GREATEST HITS

Good compilation!

There is no doubt that Bjork is a really talented musician than can be easily loved (or hated), with a unique voice, a weird look but with an original style, which I thank because it is not so common to find people that original. Her music may not be easy to listen, to understand or digest, but once you do it, you can't help but enjoying it, at least that is what happens to me everytime I listen to her music.

Now, I don't really care the fact she was added to progarchives, I will not discuss her place here as a progressive rock artist or not, what I will do is to suggest her music, and let people decide if they are interested or not. And for that, though I always prefer to begin with studio albums (because they are the essence of the artist), this time I would like to review and recommend this "Greatest Hits" compilation, because I actually believe here one can know and appreciate Bjork's music, whatever these tracks are her true greatest or not.

Her voice will catch your attention, her wonderful arrangements (not only orchestral), her weird lyrics and her compositional skills make her a one-of-a-kind artist who has successfully deserved the place in which she is now. So why don't you listen to her music, get this nice introduction and decide if she is for you or not. What I am sure is that once you listen to her, you will have a complete opinion, in favour or against, but she cannot pass like a ghost, she will leave something on you.

Songs such as "Pagan Poetry", "Joga", "Hyperballad", "All is Full of Love" or "Hunter" will make you have a good time. This is a very nice compilation that I like, but well, once you are into her music, you better get her studio albums. My final grade will be three stars.

Enjoy it!

Normally I don't do compilations, but for Bjork I made an exception. How did Bjork select the tracks for this release? She held a survey on her website in which her biggest fans selected the tracks online. This insured that her most loved tracks (not always her biggest hits) made it on to the album. This album goes from strength to strength, classic to classic.

So why would anyone want this, if they plan to get her albums? For one, you get the video version of All Is Full Of Love that was released as a single, which is much different from the one that closes Homogenic. (Both versions are great, and no Bjork fan can be without either.) You also get the track she recorded for this album, It's In Our Hands, an excellent song that doesn't feel out of place. Finally, the remix version of Big Time Sensuality on here is superior to the original version on Debut.

Okay, so what hits are missing? The one I miss the most is Birthday, which was recorded with the Sugarcubes before she went solo. It's a tremendous song, among her best, and it's clear that she had a big future beyond the confines of that group. Her hits Violently Happy, Play Dead (her first solo hit, a non-album song from a film soundtrack) and It's Oh So Quiet are missing as well. If there's ever a disc 2, I'm sure at least the former will be on it; as for the latter, it's more of a novelty song, and one that many don't like. The other tracks I miss the most are some of the deep cuts from her albums, particularly Unravel (a haunting masterpiece! perhaps my favorite song by her; Radiohead's been known to cover this one from time to time), It's Not Up to You, Undo, and Aurora. Also sadly missing are the key tracks from Selmasongs, which for some reason she didn't consider eligible for this release. Finally, missing are those excellent tracks she recorded with others, including Plaid's Lilith (one of her best) and two tracks for Tricky's Nearly God album (Yoga and Keep Your Mouth Shut). One could easily make a second disc from this era up to 2002 and still not have enough room for everything essential by Bjork.

But not a single one of the 15 tracks on this release doesn't belong here. If Venus As a Boy, Hyperballad, Pagan Poetry, Isobel, Joga, Hidden Place, Hunter and all the rest aren't ear candy to your ears, then Bjork's probably not for you. This is a great place to start as an introduction to Bjork's singular world.