Customer Reviews

Bjork - Volumen

5 star:		(113)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you know anything about music you will know how influential Bjork is to the industry. She creates majestic music, quirky lyrics, amazing movies and magic music videos. Her music accompanies her videos so well. She uses an amazing array of themes in her videos but the main one would have to be nature.

She ropes in the most amazing names in directing to create videos that are out of this world, and not without controversy either. Some of her videos have been banned in the US because of the nudity content. However this just adds to the weirdness of Bjork.

From "Debut" there is "Human Bahaviour", "Venus As A Boy", "Play Dead", "Big Time Sensuality" and "Violently Happy".
From "Post" comes "Army Of Me", "Isobel", "It's Oh So Quiet", "Hyper-ballad", "Possibly Maybe" and "I Miss You".

From Homogenic surfaces "Joga", "Bachelorette", "Hunter", "Alarm Call", "All Is Full Of Love".
From "Vespertine" are the controversial "Hidden Place", "Pagan Poetry", "Cocoon".
There are also two new videos, "It's In Our Hands" and "Nature Is Ancient".

An added bonus about this collection is the fact that all the videos are in chronological order which makes it that more special and a great synopsis of her career.

The one thing that disappoints me though is the fact that she includes no videos from "Selmasongs" and no bonus features however the fact that this dvd is so thorough those factors really don't detract at all.

Overall, "Volumen" is a great way to get into Bjork's music but most of all her videos which are simply my favourite videos that have ever been made. This dvd is worth every penny.

I shouldn't even have to explain how much I adore Bjork by now, because if you've read any of my past reviews on her records then you'll know perfectly well just how much I think of her. I won't bore you by heaping praise on her, but I might occasionally slip into the worship-phase I usually fall into when talking about her in this review. Oh well. My current art project is based on Bjork herself. I am exploring the way she adopts nature into her music and music videos, and how this is contrasted with the high-tech sound of her music (which can be heard on albums such as "Homogenic" and "Vespertine.") Therefore, I thought it would be wise to invest in Bjork's "Greatest Hits: Volumen 1993 - 2003" DVD. I already knew that this stunning video featured an amazing 21 music videos spanning 10 incredible years in the music industry, and thought it would be a brilliant source of study for my project.

The first video in this collection is the stunning "Human Behaviour." This was Bjork's first video as a solo artist from 1993, and it sure makes an impact. The song is a look at humans from an animal's point of view. Bjork is singing the lyrics, which already suggests she is an animal - apart from the crowd and very much her own creation. Directed by Michael Gondry, we see Bjork in the woods with a giant teddy bear searching for food. The bear is also being hunted by a hunter in the woods. The bear chases after Bjork as well, but she outwits him. The woods are used as a metaphor for the human psyche; Bjork as the animal is lost in the woods, which represent the complex and dark characters of a human being. In the video to "Venus As A Boy," Bjork carefully fondles an egg while explicitly singing about copulation. This video is rather strange and a bit boring in my opinion, but there's a deeper meaning at work here. This video is quite funny, though, as Bjork thinks about a guy she admires, carefully observing the egg being fried. This video juxtaposes implicity with explicity. Brilliant.

The video to "Play Dead" is rather boring in my opinion. The song itself is amazing and Bjork's vocals are perhaps at their best here than in any other song of hers. The song was the theme to the movie "The Young Americans," starring Harvey Keitel. "Big Time Sensuality" was probably the most popular Bjork song of the "Debut" era, and the video is superb as well. The song used in the video is the Fluke Minimix, which is much better than the original version. In this video, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, Bjork is stood on the back of a truck which is driving its way through the streets of New York. The camera stays focused on Bjork all the time as she sings and dances for the viewer. The main object of this video, however, is to get across how Bjork communicates with the listener by the use of her body. Note how she moves her arms and legs, contorts her face, and smiles euphorically at the camera to express her extreme happiness at life. The director said of Bjork, "I saw her face and I heard her music...and I couldn't sleep." Honey, I know the bloody feeling! Many a night have I found myself absolutely shattered but refuse to go to sleep due to my obsession with Bjork. I simple cannot stop listening to her! "Violently Happy" is not really one of my favourite Bjork songs and the video is not very memorable. I like Bjork's videos to take my breath away and this one doesn't, sadly.

As Bjork developed as an artist, her videos became more elaborate and more challenging. For example, the video to "Army Of Me," the first single from the "Post" album, is a brash and techno-industrial anthem which simply pounds along. Bjork drives along in an over-sized tanker truck. In a way, her voice is the machine she is driving - powerful and so overwhelming, coming from such a small and petite lady. The video to "Isobel" is beautifully shot in black and white by director Michael Gondry. Here Bjork sings the story of Isobel, a young girl who was born in the forest. Water is the primary feature in her world. Gondry uses water as a dreamy transition tool between scenes. Like many Gondry videos, Isobel's different realities blur, calling each world and reality into question. "It's Oh So Quiet" is easily Bjork's most famous song ever, and this is something which will (probably) never change. It's a shame that a lot of people only know Bjork for this song. I mean, it's a great song and I can see why it was so popular, but she has SO much more to offer. The video is amazing though, it has to be said. The choreography of this Broadway-style anthem became a pop culture staple of the Nineties.

The video to "Hyperballad" is a stunning collection of vivid images and a contrast between modern man and Mother Nature. We see an image of Bjork with her eyes closed, laid down in a patch of leaves and grass, while electric static flickers over her face bringing up some beautifully luminous colours. Again, the video was directed by the amazing Michael Gondry. "Possibly Maybe" was, as Bjork says, her first ever 'sad' song. People are brought up in Iceland with a positive outlook on life, so to write a song with negative emotions was seen as a struggle by her! Fortunately, she pulled off a masterpiece and the video is the same. Stephane Sednaoui directed the video, which features disjointed shots of Bjork playing with yellow powder under a black light, wailing with an afro, in a silk kimono putting on lipstick, hovering in the sky like a flickering goddess and in a red dress over a fire. The video is amazing for its use of contrasting colours, a variety of costume changes and Bjork's incredible performance. In the beginning the director uses very bright, flashy colours in contrast with monotone colours. Bjork is very sensual as she eats and licks the watermelon and puts lipstick on. This video shows a whole new side of her, as usual. The video to "I Miss You" is very strange because it uses cartoon images with normal images of a ginger Bjork! It's a very surreal video, and features some rather rude imagery, so not one for children!

"Joga" has always been one of my favourite Bjork songs, and the video to this song is one of my main focuses in the art project. The song incorporates the sounds of volcanic eruptions used as beats. This is a sharp contrast between nature (the volcano erupting) and modern technology (which is the computers used to make the eruption into a beat). The video reflects this with shots of Icelandic nature and the rugged and varied landscape of the land. Directed by the marvellous Michael Gondry, the video is a treat for the eyes. "Bachelorette" sees the return of the character Isobel, who now has her autobiography out, which is the title of this song. She is exploited by the industry in this video, which doesn't sit too well with Mother Nature. Before Isobel (played, obviously, by Bjork) knows it, people are turning into plants and bushes as nature tries to take control over the city. Eventually Isobel has to surrender her new-found fame and retreat to the woodland. This video was also directed by Michael Gondry, and is the third in a trio of videos with nature as the central theme, the first two being Human Behaviour and Isobel. "Hunter" is a stunning video which focuses only on Bjork's head and shoulders. She sings of being the hunter, the primal instinct in us all. As she sings, she morphs into a polar bear, but shakes this off again and again, trying to keep her animal instincts reserved for when she truly needs them. A smashing video.

"Alarm Call" features yet more images of nature as Bjork floats down a river on a raft, encountering crocodiles, snakes, deer, lizards and piranhas! Perhaps Bjork's most popular video is the awe-inspiring "All Is Full Of Love." This amazing video, directed by Chris Cunningham, features two robots in a production process. No one is around them apart from machines which add parts to their bodies. The two robots then passionately embrace, kissing one another rather erotically. The idea in this video is that love is everywhere; love can flourish in almost unthinkable situations amongst everything. "Hidden Place," apart from being an amazing song, has a very interesting video to accompany it. Bjork is but a few inches from the camera as a number of bodily fluids float around her face, from her eyes and into her mouth, up her nostrils and everywhere else. "Pagan Poetry" is a superb song with a very abstract video which I can't even begin to comprehend.

"Cocoon" is one of my favourite Bjork videos. Naked and painted white, Bjork stands in a grey room singing intimately about her lover while a red string material emerges from her nipples. It sounds ridiculous, but it's not. Bjork moves her hands in movement with the red string which continues to flow, eventually wrapping her up. The video to "It's In Our Hands" sees Bjork wandering about in a patch of tall plants in the middle of the night. Night vision is used to give the impression that we are being let in on something very special and intimate. The final video in this collection is the superb "Nature Is Ancient," in which Bjork is actually not present at all. Directed by the male-trio Lynn Fox, the video focuses on the conception of a human being, showing how Adam was born. A fascinating look at the miracle of human life!

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

This collection of videos is not just for Bjork fans, but for anyone interesting in REAL works of music video art. This DVD has been used in college and University media courses all over the world, and it's not hard to see why! Bjork represents the ultimate in the complexity of the human brain. She is an uncalculated genius whose talent knows no bounds. This can be seen in this DVD; no other video artist has consistently put out unique and interesting music videos that always have a strong message about the behaviour of human beings. Buy this now, it's absolutely essential.

Bjork rules. All her videos are incredible. This is a great collection of all of Bjork's videos (except Alarm Call and All Is Full Of Love - both exceptionally brilliant videos that i really wish were included) but whatever, the remaining videos are so original and innovative you know that Bjork has been at it again... my personal favorites were 1. "Venus as a Boy" because who else could make eggs so sensual, and the song is amazing 2. "Hyperballad" because it goes so well with that song (my favorite of Bjork's) and 3. I Miss You because the creator of Ren and Stimpy animated it (so you know you can't miss that)! Definitely recomennded for Bjork fans, or even for anybody in film school who wants to brush up on how to make an insightful, creative video. Oh I almost forgot, "It's Oh So Quiet!" amazing, just incredible! Bjork can do anything, let's elect her president...

On this tape you can find more than just some nice music vids- it's a world of it's own. Enjoy the best works of M. Gondry, S. Sednaoui, and other creative directors. Every vid is unique and original, so you find "pure" Bjork in "Hunter", a "Comic-Bjork" in "I miss You", a surrealistic Bjork in "Human Behavior", "Army of me", a self-destroying Bjork in "Hyperballad" and in the most beautiful and heartbreaking song "Jogà" you can find a artificial "state of emergency" (and so the video looks like lovesong for her homecountry Iceland) It's the best music video I ever own and seen, but sadly I missed the newest two videos "Alarm Call" by Alexander Mcqueen and "All is full of love" by Chris Cunningham (Thousand times better than "Frozen" by Madonna.)

My old roommate had this DVD. I watched it, then I invited friends over to watch it, then more friends, until I had no more friends to invite. It's so good--good like going to a great film, good, or like going to a great exhibit or installation, good. I own only one DVD and this is the one.

I used to listen to The Sugar Cubes in highschool. I liked Bjork but never had her albums until I saw this DVD. Then I realized she was genius.

BJORK's Volumen is the Most ORIGINAL Collection of Videos! Bjrk is one of the very few artists today to create Original Music Videos. Her Videos are WORKS OF ART and seem to take you to a sort of Dream Like World. When you watch this collection of videos you see how ahead of her time BJORK truly is. I will give me personal review of each Video on this collection.HUMAN BEHAVIOUR - The song was one of the first Electronica songs and the video is like a stuffed animal come to life video. The video is amazing and has some of the most creative images to ever grace the Music Video Screen!VENUS IS A BOY - This song is a slower song than the previous and the video is not her best, but is brought to life by BJORK being in her kitchen and doing what she does best... creating something unique. Only she can make something so typical very entertaining to watch.PLAY DEAD - I had never seen this video untill I bought this DVD, and let me tell you it was a treat. This is a beautiful slow song from a movie. This song is more POP sounding than anything I have ever heard from Bjork in later days. The Video is very beautiful and you can see her emotion through her facial expressions when she raises her voice in song. One of the best songs on this collection.BIG TIME SENSUALITY - The song is a great mid-tempo electronic blast. This is the infamous video that has Bjork dancing around on the back of a trailor truck in downtown Times Square New York City. I have to say she was very brave to do all those hand and facial expressions and run around like a chicken without a head in front of all those people. The video is in Black and white and is a great video.VIOLENTLY HAPPY - The song is a beautiful song although it does get repetitive very quick. The video has Bjork and friends in a Rubber Room with her and a few others cutting there hair as the song continues to unfold. The video is a little darker than what we can expect from Bjork, but it is not a bad video.ARMY OF ME - This is one of the most creative videos I have ever seen. This has Bjork in a video with a future like set that has sort of a dream like feel to it. Bjork also seems to have issues as she blows up a building in the end of the video. This is hard to explain it. Watch it it is GREAT!ISOBEL - The song is a beautiful slow song that has a sort of classical meets electronica vibe. The video is in black and white and water once again so unique and hard to explain. Kind of like a dream where you turn your head one minute and things change and morph. Beautiful song and video. IT'S OH SO QUIET - The song is a nice slow song that is so much like a old Hollywood musical tune. The video also carries on the Hollywood Musical vibe as it has Bjork dancing and bursting in to song. This video is fun and was the reason Bjork got the staring Role in which she gave an AMAZING performance the movie DANVCER IN THE DARK which if you have not seen you really need to.HYPERBALLAD - This song and video are my favorite from Bjork. Now this song is more like a dream than any other video she has done. The video matches the song so well in which Bjork is dreaming and in her dream her character is taking on that of a Video Game character who is doing things only her dream world would allow her to do. When you close your eyes to this song I swear you feel like you leave this earth. The Most BEAUTIFUL, AMAZINGLY colorful video that Bjork has ever done. The closest thing to a dream you will ever experience while still being awake!POSSIBLY MAYBE - This is a slower song that has a heavy drum line with some awesome electronic sounds that kick in at the perfect moments making this one of the most relaxing songs. The video is almost as colorful as Hyperballad because of the Black light that seems to bring one of Bjorks outfits to amazing Neon life. What a sensual beautiful video. I MISS YOU - The song has a tribal feel to it. The video has Bjork taking on a truly animated character dancing with a weird alien like thing and has her tearing him to bits. She also sports a Hot Pink/Redish hair style. Has a feel almost like Human Behaviour but not so dark.JOGA - This is an amazing song that truly combines Electronica with a classical feel to it. The video has some beautiful and colorful landscapes. Bjork is not in this video very much, but the computerized landscapes are breathtaking with this heartpounding number.BACHELORETTE - This song is another beautiful song with that same style of music as JOGA. The video is original as all her others and has Bjork getting her Book published and turned in to a play. This video is also filmed to make it look as if they she is performing in a play. Another Great video.HUNTER - This song is one of the most beautiful slow songs on this DVD. The video has Bjork sporting a bald look and as the song gets emotional so do her expressions which turn her in to what seems to look like a Robotic Polar Bear of the future. She has some of the most amazing facial expressions which seem to work perfect as she morphs in to the Polar Bear. Awesome video!This whole collection is truly the most ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART in Music Video I have ever seen. BJORK is a true ARTIST who seems to bring her videos to life as much as she does her songs. Only one other Artist can compare to BJORK when it comes to Original Music Videos and that is the Ween of Video herself, MADONNA. Who is also inspired by Bjork and calls her one of the true visionaries in modern music today. I say BUY he DVD Collection of BJORK Volumen and you will feel like you just got HOME!

Björk Gudmundsdottir, or Bjork for short, has come a long way since her days with the Sugarcubes. The Icleandic pop pixie has captured the attention of the wold's greatest young directors in helming her songs into videos sure to make one's eyes open up wide. While other videos use little imagination (can you say Ricky Martin?) and others focus on bad themes (Mariah Carey, where is thy brain?), Bjork is the queen of the most lavish, eye-catching scenarios ever caught on film.

Many famed and up and coming directors have directed Bjork in some of her greatest videos. Oscar nominated director Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich") directed Bjork in my favorite video, "It's Oh So Quiet," which pays tribute to the big band musicals of the past. Animator John Kricfalusi (the creator of "Ren & Stimpy") also guided Bjork and several animated friends in the video "I Miss You". Bjork looks as good animated as she does in person.

French director Michel Gondry (the director of the upcoming film "Human Nature"), has directed Bjork in most of her videos, most notably "Human Behaviour," "Army of Me," and "Joga." Other famous French directors including Stephane Senaoui and Jean-Baptiste Mondino also lend their artistic talents in bringing Bjork's songs to life.

This is an incredible collection from an incredible woman, who just recently one the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. If you are a fan or a person starting to discover the sensation Bjork is, then this DVD is a great way to start.

It is a hard thing to pull of if you can do it. Making the best music on the planet and the finest pieces of visual art to accompany them! It is a shame that there are 3 of the videos missing ("Ooops", "Alarm Call" & "All is full of love") but what you have left is 14 other clips that are soooo good that you will be wanting to see them over and over again! My personal favourite on this collection is "Joga" as it is quite possibly the best tribute ever paid to Iceland, and contains the most amazing image of Bjork letting us all know what really goes on inside her heart! This is the best way to really understand how such a genius uses her mind, and if it weren't for the credits at the end, it would seem as if the songs were actually dreamt up and recorded while she was fighting a gorilla dentist / playing seductively with eggs / morphing in to a polar bear / dancing in a 'Ren & Stimpy' cartoon, or simply being the best! Lets all bow down infront of this cassette tape (or DVD) and hale a true, unique and unassailable genius! (The artwork to 'Volumen' is worth a praise or two as well!). Our hats go off to you, Bjork!

"You know, they worship the bear in Iceland," a friend of mine tells me as we're watching Bjork getting morphed into a blue bear in "The Hunter," the last feature on this trail of streaming, sensual and psychotic videos featured in "Volumen." I immediately think back to the first video in this program, "Human Behaviour," and realize that the bear is there, from beginning to end. Talk about staying in touch with your roots!

Needless to say, Bjork has mastered the art of catching our attention with off-beat, symbolic and striking imagery, all the while telling us stories about falling in love and wanting to be alone, like the pages of a book that starts writing itself ("Bachelorette"). My friends tell me that they have given an island in Iceland to Bjork. Now, imagine that... being so fabulous that your country dedicates an island to you! Truly, for Bjork, all IS full of love. And, if it comes down to just being alone, well, hey, she even shows you how to make the most perfect sunny-side up eggs for breakfast in the morning! In "Venus As A Boy," she ain't cookin' for two, don't ya know.

I highly recommend "Volumen" to everyone that has a human heart, even if you don't have a VCR or DVD player, BUY IT; it will give you a good excuse to go visit that friend of yours that DOES have a VCR or DVD player. Even more important, it's music and video like this where we are given the opportunity to open our imagination for the story to be whatever we want it to be. There is depth with Bjork, much unlike the pop-tarts, I mean, pop-stars that do what they're told, follow "the norm," and become limited extensions of their true selves.

I have been into Bjork and her music by the time Medulla came out. I have always been enchanted by her eccentric personality about her even before i listened to a single song of hers. Now that i am into her music, i feel so inspired by the genius of Bjork. First of all, this woman is one of the very, very few artists out there who feels very committed to her vision, and seems to NEVER feel intimidated by pop's oversexed image with all the pop muppets out there today. She's also one of the very few artists who are actually DARING. Not daring in terms of trying to act lesbian, dress half naked, or act like a stripper on stage to get ratings and controversy like majority of pop stars do these days. But daring in terms of always challenging her listeners, and in being controversial in a way where it's artistic and very bold. I have purchased this DVD yesterday, and i absolutely LOVE it! These are the videos i thought were very exquisite and are truly images of what real artistic music videos are made of.

1. PLAY DEAD- This is one of my fav. songs by Bjork. It's so raw and deep. One thing i love about Bjork is her voice. It's fused with so much passion, so much eroticism in it, so much innocence, and anger as well. The video is plain and simple, but yet dark and just very affective, just like the song itself.

2. ISOBEL- This is a wonderful song, and the video is just beautifully made.

3. IT'S OH SO QUIET- This is just a cute and catchy song and music video. So full of color and life.

4. HYPERBALLAD- I love the images that are emulated in this music video. Seems like a personal and meditative music video in the mind of Bjork.

5. HUNTER- This song gives me chills, and the music video is quite incredible. I love the concept of Bjork changing into her inner animal.

6. ALL IS FULL OF LOVE- Second to "PAGAN POETRY", i think this is truly the most artistic and profound music video of Bjorks. When watching this music video, it makes you think of how robotic lovers love no different than the way human lovers do. Somewhat chilling as well.

7. PAGAN POETRY- This is the most chilling, controversial, and just very deeply hypnotic and erotic music videos of Bjork. I almost want to close my eyes when she stitches pearls into her body so graphically. This video is sensual in such an artistic way. Each time i watch it i seem to catch something that i haven't seen before.

The rest of the music videos are also exceptionally good. Even her "whacky" ones like "Human Behavior" and "I Miss You" are great, not her best, but just simply entertaining in a weird way, lol. Bjork is just awesome. She's such a tiny and petite young woman with a mind that is a world in it's own. I recommend this DVD to those who are fans of Bjork, and even to those who are just curious about Bjork and her music.

I also recommend MEDULLA and the MEDULLA documentary called The Inner Part Of A Plant Or Animal Structure.