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Album of the week: Bjork-Debut

Just another idea for the forum.

There's so many great albums to discover as alot of you know and have found out from Acclaimed Music. A back catalog of an array of different artists and the most acclaimed of today has helped some of us solidify a great back catalog as well as keep in touch with what critics are raging about today.

So here's your chance to plug away at a favorite, pull out some music you haven't listened to for awhile, or discover something new if you're looking for a couple of new purchases.

Take a listen to the album I'll randomly throw up once a week, give your opinion, whether you love it, hate it, are surprised/disappointed by it, over it, etc. feel free to give your standout tracks (ala AMG) and a 1 to 10 rating for it (egs. 7.6, 9.0) and we'll give it an acclaimed music forum average at the end of the week. If you don't want to write a whole review, just throw out your rating (but atleast give it an honest spin for the week). I'll keep a running tab throughout the year of who's got best to worst album avg. in the forum.

I'll focus on a lot of the top of the top 3000 for starters and throw another album into the mix next Monday. I'll close this week's album out when you see the avg. score at the bottom of the thread (sometime next Monday).

We'll never get through all 3000, but you might discover something new.

The first album is Bjork's Debut.

Hope you enjoy!

Re: Album of the week: Bjork-Debut

this is far from a bad idea. some suggestions though:

1. find a link to one or two of the best songs (youtube usually works) for those of us who haven't heard the album.

2. find a positive review of the album somewhere for those of us who have trouble "getting" it. maybe post a link to the full review or just copy and paste parts that you think will be useful.

3. make sure it's 100% random. if this is just your tase, few of us will be interested.

unfortunately i already have bjork's debut. i think i'm one of the few who agree that it's her best (it's highest on AM from memory). Songs like human behaviour, crying, and venus as a boy. there's just an appeal there that none of her later work has had for me, even though alot of it is more... interesting... i guess. a very very very close second favourite would have to be vespertine. amazing album.

Re: Album of the week: Bjork-Debut

Here's some literature and features on Debut:

Reviews:
www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A9un8b5t4bsq4
www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/217068/debut

Feature and Audio Samples:
unit.bjork.com/specials/albums/debut/

Videos:

Venus As A Boy:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXXckQcW-_0&mode=related&search=

Violently Happy:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=38UrRpYsPjw&mode=related&search=

Human Behaviour:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOepheinkCM&mode=related&search=

Big Time Sensuality:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmUKzR9Kh-A

It's also #146 on the top 3000 albums on the acclaimed albums right now for further info.

Re: Album of the week: Bjork-Debut

This is actually my least favorite of Bjork's CDs after Drawing Restraint 9, but I still love it! Bjork is my 2nd favorite artist of all time; she never ceases to amaze me.

There are some CLASSICS in this CD, like "Human Behaviour", "Big Time Sensuality", and the AMAZING "Venus and A Boy". But it's definitely not her best work, and it really is a bit overrated. I enjoy it, but it's not ambitious enough for me. Sometimes it has the tendency to revert to generic dance music if it weren't for her captivating and unique voice.

Overall, it's an enjoyable listen, but if it were not for Bjork and her gorgeous voice and quirky lyrics, this album would just be OK. I would definitely recommend "Vespertine" and "Homogenic", which I consider to be the best albums of her career and two of the greatest albums of all time.

Re: Album of the week: Bjork-Debut

Debut sounds so simple and basic compared to her later work. The dance beats scream 90’s (ala Blue Lines), but like Blue Lines, the songs are still catchy and memorable. At times it’s refreshing going back to her stop gap between the Sugarcubes and her later more complex work. I still enjoy Venus as A Boy, There’s More To Life Than This, One Day & Big Time Sensuality years after picking it up. Human Behaviour a little less, but still, I think the album is deserving the acclaim it has received and its AM rating, between 100-200. (Would be nice to see Homogenic receive the praise Debut has gotten in future best of the 90's polls).

Favorites: Venus as A Boy, There’s More To Life Than This, Big Time Sensuality

Could Do Without: The swooning Like Someone In Love

Re: Album of the week: Bjork-Debut

Well, swedishchef, I’m finally willing to talk about “Debut”. It’s one of my all-time favorites (I’ve put it on #11 in my all-time list). Probably Björk has made better works after her “Debut” (a false debut by the way, her real debut in Iceland was released back in 1977!!), but it’s still my favorite cause it was the very first electronica album that I really loved.
I’ve got a slight bias against instrumental music. Of course, I know, there’s awesome instrumental tracks in every musical style, but I think the human voice is the most amazing musical instrument. No other instrument is capable to induce a widest range of emotions and it carries the most important element of a song, the lyrics. And the voice of Björk is possibly the most unique in pop history, balancing perfectly the virtuosity and the (apparent) insecurity, the extravagance and the craft.
Despite notable exceptions during the 80s (Depeche Mode by example) electronica was a field with predominantly instrumental tracks. And during the first 90s the vocal electronica tracks had a heavy debt to soul divas (I’m thinking of Shara Nelson for Massive Attack or Paris Grey for Inner City). The innovating vocal renditions of Björk for “Debut” supposed a fresh air within the electronica sound, achieving also popular recognition despite the eccentric approach of the singer.
Surely “Homogenic” and “Vespertine” has more complex arrangements that “Debut”, that albums are more ambitious (like Pedro said). But the simplicity of the “Debut” arrangements made the songs danceable (nothing wrong with that, that’s DANCE music). And the arrangements here (courtesy of Nellee Hooper, former member of Soul II Soul) are outstanding: from the guitar-sounding keyboard on “Human Behaviour” to the percussion effects on “Violently Happy”, including harp on “Like Someone in Love”, brass on “Anchor Song” or fabulous Indian strings on “Venus As a Boy”.

Favorite song: “Violently Happy”, probably the most uptempo song from Björk (apart from "Pluto" from “Homogenic”). Floating keyboards, intricate percussions effects and an ecstatic voice form Björk are prominent features. It could seem a bizarre choice (it wasn’t included in her “Greatest Hits” album that was chosen by fans votes), but since I saw the disturbing video clip of the song I get caught forever.

My rating: 10/10

Re: Album of the week: Bjork-Debut

Debut is one of the few Bjork albums I haven't heard. So I'll have to wait until next week.