Briefly Shaking [Import]

Anja Garbarek | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI Import
• Copy Protected
• ASIN: B000CPWCWW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #598,704 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Her fourth album release following up the award winning "Smiling & Waving". The daughter of the Norwegian jazz composer and saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Anja spent six years in London before moving back to Norway in 2003. "I have a love-hate relationship with London. The single "The Last Trick" was written when we didn't like each other very much." Many of the album's lyrics are inspired by crime and horror books, "They gave me the dark language I needed to express myself," Garbarek says. "Can I Keep Him?" was inspired by notorious London serial killer Dennis Nielsen and features prominently in the Luc Besson film "Angel-A". --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A magic record., January 26, 2007

By 

Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Briefly Shaking (Audio CD)

An album that has been a fixture of every CD player I can get near since the moment it arrived in my possession, Anja Garbarek's "Briefly Shaking" is in many ways a vast departure from anything she's done previously-- keeping the elements of electronica and the layered orchestral instrument arrangements, Garbarek for this record partnered with Icelandic alternative musician Gisli, who handles the majority of the instrumental duties. The result is stunning-- a slice of modern alternative art rock-- like an update on Brian Eno's '70s pop albums or a Kate Bush filtered through Seattle, or sometimes a bit of both.

Like the rest of Garbarek's album, diversity is key here-- whether a minimalist arranged alt-rock workout ("Dizzy With Wonder", with a comfortable middle register vocal below the stripped back pulse, "Shock Activities", pushed forward and forced onward by horn arrangements led by father Jan on honking baritone sax, explosive "This Momentous Day"), or chasing the ghost of early '80s Kate Bush (sublimely overarranged "The Last Trick", achingly beautiful and yet downright creepy "Can I Keep Him", a first person telling of serial killer Dennis Nilsen's acts) or just downright different (piano-driven and electronica hinting "My Fellow Riders"), it all works, and it all works perfectly.

Perhaps just as importantly, it's an album that's staggeringly unique-- it has its influences and some of them are worn proudly-- the aformentioned Eno and Bush but also father Jan Garbarek and hints of No-Man figure prominently, and it's passionate performance coupled with production by Garbarek that makes the best use of space of nearly any recording I've ever heard (check out "Sleep"-- the strings and organ pulse and throb in the background on the chorus, but Garbarek sounds like she's singing in your ear, or the previously mentioned "Shock Activities", it sounds like a scream of guitars driving it until you notice it's a horn arrangement). It's not like her older works, and it's not like the other Northern European women singers that Garbarek seems to constantly get lumped in with (Bjork, Stina Nordstrom, etc.), it's really quite unique.

The bottom line is that I've played this record for anyone who will listen to it. It's probably the best pop (used loosely) album of the past few years. Essential listening.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2 thumbs up and 5 stars, April 20, 2006

By 

french bird - See all my reviews

This review is from: Briefly Shaking (Audio CD)

I was struck by "last trick" playing on the radio and ordered this album, without knowing anything from anja garbarek. See the review from Dede Korkut, I could not have expressed it better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A magic record., January 26, 2007

By 

Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Briefly Shaking (Audio CD)

An album that has been a fixture of every CD player I can get near since the moment it arrived in my possession, Anja Garbarek's "Briefly Shaking" is in many ways a vast departure from anything she's done previously-- keeping the elements of electronica and the layered orchestral instrument arrangements, Garbarek for this record partnered with Icelandic alternative musician Gisli, who handles the majority of the instrumental duties. The result is stunning-- a slice of modern alternative art rock-- like an update on Brian Eno's '70s pop albums or a Kate Bush filtered through Seattle, or sometimes a bit of both.

Like the rest of Garbarek's album, diversity is key here-- whether a minimalist arranged alt-rock workout ("Dizzy With Wonder", with a comfortable middle register vocal below the stripped back pulse, "Shock Activities", pushed forward and forced onward by horn arrangements led by father Jan on honking baritone sax, explosive "This Momentous Day"), or chasing the ghost of early '80s Kate Bush (sublimely overarranged "The Last Trick", achingly beautiful and yet downright creepy "Can I Keep Him", a first person telling of serial killer Dennis Nilsen's acts) or just downright different (piano-driven and electronica hinting "My Fellow Riders"), it all works, and it all works perfectly.

Perhaps just as importantly, it's an album that's staggeringly unique-- it has its influences and some of them are worn proudly-- the aformentioned Eno and Bush but also father Jan Garbarek and hints of No-Man figure prominently, and it's passionate performance coupled with production by Garbarek that makes the best use of space of nearly any recording I've ever heard (check out "Sleep"-- the strings and organ pulse and throb in the background on the chorus, but Garbarek sounds like she's singing in your ear, or the previously mentioned "Shock Activities", it sounds like a scream of guitars driving it until you notice it's a horn arrangement). It's not like her older works, and it's not like the other Northern European women singers that Garbarek seems to constantly get lumped in with (Bjork, Stina Nordstrom, etc.), it's really quite unique.

The bottom line is that I've played this record for anyone who will listen to it. It's probably the best pop (used loosely) album of the past few years. Essential listening.