Voltaic (CD/DVD) [CD+DVD]

Björk | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: CD+DVD
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B0028SVXWG
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,405 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wanderlust

2. Hunter

3. The Pleasure Is All Mine

4. Innocence

5. Army of Me

6. I Miss You

7. Earth Intruders

8. All Is Full of Love

9. Pagan Poetry

10. Vertebrae by Vertebrae

11. Declare Independence

Editorial Reviews

“This relentless restlessness liberates me,” Björk declares on “Wanderlust” from her 2007 studio album, Volta, which is also the dramatic concluding track of her new Voltaic live CD. “I feel at home whenever the unknown surrounds me.” Volta had been designed, Björk has said, as a journey, with the sound of fog horns and clanging bells linking individual tracks and artists from around the world making guest appearances, including Congolese band Konono No. 1, Malian kora player Toumani Diabaté, pipa virtuoso Wu Man, beat-master Timbaland, Lightning Bolt drummer Brian Chippendale and sublime chanteur Antony Hegarty.

The New York Times called it “a 21st-century assemblage of the computerized and the handmade, the personal and the global.” Voltaic, then, is a remarkable, multi-media document of what happened after the record was completed, a journey of a different sort as the ever-evolving singer assembled her live band, made a collection of typically amazing videos and one-step-ahead remixes, and toured the world for two years, making headline appearances at diverse venues and large festivals, including Glastonbury, Coachella and even Harlem’s Apollo Theatre.

She recorded the Voltaic live CD in one take at Olympic Studio in London with her new band, prior to her 2007 Glastonbury appearance, presenting the set she would play on tour – songs from Volta and new arrangements of such older material as “Pagan Poetry,” “All Is Full Of Love” and a thunderous version of “Army Of Me.” It’s a stunning performance, featuring cutting-edge computer technology, an old-school horn section and a female, flag-toting Icelandic choir – “bursting with raw life,” to paraphrase The Independent’s description of Volta. The Voltaic DVD contains highlights of Björk’s visually dazzling Volta tour, full of on-your-feet moments, filmed in Paris and Reykjavik.

Deluxe editions of Voltaic also include a CD of remixes of Volta album tracks by such fellow travelers as Spank Rock, Simian Mobile Disco, Ratatat and Modeselektor, plus a DVD of Volta video clips, including Michel Gondry’s take on “Declare Independence,” set in a drab factory, that manages to reach a colorful, hopeful conclusion – a revolution meant to be televised.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bjork is unique and a superlative artist!, June 30, 2009

By 

J. N. Gillespie "Wizard of Endings" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Voltaic (CD/DVD) (Audio CD)

I want to say, that this isn't the most professional review, like many others but this is a real opinion on one of the most unique and creative artist we can the priviledge of listening to today.

Bjork Voltaic is an excellent buy for any who want to hear a new feel for old songs that you love by Bjork and to get the experience of what her latest tour was like. I was at the concert and it was rocking. I had never heard her songs produced in that way before, but the energy was great. Her show felt more involved that the meditative Vespertine concerts. The colors bring out life in the songs and the music is great. "Wanderlust" becomes an even better favorite because of the the band. "Hunter" live becomes and instant classic. If you like Bjork and especially her Volta cd, you will not be disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars... Good live album, but the DVD will dazzle you, August 16, 2009

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Voltaic (CD/DVD) (Audio CD)

In 2007 Bjork released the return-to-form "Volta" album, and then took to the road for a massive tour in support of the new album. Now comes this CD/DVD combo from the 2007 tour.

The CD "Songs From the Volta Tour" (11 tracks; 47 min.) is not necessarily the live CD that you might expect. This is in fact a recording of the in-studio rehearsal in London that Bjork and her band played shortly before headlining the 2007 Glaxtonbury music festival. So yes, it's live but there is no audience, and it really feels more like a studio album that happens to have been taped in one take. Not that this is a complaint. Ths quality of the songs is fabulous. The setlist is what one can expect: a heavy dose of "Volta" songs, with the occasional old nugget thrown in such as "Army of Me', which will for me always remain Bjork's signature song.

The DVD "The Volta Tour" (21 tracks; 92 min.) first brings the 16 song performance from L'Olympia in Paris, and it is a vusual and musical extravaganza that truly gives you the Bjork concert experience. To start the show, the 10 piece musical brass band comes stepping onto the stage, and then Bjork comes on and starts with a blazing "Earth Intrudres", and off we go. The camera work is excellent, as is the sound, in particular is you have the proper home-theater set up (which I happen to have). Other highlights include "Army of Me" (which brings the entire venue jumping up and down), but also "Hyperballad", "Wanderlust" and the closer "Declare Independence". Also on this DVD is a (too short) 5 song performance taped in some church in Reykjavik in front of a small audience (not more than a few hundred, at most), which brings a mix of Volta and Medulla songs. "Pneumonia" is just Bjorn and the 10 piece brass band, "My Juvenile" and "Vokuro" is Bjork accompanied by harpsicord (and background vocals), "Sonnets/Unrealities XI" is done totally a-cappella, just beautiful. Closer "Mouth's Cradle" is the only track that is supplemented by electronic beats from the Apple laptop. The Reykjavik experience couldn't be more different from the Paris one, but equally satisfying, if not more so.

In all, this "Voltaic" CD/DVD combo is all a Bjork fan could ask for. Beware that this is available in many different configurations, include just the live CD, but also a 2 CD/2 DVD package. I had the good fortune catching Bjork headling at the 2007 Coachella music festival, and basically saw the same show that is the Paris show on this DVD. What an unforgettable experience that was! Meanwhile "Voltaic" is highly recommended!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The beast is back..., August 4, 2009

By 

Nicolas Diamond (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Voltaic (CD/DVD) (Audio CD)

Björk has done it again with this release. Voltaic CD/DVD features two astonishing live performances in both Paris, France and Reykjavik, Iceland. Awesome setlist, full of raw energy and vitality, this is one of her top live DVDs. The studio CD is also great, though I wish it were longer.
Many songs on her album Volta really come alive when they are performed and take on the shape of a whole new animal, so if you were unsure of Volta, it is definitely worth revisiting live versions of the songs on Voltaic.

If you have the extra cash to spare, the 2 CD / 2 DVD version of Voltaic is the way to go, but this is a great middle ground. Definitely do not miss out on the DVD of the live performances, it's truly a visual feast.
Some reviewers complained about the packaging, but I happen to really like it and quite enjoy the photography it consists.

This is a must have for all Björk fans and especially those who are just getting into her discography. Voltaic would be a great place to start, highly recommended.