Violently Happy: A Bjork Thread

[E.H. Ruddock]

If so I'll change the name of the thread.

Love the early stuff.

[Jorge]

I love pretty much everything she's ever done.

Except Medulla. That album scares me.

[Jorge]

But it did bring us that great music video where she's married to a cat.

[washing machine]

I inherited a CD-R labeled "Bjork" from an ex-girlfriend's sister quite a few years ago, before the advent of google and shazam. It took me a bit of research, but I eventually established that the album in question was 2000's Selmasongs. I love that album and also love the only other Bjork title that I have, which is Post.

I need to delve deeper into her catalog, but it's all very intimidating.

[nyquillyn]

Yes! She's fantastic. Post through Medúlla is an incredible stretch of albums.

[Jorge]

I inherited a CD-R labeled "Bjork" from an ex-girlfriend's sister quite a few years ago, before the advent of google and shazam. It took me a bit of research, but I eventually established that the album in question was 2000's Selmasongs. I love that album and also love the only other Bjork title that I have, which is Post.

I need to delve deeper into her catalog, but it's all very intimidating.

[nyquillyn]

Best albums: Homogenic and Vespertine

[Jorge]

Best albums: Homogenic and Vespertine

I am firmly behind this.

[washing machine]

I inherited a CD-R labeled "Bjork" from an ex-girlfriend's sister quite a few years ago, before the advent of google and shazam. It took me a bit of research, but I eventually established that the album in question was 2000's Selmasongs. I love that album and also love the only other Bjork title that I have, which is Post.

I need to delve deeper into her catalog, but it's all very intimidating.

I like that, a lot. What is the name of that song, by the way. I hear it a lot in restaurants and bars, always performed by a different artist. I know I should know it, but I don't.

Also, that particular version incorporates an instrument that I've always been curious about. It's that rhythmic, almost bird-like noise that plays underneath the intro. I hear it in a lot of performances, and I can't for the life of me picture it being played by a human being.

[Jorge]

That's from "Gling-Glo", a really cool little jazzy album Björk did early in her career. That song is a jazz cover of a really beautiful old mambo called "¿Quién Será?", sung in Icelandic. There's a very popular version in English, I think Dean Martin sang it.



As far as the sound you're describing, I'm not sure I hear it, but this is the personnel list for the album.

Vocals and harmonica: Björk Guðmundsdóttir.
Piano and tambourine: Guðmundur Ingólfsson.
Drums, maracas, and Christmas bells: Guðmundur Steingrímsson.
Bass: Þórður Högnason.

[nyquillyn]

This YouTube "channel" has some great Bjork stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1F1C97C086DA4264

[washing machine]

As far as the sound you're describing, I'm not sure I hear it

It's pretty faint on that track. Here it is in a much more prominent way on Beck's Tropicalia, in the left channel, underneath the guitar and wood block, before the rest of the percussion comes in. I almost want to say it's a bass string. I hear it in a lot of bossa nova.

[Jorge]

Ah. Now I know what you're referring to. They're two different things, though. The sound at the beginning of that Beck song, that you hear a lot in bossa nova music, is a percussion instrument called a "cuica" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqS2hw2fL2A). The sound at the beginning of the Bjork song is just a double bass playing high notes with vibrato (which gives it that wobbly feeling).

[washing machine]

Thanks! I've wondered what that instrument was for a very long time. As much music live music as I've been exposed to, I've never witnessed a bossa nova performance up close, or if I have, I wasn't paying attention too well.

The fact that Bjork recorded an album that somehow led me to the answer tells me everything I need to know about checking out more of her stuff. She seems to really love making music.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Best albums: Homogenic and Vespertine

I am firmly behind this.

Yeah, Vespertine is really great.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Also, anyone here a fan of her work in the Sugarcubes?

[nyquillyn]

Looking forward to seeing this in October.

[dimejinky99]

Whatever about her music, it's great n all, but her app 'biophilia' is the fucking coolest thing Ive ever seen on a phone....
watch this...(and David Attenborough narrates!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8AELvVUFLw

[bodysnatcher]

man i dislike bjork

[dimejinky99]

I will say, she is awesome live. It's music but it's proper art too. Gives on every level..
she lost money on her tour last year having that many people onstage and that weird tesla lightning machine thing, which too, was awesome