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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The beauty of a glass which will never quite break, October 28, 2003
The premise is that I am a huge Bjork fan, owning as many as 35 releases to her name - a quantity which still leaves me unsatisfied. That is to say that I have a very deeply routed admiration for her: without a doubt, I consider her the most complete artist in her field. As far as I am concerned, she is the only "Pop" artist that has proven to be capable of fitting a musical vision as complex as hers into passionate and spontaneous-sounding songs. She is the only singer/songwriter I know of whom I think merits to be qualified as a "composer" in any truly classical sense of the word. The complexity behind her vocal renderings and the music she has conceived over the years is simply astounding. And even more so is the ability with which she has been able to make all ingredients come together in songs that have a real beginning, a real development and a real ending. Songs which, notwithstanding their complexity, never sound "crafted," overly experimental or gratuitously arduous to listen to. Songs which, on the contrary, are always "narrative," in that they display an intelligible sequence of emotional states. On the whole, I feel words fail me in describing her many musical talents. (Therefore, please take the time to go read the article "All hail the ice queen" on salon.com).All this said, from the standpoint of a person who does indeed have a great many of Bjork's previous releases, the LIVE BOX SET was a most precious gem for me to acquire, at what I consider a very reasonable price (45€ on amazon.co.uk). I was so fortunate as to be able to go to Bjork's concert in Verona, Italy last June, and I can assure you that that woman can sing like very few others. She was so good on stage I could hardly believe it! Now, listening to the box set, I can bring those memories back. And that was the point, right? So I feel entirely rewarded. However, there is much more to be found in the 4 CDs that comprise the set than just that.
Listening to the live versions of Bjork's songs is a great chance to get to the core of her music. While some songs vary significantly from the studio version, others are arranged in a way that is nearly identical to that of the albums - but in all cases listening to the live version makes it possible to access the song in a totally new way, to understand its essence and full potential, beyond the (however fortunate) circumstances that led to the studio version. The song's true character, I want to say "personality," emerges when sung live on stage. Or rather, the combination of the studio version and the live interpretation makes it possible for all the facets of the song to surface. Thus, "Venus as boy" proves to be so much more than just a catchy Pop Hit: the harpsichord accompaniment and passionate vocal rendering turns it into an ageless love poem in music, a tribute to the magic and romance of erotic intimacy. "Aurora" sounds as operatic (or at least musical-like) as can be, and more so than in the studio version, when the Inuit choir and Bjork's voice merge in the final crescendo. These are just two examples of the many I could provide, but I think they are sufficient to make the point clear: on these 4 CDs Bjork's music flourishes and gains new maturity. I will admit though that there are instances, throughout the 4 CDs, in which her singing sounds more confident than in others. HOMOGENIC, for instance, is immaculate, whereas VESPERTINE, in my opinion, displays some minor problems. Bjork, as we all know, has a somewhat guttural voice at times: that's exactly what's so unique about her tone colour! The way it can sound hoarse and extremely potent at once. However, this peculiar quality of Bjork's voice can lead to what other reviewers have referred to as "flaws." I can assure all uncertain buyers that upon repeated listening, such "cracks" in her voice become expressive much more than they are bothersome. After all, let's remember that her voice has been likened to "a glass not quite breaking"... And just how beautiful is that? I think this image really helps to account for whatever weaknesses one might find in some of her performances and to interpret them properly. Tremble as it may, Bjork's voice refuses to break: the thinness which briefly affects it only makes its overall strength more surprising and moving. On a final note... For those of you (the majority I would suppose) with more than just her studio albums, my suggestion is to peruse what you own already and to confront it with the complete track list to the set which can be found on bjork.com. If you think you're missing too many performances, then buy this box set! Otherwise, don't... It's as simple as that. (My suggestion might sound rather commonsensical, and I do apologize for that, but I've read so many reviews filled with silly complaints to the effect that the performances found in this compilation can be found elsewhere, that I just couldn't restrain myself. OF COURSE, if you already have recordings of these performances, or a good number of them anyway, and you are not a collector, you shouldn't buy this!)
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Bjox Set, August 13, 2003
I'm such a nerd. I went out and bought Björk's Live Box Set today, the day it was released. Even though I around half of the performances spanned across numerous DVDs, I am quite satisfied with the box. Disc One - Debut: Altough it consists of almost entirely the MTV unplugged performance, it is a still a pleasant listen. It also is presented without the edit cuts MTV imposed. Disc Two - Post: Again, most of this is from the Sheperd's Bush performance (availiable on DVD) and is probably my least favorite, considering that a few of the songs are flawed. Disc Three - Homogenic: The performances on here are superb, though her vocals are a little loud on some parts. Disc Four - Vespertine: Wow. Brilliant. Magical. This CD is worth the price of the box alone. Disc Fove - Bonus DVD: This is nice if you don't own the MTV unplugged DVD or Live at the Royal Opera House. The packaging is very manageable, compared to last year's "Family Tree" which, once removed from the box, could never fit comfortably back in. Overall, the Live Box is a worthwhile investment. Go buy it. You know you want to. With a referece that only hardcore fans will understand - You owe it to yourself.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Intricate And Complex Work Of Artistic Genius, January 14, 2005
Where to begin with such a musical treat such as this? Describing how much I adore this nifty little arrangement is near impossible because my love for Bjork blinds it so much. It was a few days after Christmas in 2003 when I saw Bjork's debut album "Debut" for sale and bought it on the off-chance that I would like it. Little did I know that I was about to embark on the most profoundly amazing musical experience of my life. 2004 for me was Bjork. No one else. In the space of the year I have acquired pretty much her entire back catalogue on CD, and "Live Box" was a welcome addition to this last month.
To firstly understand the importance of a project such as this one must first understand the way in which it is constructed. Bjork is both a visual and musical artist whose work appears to be the end result of just one person's hard work, when in fact everything she does is a collaborative effort. She has always let other people have a say in the work that she does, and she does this because she wants to develop a connection and really make the most of a particular project. This may be a design for a CD cover, a photo shoot, a concert, or even a remix. She knows she can't do all this herself, so she has others helping her, which I find very interesting. With the input of others (and her vision pushing the project forward) she is able to create really big projects, whether it be musically or visually, that boast many different formats and challenge the limits of what that particular field contains.
Undoubtedly one of the best examples of this collaborate effort can be seen in one of Bjork's concerts, which is superbly displayed in this Live Box. Consisting of four live albums, it is a must-have for any Bjork fan. The four CD's are all complete live versions of her first four solo studio albums "Debut," "Post," "Homogenic" and "Vespertine." Bjork especially picks musicians for her tours who are willing to alter the framework of her music while keeping the structure and order the same. She also chooses arenas that are specifically designed for her music. For example, the music on the live Vespertine album was all recorded in opera houses. She chose this because the acoustics of her music would benefit better from the structure of the opera house rather than in a large arena where a lot of the sound would be lost. That's the thing with Bjork, you see: she's not in this to make a quick buck. Her career is her life and we as human beings should respond to this and embrace her passion. She might be in a world of her own, but hey, I'd rather be in hers than the one we're currently in...
The theatrical design of the stage is also very important in the production of shows like this. Her team all offer their opinion and Bjork will choose the ones she thinks are the best, from costume design, stage props and the order of songs. Her live shows seem simple and effortless because of all the hard work that has gone into them. Not many people know what goes on backstage, making it seem effortless. Only when something is effortless is it pure. Now I haven't talked much about the actual music in this collection, but Amazon sells each album individually. Don't worry, I shall be writing reviews for all four individual Live CD's and in great detail - this is too good a collection not too. I felt that it was important to tell newcomers about Bjork's collaborative efforts to make them appreciate her music in a way that is different to any other artist. When you listen to the music on these albums, think of what I said above and if you're ever confused about Bjork's credibility and genius, you'll know why.
This Live Box was released in the summer of 2003 and went down a storm with Bjork fans. Retrospective projects of this size are normally reserved for dead Jazz musicians or classical composers. For a 39-year-old pop star with a mere four solo albums to her name to get this kind of treatment is unprecedented. If any other living musician were to release a similarly grandiose project, it would be seen as an act of unforgivable hubris. This collection also contains a superb DVD which features performances of the songs "One Day," "It's Oh So Quiet," "Joga," "Aurora," and "It's Not Up To You" from different stages during Bjork's career. All in all this collection comprises of four superb CD's and 55 live songs. It is a stellar collection of ground-breaking and misunderstood beautiful music that will be treasured for the rest of time. Essential.
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