An Incredible Live Experience

I received Bjork's "Live Box" as a Christmas present for 2004 and was so excited to finally have my hands on it. I had, after all, wanted to own this box set a few months prior to actually owning it. The four CD's contained within it are live versions of Bjork's first four solo studio albums "Debut," "Post," Homogenic" and "Vespertine." It's taken me quite a while to truly appreciate them all as individual sets, but it's been worth it because it is truly an exceptional piece of music to add to any Bjork fan's collection.



The third album in the collection is "Homogenic Live." This album often reaches dizzying heights of pure excellence and genius with probably no low points. Most of the songs are recorded in different locations around the world on Bjork's world tour of the album in places such as Cambridge, Paris, Washington, Prague, Spain, London, Tourhout, Vienna and Montreux all throughout 1998. Just like with the "Post Live" album, this adds a cultural aspect to the live material you're hearing which is very European and appealing. As well as adding a flavour to the music, this also showcases just how amazing Bjork is live in every different location possible. The album itself has 16 live songs here, which is great value for money. Three of the songs on this album were actually taken from the "Later With Jools Holland" show broadcast in the UK on 29th November 1997.



The album opens with "Visur Vatsenda Rósu," which is a rare Bjork song. There's actually no singing in this instrumental piece, and it serves more as a warm-up for the songs that follow. "Hunter" is up next and is instantly recognisable by the low hum that opens the song. This is a great live version of one of my favourite-ever Bjork songs, because the percussion is stronger than ever before, especially towards the end; you can hear every little minuscule beat that forms that epic arrangement. "You've Been Flirting Again" is not really good live because Bjork sings it in Icelandic (I think) instead of English. However, respect to her for doing this, but I'd have preferred to have heard it in English. "Isobel" is up next and begins brilliantly with the tribal feel that infected the original. This live version is great, but the only flaw with it is that the build-up to the string-section in the chorus is a bit of an anti-climax here. I expected something very epic and dramatic, when in fact it's rather feeble and weak.



"All Neon Like" is really superb live. Bjork brings something to this song live which can't be replicated in the studio. The sounds that open the song are really ominous and the build up to the part where she sings, "And the luminous beam - it feeds you!" is brilliant, it's almost devastating, like the sound you'd expect to hear if somebody stumbled over a dead body. "Possibly Maybe" opens beautifully with its telephone-like intro echoing all around the arena. Bjork's vocals here are very strong working in harmony with the instruments. "5 Years" was always one of my favourite songs from Homogenic, and this version is amazing too. The heavy, crunching beat that pounded in the original is here in all its ferocious splendour as the violins make a great addition by coming in earlier in the song than in the original. "Come To Me" is amazing here live and definitely one of the best live songs I've heard in quite a while. This is one of the few songs from "Debut" to feature on this tour, but it works very well with an unforgettable violin intro which runs for the first minute. It's absolutely beautiful. The three-note beat which made this song so brilliant then starts shining through the strings as they fade out gently.



"Immature" is another great song live because the bouncy percussion of the original is more focused upon here. The structure is very broken down with all these songs, which is what you have to understand and appreciate when hearing Bjork live. The live versions become almost new songs in themselves, but still retain their identity of the album versions. Bjork's vocal-wails in this song are brilliant and I am particularly amused by the part where she goes, "Silly girl, silly girl! So silly! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" The next song is "I Go Humble" which is that great, rare Bjork song which we first heard on the Post Live album. It also sounds great here, and much better than on the aforementioned live album. "Bachelorette" is the first of three songs to be taken from the Jools Holland show. The epic grandeur of this song is still present and Bjork's vocals add something more than the original did. "Human Behaviour" is brilliant live. The rolling percussion of the original is replicated here which sounds much better than on the live version on the Debut Live album. Bjork's personality also shines through in the way she stretches the vocals of the original by singing, "They're terribly, TERRIBLY MOODY! Ha-ha!" It's great. That voice just transcends anything!



"Pluto" is probably the most frantic Bjork song of her entire career. Many people would agree, and that hardcore style is not repeated in the live version. This is perhaps for the best as hearing the original in full live could cause some serious damage to the eardrums! The addition of violins in this live version is amazing, though, adding something different as always - it also changes the mood of the song and makes it more dramatic, if that were possible. "Jóga" is the second song to be taken from the Jools Holland show and is not really one of my favourites. I mean it's great live but the violins and organs have replaced the volcanic eruption sounds which made the original so amazing. "So Broken" is also from the same show and has a brilliant Spanish feel to it. This is a rare Bjork song which hasn't even been performed many times, and was a song intended for Homogenic but left off because I guess it wasn't up to the standard of the other 10 songs. It's still a great song though. The album closes with "Anchor Song," which is like the most popular live song that Bjork sings! She always seems to sing this song live, and I hate the original. The live version isn't bad however.



OVERALL GRADE: 10/10



Homogenic Live is one of those rare treats for music lovers. I bet fans of Eminem or Nelly would love for them to bring out live albums, but they won't because their music isn't up to the genius-level of Bjork's! To see them live is basically just a replica of their albums, except you have thousands of mindless, screaming girls in the background. Bjork deconstructs her music especially for a live setting, which works amazingly. She's a genius. Never forget it. This album is probably the best of the four live albums that she's released, or is a tie with Vespertine Live. Either way you should own them both.

Great stuff.

I picked this up at random a few weeks ago; seeing as I really like Homogenic and was really curious about how Bjork sounded live. Wow. I had no idea how awesome this CD would be. Pretty much every Bjork song I went crazy over on the albums is here in its full glory; "5 Years" has never sounded so powerful, nor has "You've Been Flirting Again/Isobel." Plus, there's some cool stuff that isn't on any of her studio albums, such as "I Go Humble," "So Broken," and the violin intro. Trust me, if you can only get one Bjork album, make it this one. Even if you're already a pretty big fan, you'll find something to like about this. I'm really impressed with the whole "live" series, just judging from this CD. Who knows; maybe I'll check out Post and Vespertine live too. Bjork rules for releasing not one, but four live albums.

hella good

i saw bjork live right after she released 'homogenic' and she totally rocked the house. it remains one of the best shows i've ever seen, ever ever. i think this CD really captures her creative energy and innovation of that particular period, and is a must for bjork fans, particularly those that favor the original homogenic recording. her live take on 'immature' is immaculate, perfect. hella good, i vote yes.