Life's Too Good

This came out in 1988, right around the time I moved to Chicago. I still own the album, but, after listening to it just now, only 2 songs (and 1 musician) really stand out: tracks 2 and 3 (motorcrash; birthday), and (of course) the singer, Bjork, who went on to further/greater fame as a solo artist. When this came out, those 2 songs (and, by extension - SORT OF - this album) felt like the epitome of cool; fresh and new and different. Those 2 tracks still sound pretty great to me, but the rest of the album, and particularly the spoken male vocals, sound fairly meh. You'd think, then, that I wouldn't rate this any higher than 3 but, if so, you'd be wrong, because I rate it as a 4, admittedly based fairly heavily on the promise of something exciting and new in tracks 2 and 3, which (to my ears) still stand the test of time.

Bjork is great here, but Einar is a legend! Whenever he speak/sings I feel so entertained. Classic Einar quotes: "When the revolution takes place I'lI be late...and I'll be shot...as a traitor." "When the sun rises, I will not see. I regret nothing. It was worth it - going through life without a timepiece...did pay off. " "He put me in a bathtub...made me squeeky clean...really clean!" Liked Songs Added: Traitor Motorcrash Birthday Deus

This was not bad as far as new wave goes (assuming that's what this is). The guitar playing was the main highlight for me, whether it was a rhythm guitar part reminiscent of the Talking Heads, or a melodic part with the dreamy chorus effect that I like. The female vocalist also has impressive chops. The whole album was pretty chaotic with a lot of variation, but that helped keep the listening experience interesting. There were a few weaker tracks, and while the production was pretty good, I also don't love how far away everything sounds with a lot of reverb, so I'm gonna settle on a solid 3 for this album

I don't mind the growling vocals, but the female singer is clearly the shining star here. The male vocalist and the instrumentals are just average. A lot of influences from different types of rock, but nothing too inventive. I think Bjork was being held back creatively at this point. Seems like a worthy addition to the list, to show where Bjork started, and I enjoyed the variety of songs.

So-so

I am one of the many people delighted to discover pre-Bjork Bjork's Icelandic alternative rock band. I really enjoyed this even though I don't like Bjork's solo music, it just scratched the right spot in my brain.

Better than I expected, combined with a forgotten hit, Birthday. Good stuff, I continue to be surprised by Bjork.

This was great. I love bjork so much and this is an amazing introduction to her.

Life may be too good, but unfortunately this album is not.

Not a fan of Bjork so understandably wasn't a fan of this album. Found the screeching vocals a bit overdone but the supporting band was not too bad

Before she became the blueprint for all weird art pop ladies who followed her in the 90s and beyond, Bjork was the lead singer of Iceland's biggest alt rock band. There's hints of her eventual singular weirdness here, especially on the album's biggest single, "Birthday," though most of this album is quite conventional by Bjork standards. Her unmistakable does the heavy lifting for the big single and the album as a whole as it swan dives, tumbles and somersaults all over the slightly swinging(?) alt-rock instrumentation. She hasn't quite mastered her instrument here, so this album definitely gives you the feeling of seeing a masterful singer evolve in real time. Honestly, the weirdest thing about this album is hearing Bjork sing over conventional rock music. Her aside, the most distinctly Scandinavian thing about this is how much the songwriting owes to Swedish pop, with melodies so sweet it justifies their Sugarcubes moniker. Definitely something to check out if you want to hear how alt rock was being toyed with in Scandinavia, and to listen to what Bjork was up to before Debut. Key Tracks: Birthday, Cold Sweat, Blue Eyed Pop

one tune

Cool listen. I liked the vocals. Birthday is pretty iconic and my favourite track off this. Almost a little too trendy 80's vibe but just alternative enough I didn't get sick of it.

I originally had this album generated on day 25 before joining a group and having my progress reset. It was my first experience with Bjork and I ended up giving it a 4/5 because it was just a really fun and weird post-punk album. I’ve actually listened to this a few times since I had it generated and still feel the same about it now. I actually really love Bjork’s voice on a lot of these songs. It’s incredibly unique.

That band was one of my first Spanish obsessions, right around the time that I got into They Might Be Giants. I'd love it if the band would get back together

Day1008 - had some typical weird bjork stuff but you could tell she’s the star

Wasn't sure what to expect, but pleasantly surprised. A kind of post-punky new wave, exactly my kind of thing. Bit of Zombies-like singing too. Is the guy German? Sounds like Kraftwerk Saying that, halfway through the album and while I'm enjoying it, no single track grabs me. Female lead singer sounds like Bjork! (Post-note: it was!) Best track - Traitor, Sick for Toys 4 stars

What in the knockoff B-52s is this

ok

strong indie pop album with also nice björk vocals

This is absolutely wonderful! Bjork can do no wrong, and the band is high energy and compliments her so well. One of my favorite discoveries at just about 300 albums in.

Bjork is in this band

This is a solid 3. I like Bjork, though, so it was fun to listen to for her voice :) 3/5

blech, I do not understand the draw of Bjork

I like cold sweat, but the rest of it was annoying. I don’t think this style really fits Björk’s voice, I do like some of her other work though.

"Icelandic B-52's with Bjork as lead singer" was a great way to describe them. Sounded like Bjork was on the band Aqua... very odd pairing. Like seeing a wild animal in a parking lot. It made me appreciate her creativity more and the band was good too. The guy's lyrics were hilariously basic like "I have a toy. I want a new toy. Getting rid of old toy. Oh boy." Good to experience but won't be going back to this much.

new wave, 1988 -> 2

I’ve not been the biggest fan of Björk’s solo albums that we’ve had, but I really enjoyed this. I think her vocals work so well with the band. I think the instrumentation is great as well. There are moments where it gets a bit weird for me, but overall I really enjoyed it. Fav song: Birthday Least fav: Sick for Toys

I like band bjork much more than her solo stuff. She still goes a bit weird in this but it’s nice to dilute the craziness, although sometimes it is just amplified with more weirdness. Not wholly unlistenable though, and a great cover. Specific rating - 2.1 Fav song - motorcrash Least fav- F***ing in rhythm and sorrow / sick for toys

Ok

Hey that sounds a lot like Bjork. Oh 4/5

Björk man

Is this the annoying Bjork version of the B52s?

Forgettable indie rock with Bjork's annoying voice on top.

Stand-out tracks: Traitor, Birthday, Coldsweat, Blue Eyed Pop, Deus Very much a hit or miss album for me. Most of the tracks are pretty catchy, but not all of them are really my vibe. Especially the last few I feel are the weakest. Overall, I did enjoy the variety on this album and ofcourse Bjork's unique vocals definitely add a touch of madness to the whole thing. Would rate it a 3.5 if I could, but because of Bjork it can be a 4 :)

Highlights: Motorcrash, Birthday, Delicious Demon, Blue Eyed Pop, Fucking in Rhythm and Sorrow On the surface it has this pretty typical British new wave style to it so it isn't anything really fresh. But in fact I liked that bit. It leans into it with a playful twist while also adding wacky Nordic pronunciation and an abundance of sexual innuendos. The lyrics are your usual Björk oddities to put it nicely. I liked it more than I thought I would. It's good as a whole and I wouldn't mind listening to it again anytime soon. There were a few tracks I was split on, so it was almost edging on great. Judging from what I've heard from Björk so far, I prefer it when she sticks to more traditional genres with her twist on it (a la this, Debut and Post).

It’s okay, had some interesting songs but didn’t really caught me

Boring dream pop rock. Surprisingly normal for Bjork which I appreciate. I did not like her raspy singing though. The male "vocals" are even worse.

Björk is barely good enough to save this album from Einar.

The Sugarcubes are just a B52s knockoff, with some strange Björk vibes thrown in.

Here we are, album 1089. When I started this project, my now wife was only my girlfriend. Now we are expecting our first child any day. This list has introduced me to so much great music that I have either never heard of before or didn't give a proper chance to including: Drive Like Jehu, the Pixies, Sigur Ros, Kraftwerk, Buena Vista Social Club, Isaac Hayes, among many others. This list, in my opinion, needs a lot more country, blues, and jazz representation. There's far too much Brit Pop/Rock/new wave, and a lot of the albums post-2000 are misses. But, hey, it's not my list. I am sure there would be a lot of issues with my 1001 top albums. This project has expanded my musical taste and helped me listen to music in a different way. I am glad I stuck it out. Now what? The Sugarcubes - 3 stars, shoutout Bjork

yayayaya shes painting huge boooobs

All these years of Bjork being present in my life and I've never listened to a Sugarcubes album. It was generally quite solid and inventive. Not sure I'd go back to anything besides Birthday which was a 120 Minutes classic, but that's alright. Rounding up just for that one.

I prefer this to Bjork's solo stuff, but still not really my thing.

I don't remember how I heard about the Sugarcubes, but I picked up 1989's Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week! when I was 14 and was immediately perplexed by it. Life's Too Good was probably the better starting point, but I'm sure my adolescent self would've been just as perplexed—though at least this album has "Birthday." That song is great because of Björk, which I think goes for the Sugarcubes in general. As with a lot of art-rock, it was probably more fun to make than it is to listen to, because "Sick for Toys" is a goddamn chore. I think I'll stick to the poppier moments on Björk's solo albums, thanks.

Some OK moments. Could do without the Aqua reject male vocalist. Some of Bjork’s stuff is really good; some of it not so much to my liking.

I like björk’s voice actually better in this setting. There is indeed a strong b-52/talking heads vibe but to me this sounds a bit more coherent. Nice pull!

Fucking phenomenal. The band is great but Björk just takes over this whole record. Her infectious vocals transcend this album, the world is blessed to be on Earth at the same time as Björk

It's not very good. Muddy, messy production, everything mixed too far back, too much reverb, no structure to some songs, wailing. It's just kind of annoying and nothing sticks in the mind after it's finished. Björk sounds really shrill and piercing here in a lot of songs which kind of hurts my ears. There's some dude who also sings for some reason. It sounds like lots of independent parts that they think would work when put together but like, it just kind of doesn't. It just comes across as kind of annoying and tiring. I guess I just don't like most 80s alternative music, it's all mixed weird and trebly and reverby and annoying.

You can have this one back. I'll stick with 1000 albums.

So much fun. Bjork has such an amazing voice. And yes, these are the Icelandic B-52's with a bit of The Cure thrown in for good measure. Birthday and Deus are the highlights.

A woman is yelling very loudly into my headphones, and I don't feel very comfortable.

Hat mir eigentlich sehr gefallen

I should have listened to this WAY before now. It's just great. So much fun energy and post-punk cool. Some immediate additions to my playlist. I wanted to give it five, because I love Bjork and I love the genre, but there are probably two tracks I'd always skip. So, despite loving the vibe, I'm being strict.

i love this lady

That moment of horror where I realize “wow that singer sounds like Bjork”, then “oh damn that definitely is Bjork” All jokes aside she’s a lot better in this format than in her solo stuff and I don’t think it’s particularly close. The much fuller sound of a band supporting her voice works surprisingly well, and honestly the instrumentation is damn solid; I like a lot of the guitar riffs and Cold Sweat highlights that better than anything else. There’s still some moments where I kinda have to roll my eyes cause Bjork still sings like Bjork; it’s just frustrating since she shows time and time again that she’s got an amazing voice but refuses to use it in the way she should. The last couple songs in particular really go off the rails and are just a bit too weird for me, not a fan at all. Definitely the best I’ve heard out of Bjork so far, really think she’s better suited for a front woman of a band rather than whatever her solo work is. My opinion of her is slightly higher

I had to turn this one off. Bjork's got a unique voice, and her wailing over rock tracks is the absolute worst application of it. I'm mad cause there's another version of this album with a different singer that I'd probably like! The instrumentals were nice and catchy, but that voice on top was nails on a chalkboard. I legitimately would go insane if I had to listen to another second.

I can only listen to Björk on a song by song basis. Sitting through a whole album of her singing and the other guy wears on my nerves after a while.

This may leave you in a Coldsweat. Don’t tell Mama, though.

I like Bjork's vocals and Birthday was decent, but other than that, I got nothing out of this.

Boo

Okayish

This didn't really stand out for me in any way, shape of form.

Another one of those 'I'm sure this hit hard at the time' records for me. I am a post-punk fan and a lot of these tunes do not have a hook.

I will never be safe from Bjork 😔

Really distinctive voice. Some of the other vocals are a bit distracting though.

Haha, that’s a familiar voice. At first I thought it was the B-52’s, but it turned out to be Björk. Not quite my sort of music, but still: Two stars...

Bjork before Bjork. It's not bad, but I didn't love it. Certainly breaks the mould and they quite probably defined something new in the post-punk/alt rock scene.

I really like the switching between Bjork and the backing singer, it adds some variety to the album that works really well. There is a lot of fun and poppy tracks on this like motor crash, which is super weird but I think it works really well. Bjork is obviously a standout with her incredible vocals but I think for this album to be a bit better it just needs to be a bit less goofy and get their ideas down. Birthday was really great.

This is too much fun fun fun

I've never heard of The Sugar Cubes but recognized Bjork's voice instantly. I'll listen to this one again.

Nice one.

Bjork does dream pop

I kind of liked this. It was fun!

The Sugarcubes? That rings a bell... Oh, right - Björk’s old band. What sounds pretty cool on paper is, for the most part, just that: I really like Thór Eldon’s guitar sound, and the song structures suit Björk quite well - especially when compared to her later solo work. The songs fall somewhere between new wave/post-punk, dark wave/EBM, and the alternative experiments we’ve all come to expect from Björk. Unfortunately, there are also passages that are uncomfortably reminiscent of the B-52s. On top of that, Einar Örn Benediktsson’s vocals have the potential to really get on your nerves. This makes “Life’s Too Good” an interesting discovery, but one that’s only good in parts. It was probably more fun back in 1988.

Birthday is amazing and there are a few other good songs.

6/10 Buen album. No hay mucho para decir, me gusto

I'm glad this is on the list.

Wow I love this. I regret putting off checking it out so long. Early U2, maybe some Pretenders, The Smiths… whole album rocks. ML402

Great early bjork. What a surprise!

Es ist ein quirliges, schräges Debüt, das mit Björks ungezähmter Stimme und kantigem Post‑Punk sofort auffällt. Die Energie ist frisch, manchmal aber auch so verspielt und chaotisch, dass die Songs eher auseinanderdriften als zusammenfinden.

I already like Bjork, so this album really works for me. I think it's got a pretty good sound to it. It's not what I imagined Bjork would sing to but I think this style pairs really well. There's not much I really have to say about this. To be honest, it's pretty decent all round. Not something that's gonna be in hot rotation for me, but I would stick this on again definitely. Fav Track: Delicious Demon

I was a bit skeptical about this whole Sugarcubes thing. Respect for Bjork is no replacement for a good pair of extra-strength ibuprofen tablets. But I really didn't quite know what to expect. Turns out the album is fun fun time. So short and sweet! I should have trusted the album cover

This listening experience mirrored my earlier adventure of “Bjork was in a band! Why haven’t I heard of this! This song is pretty good! These next songs are ok! These other songs are still going! I guess that’s why I’ve never heard of this! Bonus star for general weirdness.

3.2/5

cool

Bonkers with a capital B. Bjorks mental vocals coupled with an odd German-sounding bloke, utterly random lyrics and some pretty cool music makes for a rollercoaster of an album. First half isn't the strongest but I really enjoyed Delicious Demon, Deus is really catchy and Sick For Toys made me laugh. A crazy but really fun album. 3.5/5.

This is such a fun album, good vocals, good guitar, bass, and drums, quirky lyrics. I enjoy the back and forth between the two vocalists. There are a few tracks that are weaker than the rest but nothing I would skip. I never really understood how the follow-up albums lost the magic. Essential listen: yes Desert island disc: yes

Bjork is so much better solo

I can’t remember if I saw the Coldsweat video on 120 Minutes or if I heard it on HFS. Regardless, I bought this album as soon as it came out and loved it so much. It still holds up today. It’s wonderfully quirky and interesting and so good!

Maybe my fav bjork project after debut… so awesome to hear her singing some very cool and wacky post punk music.

Decent listen.

Pretty fun! Cool to see Bjork before her solo career really took off. Standouts are Birthday, Delicious Demon, Blue Eyed Pop and Sick For Toys.

Björk is freaking amazing (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). The band is decent (⭐️⭐️⭐️). Einar is awful (⭐️). Many of the songs start out great and then fall apart when that dude opens his mouth. It's no wonder Björk went solo. She was definitely carrying this band on her back.

Some really solid late 80s pop. Nothing world changing but enjoyable

Jangle pop but make it W E I R D

Very cool, I really liked the icelandic tracks - cool to hear their interpretation of this genre Favorite Track(s): Birthday, Cat (Icelandic)

3.6, i think i liked this more than bjørks singles. But i might have some bias so ill prolly listen to bjørk again to check

Does everything from Iceland have to have Bjork associated with it? I didn't know about this band before I started listening, but my first thought was, "the female singer sure sounds like Bjork." And yeah, I didn't enjoy this one. Definitely college rock, but the vocals weren't doing it for me.

I think I owned this one on cassette, but I don't remember it sounding quite like this --- I like it.