Medulla

Björk

August 30, 2004

577 ratings

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Medulla

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MP3 Music, August 30, 2004

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Audio CD, March 30, 2010

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$13.93

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	Sample this album Title by Artist 0:00 / 0:00
1	Pleasure Is All Mine	3:26	$1.29
2	Show Me Forgiveness	1:23	$1.29
3	Where Is the Line	4:41	$1.29
4	Vokuro	3:14	$1.29
5	Oll Birtan	1:52	$1.29
6	Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)	3:57	$1.29
7	Submarine	3:13	$1.29
8	Desired Constellation	4:55	$1.29
9	Oceania	3:22	$1.29
10	Sonnets / Unrealities XI	1:59	$1.29
11	Ancestors	4:08	$1.29
12	Mouths Cradle	3:59	$1.29
13	Midvikudags	1:24	$1.29
14	Triumph of a Heart	4:04	$1.29

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Customer reviews

5 star		71%
4 star		17%
3 star		6%
2 star		2%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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pekinman

It takes several listens, then it devastates you with beauty

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2011

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If you are expecting more great tunes and terrific dance music and innovative and brilliant orchestrations on offer in Homogenics, Vespertine and Post, Medúlla is not for you, though it is still Björk and the innovativeness and near-genius music making is as abundantly in evidence as before.
This cd left me thinking it was like a barber shop quartet from Pluto and the Maguire sisters from Venus.

This album crosses over into contemporary classical music as we know it in the university studios of the day. Lots of vocal sounds and noises, not so much heavy disco or rumba beat, hardly any really, and nothing to dance to, which disappointed me a little until I discovered the mother lode of emotion in it. This is a cd for listening and reading the words and understanding what Björk is driving at.

After several close listenings with the iPod I am convinced that Medúlla is Björk's most innovative and fascinating album to date.

There is great power here. Desired Constellation destroyed me emotionally and I kept repeating it over and over and over. It is a cosmic lament for love going awry, a subject Björk has an instinctual gift for conveying in the most moving manner. A manner that at first appears weird and detached but ends up connecting with raw emotion so deeply as to leave this listener physically helpless by the end of it. This is followed by a magical song called Oceania, containing Björk's abundant, sly humor and acute ear for musical invention.

The cds mentioned in the first line contain some great classic tunes that will be around for a long time to come. Medúlla is Björk's great Classical album and must be treated as such as a listening experience. Give it a chance. Medúlla is not casual listening.

One person found this helpful

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Fart master

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2021

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I absolutely love this album and its unorthodox sound and topic. The shipping speed was great! Also it came perfectly, no damage whatsoever and it plays beautifully

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Todd7

Less is More

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2015

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Medulla (2004) is a masterpiece by Bjork; it takes vocals to another level, not only with her expansiveness with range, but harmonies and complex arrangements that ultimately prove that vocals can be an instrument in itself. I don't know if her intent was to do more with less (music) in order to challenge her vocal abilities, but the end result is a work of pure genius. I think this album succeeds on every level, and is my favorite Bjork album out of the three albums I own thus far (Post and Homogenic being the other two). When there's music, it's not in excess, and Bjork sort of fills the voids that would normally be left from a reduced amount of music. The music itself is carefully placed, and is really an accent to the vocal brilliance. I love this album as a daring, bold and extremely experimental piece, and a testament to her drive to wanting each album to be different from one another. My favorite tracks are PLEASURE IS ALL MINE, WHERE IS THE LINE, WHO IS IT, DESIRED CONSTELLATION, and TRIUMPH OF A HEART.

One person found this helpful

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Dogville

Pleasure Is All Ours

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2004

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I proclaim Bjork's release of Medulla a true saviour to this year's music scene, the saving grace. After months of enduring indistinuguisable trash (mainly of R&B and rap type), this is the album any music connoisseur should and need to appreciate.
Bjork lets vocals do all the talking here. Vastly understated musical arrangements and instruments, the highlight here is the voice. In that ever child-like voice along with several talented individuals and the choir, Bjork creates magic. From the vocal beats on Pleasure Is All Mine to the perfect harmony on Submarine and the flawless church choir on the heartwarming Vokuro (in Icelandic) and Sonnets, the wonders of human voice are perfectly showcased and felt in return.
Bjork takes a leaf out of each of her previous works but present them in a whole new perspective. Take a listen to the funky Where Is The Line and my favorite Who Is It. Oceania, as performed on the Olympic Opening Ceremony, is even better here with Bjork's and Mark Bell's trademark electronic throbs and masked lightly under Bjork's tumultuous voice.
It's amazing how Njork betters herself with each album and manges to steer further away from commercialism yet gets her way with it but still manges to captivate her discerning fans. Definitely my album of the year! The pleasure is all ours!

2 people found this helpful

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Matt Toscani

Acrobatic tongues and Gothetic hearts.

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2004

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Where does someone begin to describe an artist who makes the music they desire to make and at the same time is successful at it? I guess the term would be "Bjork". A name in and of itself. Never repeating the same thing twice, "Medulla" takes us on a vocal layered journey from the pure "Show Me Forgiveness" to the put your foot down "Where Is The Line" and ending with the simple joy of "Triumph Of A Heart". The bonus track "Komi<eth>" is worth to have. Putting a reminder in all of us that Bjork, first and foremost, is a voice unlike any other. A natural force where the instrumentations...no matter how grande or simplistic, accompany her work to explore and satisfy. "Medulla" is a vocal album filled with vocal samples and tricks that leads the listener towards alot of anticipation and wonderment. Personal favorite track, "Mouth's Cradle". Medulla's 'ghost is brighter than anyone's...those beams assure me.' What is next for Bjork to create?!?! Well, that is partly the enjoyment of being a 'Bjork listener'...the other half is based on the aspect of how much she has to give and continues to give.

"...when in doubt , give..." And Medulla is a sure testament to that.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

M. B. Wilson

Challenging.....but worth the work...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2004

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Homogenic was described by some as 'inpenetrable' - well, this is simpler by design but about as difficult to take in on first listen. However, as with all her albums, the melodies and production will draw you in - maybe some tracks here will take more time to get you hooked than others though. "Where Is The Line", "Triumph Of A Heart" and the like are very intense (the latter is arguably the most commercial track on here) with sampled human beatbox vs choir vs human synth vs...Bjork! There are other tracks on here that are pure ballads, simple yet strong. For this 'no-instrument' affair Bjork has enlisted some guest vocalists, whose contributions work well juxtaposed against her lead. One track even features electronic bleeps, briefly....
Creative prowess and ingenuity aside, the packaging is a little suspect when trying to get the CD out (as with most digipack albums), not convinced the spine will last the test of time - but the artwork is striking and a good companion to what is probably her most challenging work to date. Go have a listen, make up your own minds!

2 people found this helpful

GPI

Captivating, brave and sonically brilliant.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2015

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I have the limited edition 2LP 45 rpm coloured vinyl. The quality is good overall although with all the recent limited edition LPs, the covers and inner sleeves could have been a heavier stock and the vinyl is thin. The sound quality is excellent. Björk's vocal acrobatics fill the room - she is such a brave, uninhibited singer. This reissue looks to be DMM (Direct Metal Mastered). From the outset the music grabs you by the short and curlies and doesn't let go. People say it's her most inaccessible album but I don't agree. I defy anyone to listen to Vökuró or Desired Constellation and not be immediately moved and transfixed. This has been cited as one of the best hi-fi test discs of all time and I heartily agree. I don't have a favourite album by Björk but this one is near the top of my list.

5 people found this helpful

Paul Kemp

Where Is The Line

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2019

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I'm very pleased with my limited edition coloured vinyl. This album is one of Bjorks strongest releases. Where Is The Line is my favourite song on here and that Mike Patton collaborated in the creation of it makes it even richer.

M. Guy

Different

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2015

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Mad album, almost completely instrument free with some great vocals from Bjork and the collaborators on the album

Jozef Podhorny

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2018

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awesome

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