Search - Bjork :: Family Tree

Pleasantly Surprised, and a little weirded-out!

ScöTT G. | Idahö USA | 11/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This item deserves a well written appraisal. I will however, only provide a basic description of the one I got. First of all this was the most eccentric packaging I've ever seen. The outside cover is a nice rustic textured cardboard sleeve, with beautiful embossed artwork. The discs are enclosed in a Tupperware(tm) type case. There are five mini discs and one regular sized. The artwork is sort of shocking. It's by a friend of Björk, an Icelandic sculptor named Gabriela. This is the opposite of ordinary.



I'm not a qualified music critic or even an artist myself. I only know what I like, and what I experience when I hear it. If you like things to be easy to understand, simple, and indistinguishable from everything else, you probably won't be a Bjork fan anyway. This Box set is my most prized possession. I love it for being unique, for it's mystery, and for extreme cuteness. The music is incredible. Bjork does alot of "remixes" of her music. It might seem lazy to keep re-using songs, but I think it's completely valid. Think of it as re-cycling. So much material is used once and thrown away, with no regard for the value which remains in it. Bjork with her tremendous creativity and innovation, is able to look into this material, recognize the value of each component and synthesize them into a new, unique piece of music. By experiencing these new mixes, I've gained a deeper appreciation of other incarnations of the songs. There is a wide variety of musical textures and flavors represented. Some of this collection is dance music, electronic mechanical sounding, some is like a dream, capricious and eccentric. Some of the music is earthy and primal, some refined and formal.



I love this collection. I recommend it to anyone who likes Bjork. There are some great versions of her best songs; most you've probably never heard. I would also recommend it to anyone who appreciates good music. You might not like every song, but you will find something unique, creative, and new. This is a pricey item. I bought it used, in great condition for a very reasonable price about $35.



Good luck and good listening.

Scott"