Customer Reviews

Pagan Poetry / Domestica / Batabid

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well, the song 'Pagan Poetry' is impressive especially
the vocals on last part.Also ,when I first listened the song
'Domestica' I was charmed.I've listened over and over and i've
not been sated ,yet.The other track 'Batabit'is another
gem in this record.As the oher Bjork singles it is
will be an unique piece for collectors.

This single is my favorite out of all the Björk singles that I own. The b-sides on this single reach out and grab you, I can't believe I hadn't heard domestica before. I started to play and I was wondering myself "where did I put my keys...they're not in my pocket." Some of the things that Björk does can be described by no other means than cute. Domestica holds a very cute moment in Björk's recording career. Buy this you will not be disappointed.
By the way Batabid is a very relaxing instrumental makes you wonder why Björk left Mark Bell from the homogenic days. Very good.

I'm sorry, but I wish Bjork would just stop releasing all of these Part 1 and part 2 single CD's from Vespertine (so far 6 B-side songs on 3 different single releases and counting), and instead release a more economical "Vespertine Part 2" album. (Radiohead released "Amnesiac" in the same vien as "Kid A", didn't they?) I can't afford this Bjork addiction forever if she keeps doing this. That's the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. So far all of the B-sides have been very nice, satisfying pieces and still right in the same type of style that Vespertine is in. This Pagan Poetry #2 Single release includes 2 B-sides, "Domestica" and "Batabid".

"Domestica" is a more playful and silly than the whole Vespertine mood, but retains the more subtle, sparkling "wintery" sound all of the reviewers keep talking about.

"Batabid" has NO vocals, and is only 2:25 minutes of a repetitive motif that doesn't evolve and sounds like background music for a flower opening on a nature documentary. I am a huge Bjork fan, but that song didn't really do anything for me, other than make me wonder why she can't (I repeat myself) package all of these B-sides into ONE BIG beautiful album and call it Vespertine #2, so that I can use my money for more music.

So, if you're a Bjork addict, as you must be if you are actually reading this, I still recommend that get a copy of this single just for "Domestica" (because obviously you already own Vespertine) and then start making your own copies and selling them to your friends so that you can make some money back just like Bjork is doing.

this is wonderful. pagan poetry is wonderful.. domestica is heaven, and bati ahhhh so refreshing! :)

but really. domestica. i have been listening to it non-stop all week. it's one of those songs, that gets stuck in your head, but you never get sick of it. it's very light-hearted, fun and is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs. domestica alone is making this cd purchase worthwhile! :)

Bjork is fantastic anyway you put it...so, her unreleased songs make the single worth buying...
This is an import single..most singles for the UK are released in 2 parts, that is the way the charting system works. Yes, I agree to an extent with another reviewer...a mini LP of here B-Sides would have been nice. But, still these are nice to own and if you collect her singles..then it is a must for your collection. Once again, I must stress to all buyers here on Amazon, when you buy imported CD singles..(at least from the UK and Aussie) they will be in 2 parts due to the charting regulations there.

Pagan Poetry is fantastic, Domestica is CUTE and Batabid is beautiful. What more do you need to know? BUY NOW!

This is one of my favourite CDs, and [as usual for our hero], is wonderful, and brilliant. The b-sides are essential, the relaxing and sweet Batabid, which sounds like sun setting by a lagoon on a calm summer evening, and the remarkably sweet and indescribably genius and charming Domestica, which seems to truly epitomize everyhting domestic, and is about...well you'll just have to see when you buy it!
{It's a must!:)

I guess I'm not the only one ... that Bjork has been releasing all these B-sides all over the place. Heres an interesting fact : all the B-sides added together are now LONGER than the total running time of 'Vespertine'. This should prompt Bjork or her management to release an EP or 'Vespertine Part 2' (call it 'Vespertina' or something) as its really getting difficult to track down these various avatars.

Aside from the title track, there are two songs here. One is a vocal and the other is an instrumental, unfortunately its not as relaxing or intriguing as 'Frosti'. I love Bjork's whole music-box thing, but her foray into musical instrumental B-sides is an experiment that hasn't met with much success, or at least thats what I think.

A word to collectors : Do you remember how many B-sides were released during the 'Homogenic' era? I collected most of these on cassette in Asia (how much would they go for today, I wonder) but carelessly let them go a couple of years ago. I guess Bjork's CD-making gimmicks haven't ended with 'Vespertine'. The great thing is that all the material is BRILLIANT. But the downside is that, technically, she has only released 2 singles from the album, but all of the B-sides and remixes now exceed the total length of her album itself. And with 'Cocoon' coming out soon, its only going to get more and more difficult for us to keep pace. This is a task that Alanis fans are facing too, with her umpteen B-sides for 'Under Rug Swept'.

The more the merrier may well be the order of the day, but it does get a bit irritating after a point.

Track Listing = 1. Pagan Poetry 2. Domestica 3. Batabid.

(Anyone who saw Bjork live on her Vespertine tour, will remember hearing Domestica.)

The Hidden Places singles have 4 B-sides, and here's 2 more! They sound just like Vespertine... so if you love the album, you'll love the single... and if you hated (or were bored by) Vespertine, don't bother with the single.

Compared to other albums, Vespertine is very soft-spoken, but some of the songs are very powerful.... Pagan Poetry is that way... it picks up with the chorus... and the a capella ending is spine-tingling.

However, Vespertine is just DYING to be remixed... and I was hoping for some remixes on the new single... looks like i'll have to wait longer!

I own about 60 Björk/related CDs including all of her single-released nonalbum tracks. I have raw bootleg cuts of Björk singing in grade school, icelandic carols, and old Sugarcubes demo covers -- you get my point. (With the exception of her tiny bits on Tricky's "Nearly God" album), "Domestika" and "Batabid" on this single are the most NONessential Björkisms in my collection yet. DOMESTIKA is a too easily-constructed, repetitive jingle featuring Björk capriciously singing "Oh, where I'd put my keys?!" over and over again. The old "My Spine" spontaneously created with Evelyn Glennie a few years ago was of infinitely better composition, if that is any indication. BATABID is an instrumental quickie (again, pure repetition of a few simple notes). It's the first of all her instrumental pieces I've dismissed as a complete throw away. Is this single a joke? I was surprised because quite frankly I'm used to hearing very high quality in all her b-sides. Björk spent a little too much time worrying about how to flaunt her nudity and choose the angle for belly-piercing in her latest video than working on extra music to make a 'pagan poetry-part two' single release justifiable. I give it 0.6 stars above 'poor' because her voice would sound good reading the dictionary! Not everything she releases is golden. A sad waste of plastic.