Life's Too Good

It' not a 'meh' 3 star rating. It's a 'wooooow that's good' vs 'I can't stand this, let's skip' rollercoaster 3 start rating.

Pretty creative and cool sounding. It was neat to hear early Bjork.

Having to endure at least three previous Bjork "projects" on this list, I wasn't looking forward to another. Bjork was a member of The Sugarcubes before she went solo and though she's still annoying and hard to listen to most of the time, it was a much easier to handle because I liked the sound of the band. A more standard, less unique, alt-rock style, the songs are catchy and at times quite good. The guy singing is also annoying, so it made me not hate Bjork's vocals so much. Believe it or not, I might even listen to this again!

Ahhh it’s Bork.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, wasn’t at all was I expecting but a nice blend of grunge/early rock Favourite song: Track 4 - Delicious Demon

Þessi stendur alltaf fyrir sínu. Skemmtilega kaotísk og hressileg.

The only thing I was really thinking throughout this whole album was "Wait is that Bjork??" and then finding out that it is and subsequently researching Bjork's entire music history leading up to that 2004 album I got from her. It's weird hearing her voice outside of unsettling dark music (minus it's oh so quiet) but I still liked her performance on this as well as the album in general for its uniqueness. Birthday is probably the best song and maybe also sick for toys.

This album tried to make the most of the time it was released in, but by now it doesn't really cut it. I can, however, see a future for the band's singer, she has a wonderful voice.

Birthday is a corker, the rest a mixed bag but not a controversial point to suggest that the better moments are when Einar enjoys some moments of reflective silence and allows Bjork to do her stuff.

With the caveat that "Birthday" is a great song, this was overrated them and remains so today. And it has provided a foundation for the steady overrating of Bjork down the years. If the band truly started out as a joke, one wonder whom it's been on.

Bjork's early efforts before going solo. This would be her first proper breakthrough, as The Sugarcubes gave their own Icelandic spin on post-punk. She proves herself to be a very powerful singer here, working well with with the full-band compositions. I already anjoy Bjork, and I enjoy post-punk too, so this should be a shoe-in, right? Mostly. I definitely like the sound and Bjork's signature contributions, but the songwriting was a bit too weak for it to be memorable, though this only seems to be a problem with the middle songs. I think Sugarcubes has enough Icelandic weirdness (along with a healthy does of Bjork) to make their post-punk notable enough for listeners. Cool album!

Pretty interesting album. Bjork really carries the album here. I do think that the mix is pretty bad at times, with the vocals being too quiet to understand compared to the instruments.

I'm not that partial to solo Bjork, but I do like poppy Bjork. This level of interesting and quirky is better suited to my taste. 3.5 stars.

Very Bork forward

I have mixed thoughts on Björk (Vespertine is great though). This album was kind of all over the place - good songs, forgettable songs, goofy songs.. for something that only lasts 30 minutes, that's pretty impressive.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Birthday (3) 2 - Coldsweat (6) 3 - Deus (8)

They are unique... Bjork is unique. Nobody like her in music. Singles: --------------------------------------- Birthday Coldsweat Deus Birthday (The Christmas Mix) Motorcrash Standouts: Motorcrash, Birthday, Deus Rating: 3/5

very cool

Already ranked before I joined my group. 'Birthday' is really the stand out hit. Despite repeated listens and loving some of the song titles, I'm still nonplused.

i love bjork ! so wonderfully weird. i liked birthday and cold sweat but didn’t get to finish the album :/ - i am manifesting so hard i’ll be able to see pitch perfect 💀💀 ik i’m being annoying but i literally do not care. i HAVE to have something to look forward to or i will go insane bc literally nothing has worked out in my favor this entire year i am in turmoil despite my immaculate appearance🤨

Wow. It took me a song or two to realize that the female singer was Björk. Some interesting tunes in there, definitely its own vibe. The spoken word stuff didn't really do it for me. Probably could do with another listen, just not sure if I'll ever get to it. Stand out tracks: Birthday, Motor Crash.

Bjork is singer. Indie rock, interesting.

I’ve got to revisit this one, a lot of it I’m not super interested in. But the Icelandic songs are quite good imo, the English ones just seem quirky though

Interesting to hear a young Bjork in a band context. They're quirky little fuckers, those Eskimos.

Bjork is a true force

Did not realize that this was Björk’s old band. Easy to see why she popped out of this, which sounds like Birthday.

Give me all the Björk tbh.

My favorite Icelandic band. Ok - short list. At the time of its release, writers had difficulty in categorizing the music. Not so sure why. Sounds like post-rock to me and I would argue Siouxsie and the Banshees are the closest comparable, with the idiosyncratic Bjork being the difference. I liked this quite a bit when it was released, but three decades on it doesn't work as well for me.

Meh. Nothing on here was terrible until we got to the song in Icelandic with the death metal vocals, but I did not love it. Sounds like the Go Gos a bit. I won’t be listening to this again.

It’s fun. A high 3 stars.

I am only somewhat familiar with the Sugarcubes. I know I've heard a track or two from the band, but even after looking through a list of their singles I'm not sure what I have heard. I enjoyed listening to Life's Too Good, and it was good to hear early Bjork. The band has a respectibly defined character, particularly with a debut album. "Traitor" and "Birthday" got my highest ratings, but "Sick for Toys" (it was TOO weird for me) and "Take Some Petrol Darling" anchor this album below 4 stars.

Such an interesting sound. Bjork is very unique! Birthday is really great. Motorcrash isn't bad either. I can get into this, but it might take a few more listens.

It's nice to see where Björk comes from and this is rather good but let's be honest, nobody would care about it if it wasn't for her. Musically, this is standard post-punk that owes everything to Björk's fabulous voice and personality. More of a "for fans only" album than an essential one, me thinks.

Very good post-punk stuff and you begin to see a glimpse of what's coming for the 90s. Björk's voice and presence is just amazing.

Another nice dig. Cool post punk stuff. Bjork voice is really nice. I will give an ear on their others albums and more related stuff

Got weird as fuck at times. It's a vibe that I enjoyed quite a bit.

Interesting to hear the genesis of Bjork, couple hints of B52s all up nothing special

Weird stuff! Poppy new wave liberally sprinkled with Björk. I gave this three listens and still don't really know what to make of it... Fave track - "Delicious Demon", maybe? Sounds like a Björky B-52s track!

Post punk/Indie Pop Icelandic warbling brings the world Bjork. The type of songs you would put on a C-45 mixtape for that goth girl who you were trying to impress - you wouldn't really listen to them out of choice. Best Tracks: Motorcrash; Birthday; Deus

All about the Björk and the music.

This is a slice of history- I was into Cocteau Twins back then and never made the Bjork jump try as I might but this is really good listening now.

Fun record. Was only familiar with them because they're mentioned in the first line of every Bjork review. A lot more poppy than I expected. Will check this out again I'm sure.

Some of this I like, some of this I find fairly annoying. I definitely like Bjork's voice but I wish the dudes would just leave the singing to her.

Ahh yes proto-Björk solo career. I have heard "Birthday" which is a pretty cute song sounding song, with that Björk husky-growl that is iconic of her style, a very nice mix. Anytime there is someone else singing it brings it down for me. The sound is a bit locked in that 80s production-style which also sounds a bit weak. It also is a bit too long, although I wouldn't have cared as much if all the tracks are bangers, but they are definitely not.

Quirky Iceland indie-ska-swing-pop really only noteworthy for Bjork’s incredible vocals.

In her "Debut" proper, Bjork's unique world-view and idiosyncratic phrasing is channelled through a zany post-punk outfit. It's bizarre hearing her with a conventional- nay, danceable- guitar-bass-drum line up, performing music that still has an edge to it but not quite a cutting one (this sounds like it would have been way more at home in the early 80s). Bjork is mostly front and centre here, as there's no getting away from her vocal acrobatics or the stories they inhabit. Some of these are glorious: the morbid and perverse fantasies of "Motorcrash" and "Fucking in Rhythm and Sorrow", "Blue Eyed Pop"'s delirious declaration that "Everyone is so close to laughing; this kind of joy won't last". Others are more on the surreal end to the point of becoming distracting (the is-it-or-isn't-it inappropriate of "Birthday": "she's five years old; threads worms on a string... he sews a bird in her knickers". OK then.) Occasionally, the lyrics feel overwritten, the kooky sense of playfulness a bit too forced. "Deus" relies a little too much on repetitive vocals and "Sick For Toys" is laughable, approaching the novelty kitsch level of B-52's with its strangled male vocals overshadowing any musical content. However, the music itself here is what saves the album, separating it from the obnoxious surf pastiche the B-52s revelled in. The band are tight throughout- opener "Traitor" sports a spiralling drum pattern from Sigtryggur Baldursson that is all fills and rarely locking into a groove, dancing round a churning, razor-sharp rhythm guitar. The band then lock into some solid grooves in the second half: "Coldsweat" and "Blue Eyed Pop" are great showcases for the whole band, with a very tight rhythm section and fluid basslines from Bragi Ólafsson. "Fucking in Rhythm and Sorrow" is surprising in its familiarity: despite the off-piste subject matter, it's essentially three-chord rockabilly with a blues progression. The immediacy of it all- the poppy basslines, the crunch in the rhythm guitar, the simple chord structures- is enough to ground and counter Bjork's often dark, often hilarious stream of consciousness. Of course, it would be wrong to discount Bjork as anything other than the key player. Although she was perhaps finding in her feet in her lyrics and style, her voice pounces fully formed out of the speakers, ready to bring down mountains and take on the world. The best moment from her on this album is totally wordless: the main hook of subversive single "Birthday", a growl that turns into a throaty yell that glides up into a transcendent falsetto... and yo-yos back again. It's all we need to understand that Bjork has arrived. Finally, I was grateful to draw perhaps the most bizarre hit single with "Birthday" in the name on my birthday. Celebrating in style.

Bjork's vocals - 5*. Random German sounding fella - 1*. OK rock elevated by Bjork's vocals.

Interessante punk, pop dream da Islândia.

Udemærket rock album med Bjork i front. Dog ikke helt min smag. Skal nok høres nogle flere gange, hvis det skal fænge. 3.5

I feel like I'm too stupid to understand or appreciate this album hahaha

Bjork's solo stuff would definitely go on to exceed this band but there's still a lot to enjoy here. It's a bit dated feeling but very fun and energetic.

Good musically. Great vocally. Lyrics left me a little flat.

Really enjoyed this. Vaguely familiar with bjorks solo work, but first time listening to The sugar Cubes, will listen again.

Not surprisingly my relative disinterest in Bjork translates similarly to the Sugarcubes. Maybe moreso, I can appreciate the artistry of Bjork's vocal styling without particularly caring for it: whatever Icelandic croak-core is going on with the male vocals on this, less so. Just not my cuppa.

I mean, it's Bjork. There are a couple of songs here that grabbed me, but nothing crazy. But still - I like Bjork. She still sells the stuff that I'm not that crazy about.

Fun 80’s pop rock vibes. Definitely not how I expected a band with Bjork in it to sound Favourite track: “Delicious Demon”

Meh

It's ok. I can't tell if they copied the B52s, or if the B52s copied them... Probably more a 2.5 stars, but I'll round up to a solid 3.

Fun listen

Alright, didnt realise Björk was in a band before her solo career

Birthday is really the stand out hit. I think I need to live with the album for a bit longer to get a feel for any of the other tracks.

Knew the “Pain and Sorrow” song, but not the others. Fun punk vibe with Bjork’s unmistakable voice. These guys had fun making this.

Was ok

Nice singing but this is not the right music for me. Have not listened to so much Bjork before.

3.5/5 weird, sometimes good, sometimes too weird

An expression of love through the act of stomping a puppy to death.

Unexpectedly charming oddball post punk, rock, pop, funk, emo, indie record. Bjork’s voice cuts through the mix like a hot knife through butter and it's quite wonderful. Some serious Nordic Viking shit going on here.

Pretty good. Was expecting way weird with Bjork. Icelandic punk.

lets be honest, its only good cause of Bjork

Solid early Ska album with some B-52ish influences. This does lend some annoying vocals at points, but the varied melodies and innovative use of chorus compensate to make for a good listen.

No conocía esta banda, ni sabía que bjork estuvo en una banda. Me gusto el disco, no lo escuche igual con detenimiento, pero lo que escuche me gusto 3 efes

The lead singer sings with a lot of passion, sometimes with too much

This one was a wild listen. I think I really only liked "Birthday" but I can definitely appreciate not only this band and album, but that Bjork has such a wide range of styles and a powerful leading voice. The chanting/speaking guy in the background tainted a lot of songs for me.

Bjork is instantly recognizable. I enjoyed the album and glad it found me.

It was music

og bjork. fun listen. fav songs: birthday, delicious demon. 2.5/5 stars

3/5

Enjoyable

Surely the best of the best out of the 1980s Rekyavik altrock scene

Life's Too Good is often labeled post-punk, but that doesn't seem right. The sound is as bright and candy colored as the name of the band would suggest, reminiscent of the B52s or the Police, but the song structures are nothing like these bands. In lieu of traditional songs, the Sugarcubes give us mostly vamps, which Bjork growls, whispers, swoops and shrieks over, while Einar Örn mumbles in the background. The rhythms seem influenced by the likes of Adam Ant and Tom Tom Club. But when you put all of this together, Life's Too Good doesn't really sound like anything else. It all feels really abstract. There are no real hooks, instrumental or otherwise to draw you in, just slick surfaces, which forces you to either throw up your hands and reject the band or accept them on their own terms. The thing is, everything here seems really intentional. The songs are each different from one another and quite detailed in their arrangements. The playing is both competent and confident. The Sugarcubes know exactly what they're doing. Do I like it? I don't hate it. It's unique, which is a plus. And it isn't contaminated by the sickening factory set synths typical of the late 80s.

Motorcrash geht ins Ohr. Warum auch immer muss ich bei dem Album an eine Filmscene denken bei der, in einem 80er setting eine junge Mutter durch eine Amerikanische Vorstadt joggt.

Post punk Icelandic sounds of Bjork and her mob. Not bad hey

Post punk vibes, avantgarde pop, catchy melodies, strong production. A great way to say hi from Bjork indeed

Dragon brought this up to a 3, but otherwise lackluster alt rock

Komm ich nicht klar mit

Hey bjork had a rock band, who knew? I like it

Indie

Solid

false

Kinda not what I was expecting at all based on the cover of the album. I can't say I have an opinion on it just yet. Come back to this. If i had to give it a rating it's a...

Some interesting things here, but to chaotic for my taste

Birthday was good and a few others. Bjork's voice was the strength.

I love punk chicks screaming into the mic. This is fun.

Me gustó. Pero eso es todo.

Está bueno. Aunque la prefieero más tripiadilla

A couple of good songs. Bjorn is weird.

3 star

Interesting to hear Bjorks early work but not really for me

This was quite unique. I am still not sure how I feel about it, but can definitely appreciate the artistry that went into making it.

Post-punk tending to the jangly with Björk's voice on the top. I discovered that her magic is in the totality of her solo music: Here the tunes are pleasant enough but not mind-blowing. The best tracks are where both vocalists interlace their lines (Blue Eyed Pop and Sick For Toys). There are hints of eclecticism (aside from obligatory Björk growls), but they aren't fully realized until the bonus tracks, which I could use a whole album of. Cowboy's touches of country, the heaviness of several of the extras, and the strings in the Deus remix were all very good.

It was interesting but not for me

1. it's an iceland band! 2. it's a bjork band! okii that's what i expected from the facts above. a little lower than expectations tho, maybe bc of daio/dayo?

Bit odder than I thought... maybe requires a revisit!

I promise I wanted to like this album. Just didn’t do it for me. I was hoping that I’d find a new love for Bjork but nope. See a lot of comparisons to B-52s. Would’ve much rather listened to them today.

i knew that voice was familiar. ofc its björk. i liked traitor but she kinda overdid it on birthday imo. and dont get me started on deus. im sorry i cant. i just like 1 track. 4 stars for traitor, 2 for the rest.

I mean listen, it's certainly cool in an I-know-this-band-and-you-don't sort of way, but the music kind of sucks. I think a ragtag Icelandic bunch are perfect for the new wave genre, however they should not take that as a compliment. Björk's vocals are strange as always. But hey, very cool album cover and some tracks were bangers. Fave tracks: - Traitor - Birthday - Coldsweat - Blue Eyed Pop - Deus - Cowboy

Not for me

This album is so butt, I'm sorry Bjork, my queen.... or it would be, if it wasn't for the greatest song of all time, "Cowboy." IM A COWBOY IN THE BIG CITY!!! IM LOOKING FOR MY PONY!!! A MAN'S BEST FRIEND IS HIS PONY!!! I can not believe this song is real, by the first stanza I was sold, BUT THEN BJORK RANDOMLY APPEARS, and what does she say? What could she possibly have to say? she "The odor of his skin, it works in my head. I wanna eat him, I wanna be in him." Yet another weird horny line from my fucking goat. WE ARE SO BACK!!! Everything else is super generic, may we all praise that Bjork went solo. 2/5

2.5 - ok

Not my thing

Was just not a fan, it was alright? But like, really would not want to listen to this again. 2.25-2.5?

this album is cool when björk is going off. it's pretty awful when einar is doing vocals. it is very dated. "sick for toys" and "fucking in rhythm & sorrow" are truly awful. but hey it brought us björk and that's cool.

Couldn't finish it because I kept getting interested in other things. Just didn't click for me

Björk is the female David Byrne, nice

Experimental, poppy, and cooky - but not in the way I like

-Cool album gotta love some bjork. -guitars were rly cool and tracks like cold sweat were cool when we get a different deeper male voice rather than constant bjork. Makes you value her voice more -love the Icelandic tracks because they seem so much more passionate about the music -how did Jordan not know who you bjork was. -fav tracks: Dragon ( Icelandic ), Blue eyed pop, cowboy

2.5+/5 Un peu boring mais pas mauvais

sometimes it had a good beat, but the rest was not there. bjork is still a good artist, here it didnt show that much

No hay duda q no lo volvería a escuchar. Tiene cosas buenas en algunas canciones pero en general medio flojo.

Birthday me gustó bastante, si hubieran sido todas más de ese estilo me hubiera gustado el álbum. No lo volvería a escuchar, pero no está mal.

Some catchy songs, could see how it might be what some modern bands are based off, or are aiming for a similar sound based on Bjorks vocals. Can also hear how they might not have wanted to be taken serious as sounds like they're just having fun. Not entirely for me but enjoyed parts.

5/10

had no idea this was bjork! not great.

Not a Bjork fan. Have tried, many times. Too many times…

Don’t like her singing

#396 / 1089 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❌ I heard some of the Sugarcubes music in the 80's and 90's from friends, besides "interesting but not for me", I have no other recollections. I stand by my 40 year old assesment; this is not for me. 2/5

Just... no. Bjork will never make sense to me.

Pas convaincu

I still don’t get Bjork 😔

Bjork is carrying the whole record imho, tho can't give more than 2

Despite being a fan of her 90s solo albums, some part of me will always be like “oh yeah, the girl from the Sugarcubes!” Much like the B-52s, the mix of a very expressive female vocal with a sprechgesang/“emcee” very white male wears out its welcome pretty fast. But a few lovely singles go a long way...

This album without Bjork would not be worth inclusion on here. As soon as she sings everything gets immediately more interesting. Not much happening otherwise.

Not into it. Just kinda yell-y, indistinct lyrics and not particularly fun melodies. Bjork is the lead vocalist of this band, so that’s kinda interesting. They’re Icelandic

first DNF. i simply could not fathom the thought of listening to 55 whole minutes of this.

the cure from temu, or their boring cousin

Ебаная бьорк

This is just boring.

2/5

A little bit too much noise and too little melody for me.

Nice try, hiding more a joke on this list. There a couple good Sugarcubes songs. But not many.

I can appreciate weird, but this is a bit much no? Many individual parts are good but the whole is mostly cacaphony.

Birthday was a good tune and besides that the album has and echoey jangley sound that gives the world it's first listen to Bjork on vocals.

This was a tough listen. Really Yoko Ono-ing at some points with random noises.

2 stars. Not for me. Too long and also just not my bag.

La primera canción fue la más sobresaliente También fue interesante saber que de acá fue que hizo su debut Bjork a lo que entiendo

This guy ruined a perfectly fine album and all he had to do was to shut the fuck up and let Björk sing.

Went into this completely cold and as the album progressed I thought this is something Bjork would have been heavily influenced by. When the "Icelandic" tracks at the end came on, more justification. Reading the synops...ok...more than influenced. Life's Too Good isn't too bad. Some sugary coated 80s new wave with a salty center. I like the combo of female lead and creepy Viking guy backing her up. Kinda like a Valhallian B-52s. Top track is "Blue eyed Pop" and the 2 remixes, "Deus" in particular...squeaky clean with some nice strings. "Dragon" went a little too far so this record gets 2.4 stars.

didnt finish

5/10

wyf

Lyrics were dogshit in places. Musically it's OK in places, and annoying on other places.

As others have noted: Comes from an alternative universe where the B52s were an Icelandic band withb Björk at the helm. If they got as popular in that universe as the actual B52s did in our universe, that alternate one must be one weird MC Escher-esque universe that none of us would be able to stay sane in for more than 5 minutes.

Its like the B-52's, the Go-Go's and Bjork were all in one band - that I don't wanna listen too, but respect.

not sure what to think of Bjork to this day, don't quite get the hype.

It's okay. I am learning that early Electronica isn't my favorite genre. It's a fine album, but not my cup of tea.

Björk is a good singer, but I hat the male voice and the music is kind of bland to me. 2.5 stars

Somehow, Bjork with guitars is even weirder than Bjork with beeps and boops.

Nah not for me

I just don’t get Björk, and whoever the other bloke is drops this even further. The kind of album that I was happy to have ended.

Apparently four f**king Björk solo albums weren't enough.

Wasn’t really a fan of this one. Couldn’t get into it

Ei jutut, joissa Jörkka esiintyy oo koskaan olleet mitään kauheen suuria suosikkeja. Laulutulkinta lähtee aina sen verran poikkitaiteellisiin sfääreihin, että homma tuntuu enempi harkitulta koristelulta kuin rohkeelta tulkinnalta. Tätä kuunnellessa meinasin eka heltyä, että ihan raikkaita ideoita jne, mutta sitten se laulun loilotus rupes vaan veisusta toiseen tuleen yli muusta menosta. Totuus lienee että tää vois olla vitkunkin levy, jos antas mahista ja huuattas vaan raivolla. Siihen emme ryhdy vaan annamme kakkosen puhua.

Didn’t get it, don’t want to.

Interesting, but a bit too out there for my taste. The female vocalist has an amazing vocal range. The guy ruined it for me.

weird as hell. idk how else to describe it. definitely different, but no thanks.

Ugh.

Am I glad this LP is here to provide some context for Björk’s four Book Albums? Sure. Is it a must-listen in isolation? Absolutely not. Highlights: Delicious Demon, F**king in Rhythm and Sorrow

She has an amazing voice. He sounds like the devil

Bjork was the only person who seemed to shine in the band , as a whole the album was a. Bit disappointing , a bit too left field for me just didn’t understand what was going on musically what kind of noise they were going for was like hearing bitchman biggins banging his tits against a radiator

I never knew Bjork had a band in the late 80s is my first thought on this! Mixing really nice and wide, dreamy chorus bass similar to the smiths actually. Bjorks high vocals sit nicely just on top of everything. Definitely a young album listening to the lyrical content and song titles, for sure influenced by some new wavey bands with the reverberated guitar drums and chorus on the bass. Blue eyed pop got an interesting bass line with the deep slides at the start, cool jam but the lyrics really let it down in my opinion.. Deus is an annoying track, not a fan of that one The band are decent but the album as a whole is nothing groundbreaking to me except for the fact it introduced the world to Bjork. Now, if it were one of her albums in its place maybe I would understand but I don't brink this is an album you have to listen to before you die at all.

Huge red flag in the beginning - the first song was super quiet, so I tried making it louder, thinking that there's no way this could be a bait, and then 22 seconds in, the music got so loud. The album itself is a bit meh, where there is music and there is someone playing, but it's not necessarily great-sounding, if I have to be entirely honest. I think that this would be alright in a low-budget slow-motion scene in a movie, where someone is being chased.

Funny they made the album as a joke, people liked it, so they made a couple more. Anyways, I was into this for the first few tracks and then it fell off for me. Rounding down. 2.5/5

5/10

I started listening to this album and thought "wow, it's very similar to bjork, why did they make it so similar". Later I got it...It's actually bjork in the band🤦‍♂ Not trash and not great. It's okay 2/5 —————————————— No liked songs

Not for me.

Pretty campy and juvenile but bjorks voice is undeniably the star here. Wouldn’t go back to it, no real standouts.

It did nothing for me. A bit all over sounding, with a hint of maybe b-52s. To me, forgettable

Personally didn’t enjoy it was just all over the place and sounded so random with the sounds they used.

Seems like an Icelandic take on the Minutemen, but more artsy and annoying. I’m ok with the Bjork parts and there are a couple of songs I enjoyed on this. I was familiar with Birthday before. When the guy starts singing, I check out.

Icelandic pop - female singer was in a post hardcore group and influence is seen.

This album needs more punk and less post-punk/new wave sound. She has the voice for that. I couldn't find much that I really enjoyed. F***ing in Rhythm and Sorrow stood out. 2/5.

Too hysterical

Not really for me, didn’t feel cohesive. I thought the musical and vocal performances were good individually but didn’t work for me when put together

I struggle between giving this a 2 or 3. Feels like I give everything a 3. I appreciated the 90s/80s sound and the historical significance of Bjork.

It was ok. Nothing I’ll come back to.

Wasn’t sure what to think of this

Bjork's voice is beautiful, just not sure if I like the music. 2.5/5

This was really not my style. Maybe 2 out of 5.

I think I hate this. Not because it's bad, but because it does exactly what it set out to do, which is a take on pop's over-optimism. It feels really unsettling actually. I also don't think the music is actually all that good, either. It's really a weird album. They did a good job doing what they set out to do with this album, but I don't think this album should have gotten all that popular. And maybe we'd have a little less or maybe better sounding Björk if we did. Favorite Song(s): Mama

A lot of harmonica. Its weird. Not in a good way. Put me in a bathtub and make me squeaky clean? So weird. Like, it reminds me of the German couple from Super Troopers if they made a music album together. At least it was short.

Man if this vocalist split off from this goofy ass sound and terrible backing male singer I bet she could really succeed as an artist!!

I really dislike the male-female "call and response" campy thing that the B52s do, and they do it here too. Bjork's first album? Better listen to it before we die!

Young Bjork is still annoying

I've never listened to this album (46). Would probably be forgotten it is wasn't for Bjork.

Si no hubiera sido por que cuanto mas se acercaba al final mas estridente se hacia no hubiera estado tan mal

Ok it has Björk but for me was an average album.

4/10 Deus/Deus - Remix Not my jam but it was okay to listen to when studying for chem.

I don't like this record. To call it "important" or "groundbreaking" is disingenuous to important and groundbreaking records. It's "artsy" noise-pop. I guess it appeals to someone... not me.

Pre 90s angst but doesn’t find a groove

Listened to most of this album, and I just didn’t enjoy the sound.

Expected Sugarbabes, got Sugarcubes.

Did not do it for me

I think “Dragon (Icelandic)” is one of the worst songs I’ve listened to in recent memory. I was trying to think who the female singer reminded me of and it’s Bjork so now I can see where she gets her influence from

De grootste attractie hier is de direct herkenbare stem van Björk, want verder is dit wat vage jarentachtigjengelpop zonder al te veel kraak of smaak. Echt ergerlijk wordt het als een van die andere gasten z'n smoel opentrekt, en het geschreeuw van de dame zelf gaat op den duur ook op de zenuwen werken.

Too noisy.

It was weird.

6.21/10 Not a huge fan I think I accidentally listened to the deluxe version and the further the songs went the less I liked them... 2/5

It wasn’t bad but would not listen to again.

It's Icelandic, and that slightly different feel is its strength, it's kinda interesting with a B52s feel. Vague recollection of this and that Bjork came from them. Glad heard it wouldn't necessarily go looking for it though. Not a fan of Bjorks vocal phrasing, and started to grate making it a long 33 minutes, so moving it down 1 point to 2 Star

This one was hard to get through

I don't think people would care about this at all in 2025 if it wasn't for Björk. Her voice is spectacular obviously but literally any of her solo albums are a better listen than this

Ok 2/5

Love Bjork on her own. This has its moments and they’re all because of her. Unremarkable otherwise.

Bizarre at times, but some decent light punkish vibes

Très perturbé parce que j'ai entendu mais c'est un peu le but donc ça marche bien Pas trop fan du délire

I think the best part is Brojk's vocal and every other component if the album is dragging it down. The male singers reminds of the guy who had the balls to sing on big brother and the holding company's albums 2*

Bjork’s origin story. Some interesting moments here but it failed to really grab me at any moment. That echo-y, texture-heavy post-punk sound isn’t my thing.

80s post punk pop from Iceland. Bjork had a good voice, just not my type of music.

I would see this live and enjoy it. The album gets monotonous.

I don’t think I understand Iceland.

Not for me

This was tough to get through. Every time I noticed him, the male singer(s?) was ruining a perfectly good Bjork song.

Weird stuff

What? And furthermore, huh?

Better than what i expected to be honest

A weird record. It's good instrumentally, and the vocals were decent. Some of the lyrics were weird. Favourite Track(s): Traitor, Motorcrash Least Favourite Track(s): Sick For Toys

could i write poetry to this? n

Not what I expected. You can definitely tell it was mostly a vehicle for Bjork. 2/5

if this weren't the band with bjork before she became bjork then it wouldn't be as interesting. as it is, it's an album for that nerdy kid who reads all the plaques at the art museum, even in the room that's just a bunch of clay pots.

Aight I guess I don't know

Ja dit is gewoon precies wat je verwacht van een Björk album, maar dan rock invloeden in plaats van dance/pop invloeden. Meteen ook een stuk minder voor iemand die geen heel groot fan is van rock. Voor de teksten hoef je het niet te doen, daar is mijn Ijslands gewoon net te roestig voor, maar wat me wel echt opvalt is dat Björk hier al haar trademark schreeuwen en krijsen doet. Tsja, ik vind het gewoon niet heel erg goed? Muzikaal blaast het me niet weg en ik vind het gewoon grotendeels te raar om het nou echt een fantastisch album te noemen. Ook hier kan ik me er niet aan onttrekken dat het er alleen maar in staat want Björk.

Yeah, no. Sorry Björk, you're great, but this album sounds like a less fun, more dated B52's than anything of interest.

These are some of the most unique song titles I’ve seen thus far, and they are perfect for some post punk music. But I’m not pleased I was tricked into listening to Björk. Her voice grated on me even when I didn’t know it was her, which is how I know I truly dislike her. I think Life’s Too Good was a more interesting listen than her solo stuff I’ve heard. Björk with less experimental music goes a long way, or at least to a 2.

Not as bad as I thought but I can't get on with bjorks voice.

Remember when we beat those arrogant Iceland kids in Mighty Ducks 2? Yeah, even with Bjork, they lose again!

I hate this less than Bjork solo, but still would not willingly listen to this again.

It’s a lot. Very bjorky. Some interesting music in there tho

Not a fan. Bjôrk makes me anxious

Birthday is a song I have heard and like but the rest of album not so much

It was ok. Definitely can tell Bjork is in the band… it’s a little grating but I could see the potential in how it all started. Probably wouldn’t listen again.

Not a fan They're not british, but iceland is close enough i think.

Not quite sure what to make of this but I know I didn't like it

Désolé, ça ressemble trop à du Björk pour que j'aille la force de finir. Je sais que ça fait un bout que j'ai été positif dans mes reviews, mais le générateur semble pogné dans un stretch d'albums conçu pour m'épuiser mentalement. Edit: Wait, la chanteuse c'est Björk pour vrai? C'est pour ça que ça me drainait autant!

Here’s that band that Bjork was in before she went solo.

uhhhh, no thanks!

That was such a terribly weird album. Not really my jam at all but I can see where people would like it. High 2

Probably the least interesting so far

Album de 1988. Banda da Bkjork. Punk/indie. Nada de mais!!

The usual 2 stars. An Icelandic group, it's an easy listen but nothing memorable it's not for me.

The Sugarcubes seemed to be just a little bit too late the the party with their sound. It was an ok album but nothing memorable.

I remember listening to this in high school as a way to start listening to "the cool stuff", and didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not what I would deem good. It’s a bit too weird for me.

Birthday

Bjork is great obviously. Listening to one-and-a-quarter Sugarcubes albums, I can see why she left after three records. Also, the songs with the guy singing too are pretty crap. Parodies of euro music to come

Can't stand the vocals. The music isn't bad but the wailing and spoken delivery isn't working for me at all. I'm fine not listening to this again, and I can't even hear where this influenced anything.

This album is really weird.

I know everyone else likes this. But, has never been my thing.

Honestly not a terrible album

Los van dat het fascinerend is hoe de IJslandse alternative scene tot ontbloeming kwam in de 80s, en hoe cutting edge ze daarna altijd zijn gebleven, is dit niet echt een album waar ik snel op terug zal vallen. De wisselwerking tussen de verschillende leads, met veel spoken word, voelt een beetje als een persiflage van The B-52's. Daar vind ik het vaak speels, hier eerder irritant. Hoogtepunt is absoluut 'Birthday', die met zijn psychedelische tinten zorgt voor een dromerige vibe, en Björk's signature stemgeluid - dat we later in haar illustere carrière nog vaak zouden horen - komt geweldig tot haar recht. Los van wat aandoenlijke jangle pop is het een weinig memorabele luisterervaring. Mede omdat er rond die tijd gewoon té veel goeie indiepop platen uitkwamen kan ik dit niet heel hoog inschalen. 6/10 Highlights: Birthday Motorcrash

I like the idea and Biorks vocals, but the pure poppiness runs a little dry after a while.

Noppers. Its not as horrible as some but….

Was good at first, but the final 3 songs were awful.

There were a few weeks in college when this lp came out that it was my favorite thing ever. Saw them live in 1989 and remember liking the show. A few months later I'd moved on to music I still love today. Hadn't heard this entire record in literally 30 years. I don't feel it's aged well and there's a lot of filler on a record thats only 33 minutes long. But if the 1001 list says you have to listen to the whole lp so that you can experience the wonder that is Birthday, I'm okay with that. Side note: has anyone ever attempted to sing this as a replacement for the traditional Happy Birthday to you? Next birthday party I'm at definitely gets "They're smoking cigaaaaars" to find fellow music nerds.

Not really my cup of tea but appreciate it for what it was

Post punk, indierock, lidt irreterende vokal

Probably needs a few listens

I recognized that that was Björk immediately. I kept waiting for the songs to go somewhere and take that next step, but they never did.

There's a couple of neat songs but not enough to have lasting appeal.

Nope

🎧Whether in a band or solo, Björk is pretty annoying. Favorite tracks: Birthday, Delicious Demon

The sugarcubes can dissolve into obscurity. Some of the instrumentals were decent, but anytime the singing came in, I just wanted to shut it off. I didn't realize Bjork was the singer, but it explains the horrible screeching I was listening to. I'll pass on this one for the rest of time. 2/5

I like the classic rock sound, but I did not really enjoy it much otherwise, especially Sick for Toys, it was kinda annoying. It also felt very long. I think this would make for great background music played live at an outdoor patio or something.

Siis miten Islannin vaan kuulee musiikista, ihan vaikka ei tunnistaisi Björkin ääntä… vai johtuiko se ton äijän aksentista. Ja nää sanoituksetkin on kummallisia. Tosiaan pysäytti kuuntelemaan, laulussa äänenkäyttö on tosi taitavaa ja noi miehen höpinät karseita. Muuten yllättävänkin perus kasaripunkrockia.

He voisivat tehdä normaalia poppia jos vain haluaisivat - yeah right. Ei tämäkään ole ihan epäonnistunutta, mutta haluaisin tietää, kenen idea oli maustaa bändin soittoa spoken word -osuuksilla, joissa joku tyyppi puhuu ihan täyttä paskaa. Melodiselta kannalta levyllä on hetkensä.

Meh

ne

It's the B(jork)-52s!

I was never a big fan of these when this came out. So I never bought it or listened to it, apart from when my brother was playing it on occasion. Surely that must mean something? But after all this time, it was actually quite good.ill have to give it another play to name any standout tracks, apart from the famous 'Birthday'. But it's worth a 2 for the moment, just for the fact that I haven't listened to this in over 35 years.

Vocals good. Not pleasant. Too artsy

I didn't know bjork was in a band, so that was kind of cool. But, still, not impressed. 2 out of 5.

Important because… early Björk. Lyrics are kinda hilarious. She’s great and the music is interesting. But not sure I’ll listen to the whole album again. Afraid this is a 2. (Downgraded after listening to other albums)

I do not like Bjork. That is all.

I once ordered a t-shirt from the band Sasquatch's website and it arrived with a return address name "music for pirates". If you are not familiar with Sasquatch, they're a stoner metal band that sound just like something a pirate would like. I mean, If I were about to go pillage, i'd want to be AMPED UP and I can think of no better way to get the adrenaline flowing than by blasting some badass stoner rock. Anyway, it got me thinking, bands do a really good job of aligning with culture. If you're a leather jacket wearing, motorcycle riding, guy- chances are you're a fan of metal. If you're a hippie type, then jam bands are probably your thing. Art resonates with us because we see ourselves in things that are not us. All this to say, I can't figure out who this music is for. Maybe you have to be Icelandic to understand the Sugarcubes, because I don't.

Not going to lie, I found it hard to make it all the way through. Most of the songs seem sort of half-baked or immature early songwriter versions.

Highs and lows - mainly Bjork is the highs and the dude is the lows

p601. 1988. 2 stars. Icelandic B-52s, but without the songs or humour. And frankly, Bjork's voice gets really annoying after a while.

It’s very informative this process. I learnt about Bjork from Wikipedia hole I just went on. Not for me though. Simpsons: Does Bjork count?

I didn’t care for it

For my first real exposure to Bjork, I enjoyed it for what it is

Icelandic rock/pop album. You can hear it's influence on modern stuff it jsut isnt' for me

Sorry, not sorry! I have never been a fan of Bjork, the lead singer. The overall sound is like a mash up of The Cranberries and the B52's which on paper doesn't sound bad. It's the Bjork factor that turns me off but I stuck with it and listened to the entire album.

Didn’t care for this. It’s better than Medulla but that’s a low bar. There’s some ok sounding post punk on this but I find Bjork’s voice a bit grating and the bloke isn’t much better.

Had it on in the background whilst pottering around the house. It was fine. More post-punky than I was expecting but nothing really leapt out to me. Not getting a full review as it was very much a background listen

Bjork isn’t for me. Musically this album is ok. But she’s just a strange lead.

Didn’t really get going for me 4/10

I’m just not a Bjork guy. It’s the voice and the tone. Even with this, the music is weak. The lyrics are ok but this album does not make a statement other than, give me your money for my fun project. I tried with this one but it really lacks a complete sound. It seems like a demo that accidentally got released.

2.4 2x

Did not really enjoy this album or the group. Would definitely not shoes to listen to this again. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good.

Wel okay

I just do not enjoy Einar Örn Benediktsson's voice and I can't get past it. My standouts: Birthday, Coldsweat.

It caught me in the wrong mood.