect-like flight. Later, a child examines a case of tiny planes pinned in rows like butterflies.
This kind of visual poetry is also evident in the video for "Bachelorette," a circular narrative in which Björk uncovers a book that tells her future just before it happens. The book is published and becomes first a bestseller, then a musical; Björk, starring as herself in the musical, re-enacts the discovery, the publication, and the opening of the musical, in which she stars as herself…The spiral is resolved through a chaos which leaves Björk, fittingly, right where the story began.
Gondry's other creations are no less intricate and whimsical. "Human Behaviour," his first collaboration with Björk, features a giant teddy bear which beats up a flannel-clad hunter and drives away in his car. Time and space are rendered irrelevant as Björk shrinks to the size of a hedgehog one minute, and flies to the moon and back the next. In the song "Hyperballad," Björk contemplates jumping off a cliff; Gondry's video involves an electronic arcade game version of Björk that runs, jumps, falls, and splinters into pixelly bits. The camera shifts and slides over both real and CG landscapes in the intense, meditative "Jóga," while rocks pulse and the earth splits and rejoins. And in my personal favorite, "Army of Me," Björk goes to the dentist for car trouble, wrestles a gorilla to the ground for a giant diamond, and sets off a bomb in a museum in order to rescue one of its exhibits. In each of these videos, the pieces all come together into a remarkable coherence that defies description: all the nonsense somehow, delightfully, makes sense.
But the oddness of Gondry's work is dwarfed by the flat-out wackiness of "I Miss You." Directed by John Kricfalusi, the man who brought you "Ren and Stimpy," this video is a dizzyingly surreal mix of cartoon and CG animation and live action. The art was created by Kricfalusi's animation studio, Spumco, known for its clever and twisted productions which push the limits of both art and taste. "I Miss You" is no exception: it's violent, off-color, frenetic and funny. It's also so detailed that, if you don't hate it, you'll want to watch it in slow motion; it's easy to miss a lot of clever touches at normal play speed, when the images flash by at a near-subliminal rate.
Veteran music video director Stephane Sednaoui helmed "Possibly Maybe," which features disjointed shots of Björk playing with yellow powder under a black light, Björk wailing with an afro, Björk in a silk kimono putting on lipstick, Björk hovering in the sky like a flickering goddess, Björk in a red dress over a fire…This elaborate production somehow fails to be anywhere near as watchable as Sednaoui's other video, "Big Time Sensuality," which was filmed in black and white with a single camera fixed to the bed of a truck. The truck moves slowly through the streets of an unnamed city, and on its back Björk dances with childlike exuberance, waving her hands, making funny faces, and radiating innocence and joy. (Björkophiles may want to know that this song is not the original recording, but rather a bouncy remix by British trip-hop band Fluke, from Björk's 1997 remix album "Telegram.")
A fixed camera is used again in "Violently Happy," directed by fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Here the setting is a padded cell. Björk and five other tousled performers, looking dangerously unbalanced, take turns in front of the camera, beating the walls, cavorting maniacally, and playing with dolls and scissors. The effect is cute and disturbing at the same time.
One of the most popular and accessible videos in this collection, "It's Oh So Quiet," was directed by Spike Jonze, better known for his direction of Being John Malkovich. In this infectious big band song-and-dance number, Björk sings (and screams) about the agony and ecstasy of falling in love, while all sorts of innocent bystanders—from auto mechanics to little old ladies to goths to mailboxes—are drawn into the show.
In "Venus as a Boy," directed by Sophie Muller, Björk daydreams in a cheery, cluttered kitchen while frying an egg. It takes her two tries to get it right; one suspects that this is how easily-distracted artistic geniuses actually cook. While not as complex as some of the other videos in this collection, Muller's vision ably showcases Björk's charm.
Even less complex is "Hunter," directed by Paul White, which features the bald head and unclad shoulders of Björk against a white screen. That's all: just Björk, singing, and nothing else to look at—until metallic blue scales sprout from her scalp. It's the beginning of a metamorphosis, but I'll leave it to you to find out what she becomes.
The weakest track on the disc is easily "Play Dead," directed by Danny Cannon. The song was used on the soundtrack to his film The Young Americans, and the video follows the stale soundtrack-theme formula, in which scenes from the movie are intercut with shots of the singer. While this sort of thing may look all right against the banality of MTV, it stands out like a gangrenous thumb among the fresh, innovative videos in this collection. Still, the music keeps the track from being a complete wash; Björk wails and growls with passionate intensity, and the bass line alone (courtesy of Jah Wobble) could keep me from pressing the "skip" button.
Volumen is a necessary addition to the library of any Björk fan, and will please anyone who values diversity and originality in music video. If you're unfamiliar with Björk's distinctive sound and winsome persona, this disc is the best possible introduction."
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castleinthesky
- Anniversary Edition
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MadonnasManOne
- Collector's Edition
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dvdjunkie wrote:The only female singer that is worth listening to these is Avril Levigne. Ashlee, Jessica, Hilary, Christina, Brittany, and especially the 'old hag' Madonna are talentless and tasteless when it comes to making "good music" nowadays.
You are ignorant.
"The only female singer that is worth listening to these is Avril Levigne." That is not even a coherent sentence. Also, it is Avril Lavigne, not Avril Levigne. Get it right.
Second, Madonna is not an 'old hag', just because she is older. She has more talent, and taste, in her pinky finger, than you will ever have in your entire life! Avril Lavigne will be long gone before Madonna even THINKS about retiring from the music business. I do not understand what it is about people who want to dismiss Madonna, after all of these years? If Madonna didn't have talent, trust me, she would not have been around as long as she has. She wouldn't be selling out concert tours, selling hundreds of millions of albums, and would not still be as famous as she is, if she didn't have talent, and she didn't know how to market herself.
I'm not saying I dislike Avril Lavigne, because I do enjoy some of her music. However, talk to me after 20 some odd years, and we'll see if she is still around, and as famous and talented as Madonna.
