Debut

Björk grabs your hand and says “Follow me”. She leads you through The City (which city? Any city. All cities), pausing here and there, at house parties, city gardens, rooftops, office blocks, to show you the essence of that place. She takes you into a closet and whispers into your ear, there’s more to life than this. Every place she shows you has its own unique sound, but the guide is always indisputably Björk; writhing and shapeshifting and impossible to pin down, but in the act of taking you on this tour of The City, you realise through the sights she’s shown you, the things she’s pointed out, that she’s revealed more of herself than any direct confessional would give you.

Fell in love with Bjork when I first saw the Michel Gondry video for "Human Behavior" on MTV when I was 13 years old. She is a true artist who is practically a genre of her own. She bravely follows her eccentric vision wherever it leads her. I have nothing but respect for her and nearly everything she does. Some of the sounds on this album are a bit dated now but man this shit was cutting edge at the time. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of her sonic explorations. Listen to the live version of this album to see a radical reinterpretation of these songs and the true capabilities of her songwriting.

So this is just straight-up as good as everyone says it is. Björk's voice is iconic, of course, but I'd never listened to a full project and therefore had never heard the pure range. I don't mind albums that veer all over the place, style-wise, but it's usually a rather personal enjoyment. The transitions between songs here are just objectively good, even when they are between crooning and live-recorded club tracks.

Brilliant. Can’t think of many better DEBUTS

For those who weren't there at the time, it's a little difficult describing how fresh and simply "out there" Björk's *Debut* felt when it came out in 1993. The difficulty is twofold: first, even though the former Sugarcube member drew heavily on the budding UK dance and electro scene for her early sonic explorations, that idiosyncratic voice of hers and its oh-so-Icelandic mannerisms were so powerful, so unique, that they could transcend any of the clichés picked out of her toy box to build the different soundscapes of her first solo effort. It's a voice everyone is familiar with now, whether you're a fan or not. But *at the time*, it was just something unheard of, even if you were a little aware of the Sugarcubes somehow. And it didn't even matter if some discrete parts of this first album already sounded somewhat *dated*, perhaps willingly, as with those tongue-in-cheek UK-club-scene inspired titles such as "Crying", "Big Time Sensuality" or "Violently Happy"--not to mention that naked cover of the cheesy Broadway novelty standard "Like Someone In Love", with only a simple harp to support Björk's extravagant ad-libs recorded in one take (small blunders included). The sheer originality of that voice, its harmonic instincts, along with its crystal-clear, youthful, Lolitaesque timbre--all of this could break through any wall, champagne glass or heart in the close vicinity. And just as importantly, that voice could sell any sort of music it chose as a backdrop, as long as the latter was decently written. So, in a way, it didn't really matter who Björk made this album with, even though Nellee Hooper did an excellent job co-writing half of the tunes and arranging all of them--his production chops here fortunately drawing more from an overall Massive Attack-level of quality than any of that hackneyed stuff he was responsible for in Soul II Soul. The Sugarcubes had just been a training run for Björk. Now she was embracing a promising future, being free to choose her collaborators as she saw fit for whatever was on her mind. Speaking of the future... The *other* difficulty when it comes to a retrospective take of *Debut* is to try to ignore everything that came after so as to assess it on its own terms. It's a near-impossible task. *Post*, *Homogenic* and *Vespertine* were genres of their own, the moments Björk burned her ships behind her for good so as to never turn back (if one of those albums is missing in this list of 1001 albums, it's just a crime). Those records are so striking and wonderful that *Debut* is a litlle pale in comparison, as flashy and eccentric as it first looked when it came out. Still, a large taste of the good things to come is still present in this record, and, unsurprisingly, those songs are the ones holding out better today. "Human Behaviour" is a quirky existential hit, as if Björk was a toddler playing with a Swiss clock, winding and rewinding it until the right joyful noise comes out. And I could listen to that bouncy timbal-sort-of-sound pattern for years, just as I could listen to Talvin Singh's lush, strings-and-tabla arrangements in "Venus As A Boy" for decades. This deceptively simple and tender song about an androgynous lover, one of Björk's greatest tunes, indeed marks a turning point where, for the first time ever, maybe, so-called "world music" was not used as a conceptual gimmick, but as a fresh, spontaneous impulse to fully embrace the sounds of this small blue planet, as varied as those sounds are. Björk is truly the first "global" artist to ever become a superstar. And more than any PR plan or conceptual blurb attached to what she was doing, this philosophy was translated into the music first and foremost.  For all its minor shortcomings, *Debut* is actually a very rare case in music history, one where an artist manages to push the enveloppe while still retaining their spontanity. The results of this rare combination are both playful and organic. "One Day", for instance, expertly uses a William Orbit style of ambient techno to paint the picture of an elated, wide-eyed messiah dreaming about a hopeful future. The song *is* naive, there's no arguing about that. And yet, it never makes you want to snarl or smirk, so enticing it is. Utopia is in our hands, you just need to believe in it. As for "Aeroplanes" and "The Anchor Song", they channel decades of jazz flourishes into their fabric and turn them into mere children's games, as easy on the ear as they are evocative on the mind. "The Anchor Song", in particular, is a miniature masterpiece, its barebones horn section displaying a minimalistic poetry that is all more fitting given the subject matter: Björk can only feel at home while bathing in an ocean, a paradox for many, but not for the romantic she is at heart. Maybe for certain cynical types out there, this sounds a trifle like a Sublime101 course. But it's a lesson the Icelandic songwriter will refine again and again in the future, starting with "Hyperballad" on the next record. It all starts there, with this track. And even before that, *Debut* remains a fountain of youth and potentialities, even today. *Here* is the deep lesson that makes the album an essential listen for both young and old souls of this world. Births, beginnings, eclosions, take-offs--you name them--have rarely felt any better than on this one. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 989 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 4 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 5 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 3]

This feels completely unique, which is one of the best qualities an album can have. The range of influences is so wide there's bits of pop, electronica and jazz. Some of the tracks are avant-garde ballards and some sound like house tracks written by poncey art students. All the different elements are all linked by Björk's really distinctive voice, which provides a nice consistency to the album. I can see some people turned off by her vocals but once I got used to them I found them very enjoyable. I will listen to this again.

She bust her pussy trying to belt out some of these songs. Fair play to her, I bet she's still bleeding. I know I am.

I love her. She connects with me on a visceral level, beyond what can be put in words. So raw and honest. Comforted me when I was having a major crisis, and though it’s a long time past, the connection lingers. Just so grateful for what she gifts to the world

I adore this album. I've never heard anything like it; it was so different and probably the only taste breaker I've listened to that I actually enjoyed. Bjork is able to fuse genres like nobody's business and make something entirely new: something of the Bjork genre. As an album, this record flows beautifully, with a perfect slow song to end this wild trip. Bjork!

What an unbelievable energy right from the start and boy does it carry through the album. It's hard to believe this album came out in 1993; it holds up incredibly well. That's due in equal parts to Bjork's voice, the wonderful instrumentals, and the interesting variety between songs.

Classic, but Post is better. Human behaviour bops!

Truly what separates Björk from the pack is her haunting vocal quality and endless soundscapes. It feels comfortably Claustrophobic in the way the most people talk about space.

Easily one of my top 50 albums. The quirkiness and uniqueness of Björk has always set them apart from other artists. Been a fan of this album from the very first listen.

Gosh dang do I love this. Each song is so well crafted and incorporates different aspects of electronica, jazz, hip-hop, and world music. Such a interesting and entertaining listen. 9/10

Wow. This album is so, so good!!! I grew up thinking Bjork was some weirdo (and she is!) but appreciate the artistry and new sounds so much more now! This one is going into my rotation.

On this album you’ll find: - Escapism - Vivid songwriting - A huge amount of originality - Beautiful vocal performances - Elements of house music One of my favorites.

I know Bjork is idolised but to me this is an extended play of irritating noise that's akin to nails on a blackboard

I've always been a fan of Björk. Not a huge one, but I loved Post as a teen, and later Medúlla and Vespertine. How genius is There's More To Life Than This where the music cuts out? So, so cool. I obviously already knew Human Behaviour and Venus As A Boy, but this whole record is great and each song stands up on its own merit. Favourite tracks: Human Behaviour, Venus As A Boy, Aeroplane, The Anchor Song, Play Dead.

So flipping good. Brought me back to my student days. I’d forgotten how great every song on this album is.

Compared to the Bjork album 1001 sent us, this one jumps around a lot more. There are quite a few house tracks, which surprised me, I guess I had dropped out of the club scene pre-93. Anyway, I think they've held up well. Bringing in Oliver Reed to do the saxophone arrangements on Aeroplane and the Anchor Song was very brave - and refreshing, as I was tiring of the electro beats by the end of the album. The jazz-standard cover, on the other hand, demonstrates that her voice works best with her own (weird) material. Speaking of her own material, Venus as a Boy is just an epic track - the production, her voice and lyrics come together perfectly. Human Behaviour is up there too. A great debut.

What an incredible debut from a totally unique and groundbreaking artist. There was never anything like Bjork before, and there will never be another Bjork

Fairly significant problems with tempo and a too-frequent langourous drift that fails to deepen mood the longer it goes undermine the themes of empowerment and big time sensuality. But I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of wholeness and frequently tickled by witty musical punctuation drawn from an ambitious range of instruments. So while I don't doubt her intelligence concerning human behaviour, I'm less convinced by her ability to turn it into music that fully engages me in between the puctuation. Makes sense that it's on the list though. No quibbles from me.

yes

Great album, still holds up today in my opinion

A great debut, but quite a bit outshined by her other works

Ailishin pilli.. Hehehe... Billy.. vai... Hehheh.... Billy ailiiishi... hehehe 1990-luvun, vuoden 3.. 1993.... billi.... Hehhe.. EI OLE EI OLE! EI OLE AILISH BILLY!!! BJÖRK grrrr! ääni tosi hyvä monessa biisisssä!! tyttöpoika!!!! Tomboy!!!! hyvä björk sano grr!!! Ei.. ei ole totta.. Björk on herkkä.. kullannuppu.. MUTTA PASKAA MUSIIKKIA MISSÄÄN EI OLE MITÄÄN SYVYYTTÄ RANDOM SOITATUSTA KOKO HARAKAN TUOTANTO!!! Toisaalta 1903.. ei ollu ennen kuultu tällästä sillon.... Aika uus juttu Eräs henkilö kuvaili albumia tällä sanalla: "Lolitaesque-timbre" jonka ensimmäine sana (se sana joka ei tarkota suomeksi sointiväriä) tarkoittaa Precociously sexually alluring Precociously tarkoittaa: (of a child) having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual. Jos piilottelet björkin kuuntelemistasi olet kaappipedo. Jos et, olet avoin asian suhteen. Hehe. Ei naurata. Oikeestan noiden sanojen jälkeen ymmärrän tän albumin paremmin. Oli kiva että oli erilaisia biisejä... hehe samaahan ei jaksa toistamiseen pötköttää kallon ääni keskukseen uudestaan..... Niikun blind tsännel... hehe... Radiosta kalloon koputtaa.. en avaa.. saatanalle ovea.. Human behavior alussa islantilainen aksentti tyttölauleskelee.. "Theres more to life than this.." siisti sirrytää toiseen tilaan.. björk puhuu.. taas kuuntelijalle.. Milk barissa basso pömpyttää harmonisilla taajuuksilla enemmän kuin missö niiden pitäis pömpyttää.. aritistisena keinona toimiva.. HAUSKA! Violently happy paras biisi, kaikki mikä björkissä on kivaa on kivan pop pömpötyksen takana eikä oo nii artistinen, vaan björk nöpön ääni paistattelee islanti aksentillaan..kannattaakohan suomalaisen täältä.. ralli........... Vika biisihkö liian artistinen meikäkorvaan.. ei ihan nappaa.. Björk tyyline lopetus.. peppi pitkätossu tulee mieleen.. tyttö tehny.. Kolme mietin kuuntelemisen jäkivaiheessa.. vaikka ekojen biisien jälkeen.. nelostakin.. olis voinu jopa.. olisin halunnu uskoa.. EI VAIHDETA sitä kolmos juttua nyt jälkijöpinöillä... Se numero tulee tunnetilasta jonka albumi, ei biisit saivat aikaan. Tämä tuotti 3/5 arvosta. Upea teos. Mutta myös paskaa!

I just couldn't get behind this to be honest, and I really wanted to like it. It was just too much noise, not enough music.

Don't really understand Bjork's music - just experimental, really weird stuff. And no, she does not have a great voice, she's just the artsy chick in class that paints and is into horses. 3/10.

Some superb backing tracks separated by screechy nonsense, largely about going for a swim.

WHYYYY?!?!? I am really questioning Robert Dimery and has judgment of music. How can Harry Belfonte not be on this entire list. The artist left off for this utter crap is beyond my comprehension. BORK is a joke. The Prodigy is a joke. Blur having three albums on the list is a joke and a crime. His Wiki page said that he worked at Time Out and Vogue. He is from the Untied Kingdom and doesn't have any known musical talent. This book needs a massive overhaul.

I thought I hated Björk. Nope. I loved this and want to listen to more.

When a former punk decides to make art pop with light techno influences. In her debut, she's still becoming familiar with electronic arrangements, and so sounds a bit of its time, but these are still beautiful emotional pieces. Most people can either love or hate her voice, and I'm a member of the former. It's expressive, knowing when to be peaceful or eery, matching the background electronic scenery, and in a lot of ways she uses her voice as an instrument just like one of my favorite artists Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. There's a lot of shocking avant-garde choices, some obvious as in "There's More to Life" but others subtle all throughout that make her songs stand out and a bit unpredictable. I don't consider them gimmicks. The beautiful harp of "Like Someone in Love" is something I could listen to over and over, and I don't even like New Age music. Some tracks rely a bit too heavily on the techno, which I believe sets back even the stronger tracks, but unfortunately making some of the weaker tracks like "Big Time Sensuality" or "Violently Happy" somewhat forgettable. But overall, there's something interesting in each of the arrangements to keep me engaged for the full 50 minutes. In comparison to her other albums, this one is the least cohesive and most dated as she still tries to move on from punk into her own sound. They don't flow very well, but with so many interesting picks, it doesn't matter too much for the intentions of this album. Looking at it from the perspective of its time, it's a mind-blowing change of place from the predictable pop and techno scenes. Favorites: Crying, Venus as a Boy, One Day, Aeroplane, Come to Me

As soon as I hit play on Bjork’s Debut album, I fell in love with “Human Behaviour,” a hit-song in which her adorable, yet mighty voice hovers flawlessly over a hypnotic, war-like rhythm. The way she paints walls of gibberish vocals throughout the track is also vaguely reminiscent of Elizabeth Fraser’s (Cocteau Twins) signature singing style. The rest of the album is mostly dance/techno music that I found to be average aside from “Venus as a Boy” and “Like Someone in Love,” which we’re more memorable, having more gentle, verdant compositions. I also noticed that the stringed instrument at 0:50 of “Venus as a Boy” has some Indian influence in the way it is played, which may be the reason for my attraction to the song. Dance is one of my least favorite art forms. However, dance music–especially songs similar to the ones found on this album–I do not mind every now and then. I went into this album not knowing what to expect and came out wanting to be friends with Bjork.

I’ve always wondered if I would like Bjork, if I listened to her. I think her reputation had preceded her and I assumed I wouldn’t. I was pleasantly surprised, it’s well produced dance music for the most part, but heartfelt and sincere. A little abstract but good music.

Not the best Bjork album, but god I love her.

Know it. Love it. Nice to listen to it twice yesterday!

björk is like one of those quirky weird artsy girls except her work in engulfed in sincerity. This could have easily gone the route of pretentiousness rather quick. On paper, this probably IS pretentious. And yet, björk delivers an otherworldly gateway with one foot grounded in our reality, like some sort of musical demigod. As someone who is sensitive to certain vocal styles and pitches, her singing doesn't always work for me. There's at least one song on the album that I appreciate much more as a work of art than a piece of entertainment. The music she's working with should not be understated, either. If anything, she weaves her voice between arrangements that perfectly match it. Tracks like Big Time Sensuality and Human Behavior lift her voice with groovy riffs, while others, like Venus is a Boy and Come to Me gently nudge you through an alien landscape. This is a phenomenal debut album that will stick in your head.

My mind is confused about whether to love or hate her. The album's chaotic and appealing at the same time. It's entirely unique, it's hard to think of any other so distinctive debuts.

Otherworldly.

Unapologetically inventive.

The app claims the day to day selection is random and this weekend's two albums validate this as we moved from Ice-T's Original Gangster on Saturday to Björk's Debut on Sunday. I had my 8 year old twins so could spin OG only when they were on another floor. Of course one quietly returned and said "Hey Dad: Why did they say O.G? Those are my initials." My initial response: "You're not an every day type prankster. You're O.G. The original gangster." I then dove to stop the playback before the next "motherfucker" lit up the lyrics. On Sunday, as if the angels made a special delivery, Bjork arrives for my two cherubs and me. Her voice is soothing. Intra-album genre hopping sometimes drives me nuts but on this album it works. I can't say too much about the lyrics since, except when they were simple, they were hard to understand. That actually is a harp on "Like Someone in Love" It's not often that I say "harp" and don't mean harmonica. The tabla playing, courtesy of Talvin Singh in the last minute of Come to Me, is a nice touch. Thanks to 1001 for half the weekend's selections. Enjoying music has a lot to do with what you're in the mood for, so I might have rated Bjork higher than I would next weekend.

I mean, who doesn't love Human Behaviour and Big Time Sensuality? There's no one quite like Bjork. Sonically this album is amazing, her voice and presence is amazing and it's always a great listen on a high-quality sound system.

Debut by name, great debut by nature. Bjork is fantastically bonkers and her voice is unique. This album is chock full of belters.

Wtf why is Bjork so Bjorky

This is a lesson in why you shouldn't read the less favourable reviews of an album before diving in. Perhaps becuase we are predisposed to focus on the less positive aspects of, well, everything, it was difficult to shake the thoughts of the most negative reviews while listening to this album. In particular the 2 star Rolling Stones review published by Tom Graves on September 2, 1993. After hinting at the public excitement that Bjork had finally broken free of her too-arty-for-the-art-world band, The Sugarcubes, Graves lamented that, "Producer Nellee Hooper has sabotaged a ferociously iconoclastic talent with a phalanx of cheap electronic gimmickry. Björk’s singular skills cry out for genuine band chemistry, and instead she gets Hooper’s Euro art-school schlock — and we do, too." Despite being a long-time fan of Bjork's work, the phrase "cheap electronic gimmickry" stuck with me, along with the other detailed descriptions given for the somewhat mishmash of ideas on the album. There's still a lot to love about this album, and, MUST you hear before you die? Absolutely... If for no other reason that to get a glimpse into what reviewers might say about many popular albums if you strip away an artists current or potential fame. How many positive reviews are written with a hedging-our-bets mentality so that they are not looked upon too unfavourably when the album they're about to give 2 stars ends up becoming a classic?

Overrated - always has been. A couple of ok moments such as big time sensuality but by and large terrible stuff

I wanted so badly to like this album, but I just couldn’t get into it. Björk can clearly sing but the songwriting on this is mediocre to bad and the backing tracks sound extremely dated.

Bjork is as mad as a bag of frogs... but this album is incredibly boring and lack musical talent, its basically just Bjork quirky singing style. Big Time Sensuality is the only track I'd listen to on the album, the rest of it was really not my thing... sooo boring.

Definitely not boring but definitely not for me

Interesting and boring at the same time. Mostly boring

some woman making noise, I wish she would be oh so quiet..

please stop giving me Bjork albums

Sorry to say, but I don't understand how this noise could possibly be enjoyable for someone to listen to.

just NOT for me.

How sad that the ratings don't go below 1

I know this album pretty well. I like it and I like Bjork, I am a fan. I haven't listened all the way through for a while, so let's see how it sounds now. Well what strikes me know is as well as all the music - which I always loved, the lyrics are great e.g., There's more to Life Than This, what a beautiful vibe. Surging irrepressible emotion is never far from the surface as in Violently Happy, sometimes it makes her feel like the alien outsider as in Human Behaviour, sometimes pain and pleasure are mixed up (as in the striking finale Play Dead), but the main mood is intimate and sensual in Venus As a Boy, Big Time Sensuality, One Day, Come to Me. It's got a lot of London, but also lots of Iceland too: oceans, volcanoes, fires and jumping off high things. It takes courage to enjoy it. Lovely quirky musical choices nothing formulaic or obvious, but often inspired. With hindsight it's clear that she was choosing to make something poppy and by her standards accessible. Love her unique voice, unique melodies, arrangements that mix classical with pop/dance music, She often takes an unpromising set of ingredients to come up with something entirely new but somehow delicious like a Michelin-starred chef. I think she's a genius. I got completely obsessed when this came out, and if anything the next one (Post) was even better.

Giving it her all as always, a wonderful debut album.

Banger

Heard before: no This album was stunning. So weird, so varied, so catchy. Will definitely revisit.

my mam bought me this album for my 14th birthday! it's incredible

I’d forgotten all this album. Great songs

Violently Happy.

really enjoyed this, great mix of musical styles but was super listenable throughout

Stone cold classic. Bring on the new shit!

I listened to this album a lot growing up. Bjork remains one of my absolute favorite singers of all time. There are some great songs on this record, some serious and introspective ("Crying," "Venus as a Boy," " Come to Me") and some a bit silly and whimsical ("Human Behavior," "Big Time Sensuality," "There's More To Life Than This"). The minimalist club sound mixed with Bjork's unique soft, at times wailing voice creates an incredibly influential and unforgettable sound. The less clubby one ("Like Someone in Love") is a cute yet powerful jazz standard cover that, in spite of its outlierlyness, fits right in. It's funny -- the generator has been primarily giving me hard and classic rock music lately, all of which I've promptly been giving 4's and 5's as I feel obligated to (they're "Classics"). But none of them give me quite the same feeling that Bjork and this album give me. Every song hits. Her voice is calming but not in an easy-listening, boring, simple way. The songs build and evolve. Though not the first, the last, or the most influential in doing so, Bjork definitely brought experimental house music to the mainstream. And, like I said above, Bjork said that she pursued working on this album after the realization that traditional guitar-driven music was beginning to feel stagnant and limiting. The mix of jazz, trip hop, ambient, and house on this record definitely feels new, even listening to it nearly thirty years later.

bjorn apart

I love this album. I remember when I first heard it as a teenager and it blew my mind because it just sounded so different to everything else. Bjork's voice mixed with the big bad but slightly muted beats just sounds so good. LOVE IT. Human Behaviour and There's More to Life Than This are standouts.

Početak bjorkicing prolaska five album testa bar šta se mene tiće😊

I have avoided Björk's music for a long time now because I feared that the "strangeness" that people talk about her music was much like Yoko Ono's strangeness; however, I am more than delighted that it isn't. This album is a love letter to electronic music while incorporating an undoubtedly unique sound that lands somewhere between alternative art pop and indie dance music. I can confidently say that I look forward to hearing where she takes this style and sounds in her subsequent albums (especially since I think some of these songs fall short of being perfection), but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I lean between a 4 and a 5 for this album, but I think I will give it a five since it is years beyond a lot of this list and the mediocrity that spans it. Highlights: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Siempre será mi disco preferido de Björk y uno de mis discos de cabecera. Ese Human Behaviour es maravilloso.

I quite enjoyed the last bjork album we had too but this one was just so much more full of life and made it a lot easier to listen to

I love everything about this album

Expectations are an interesting thing. I was expecting something weird that would probably get 3 stars. I expected her voice to get annoying. There was a bit of weird, the correct amount of weird. I found the first few songs enjoyable: quirky, clever, upbeat. But all she was doing was luring me in to the stunning finish. All of a sudden I felt so much emotion. Each song in that second side is a mini masterpiece, a combination of vocal and musical excellence. Her voice! The variety of songs, complete with a potential James Bond theme. This has made 1001 albums worth it.

I love it so much.

What an impressive debut! Really unique and individual take on things. Beautiful tone and delivery with zany yet poetic lyrics. The production has aged really well, orchestral trip hop with techno and trance beats throughout. I know Björk reasonably well but would not have listened through to this with being promoted. Very glad it came up.

This was evolutionary when it was released. It still is!

Did not anticipate to fall in love with a 90's electric pop /jazz / house album from an Icelandic woman but this album is amazing. I don't know how to describe it other than atmospheric, each song like transported me to a scene in my head. This song had me sitting in an old 1940s Jazz bar sitting by myself observing the other people at the bar and listening to conversations. It really feels like Bjork just went to different areas and scenes and just sung off the cuff into a microphone. I can 100% understand if this doesn't appeal to some though, the experience was to rich for though

Amazing album. I have never listened to Björk before, but now I'm very interested on diving deep in her discography.

Having not delved into Bjork's music before this listen I was amazed by how accessible this album is. Not only is Bjork's voice stunning the album itself, while being experimental, has a sense of charm and innovation to it. It feels like a pop album that pulls all other genres into it (particularly jazz). Loved the album so much that it is going to lead me into a deeper dive into her music both before and after this piece. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great entry point into her music. It was a joy to listen to. Favorite songs: Human Behavior, Venus as a Boy, Come to Me, Like Someone to Love. Would give it a 4.5/5 but seeing as I can't give half points I will rate it a 5. Well deserved.

Bjork is an artist with a capital A, and her music always takes you on a journey on a unique combination of musical influences. It's avant-garde at times, but also poppy. Experimental throughout, but also simple and palatable. This is the album I'm most familiar with from Bjork and I'll have to use it as a diving board to discover more of her music over time. Debut is stunning and I'll be coming back to it for years. Fav Tracks: Big Time Sensuality, Venus as a Boy, Human Behaviour, Come to Me and Like Someone in Love

My little Icelandic princess. Björk is everything I want and need in a chanteuse. She's not trying to be weird just for the sake of being weird. She paints almost a theatrical experience with every song. What I love about this album is it's almost like each song is a different genre yet it all flows together as a cohesive album. Actual rating is probably a 4.5, but I've listened to "Birthday" so many times since I got The Sugarcubes album on here that my gut suggests I bump it up. Who knew that Björk was being held back by The Sugarcubes?

Sui generis. What a stunning debut from an utterly distinctive artist. It really feels like it lays the foundation of all of her work to follow. For a record that came out in 1993, Debut feels surprisingly contemporary. Some of the more straightforward house numbers don’t pack as much of a punch in the context of the more experimental tracks, but the highlights are absolutely breathtaking. Venus as a Boy is just so beautiful and off-kilter. Not having spent a lot of time with Bjork recently, and never having listened to this album before, I was surprised how much I vibed with this. Rating: 4.5/5 Favourite tracks: Human Behavior, Venus as a Boy, Come to Me, The Anchor Song

Great stuff, side 2 especially

:(

Great sounds, totally unique voice and composition

Iconic, still sounding fresh from ‘93

I already knew my score for this before even listening specifically for this project... one of my favourite albums of all time. The atmosphere throughout is unbelievable.

Every piece is unique, and while not for all tastes, her love songs are where she excels. "Come to Me" is gorgeous. Added, with pleasure.

Love love love love love.

bueno, pero a ratos muy ecléctico, así que en dosis pequeñas está muy bien

Had no idea how comforting this music would be

Classic

I didn't really like the Sugarcubes' music, and therefore wasn't expecting much of this solo debut. Which simply meant the surprise was even more pleasant, with such a variety of music and styles (proving that we should even allow for songs recorded in toilets, while the next song uses harps, and the following song is heavy on the electronics). What an excellent, cohesive, album! And what a voice!

Play Dead is such a powerful song. Loved every minute of this album. My first 5 star rating!

Did not expect it to be as good as it was

Круто!

All the good things

2021-12-16

The handful of Björk songs I've heard over the past few decades have always stood out because of her signature voice and always interesting and unusual melody writing. I really cannot explain why I never owned an album of hers or made the effort to listen to more of her music; my best guess is that for most of my listening life, I never leaned into much "electronica" (using the term very broadly here) so I probably had lumped her work into that category. This is my first-ever listen-through of a Björk album, and in keeping with my intention to listen openly to each album as it comes up in my rotation, I've done that with this album. It's fantastic. I am still a novice music theorist and amateur early-stage musician, but I think my studies have truly influenced (in a very positive way) how I hear music at this point in my life. It makes what she's done on this album all the more intriguing to me. Such gutsy use of melody, personal delivery of the vocals, and a powerful voice. The underlying harmonies, beats, and rhythms from the electronic music in each song work superbly with what she's doing. My only criticism is that listening to the album straight through, the music started to sound too similar to itself and kind of melded together. I will listen to her music more often now that I know I like it, but I know I'll prefer her songs to come up in a shuffle or playlist mixed with songs from other artists. Her songs really stand out a lot more noticeably in that context. An insanely talented writer, performer, producer, and artist.

Legendary