Customer Reviews

Great Crossover Potential

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Quite simply, 14 songs from 3 albums. Nothing new or live. However, many "hits" collections are weighed down by new and live tracks, so this may be a good thing. First five songs are from "Life's too good". Next four are from "Here today, tomorrow, next week". The last five are from "Stick around for joy". Being a collection, this of course includes "Birthday", "Regina", and "Hit". I could have had another track from the first album, but that's because it's my favorite. The biggest bummer to me is the insert. No song notes, a confusing band history, and not one photo, anywhere. I guess the music paints a pretty good picture though. This may not be as great as Bjorks solo stuff, but it's still sugary sweet.

The Sugarcubes were one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Its a shame their legacy is reduced to a lame one-disc sampler cd, with no rare tracks. And many of their best songs are conspicuously absent. 'Speed is the Key', 'A Day Called Zero', 'Dream TV', 'Delicious Demon', 'Leash Called Love' and 'I'm Hungry' aren't even on there. And those are my all-time favorite Sugarcubes songs!

I strongly recommend that anyone interested in The Sugarcubes skip this lame compilation and instead get the original excellent Sugarcubes albums LIFE'S TOO GOOD, HERE TODAY TOMORROW NEXT WEEK, and STICK AROUND FOR JOY.

I am in no way speaking of the songs on the disc themselves, and definitely not the fantastic band, but this collection was nothing short of a complete let-down. It's nothing but 4 or so songs from each album. Big whoop. Where are the rare b-sides? Alternate Icelandic versions? Unreleased remixes? Live cuts? They're still lying on the out-of-print 12 inch singles, that's where! This could have been such an awesome endeavor. I can't even see a completist wanting this! I bought this and The B-52's "Time Capsule" on the same day. Quite comparable bands, and (sadly) quite comparably uninspiring Best Of compilations. It's evident that these were not made for the fans, but made instead to market the bands to new listeners, most notable with The Sugarcubes. With this in mind, I do save respect for them for the hilarious title.

If you are not familar with the Iceland band the Sugarcubes this is the perfect introduction to them, however you may be familar with the singer in the band known as Bjork. This compilation picks all the best songs from their 3 albums. Of course they did disband a few years ago, but all the twisted fun is still there. Their music is part indie-rock meets art-rock, snakey bass rhythm lines entwined with bouncy guitars and melded with the vocal gymnastics of the incredible Bjork. "Birthday" is the song that made them known to the world, the song weaves all over the place with an offbeat charm, not to mention the strange and twisted lyrics that make you wonder what's really going on. "Motorcrash" is a song that is pure bliss, it has a feeling of being on the freeway going nowhere. Einar another vocalist in the Sugarcubes is more of an emcee, he mostly speaks in a demented way while Bjork sings, but it has a rather colorful effect, like in the song &quo! t;Regina" and "Deus." One of my favorite tracks is the gorgeous "Planet" which shimmers like afternoon sun on the water. The song "Hit" grooves nicely a song from their last album "Stick Around For Joy" and Joy is what you should get listening to this Sugarcubes collection.

I loved Bjork before but her older material is really raw and unflinching. I love it!

This album sums up the best of the Sugarcubes. There's "Hit" (my favorite), "Water", and "Deus". The exchange between Bjork and Einar reflects the uniqueness and quirkiness that the Sugarcubes possessed. It reminds me of the days when i first discovered the Sugarcubes. It is definitely worth buying!

I very much enjoyed this album, but is was not incredible. The song "HIT" is with no question worth the price of the album alone. I also enjoyed songs 1 & 3 (Birthday and Mama). Bjork is great alone and carried the band in this one. If you really want to hear some of her best work check out It's It and her solo albums. Also try to find her single CD's. Hyper Ballad is a great start if you are looking to buy any of her singles any time soon. Towa Tei Choice Mix of Hyper-Ballad is one of the best mixes I have ever heard. If you are just starting your Bjork collection I suggest you go to those CD clubs and grab the free CD's there. The selection isn't great but it's a good start!

I love the Sugarcubes! I think this is a pretty descent intro for those who aren't familiar with the Sugarcubes, or with the other great hits they had from the other 3 albums they had after "Life's Too Good." The only criticism i have for this album is that they could have at least done more tribute to the band, who pretty much were the FIRST band from Iceland to go international...thats a pretty big leap for Iceland whose still culturally growing and trying to create an image of the Icelandic experience. They could have had a least one picture, and a more coherent biography of the Sugarcube's history together. But the things that lack don't exceed the album itself. It's still an awesome collection that every serious Bjork fan should have.

I was all set to buy this then I realized they left off their best song - Delicious Demon!!!!

I gave the Sugarcubes a casual try in college, but was strongly put off by them. It's a shame, really: the songs are well-written, great to dance to, and Bjork has one of the most beautiful voices in rock, even when she's screaming or out of tune. My problem is with that clown Einar Orn Benediktsson, the Icelandic equivalent of Fred Schneider, who contributes nothing to this band except the spouting of nonsensical interjections which detract from the songs. Why the group let this guy near the microphone is beyond me.

THEREFORE, if you're a fan of Bjork's solo stuff, like me, be cautious when trying any Sugarcubes material. Of course, Einar doesn't taint every song they've done, but when he does, it can be a painful experience. Even this collection of their best songs can't help hide that fact. If they could find a way to erase his voice from the tracks, THEN I'd be interested.