Telegram
Björk
1996: Elektra 61897-2
A very mixed bag. I certainly do love the Brodsky Quartet rendition of “Hyperballad” because not only is it interesting on its own, it adds to my enjoyment of the version on Post. And the LFO mix of “Possibly Maybe” that kicks the album off is a deliciously gooey and otherworldly/cybertwisted treat that nothing else here quite lives up to.
Having said that, I must also note that I am almost always fascinated by remixes (and especially drastic reworkings) because it is so interesting to hear what others find in a particular recording. Even Outcast’s mix of “Enjoy,” which is mostly noise arranged in rhythmic patterns with only snippets of Björk’s voice recognizable here and there (and Graham Massey’s tapping of “Army of Me” elements seems like that at first but improves), can intrigue me enough to keep it in my collection with just one refresher-listen. (But “Headphones” is as inaccessible for me here as it was on Debut, so that’s not an absolutely perfect guarantee.)
The CD booklet’s photography, by Nobuyoshi Araki, is rich with moody ambience, and many of the images are absolutely gorgeous, but there’s a creepy edge to some of it that seems to be on the verge of crossing over a line into Japanese-schoolgirl porn. At least that’s my impression.
Comments © 2005 Mark Ellis Walker, except as noted, and no claim is made to the images and quoted lyrics.