Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Not really in the mood for it.
Not bad
I completely forgot Bjork was in the Sugarcubes…until she started singing. She has an unmistakable voice. She hadn't reached peak weird yet here, which I appreciate. I saw some comparisons to the B-52’s that I think are pretty valid, although this sounded more palatable and less out there.
Every time I started liking it, something made me dislike it. 2.8.
This was very interesting. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
I've never heard of the Sugarcubes. I was thinking this sounded like a goth B-52's with Bjork on vocals, and what do you know, it is her on vocals! And as much as I liked her singing on this (most of the time), I did not like the male singer. One of the later songs reminded me of Rammstein. Favorite track: Delicious Demon
79% Best: Motorcrash; Delicious Demon; Cold Sweat; Fucking In Rhythm and Sorrow Must-Hear? Parts of it, yeah. Maybe?
Eccentric Icelandic power pop indie… a glimpse into the future world of Bjork..
Fun. Weird.
nice vibe
You don't need to hear everything Bjork has ever put to wax, but this actually slaps. Like seriously, could be up there with her best work.
Traitor - pretty cool. I like the backing vocals. Motorcrash - pretty nondescript. Birthday - her voice is unreal on this - love the journey from soft to growl to falsetto. Sounds like a mix between The Corrs and The Cranberries. Very sweet tune. Delicious Demon - love this one. Adorable giggle in the middle. The rest are so-so.
Pretty fun! Not too memorable but I like the lead singer’s voice and the cover
pretty fun! had never heard this band but i enjoyed what i did... hear that is
Very bjorky
"omg this feels exactly like Bjork singing" i said, listening to Bjork.
Meh
Easily my favourite sugarcanes album
Never been a Björk fan I know this is where she got her Start, but not my jam.
Some songs I enjoyed
Just happened
good enough
Hey, das war um einiges besser, als ich erwartet habe, schön kurz und macht gute Laune.
Songs with male singer reminds me of B-52s and Talking Heads. Bjork's voice is particularly strong in Birthday and F***ing in Rhythm and Sorrow.
I had only heard Björk's solo work before. This is such a different vibe, but quite fun. My favourites were Motorcrash and Birthday.
I guess interesting to see where she started. I did find her a lil annoying on some of these tracks though, but it's alright overall. Will I listen to again: 31%
Today’s album sounded like some late 80s alt punk band that laid Bjork vocals over top, and about 85% of it seemed out of sync. This felt like a mashup that didn't work. This was weird and only mildly enjoyable.
This is just different Bjork. Nothing of note here for me.
Niet alles van Björk is om even blij van te worden. Toch is het solowerk altijd wel erg bijzonder. Haar stem in combinatie met een Indië/alternative band uit deze tijd vind ik eigenlijk toch wel kicken. Er zijn betere platen gemaakt in dit genre, toch vond ik het wel gaaf en zou ik het nog wel eens aanzetten. 7/10 Highlights Birthday
2.5 Weird but I surprisingly enjoyed Bjork's vocals here. The cover sucks tho
I can't describe it but it's like if Abba went rock. I dig it
not bad, a little more pop than rock?
Eh.
This is a quirky album of rank-and-file post-punk that dropped out of left field — a place called Iceland — at a time when this brand of angular guitars and charging rhythms were no longer in vogue. That's entirely my jam. It features a charismatic and big-piped chanteuse named Bjork, whose lack of vocal restraint sometimes chafes. "Birthday" remains a great song, wholly distinctive in its sound, while other highlights include "Mama," "Blue Eyed Pop" and "Coldsweat." Unfortunately, "Motorcrash," one of the early singles from the album, and "Delicious Demon" are serious duds that suffer from ridiculous lyrics. What is this about taking a bath and being squeaky clean? I'd probably give this an extra half star if I could.
This was cool and fun. I always knew that Bjork was in the Sugarcubes before her solo career, but I never sat down with one of their records before.
I guess none of the Sugarcubes’ songs I’ve heard have that man on them; he didn’t help things. I liked that Cat song at the end, though!
didnt know bjork was in that band, probably listening again!
Here she comes, mad old Bjork. Or mad young Bjork, in this case. It's a really large amount of fun, this is, while a lot of it is daft as a brush and - as a result - a little bit grating at times. Still, it's a good listen all round.
I will just memorize this as “early Björk” and move on.
Icelandic happy Mondays
Good album. It helped me realized that I like Bjork better as part of the Sugar Cubes than as a solo artist. That's in spite of the ridiculous Eurovision-style rapping in some songs.
somewhat ornery and vaguely Sonic Youth-esque indie rock. Embarrassed that I didn't immediately recognize Bjork here. kind of feels like a minor work overall
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Björk is a generational talent whose vocal presence completely demands your attention so much that you forget there’s a band performing with her. The music is solid here though! Love the horn section on “Motocrash”, love the guitar and drum groove on the following “Birthday”. It all lies somewhere between influence of the Police/Sting, the success of Siouxsie and the Banshees, the vocal dynamics of the B52’s, and just a hint of the advent of whichever wave of ska-rock was happening then. I think my personal favorite in here is “Sucj for Toys”, it’s really fun and I love when a guy who’s second language is English sings/speaks in English on songs (see: all of the white MC’s on 90’s and early 2000’s Eurodance songs). It stays really fun and gets more strange on “F***ing in Rhythm & Sorrow” with that Ballroom Blitz snare drum pattern and crazy story. Come for the Björk & Icelandic band, stay for the cooky fun of it all / 5
Divertido y cortito.
In another review I read the term the Icelandic B-52s. I think that's quite fitting. I quite liked the music. But I probably won't listen to it again so soon. 3/5
Love hearing Bjork on this album. Nice surprise.
Bjork, neat! They were pretty good. I'd say 2.5, round up.
Oh yea…
"Oh an Icelandic band. Oh this sounds a lot like Bjork. Oh it is Bjork. I guess that makes sense". Kind of fine. Interesting to hear Bjork with some more structured music.
At the end of the day I'm not sure if this is for me, but I might like Björk more in this context. The song Birthday is alright. Most of it though well constructed lost my interest.
Bjork went on to much better things
I actually didn't know Björk was in a band prior to her solo work, guess why this album is on the list then! Safe to say she fit in here, as the group embraced the weirdness and non-conformity of post-punk. Can't say I knew too much about the Reykjavik rock scene going into this, but I guess all you really need to listen to is Björk to get the gist.
Another 2.75
Enjoyed some songs Standout songs: Birthday Cold Sweat Blue Eyed Pop
There’s (insert genre) and the there’s Icelandic (insert same genre). Post-punk is no exception. Björk’s vocal is, not surprisingly, powerful and easily the most recognizable thing about this album. Whenever Benediktsson takes the wheel, you more or less wait for Björk to reemerge.
It’s like the B-52s and the Cranberries had a child and told it that it could grow up to be whatever it wanted to be. So it grew up to be mediocre. The overall sound is alright, but the weird effects on the voices did not do it for me. I would consider giving this another listen, but I don’t think it qualifies as being one of the most important albums of all time that everyone should listen to at some point.
They were headed for a ranking of 4 until the we go to the flip side.
Bjork's voice is really the shining part of this album. Glad she left and started a solo career.
This reminded me a lot of the B-52s. Perhaps in some parallel universe they could have switched. Bjork has always been a bit of a challenge for me to listen to. I don't know, she's a little too out there for me. But I dug her voice more than the guy's voice, so... there's that. I can see why she would want to break out from this, as I can't see the songs going far. It was ok, but not amazing. Top songs: "Motorcrash," "Deus (remix", "F***ing in Rhythm and Sorrow"
Can't go higher than average here. There's a bit of Talking Heads weirdness, edginess, and sound here but it's not quite as good. Bjork's vocals are electric, but Einar Orn's are dreadful - every time he sung or spoke I cringed. Sick for Toys had a neat sound but it was almost all Einar. Ugh. Motorcrash and Delicious Demon were my favorite tracks, probably because of how fierce Bjork sounded (and the music matched well in energy). The slower or wispier tracks were more hit and miss for me. Mama and Coldsweat not bad. Still, musically their sound fits right in with the post-punk scene of the 80's and they deserve a mention on this list.
Actually pretty good. Kind of like having Bjork front The Pretenders. I mean that in a good but still distracting way.
First listen. Ok.
Bjork shines here but the other lads got on my nerves occasionally. Think I would revisit for a couple of songs like Birthday
Hadn't heard this before. Really enjoyed it. Hit in the face with the first track. "Birthday" was probably my favourite. Wish I had the headspace to give this a proper review bc I'm sure there's more to be said about it. But overall, it's a welcome new addition to my Spotify and will get a relisten I'm sure. 3.5
I’m not overly sure what this is doing here? This probably seemed otherworldly and exciting in 1988; when Björk was merely known as the singer from The Sugarcubes as opposed to ‘Björk’, but that is no longer the world we live in. To my ears, this can only be heard as nearly fully-formed ‘Debut’ era Björk singing over purposely wacky post-punk. It’s fine and has some nice moments, but it’s also so clearly only Björk’s presence and voice that make this album in any way memorable or acclaimed. Whilst interesting from the point of view of seeing how Björk developed; why would anyone want to listen to this when ‘Post’ exists? ‘Birthday’ is great, and probably sounded astonishing on release, but I don’t know… ‘Venus as a Boy’ exists. It does everything ‘Birthday’ does, only better, and with a whole host of extra things thrown in. If I’m over focusing on Björk, then it’s because the other Cubes sort of sound rubbish? As a band they’re really heavy handed, have little feel and are kind of just unmemorable and obvious throughout. Nothing demonstrates the unequal talent distribution between The Sugarcubes more than whenever Björk is pushed to the side in order to make way for some useless, heavily accented bald* guy to start shouting wacky slogans. No song is improved by this; its only purpose seemingly to help bring up my recurring thought of; ’Björk is brilliant. If only she could get away from these parping idiots that are holding it back…’ This did lead to the enjoyable thought experiment of what would the alternate universe be like in which the ‘craaazy’ slogan guy got the acclaimed, mega successful art pop career and Björk became a member of the Reykjavík City Council instead. I don’t know. It’s still fairly good. It’s still Björk. It’s just also a bit average, and whenever a song seems to be taking off; here comes the Icelandic Bez in his clown shoes to defecate over everything. Not the best. *Despite not actually being bald; in my mind he looks EXACTLY like the bald guy in Aqua, so he will therefore in my eyes be at least ‘spiritually bald’.
I've always been a big fan of Björk, but never actually got round to listening to The Sugarcubes. This is pretty cool, but I'm not as into it as Björk's solo career. Still, amazing voice, and the male vocal works well alongside. Favourite tracks: Birthday, Mama.
Garage band Bjork. Fun, weird. Its Bjork.
This album for me is similar to Venus in Furs by the Velvet Underground. Not because it sounds like it or is a similar style. But because several of its components are musically what I really do not like, but put together they just work. I have a feeling that the singer is Björk, and that is the major component that I just don't do. But with this music it really does sound right. And it comes across well. It's a good album, and a solid mid range 3 for me.
other than Birthday, there was nothing on this album that would make me want to listen to it again. It's okay but doesn't sound like a classic to me
Always hated The Sugarcubes but when I think about it, I've never really given them a proper listen. This album was at least much better than I thought.
This was a fun novelty album to hear, but I probably won’t be digging too deep into the Sugarcubes. It was all fine, but nothing really jumped out at me as essential listening
I have seen multiple reviews refer to this band as the Icelandic B52's and it's super accurate.
I thought that was Bjork
If you were one of those people in 1988 who loved the B-52s but wished they could be weirder, I can see how you would love this. I wasn’t one of those people, but I didn’t hate this.
Fun, picked up in the last few tracks. 3+
This was okay. Is heard of them and have listened to a little bjork. I thought i might like it even better but it was still pretty good.
This was great! I had no idea that Bjork was in a band before she went solo.
This was weird, but it's a type of weird that I really vibe with. Having said that I don't know how often I'll listen to it again.
Birthday clearly the highlight, but overall a good fun album!
Bjork doing Bjork things, my ex-wife loved The Sugarcubes and Bjork so I'd heard this once or twice before, luckily the intervening 15 years hasn't tainted it in my mind. "Birthday" remains the highlight.
È da 3 per me, niente di speciale ma non orribile
Björk!
hi bjork
Saved Prior: Birthday Off Rip: Traitor, Motorcrash, Blue Eyed Pop, Deus, F***ing In Rhythm & Sorrow, Cat (Icelandic)* Cutting Edge: None *: deluxe album Overall Notes: Absolutely zero indication that Björk would become an international phenomenon, that being said she does things with her voice that I don't think I've heard on any other serious release. With a lot of these post-punk albums it almost feels like they make good songs in spite of themselves because a couple of the songs on here are near unlistenable but then others are great fun. 3.5 rounded down.
I was like “this sounds like Björk” then I looked up a photo of the band
Descendants of vikings, these people be. Not quite my thing but certainly different.
I'll stick to Bjork's solo work I reckon. Not bad, not good.
Bjork is carrying this album so hard and even she can't save it from being a 3.
This list loves Björk. As do I! But the list’s love is greater than mine. The dude vocals on this album are annoying.
Peppy, dance music. She has a pleasant voice. Backing instruments are good, fully composed. There’s talking on the cuts which rakes me out of the enjoyment. 3.5/5
Didn't quite do it for me. Some of it was really good most of it was fine.
Yep, it's Bjork. There is something so distinct about her that I immediately said that she is the singer. Actually it's pretty good, not as good as her solo work but great
Bjorne isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but overall I enjoyed most of the album. 3*
Quite liked bits of it where it wasn't too Bjork-y.
Correcto
i adore björk but i cannot deal with einar's vocals i'm so sorry. still a decent album (birthday is ofc the standout) with some fun quirky instrumentation, but i would rather listen to literally anything else björk has been a part of. ~7/10
A perfect case study in why bjork needed to go solo
Oof. I can't with all the screeching.
Not bad, not great - kind of just making me want to listen to Bjork's albums instead!
While Bjork's later voicings can easily irritate me, on this and on their next album she and the band are like the fresh-faced new kid on the block: everything is new and intriguing. The music is fairly competent post-punk and with Bjork it soars. My favorite part? Singing in Icelandic.
Oh, the irony! Life’s Too Good? No - but the music ain’t bad.
I liked this more than I thought I would. But... I really didn't like it that much. Bjork has her own approach to music and singing, and she can wail, I'll give her that. I just don't much enjoy it. When she was a bit more subdued (on the first half of the album), I was starting to have a change of heart about that, but as things progressed, the reality set in. Oh well... I did appreciate the off-kilter writing/arranging sensibilities of the band.
I somehow never heard this before today. I knew of it. I'm sure I must have heard Birthday at some point, but not the rest of it. I dug it. The male singer not so much, though at times he brought a certain B-52s energy to the proceedings. But Bjork. Damn. What a powerhouse.
Solid 3
Didn't love the sound overall but "F***ing in Rhythm and Sorrow" was solid.
Twas ok
Pretty great. Had a real mid-90s feel even though they recorded it in the late 80s. Visionaries.
Didn't full grab me but it had its moments
Ahh Bjork is so powerful. This had a bit too much proggy vagueness to really sink in for me but even then she just lifts it. And she's bratty here! Three and a half. Fave track: Birthday
Great launching pad for Björk. And sadly, I think we all owe some gratitude to the Sugarcubes demise.
Bjork with a backing rock band is a terrific pairing. If the back half of this album was as good as the start, I would prefer it to most of her solo work.
Bjork! Didn’t know Bjork was here. Impressed of the music quality for being 90s Icelandic group
Interesting stuff. Probably not something I'll put on again, but it's cool to hear where Bjork started
I didn't know that Bjork was in a band before going solo. Before going into this, it sounds like this is pretty tongue-in-cheek. It's pretty good! Definitely Bjork with the ethereal vocals.
It started like a little A-Ha, mixed in some Oingo Boingo and threw in the Bjork! Come to find out, it was actually Bjork! My family did not like this but I found her work prior to her solo career good! There some good tracks on here, most of all Birthday though credit has to be given to the ‘50s inspired Fucking in Rhythm & Sorrow. Interesting listen
I couldn’t name a single Sugarcubrs song before today. I’d definitely heard the group name before. I vaguely knew in the back of my dusty mind that this was Bjork’s band Motorcrash specifically sounds like it should be on the Ferris Bueller soundtrack. Overall, I like this one pretty well! I think I like it better than Bjork solo. More rock and less Broadway.
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR (vegan) Artwork: ✍️✅☢️ Produktion: 😲🙂👌 Musik: 🤩🤪💡 Wertung: ✍️✍️✍️/5
Thought the album was interesting, but I’m not too crazy about it. The female vocalist has some good range and is very expressive. She made the album for me. The songs were strange yet charming at times. Standouts: Birthday, Mama, Cold Sweat, and Blue Eyed Pop.
Unique poo album from the lates 80s
3.7. sounded like Bjork, then found out they were Icelandic
Post-punk in a way that's bordering on goth. Reminds me heavily of the Cure in certain spots. I like Bjork's voice throughout, her ability to just belt and hit some really sinister growls is crazy. You can pretty easily here where she would go from here. A little bit too "artsy" in spots. Favorite tracks: "Delicious Demon", "Mama", "Sick For Toys"
I wasn't super into this. It was cool hearing more of young Bjork, but overall the Sugarcubes don't do much for me. I could see this growing on me on more listens maybe, but it's not one I'm going to replay soon. 2.5/5
Goofy af but I like it
3☆/5 09.20.2024
2.5
3.5
Groupe connu, j'avais entendu des morceaux de plusieurs albums dans la période 1988-90, sans vraiment accrocher. La voix, et la façon de chanter de Björk est vraiment originale (Birthday par exemple), par contre je n'aime pas beaucoup la voix masculine qui gâche pas mal de morceaux (Deus). L'accompagnement n'est par contre pas très marquant. Dans certains morceaux un instrument est bien mis en avant (Basse dans Blue Eyed Pop - mais chant masculin pénible ; batterie dans Mama) et c'est plus intéressant, sauf la guitare que je trouve un peu effacée. Un morceau vraiment inattendu : Take Some Petrol Darling, très différent et malheureusement trop court. Donc un album original mais avec des imperfections. Il me donne envie d'en découvrir d'autres (mais aucun autre dans la liste ?) ou Björk en solo. =>3.5/5
Life's Too Good is the debut studio album by The Sugarcubes, originally released in 1988. Bjork is the lead singer of this band. I was never really a fan of her solo work for some reason. This record is pretty different than what she would release later. This is some alright punk/new wave. It's interesting to hear her in this setting/genre. The live shows were probably great. Their sound is just a bit lacking on record. It sounds a little bit disjointed to me at times. But maybe that's the point. This album is pretty weird but kinda in an appealing way that makes you want to hear more.
Wasn't sure I was going to like this much but it was diverting enough. Birthday obviously excellent. Plenty more interesting tracks to explore as well. Needs a revisit.
Unique album. Not bad
i didn’t realize Bjork was in a band before her solo mission. i enjoyed this. made me wanna move my body in a dancing fashion
I prefer Life's Too Good to pretty much anything Bjork did as a solo artist afterwards, this isn't spectacular but it's got enough about it to keep me interested and manages to deliver an authentic sound even though that wasn't apparently the intention. Mama is my favourite song off the album, easy 3, haunting and aggressive, makes the later 80s-style alt rock sound interesting.
This is cool, keeps all the edge of a Bjork vocal but shaves off most of the really OTT bits. Male vocalist nowhere near as good, and it's a bit distracting really. It's interesting, Birthday and Mama probably the best tracks, lands on a mid to high 3 I think.
7/10
Til Björk was in a band before going solo
Odd and high paced, but actually really fun. At times creepy but sometimes funny, often being very weird.
Well, this is disappointing, but I suppose it should be at least a tad expected. Bjork plays a relatively small role here, feeling like nothing more than being the "female vocals" to a strange, B-52s-like band. Obviously, she is the highlight, and makes tracks like Birthday shine as her own, but Einar Orn really is trying his best to sing over her with the most obnoxious noises he can make, like a child going "nanananana," while a parent is trying to work. It can get annoying, and if it wasn't for some solid hooks and sound changes in the latter half of the album, I think I'd be more upset by this. The album luckily pulls through enough for me to come away somewhat happy, and while I don't think the album even comes close to Bjork's solo work, it still works as a neat little capsule of her work from before. It just isn't all that special, and so I can't really rank it higher.
hell yeah bjonk
The vocals are very impressive on this album, but otherwise it's just okay.
This is exactly what I would think Bjork + 80s would sound like. That being said, I kind of like it. But vocally evokes B52s without the camp.
Didn’t make it all the way through but sincerely enjoyed everything I heard
I can't say Icelandic alt-rock would've ever come up on my Spotify search if not for this project, so this was intriguing to get into to say the least. With that in mind, there were many elements to The Sugarcubes that resemble some of my favorite artists. Vocals similar to Heart (no small feat), and instrumentation of acts like Stevie Nicks and Garbage (again, high praise) made this a very relatable experience even though they are not state-side. That being said I probably won't circle back to this band, but I enjoyed my time with them and it's cool to hear similar styles of music being popular elsewhere in the world. Notable Tracks: - Motorcrash - ska vibes - Coldsweat - Deus - Cowboy 6/10
Eh
That was an interesting listen. Of course Bjork totally stole the show on this, but it was cool to see her back in her early days. It was pretty fun an experimental. Some of the songs were repetitive or fell flat for me, but all around a worthwhile listen. 3/5
Always thought Bjork was weird and never got into this band. It was better than I expected
Not bad
That intro after a soft start scared the SHIT out of me
Totally didn't even realize at first that this is Bjork's band. This was pretty good! Not sure I'd listen again but I enjoyed it and am going to save "Fucking in Rhythm & Sorrow" to my highlights playlist. More of a 3.5.
This album answers the question of what would it sound like if Fred Schneider was Icelandic. I'm not a huge of Bjork's music, at least that which I have heard, because it wants to be so serious I find it hard to enjoy. This album is (totally unexpectedly) the complete opposite of the music from her solo career. I state this a lot but while I enjoyed this album I don't know if I would listen to it again. While Bjork's music is so serious and weird, this is so light and fluffy I don't know which mood it best fits. Should I find someone who really likes Bjork's music then I would very much recommend this album to that person. Motorcrash, Birthday (on which Bjork really shines vocally), Delicious Demon (where the male vocalist goes full Fred Schneider) and Deus are pretty good songs. Though, I'm a bit weirded out by the talk of being put in a bathtub and getting squeaky clean in Deus.
A lot of of it is solid alt rock, but some tracks are a little too yell-y for me.
I didn’t know Björk had a band. Thank you 1001 for the info.
"Birthday" is the obvious highlight. A lot of ideas here, but uneven execution nets a 3. Hints of post-punk, Cocteau Twins and the other stuff going on in the early-to-mid 80's. Usually just my kind of thing, but this album just comes off as a bit thin in the end.
Guðmundsdóttir.......
Weird but I kinda liked it
It was ok, very 80s
Not really my kind of music but it’s cool as hell that this is Bjork pre-solo run. Didn’t expect her voice to pop up. I liked that motor song a lot.
B52s? Lol
All I knew about this band, the Icelandic B-52s, was that it launched Bjork…this was a fun listen.
This is good, and a sound that would probably grow on me.
Interesting but not for me
Fun. Weird. I like the early bjorkisms, and the B-52 esque male counterpoint. Deus is a highlight, and the icelandic ones. Deus deus!
Started strong then just kind got a bit annoying towards the end
Sounds like the B-52s.
my queen bjork is being dragged down by these knaves
Echoey rock, wanders between punky and poppy. Passionate vocals
Sometimes you’ll say wait is that bjork and it is.
Definitely an interesting listening. I think it's a little bit too "experimental" for my taste, but not by much. For the most part I could at least tolerate what was going on and liked a lot of it. Would I listen to it again? Probably not.
Not always the easiest listen but I enjoyed it nevertheless
Life's Too Good is just a really weird album but it had several rather good aspects. The music is some very good new wave rock and Bjork's voice was also very good too and it is just interesting seeing her do something before her more electronic sound she would do in her solo career. However, While Bjork's voice was great, I really wasn't a fan of the male voice, he just sounds so creepy, And the lyrics were also, lets just say odd. It is a rather decent album but it is really weird in a not good way in a lot of places. Best Song: Birthday Worst Song: F***ing in Rhythm & Sorrow
Very different from bjork
This had a cool late 80s vibe somewhere between the B-52s and the Pixies. You can feel the stale 80s music fading and the creative explosion if the 90s coming when you listen to this. Weird and memorable but I'm not sure I could listen to it regularly.
Young Bjork was bringing it!
Perfectly pleasant indie-pop, but that's about it.
I really like Bjork but I don't know Sugarcubes that well, and after a couple of listens I'm not really into them. I like her voice but this music is very different from her style. It reminds me more of Talking Heads or (as mentioned in our chat) the Sprokets skit from SNL. I only knew one track on this album: Birthday. That seems to be the popular track and it is pretty good. Some of the other ones are just funny-weird, like Delicious Demon.
3 - I loved a lot of this and the female vocals are lovely. The guy vocals were off for me and weird lyrics
(Most of) the world’s first taste of Bjork, eh? It’s as you’d expect: brilliantly high-flying vocals from Lady McIceland and serviceable post-punk work from everyone else. I liked it. I had only ever heard “Birthday”. I might listen again.
Quirky.
This is tough as the good bits on this are excellent. Only ever heard of Birthday before, but Delicious Demon, Mama, Blue Eyed Pop, Deus are all bangers. But theres also a lot of bits that passed me by and it does get old quick. If this was an EP it’d be a strong 4. Overall though a very good indie record, will be back for a few tracks
Motorcrash and Cold Sweat were great, but the rest meandered between annoying and boring.
Nice!
А, я ничего не написал тут пока слушал. Ну норм вроде было
I havent ever listened to björk and this hasnt inspired me to start
I found it hard to listen to more than 3 songs at a time.
Not for me this. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either. Bjork’s vocals just sort of wrap me up in a cold feeling.
Delightfully weird but mostly filled with songs I won't revisit.
Album con sonido clásico de los 80 pero con canciones no tan típicas. La voz de la chica es la que más me gustó.
TIL Bjork was in a band before going solo. Almost like a mix between the B-52s and other 80s New Wave/Rock.
I saw the Sugar Cubes tour for this album, as an opening act for New Order. Looking it up now it seems I also saw Public Image Ltd on the same ticket? Blech. I believe I gave their album a 1. I’ll be kinder to the Sugarcubes, but I’ve never really seen the appeal.
“To create a universe/You must taste/The forbidden fruit.” When I was much younger and first listened to “Deus” this sounded so profound to me; needless to say, I’ve loved this song forever but for some reason never listened to the whole album. The album is a fun listen, but no other song came to the same level.
Grew on me as I listened. Pretty solid.
Experimental Pop
Enjoyable Björk teamwork.
It's okay. It's now a third Icelandic artist I know. Specific type of music they have.
Starts good ends shit
Icelandic B-52's is the best description I saw, and I kinda dig it.
Interesting enough. Bjork shines through as a real start even early in her career. Really annoying vocals from the male singer start to drag on the project - but overall, I think it's a fine inclusion on this list. "Birthday" is a great track.
Favorite Track: Birthday
kind of unmemorable but bjork is awesome so
Bjork
The disappointing thing about this album is that I always come back to it hoping that the rest of the tracks will be as good as Birthday, but they never are. Sure Motorcrash and Delicious Demon are very solid, but the rest do a poor job of highlighting the talents of Bjork. Birthday is such a gem, it shines a light on the otherwise unremarkable album, to the point where it is passable as recommended listening.
J'adore les cubes j'ai beaucoup joué à minecraft
la vie est bien trop belle
I didn’t think I’d like this one at first but it definitely grew on me. I also thought that the vocals and guitar pared together was really cool.
Life's Too Good is the debut album by Icelandic alternative rock group the Sugarcubes. This post-punk album was an unexpected success as the group had no intention of being taken seriously. After critical acclaim and worldwide commercial success, two additional albums were released and Bjork - their lead singer - gained international attention for her amazing vocals and eventually launched a solo career. The album is praised for the fun, creative take on pop music of the era. I enjoyed this album and thought Bjork's singing was the highlight. Overall it was silly, but has a deeper layer of seriousness if you listen closely. Give this cult-classic a shot!
This was okay. The instrumentals were good, some solid riffs. But the singing. The singing was just not it for me. Also the lyrics, when in English, were fine
Ugh, tough one. As much as I enjoyed Björks unhinged vocals, I hated the dudes narrated parts in his overly Icelandic accented English.
A watered-down Siouxsie & the Banshees. I also agree with the reviewer who likened them to the B-52s. That's not a bad thing for music that came out in the late 80s. My problem is that I just can't take Bjork seriously after the infamous, or notorious, swan dress. Still....it wasn't a bad listen, even if it wasn't necessarily my thing.
Some pretty cool moments. Some fairly poppy moment I enjoyed a bit less.
**1/2
It’s not bad, It’s not really good. Pretty much the definition of middle of the road.
2,5
Quite alright this one. Sounds a bit dated today.
Bjork is a trip. The definition of extra. that range tho...
Well sounds like Björk but in an 80s indie band with a Frenchman - oh wait - it is Björk - almost cute but still Björk - and while I’m no big fan she’s more suited to the psychedelic grandeur that is her solo act rather than this middle of the road stuff.
Quirky and diverse sound... playfully twisted lyrics... oddball sensibility. This album sounded like it dropped from Mars when it first came out, and it still sounds fresh 35 years later. Fave Songs: Birthday, Deus, Coldsweat, Mama, F***ing in Rhythm & Sorrow, Blue Eyed Pop
I quite like this "Rock Bjork." Feels very girl-power. Dude's voice is weird though
Vocals are imoressive, but most of it just didnt feel very compelling to me, maybe id find more on further listening.
Before Björk fully let her freak flag fly, she was a part of this Icelandic rock group. Quirky solid fun, even if any of the songs are too short to really make an impact.
Bjork
Slapping bass, cool 80s atmosphere, but a bit too much OooooOOOOOooohhhh for me.
Listened Before? Probably at some point Ahhh Bjork. Queen of Icelandic 90s artists. This album is great, but not as cohesive as some of her later solo stuff. I enjoyed it, but without a healthy dose of 90s weed, her voice gets old after a bit. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Birthday
Leuk om Björk in een andere setting te horen. veel matige nummers, paar goede.
Pretty good and it’s interesting to hear pre-Bjork Bjorkin out there
The first track was cool, and i sort of like the vibe of the album…
I'd always wondered how Bjork got her start in music and now I have my answer. This album clearly was inspiring for bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paramore, and Florence and the Machine fusing upbeat sounds with dark content. In a way, one of the original pop-punk albums
3.75
This is a really strong album. Some post punk vibes, mixed with jangly new wave sounds, some shiny pop melodies and Bjork's unique, fascinating vocals. There's a few tracks on here I didn't care for, but the majority was good fun, unique and interesting.
First time listening to it, like it very much
Haven’t heard of them. Alternative album from 1988. It’s alright, definitely 80s vibes. 3/5 though.
Как-то грубовато мне показалось. И музыка, и вокал
I didn’t know Bjork did anything besides her solo work. It’s pretty good, but not amazing
Bjork is often appealing (already showing herself as one of a kind) and there are a few winning cuts – "Birthday" is a great song – but the other vocalist (Einar, one presumes) sounds very much like the joke the record was allegedly conceived as; his vocal impositions nearly squander the otherwise pretty cool "Deus" and "Sick with Toys." The band woulda been better off without him. The hype overwhelmed the actual goods here – this really shoulda been considered minor, such is the larkiness and predominant slightness (outside of just a few tunes), suggesting what was to come with future oversold Bjork efforts.
Good stuff, precursor to Bjorks later stuff. But a little out there, kind of blends together for an hour long able.
-It's hard to have an opinion on this one. A lot of it feels kind of meandering and unfocused, so my initial impressions aren't super positive, but as it goes on I feel like I'm listening to a joke that I'm not in on. I'm definitely missing some context. -Definitely a punk edge to it. It's pretty clear this is intentionally silly, if the album art didn't give it away. -OOOOOOHHH, this is Bjork's debut band. This makes so much more sense now.
Sounds like a basic Euro pop album, no better or worse, save for Bjork’s lead which does add some intrigue.
Good songs, comfy listening, nothing special
This is album is about as bad musically as anything I’ve heard on this list, but Bjork’s voice. Favorite track is Fucking in Rhythm and Sorrow
3/5 A bit too experimental for me, but damn, Björk can really sing.
Canciones con intensidad apoyadas en un pop-rock escuchable. Todo sustentado por una espectacular voz femenina con muchísima fuerza e intensidad. Aun con todo, he visto que muchos temas son muy planos o iguales entre sí
Los escuché en España poco antes de separarse y toda la inercia se la llevó Björk. He escuchado cosas sueltas pero vamos con ellos. Qué bonita es Birthday!!! También está Deus por donde se ve el estilo vocal que luego seguiría.
BJORK
It was a surprise to hear Björk on an album I had never heard of, which was definitely the biggest thing I liked about us. Otherwise, it was cool, and sometimes inventive punk music. You can’t go wrong with this tbh. It’s good
decent?
Liked it more than I thought. Preferred the more rock and ambient material over the pop stuff. Bjork's voice is more restrained for the most part here. Not perfect but decent.
It's hard to listen to this now without thinking that it's a standalone Bjork album. Her voice is so distinctive. It rises above what is a decent overall sound. Birthday is incredibly trippy. The post-punk Icelandic scene sounds like it was some serious shit.
better than i was expecting. i generally liked her voice
Not unpleasant
wild
Love Bjork...the spoken word stuff, not so much. Birthday was a highlight for me
it was ok bjorks voice is great
Bjork is one of the greatest singers of all time. In the Sugarcubes you get to hear her paired with one of the worst rappers in history I don’t dislike the Sugarcubes but there are far better examples of Bjork’s extraordinary voice out there. Fail to understand why this is on the list as an essential album but it’s fun in a what-Bjork-did-before-she-was-famous sort of way
Birthday is great the others are a bit meh
Not sure about this one, or about Björk generally. Think it needs another listen.
decent if a bit unmemorable '80s indie with those crazy vocals on top. Birthday is great rest is meh
Bjork less abrasive here than on solo work and enjoyed the random bits spoken with a heavy Icelandic accent
Pretty sweet
A pretty fun introduction to one of the most distinctive voices in popular music. I think I’d maybe appreciate this more if I’d heard it at the time but, knowing the incredible highs that Björk’s sound develops to over her career, it’s difficult to get too excited by what is otherwise a relatively forgettable jangle-pop record
A whole album of crazy clattering cats in a sack is a bit too much, but tremendous energy and vibes. Birthday is a tuuuunne.
Mildly entertaining.
Pretty basic, some where good and others where tolerable
Odd but fun.But still very odd.I guess bjork has always been bjork.weird song about god.could do without the male vocalist on some songs.Bjork has a beautiful voice.But the songs are a bit overbearing at times to a very annoying degree.
Some good young Bjork.
Heard this a lot around the time it was released. It’s weathered well. Particularly Birthday,, one of the great singles of the late 80’s & the springboard for Bjork’s bizarre career. Other highlights for me are F***ing In Rhythm & Sorrow & Motorcrash. Until this band arrived, all I knew about Iceland was that Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spassky at Reykjavik.
Bjork go bsjsihdbfjd
This is the most listenable form of bjork. I didn't realize what it was until a little way in.
6/10. Had a few songs where I realized I like Bjork's singing sometimes, when she isn't being so Bjorky
Surprisingly unmemorable for Björk. 6/10
Eh
This was a lot of fun and had interesting moments throughout
“Cold Sweat” has a bit of a Siouxsie and the Banshees feel to it and “Blue-Eyed Pop”, with Bjork on backing vocals and the mention of hot dogs, reminds me of the B52s. There are a handful of catchy songs here and it’s easy to see how Bjork would have been hand-picked for a solo career, since the other vocalist is a limiting feature of the band.
Bjork, pre Bjork. Pretty good
Pleasant, but completely forgettable
Surprise bjork!
Classic late 80s indie. Bjorn is there yelping her vowels. Some interesting rhythms. Bit of style over substance. Meh.
Was slightly odd but not the worst
2.5/5. Some parts were good, others not so much. Reading the Spotify bio for the artist made me appreciate this group more. I think there were some different sounds on this album, but overall, I found it difficult to enjoy.
Hold on a minute... I know that voice... of course, the very distinctive sound of a young Bjork. Quite enjoyed this alternative rock album, it sits out there as being different to the American and European sound of the time.
When I heard Bjork on the first track I didn't think I was going to like this, but I was wrong!
This album is fun.
I thought, oh another Gen X postpunk album, and then I heard this familiar voice and I thought, Iceland punches above its musical weight.
Not for me, but cool ig
i mean, it gets points for not being afraid to be a little weird, but still not really something i actively enjoyed listening to
Who could’ve guessed Bjork would become a big star without the weird dude talking about toys and bathtubs in the background?
Fijn om naast de stem van Bjork ook een andere stem te horen.
Solid late 80s alternative. (And, for some of us, our introduction to Björk.)
Less interesting, but more listenable than solo Bjork. I enjoyed this, but not too much.
First half of the album is great. Never heard Bjork before, her voice is really interesting. Didnt enjoy the 2nd half so much, and the mans singing was really odd. Interested to hear Bjorks later work.
C'est avec une grande surprise que nous retrouvons la reine de la trip-hop Bjork dans ce groupe de rock islandais. Ceci porte le nombre d'apparitions de Bjork dans le générateur à un nombre des plus conséquent, témoignant au passage de la liaison que Robert a entretenu avec la chanteuse islandaise durant ses jeunes années. Une histoire d'amour se terminant en eau de boudin malheureusement, tout comme cet album.
Oh Oh Oh Oh! Not a Björk listener, but loved this song and adore the way she sings those Ohs. This album is wacky and punky in such a fun way. I enjoyed it. I wish Björk had veered left into punk instead of going right to take the electronic exit.
Brilliant, exuberant, energetic youthful record. Lacks a maturity and focus in places but quite fun. Bjork is excellent but hasn't quite claimed the forefront at this point. Birthdays a good track. Perfectly bloody nice
HL: "Traitor", "Birthday", "Blue Eyed Pop" First Björk album (or album featuring Björk). Fun, inventive, quick album I'll probably revisit later on; I can't decide if any of the lyrics have purpose or if they're just stream-of-consciousness/nonsense poetry. February 25, 2023
These songs take me right back to the indie top 20 LPs and reading my brother's NME. Or rather, 'Birthday' and 'Hit'(from elsewhere) do, I've never listened to this album. So I was confused by the many B52s references in the reviews here, until I heard Motorcrash and OK, I get it, Bjork could be Kate Pearson and Einer could be Fred. Same with a few others. Birthday, if anything sounds like Cocteau Twins with an electrified Liz Fraser, Bjork is spectacular, the instrumentation otherworldly, simple but superb bass. Love this whole late 80s/early 90s indie vibe.
I've never heard the Sugarcubes, but I know about them (or better to say: I used to listen to Björk's Post a lot and know vaguely where she came from) and tbh I don't really have high expectations. This kind of Gen X alt rock is too often just artsy, listen-til-you-like-it tripe. But I haven't heard it yet, so here goes... Ok it's not just alt rock; most of it sounds like the B-52s, which I really wasn't expecting. Actually, that's probably the #1 influence here, especially on Björk's voice. Her "unhinged control" thing hasn't been perfected yet here. There's still a lot of power behind her voice and a wide range of experimental hooting, shrieking and squealing, but also lots of bum notes. The dud notes generally come through when she's just singing normally. The male singer mostly just speaks; to describe him as "accented" is a bit of an understatement. Music mostly takes a back seat to Björk's yelling; it's just a rehash of the B-52s anyway, albeit sometimes with a little more late-80s alternative vibe. Still jangly, vaguely retro sounds. Production is nice and clear, all the instruments are nicely separated in the mix (drums and bass really well recorded when they get some spotlight), although vocals are way too loud. It's hard to tell if it's serious or just all joke songs. I dunno, an unexpected 3/5? It's not GOOD, and on paper I hated every second, but in practice I was just vaguely bemused for half an hour.
Met Björk, origineel
It was OK. Thankfully Bjork's vocals didn't dominate too much.
A classic.
decent if a bit unmemorable '80s indie with those crazy vocals on top. Birthday is great rest is meh
Good. Not my thing. More interesting at times than I'd expected.
Forgot about this band since I prefer Bjork solo. A few good songs but many nerve-grating ones thanks to the male vocalist.
Ok sounding. Reminds me of Tina turner