Debut

Pop electrónico. Baladas cansinas. Ni fu ni fa.

Pretty chill, a little emotional second half of album

It’s ok it’s Bjork. Great orchestration - and some good tracks like Human Behavior and Violently Happy. The middle sags a little but it’s ok

Some catchy tunes that are always good to go back to. Go check out the video for "All is full of love" if you haven't seen it yet (different album though)

I tried, but I couldn't 😪

Dear Bjork, When this album was released I tried to listen and embrace it, but it just didn't click with me and couldn't get past the sound of your voice. I also tried listening to your previous band, the Sugarcubes and as much as I wanted to like it, I couldn't. I realize your music has put Iceland on the global radar as a hotbed for cultural talent, so I feel I should give your music another try and thanks to this 1001 albums challenge I'm having another listen. Sorry, this still doesn't do anything for me, I'm trying to be open-minded, but I just don't care for it. You deserve the accolades you have received because you are clearly talented and unique and you have a dedicated and passionate fan-base so you are truly doing something special. I promise i will try again in maybe...30 years (or sooner), so thank you for your music. Sincerely yours, TDIT

This wasn't bad....for a couple of songs. After that, her voice just grated on me and the music seemed to meander.

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

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

I remember listening to this back when I was in my twenties and not liking it at all. After that I kept away from Björk’s work so I want expecting to like it but to my surprise this is very good! Only didn’t like that plane song which is kinda cringe but it’s a great work overall

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

7.2

Prefs: Human Behaviour, Crying, Venus as a Boy, Big Time Sensuality, One Day, Aeroplane, Come To Me, Violently Happy Moins pref: Like Someone In Love

Not for me

please stop giving me Bjork albums

A lot of hype over a couple alright songs

Did not really get this album.

So nice that someone finds the uniqueness of Bjork and shares with the world.

Muy radical, extremo.

Great sounds, totally unique voice and composition

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]

Iconic, still sounding fresh from ‘93

Круто!

Not a fan

Bjork sounds like a word I would use to describe this music

Enjoyable, I like Bjork's voice, it's a nice counterpoint to all the baby voiced female singers of the modern era. She sings like she really means it. She isn't afraid to leave gaps in the music and let the emotion in her voice fill it in.

Classic

Love love love love love.

Nahezu perfektes Debut. Clubbig ist’s geworden und sagenhaft gut gealtert. Massive Attack klingt mal durch, aber auch spätere Blur Genetik („Human Behaviour“) wird vorweggenommen. Einziges Björk Album, das ich mag, dann aber so richtig. 4.4

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.

Liked the Scandinavian bits there but every track sounds like some experiments.

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!

She belongs in her own genre. There were a lot of interesting things going on without ever straying to far into weirdness for its own sake. Lot of fun and a pretty incredible creative effort. One or two duds that keep this out of 5 star territory for me but it's pretty close.

Teilweise genial, teilweise nervig (Stimme), teilweise billiger Dancekack

All the good things

Pretty good! Never knew what to expect from Björk but this was enjoyable!

This is my third bjork album now and I am getting really tired of hearing them. I have no idea why they are on this list once, let alone three of them. Hopefully there's not a fourth. No recognized songs

it's Bjork. you can't not like it

Maybe just not in the mood for this sound when I was listening to it.

17th December 2021 Listened in the morning and finished off on a walk to safeway in vancouver before we went to lizzie and Andy's wedding. Etherial and magical, bjork is a real one of a kind.

never heard an album before where the singer holds vowel sounds for so long

2021-12-16

Not really my scene but she has a beautiful voice

I don't think so. Sorry Bjork.

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.

I remember a lot of singles, she was very vogue at the time. Album is very good, it’s still a test of time even in 2021 it still sounds pretty good and fairly modern.

electronic sound. Human behavior good song, upbeat, dance type beats.

Dieses Jahr schon im Rahmen der Björk Week gehört, vermutlich mein Fav von ihr.

Fun

Quite good but not my style. I appreciate it for what it is but I'm probably not coming back to it much.

Not her best but a very good album.

I've listened to this album many times already. It's still her third best album though.

A personal favorite.

Yes! Björk is my favorite solo artist of all time and while this isn't my favorite record of hers it's still an excellent debut

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?

Bjork was weird.

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

not really for me.

I did not dig it at all

Not for me.

Hi: Venus As a Boy, Violently Happy Lo: There's More to Life Than This Charming and sassy, this breakout Sugarcube front lady's signature other-worldly breathy vocals and driving beats or crooning orchestras or whatever else Bjork feels like throwing at you, because she do what she want. It's those curveballs that make Bjork's catelog so diverse and interesting, even almost 30--*THIRTY*-- years later.

Already on my favorites list

Wasn’t my vibe.

Niezbyt podoba mi się jej głos (szczególnie chrypka i załamania głosu). Bardzo oryginalne i nietypowe, ale totalnie nie w moim typie.

I always thought Bjork was for pretentious gilmore girl fans, but this was a really nice album. Now I think I may be the pretentious one here.

Loved it. Junk was so weird. That track with all the spacial effects was wild.

2 stars for creativity

Love it when an album opens up with an absolute ripper. Still sounds fresh, quite a feat (except for some of those club beats maybe). Beautiful, powerful, creative songs an excellent album.

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.

First song was a strong start, but after that is unfortunately missed the mark for me. Extremely has that 90s sound which didn't age well. Lots of songs to me were filler and not very interesting. Obviously Bjork really comes into her own with later albums, but it's a fine debut but nothing like the later works.

6/10

Average album

2/5 not really my cup of tea

Ooh! Was a bit nervous for this one (despite really liking Vespertine) but was digging most of the tracks. I didn't really know she had a bit of a dance/electropop feel. I honestly can't find a particular "fault" with this album, but I also can't quite give it a 5 just based on enjoyment / merit. Regardless, this is a pretty damn good first album.

Masterpiece

I've had this CD since it came out in 1993 and I listened to it quite often back in the day. It was fun to get reacquainted with it after at least a decade. I love its creativity with styles, genres, instruments, and so on. I love a pop song with prominent timpani drums, and I've always loved the sound and feel of "Human Behaviour." I always liked the way "There's More to Life Than This" sounds as it's described on the CD, "Recorded live at the Milk Bar toilets." "Big Time Sensuality," though, was my favorite song on the album, if not the year 1993, and I played it over and over. It's different to review an album you've already been in love with. I was so glad to spend some time with it again today!

I have very limited familiarity with the music of Björk. This was a real treat! The variety of musical styles made for a very interesting and fun listening experience!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! This is so great! Listening to this just felt really good. Loved every track but special shout-out to Human Behavior, Like Someone in Love, and Big Time Sensuality. So good! Eleven stars out of five. ***********

I had only a vague recollection of Björk when this came up, so I was excited to check DEBUT out. I loved "Human Behavior" - especially the drumbeats that drive it. Definitely have heard this song before and liked it. "Crying" seemed familiar as well, so now I'm starting to wonder if I have heard this before, but I liked the song. "Venus as a Boy" is great! One of my favorites on the album. Such a lush and interesting song. "There's More to Life Than This" had a great beat and some fun backup vocals. I loved the live thing, then in the middle when a door slams and she sounds like she's off singing in some other room. The harp song "Like Someone in Love" was very interesting and sweet. A lush song that sounds both modern and classic. "Big Time Sensuality" sounds like a dance track, with a very unusual lyrical accompaniment. I particularly noted how cohesive the song is despite the music and the lyrics at times feeling like they are coming from two different worlds. Great song! I liked the rest of the album except “The Anchor Song”. In my worst-case scenario I feared the album might have all been like this, but fortunately this was the only one. Otherwise I really enjoy the mix of electronic and traditional instruments that this album brings together. Björk has created a unique, eclectic, largely listenable album. Amazing, fun, unique!

Couple of songs

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.

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

Debut by Björk (1993) Dazzlingly eclectic and playful instrumentals and arrangements over snappy dance beats carry lame lyrics, anti-melodies and pop-ish vocals across the finish line on this relatively cool album. But the attempted cover of Johnny Burke’s “Like Someone In Love” reveals the serious limitations of Björk’s voice. Shoulda left this one off the record. “Violently Happy” is lyrically fascinating, but spoiled by a melody stuck on the fifth. Makes me want to grab one. As for the rest of the Björk’s vocals, well, it’s not Cyndi Lauper. 2/5

I always thought Bjork was hard to listen to, like her music just was just like. interesting but not easy to enjoy casually. This was really fun tho!

It's all about Bjork. The first show from the Icelandic artist

Could this be one of the best debut albums of all time? I wouldn't be surprised. Just so strong from the start ('Human Behaviour' is still a masterpiece) and it continues throughout.

Meh

I put this record on to do dishes and cook dinner. It played through twice and I didn’t stop dancing. (I skipped Like Someone in Love the second go-round. ) Good stuff that I had completely forgotten about. How could I forget about Björk, a defining artist of my generation? I’m putting this back into my rotation. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.

Love the jazz and trip hop influences. I find her music incredibly interesting but not always pleasing. Don’t miss Play Dead, a single “from this album,” but not released until the bonus track version. That and Anchor Song are my favorites.

Just not a fan

Enjoyed this when released, but realise now that I was just skipping through to the singles. Overall musically more accessible than her other material, but still only good for the singles.3 out of 5

Love some of her stuff but not all.

Love it.

A joy to listen to this album in full again after having a few on various playlists.

Really enjoyed this one, quite unlike anything I've heard before

still not for me, it´s special though

For me, the rating for Debut:Post:Homogenic used to be "3:4:5", and I had not listened to Debut for 25 years or so. I still think Homogenic is stronger, but Debut sounded fresh and was much better than I had expected (even without the 5* bonus track Play Dead)

Brilliant debut album. Unique voice, great production and arrangement, good songs throughout, lots of variation. Loved it.

-I can tell she has influenced the music I listen to today -Liked the layering of sounds in her songs -Liked the first 3 songs on the album

I was extremely fond of Bjork's Vespertine, so I was looking forward to what she'd do here on her first album. I will say that her compositions are beautifully arranged with an eye for fantastic production. She is one-of-a-kind in what she is creating and I think that's fantastic. There is a particularly interesting bit in live track There's More to Life Than This where Bjork seemingly takes the microphone offstage to the back and continues to sing along to the now-muffled instrumental. before going right back out. Incredible! Although I don't love this as much as I loved Vespertine, I think Debut is a great record. Deserving of a place on the list, no doubt.

I lost interest halfway through.

Sounds like a whale being raped

love the 90s dance vibes when they turned up, but she's fucking annoying isn't she.

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.

She was surprisingly dull when I saw her live. Big costume, but just didn't do anything for me on the day. I was hot and hungover in Barcelona though. Much better here. If it was a footballer, it'd be Jack Grealish. Pretty good, but I'd imagine very annoying. Incredible calves.

Дебют даёт понять, что нас ждёт еще большее раскрытие потенциала этой уникальной певицы. Альбом получился экспериментальным, шероховатым, и образ на обложке с приглушённым оттенком это идеально демонстрируют.

Видно наличие начинки, но альбом не зашёл. Раскатистое обособленное от музыки пение и некоторые другие идеи имеются

Обычно Бьорк я не слушаю, но это интересный и, в целом, приятный альбом. Разнообразие стилей, и джаз, и трип-хоп, и электроника. Доволен прослушиванием

House tracks + bjork's patent singing. Great listen, but gets a bit repetitive and old by the end.

Must have been some interesting drugs involved.

I have heard several tracks from Björk, but I'm not sure if I've ever listened to a full album. I liked this album. I have listened to the opening track "Human Behaviour" several times, and it is my favorite track from the album. There are some tracks that get a little distracting (the harp on "Like Someone in Love", and other tracks that feel lik they are a little dated (e.g. "One Day"), but I wouldn't say that I disliked anything from this album. This album has room to grow on me, but with this first listen I don't think it was enough to round up to a full 4 stars.

A great debut that starts off strong and fades as the album wears on. Bjork was at the forefront of electronic music in the 90's, but the album devolves into softer tones in the later tracks. Overall, a good album but it feels a bit disjointed relative to her later work.

it was alright, some of it was really fun to like lowkey dnace to but overall kinda strange

One of the few albums I'll ever increase a rating *because* of the vocals, because Björk is one of the most unique vocalists I've ever heard. This would simply be a completely different - and likely boring - album if any other person in the world was the vocalist. Hard to describe - it's not just her voice, it's in the way she sings the songs in a manner that's at times arrhythmic or disjointed, as if it were layered on top of the music as a separate entity. Which sounds like it wouldn't work, but it completely does. The music itself is mildly interesting and might not be on its own but after many listens (and to be fair I did have this album when it was released, so there have been many listens!) the music seems to become part of Björk. Meaning I can't imagine it not being joined at the hip with her vocals - it all just fits. I'm neither much of a dance nor electronic music aficionado but again - the voice jumps right out and grabs your ears and never lets go which for me makes this album transcend boundaries. It's unique and for that it's a keeper and worthy of classic status. 8/10 4 stars

Great debut album and definitely original.

really need to listen to more Björk. she and this album are both incredible❤️‍🔥

pretty good ass album. ‘come to me’ was so nice. thanks björk. 4.5

A beautiful voice for a beautiful debut album. Very emotional tone and creative tracks.

I don’t think anyone can deny the talent of Björk. She is truly a great singer and obviously has fans and detractors. When this album was released, she basically poo-pooed the concept of the standard guitar/bass/drums rock band as being past it’s prime. I would argue that any instrumentation can get in a rut, but people have to be willing to experiment before one can say “oh it’s all been done before.” So ultimately, what do we have here? It’s pretty much a dance album with one or two other songs thrown in. Kinda reminds me of what Radiohead was shooting for at one point, but more joyous. I’m just not that big of a fan of techno/dance music, so I don’t think I will come back to this. I appreciate it for what it is, and the significance of this album, but… just not for me.

Listened to it twice. Some stuff cool, some stuff annoying. Respect for her being so different from anything else. Pretty good vocals and lyrics (not afraid to be raw and just out there). Could probably listen to it in the background all day without noticing it much, music kind of melodic. But I'm not going to ask anyone to put it on for me.

This is probably my 4th or 5th favorite Bjork album but it's still great. A nice variety of style but some of it does sound a little dated. The songs get re-worked a bit live and don't sound that way. "Human Behavior" and "Venus as a Boy" are probably my favorites. I always liked the production in "There's more to life than this" when she leaves the club.

I bought this when it came out based on liking the song Human Behaviour. My original reaction was that I didn't like the rest and even returned it (my local CD store allowed you to return an opened CD if you simply didn't like it. Needless to say, they had to watch out for people who abused this policy). My reaction re-listening to it now many years later is that I appreciate it a bit more, but still wouldn't buy it (if that were still a thing). I think the problem is that too many songs follow the same formula - a good beat that repeats over and over accompanied by Bjork's unusual singing. That's all well and good, but gets a little old. I give it a solid 3.

Expertly assembled and a great show for a debut album. Very gay which isn’t a bad thing.

Some good songs, some didn't do it for me - like Big Time Sensuality. The song from the Leon movie soundtrack "Venus as a boy" is class.

This is half good and half just weird. Not good weird either. Just weirdness for the sake of being weird.

Soft 4 stars. Very interesting... almost every track was a different style. Some songs like the anchor song are growers, while a track like human behavior is an obvious hit. The album remains strong unlike some on this list that fade away into repetition on the second half

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

Debut is a quality album which does not quite reach the artistic and creative heights of Björk’s later work but shows the direction of travel. Björk is one of the greatest artists working in music and possesses an incredibles singing voice - the vocal range, control and passion is unmatched and she reminds me of great jazz singers of the past - and whilst not associated with jazz she can still sell a jazz standard like ‘Like Someone in Love’. Her voice elevated the electronic pop/ house genre on Debut to something more than music danced to in clubs.

This was a very interesting album to listen to, and it took about 3-4 times through it to appreciate it. Chaotic but good music, soulful vocals. Way out of my normal listening genres. 3.8/5

This is a hard one to rate, especially with so little time to sit with it. The first half was inconsistent for me, but everything from One Day to the end was fantastic. I think it will just barely earn its fourth star for me, but really this album is done a disservice by trying to take it all in for one sitting/one day. But oh well, time marches on.

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.

The debut album of Björk with eclectic pop songs like she already made with the Sugar Cubes. The material and performance matured and Nellee Hooper also added some dance elements. Very impressive record!

Sounds like a MTV version of Kate Bush. I quite enjoyed.

A stunning debut. Venus as a boy is a song for the ages.

It’s good, but it’s not one of her best. Some strange moments.

It was a fine album, didn’t really remember much from it

Also now checking out The Sugarcubes.

Banger

Bjork is weird I'll be honest. There is some really interesting stuff happening. Felt like Bjork took me places, one minute we are in a city street, the other in a bar down town. Then I'm like in her apartment, just Bjork and myself, and she's slamming around a tambourine. Did I fall in love with her? probably so. It's a dope album and is going to get another few listens for sure.

Didn't like at the time but so now

I’d forgotten all this album. Great songs

Tunes excellent, voice grates a bit but enjoyable enough

Not really my cup of tea, but original for sure.

offbeat and interesting as bjork always is. Surprised by the toned down parts - almost fiona apple-ey. The show tuney parts though. Some annie lenox overtones. A little throwback to 60s/70s bond film music. Solid

Not a huge fan. One or two songs I could listen to, but mostly too discordant and screechy for my taste.

3.5

Not really my style. Songs are interesting. Favourites: "There Is More to Life Than This", "Like Someone In Love", "Play Dead"

Classic.

She's great!

Actually liked this. not my taste but a good listen

Creative

verfrissend

Fun listen, would definitely purchase the LP at the right price.

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.

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.

appreciate the artistry just wasn’t for me

A treat of an album. There are dichotomous moments of Bjork's perspective in the lyrics: some that feel so personal and directed, and then others so grand and larger than life. "There's More to Life Than This" exemplifies that dichotomy perfectly. An album that flips between techno-pop and avant-garde poetry shouldn't work as well as this does; it's fun, bolstering and beautiful, much like Bjork herself.

How she sings is so bloody annoying

It’s definitely an interesting listen. Definitely not casual listening, but it’s very unique. Overall I think the music was good, but the weird noises detracted from it.

Already heard this before, but a well done album

This is great, a party album. theres even a part where it sounds like she's walks out of a house party. No one sings like Bjork

Some good songs, nice instrumentals but a bit too niche for me

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.

Haven't listened to them before but was pleasantly surprised; her voice isn't my favorite, but she's very talented...wouldn't mind digging into her work more

Had no idea how comforting this music would be

At times bizarre, other times danceable. Thought this would be much worse than it is, but honestly, it's not terrible. However, don't plan to listen ever again.

Never like Bjork that much

Upbeat and dancy

Good for dancing! Liked the fast songs more than the slow ones. Just the right amount of weird

Not as good as I remembered when it first came out.

ive only listened to Post maybe 2 months ago and loooooved it so much. sadly I only sort of liked a couple songs from this one :(

What a journey! Some very exciting moments in here and I could listen to her voice any day of the week. She’s a master of playfulness and does things on this record that I wouldn’t have dreamed of. I’m tempted to give it a 4 because it’s such a breath of fresh air but it’s not my particular brand of vodka so I won’t. Really wonderful though.

false

Cover albuma je predivan, prvi album Bjorkice je dobar, nije kao njeni ostali albumi: Homogenic ili Vespertine, ali je tu.

I am sorry, I just can't handle Bjorks voice, it drives me crazy. Some good music played on this album, but then she sings!!!!!!! 2 stars

Kind of liked a few songs. Others were weird, like "There's more to life than this".

Not my kind of music. But also I'm not in the mood for this kind of music at the moment.

Couldn't really get through it. I sort of get why she's so loved but I think there's enough experimental music and breadth of genre now as compared to when this was released that it's not as revolutionary

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.

I think one or two of the songs drag on a bit towards the end, but the sound still feels pretty fresh, and it's hard to dislike the artist that inspired most of the music I listen to. Also Bjorks voice is interesting af, it's a nice mix of feeling ethereal and then occasionally she comes in with these guttural growls.

Hot damn. There is something so pure about Bjork's music -- a mix of percussion, and melody fueled by vocals. All of it feels like its walking a tightrope between really profound music and a total garbage fest, and I could see either opinion being totally valid. I really liked this album, and although it's probably not a crowd pleaser I think everyone should listen if they have the time.

Legendary

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!

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.

Big Time Sensuality is a banger Venus as a boy is alright Come To Me is not bad The rest kinda sucks, sorry 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.

Very impressive, more danceable than I was expecting, bouncy good fun.

Crying Venus as a Boy Theres More To Life Than This Aeroplane

Fun beats but not a fan of her voice

Viel besser hörbar als gedacht. Man kann nachvollziehen, wieso das Album so gehypt ist!

Ich hatte das anspruchsvoller erwartet. Kommt in Teilen ja schon so ein bisschen provokant diskomäßig daher. Aber auch leicht uns ironisch. Also gutes album

Ok, this was better than I expected. Maybe Tom Waits hurt so much that it lowered the bar.

What is undoubtedly one of Bjork's more approachable efforts, this album showed a brief glimpse into the uniqueness of her efforts to come.

Surprisingly pleasant

Nunca tinha ouvido nada desta jovem, nem sabia para o que ia. A cantora islandesa pelo que entendo conjuga o ritmo eletrónico com com a sua voz que se enquadra mais numa música pop, algo que na sua genese faz lembrar o Dummy dos Portishead, mas na execução tem nada a ver. Para não dizer que o álbum dos Portishead é muito superior. Entendo o porquê de ser um dos álbuns a ouvir antes de morrer, é algo muito único. No entanto é chato de se ouvir, parece que estou a ir a uma discoteca nos anos 2000. No geral é algo diferente e tem o seu valor, mas não me obriguem a ouvir isto novamente. A melhor música do álbum é o Human Behaviour. Nota:4/10 06/06/2024

Love it

I like some of her stuff but i've never been a fan. I only enjoyed a couple of tracks on this album.

Tried, honestly tried but it's just shite.

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

Decent listen

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

Lovely wjork

Nice album. It's playful and fun art-pop. And it just feels good overall, even if it may not be as sophisticated as her later work.

Great album, still holds up today in my opinion

Helemaal niet wat ik verwacht had. Leuke tonen, een fascinerende stem.

Atypische electro-pop. Ik kende wel een paar liedjes en al bij al een goed album

Catchy, but also weird.

Couldn’t get into it at first (singles aside) but tried again cooking dinner. Enjoyed it much more. Very good - liked the toilet song, especially.

7

This doesn't feel like an album as much as a collection. She covers a lot of ground here. Still, for the most part, I liked it.

Brilliant. Can’t think of many better DEBUTS

meh

All the bangers. Didn’t realise they were all off of one album. A bit annoyed it’s taken me this long to listen to a Bjork album in full, especially this one.

Me likey

Very enjoyable. the singles are fantastic. I didn't have time to enjoy all of it, though. But I have this on vinyl.

I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of Bjork, but I enjoyed this album and respect the creativity/originality and her identity as an artist. This is also a landmark album for the entire electronic music genre in terms of permeating the mainstream. 7.5/10

Great to finally listen to this album from start to finish. Very eclectic.

Loved this. Not listened in full before despite seeing her live twice and moaning about the lack of early stuff.

Fine. Didn't do it for me.

A generous 7 rounded up

Closest to a 5 so far....4.5!!

Years since I listened to this (on tape probably). Stands up very well all in all and was good to listen to the less known songs again.

really good fun. only heard the singles at the time. Couple of duds but 7/10.

for some reason I was obsessed with this album when I was like 15 and forgot about it until now. really fun to listen to and honestly sounds timeless. 9

Pretty fun! Loved her voice. A 7 or 8 for me

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.

A little too obscure for me

Loved it

Debut is definitely showing its age, but it does contribute more to the Bjork playlist I have than her more recent works. Big Time Sensuality was remixed a bunch and is pretty evocative of house music at the time- simple repeating baseline and then some woman singing some nonsense over it. Human Behaviour is my favorite track, Vesus as a Boy was used in Luc Besson's Leon.

First (partial) listen was meh, but 2nd listen was much better and I digged it :)

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

Liked this a lot more than I remembered liking it at the time.

5. Started out pretty good, but not much to recomend it after that

Doesn't have the same affect as Sugarcubes for me, and listening 27 years later feels like there are 100 albums that have mimicked it more successfully.

Great stuff, side 2 especially

Una de les artistes més sobrepreuades de les últimes décades. Potser va sorgir en el moment adequat, l'estèril de mitjans dels 90 després de la bogeria grunge, però sembla m'ha semblat que està molt lluny de les lloances generades. 'Human Behaviour' és un bon tema, tot s'ha de dir

Voz llena de sentimiento. Variedad de instrumentos. Pop sin extravagancias. Un tanto experimental. No me ha gustado especialmente.

It surprised me it was very experimental in places, straightforward in others. Surprised by the amount of dance music in it.

Interesting

Rare

The more I listen to it, the more I like it. Vocals end up being charming and not too harsh to listen to, while her songwriting and musical vision are strong. I'd say 8 right now but it may bump up even more if I listen to more Bjork.

Vocals are distinct with sometimes jarring rhythms. Can tell the dance vibe and given the period, the percussion could use a reboot but has a dance hall sound to some of the tracks. I could listen to a few tracks more for sure. I can see why there is large following.

Bjork’s debut solo album was definitely ahead of its time. Some of the songs have rhythms more akin to a club, then you’re sent to a new age Enya, then back to a psychedelic rock a la Jefferson Starship’s White Rabbit. For a bunch of songs that don’t seem like they’d fit together, they do.

so unique and diverse fave song - there’s more to life than this

A techno album with a song featuring a harp? Gutsy. Doesn't pull it off, though.

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.

c'est doux

Ouff... Je sais qu'elle est considérée comme une grande artiste, mais sérieux... C'est le genre d'affaire qui me stress à mort! La voix les beats.. Pas pour moi :/ J'aurai essayé!

Tasty as tubed squid

Infumable. No entiendo la fama de esta chica. Un tostón de aquí te espero.

Je voulais améliorer mes connaissances musicales, mais cet album ne manquait clairement pas à ma culture. C'est juste pas écoutable! Mon hit: Le bouton skip

I don’t like the dance beats at all. Sounds Sounds like a tik tok wanna be singer belting over the macarena at times. Not good. But not as terrible as some other stuff we’ve heard. Tries too hard to be experimental and “artistic.”

such an interesting song writer. a great fusion of jazz, pop, avant-garde, and dance/club sounds

Quite interesting but not my cup of tea. 5/10

Nice album. First album I listened to by Björk. Much less electronic than her newest stuff. Feels more woodsy. Björk has a voice that is hard to get used to because it can sound very strainy or like her English is not natural. Almost alien like but once u understand that it’s fire

Cool, dark vibes

Not my style.

I unfortunately respect it more than i enjoy it. It has some very creative and experimental swings amidst a few wonderful songs.

I was expecting weird Björk, but this album was more conventional. It was even ... danceable.

Björk: 1993 Debut: I was fucked up listening to it. Not bad.

First couple of songs are pretty good, but alot of it blends together and seem pretty same-y

always three steps ahead

Meh

whew🥵

Classic, but Post is better. Human behaviour bops!

Smart, if moderately pretentious.

Listening to Bjork is like hanging out with a mentally unstable friend and it’s always made me uncomfortable

Abstract avant-guard meets “Ross’s Sound” from Friends.

Love, love, love this album. One of my favorites by Bjork and have listened to it for decades.

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

Fav: Venus as a Boy, Like Someone in Love, Come to Me, The Anchor Song

mooooi

Not horrible, not spectacular. But most importantly, not for me.

Bjork is cool, I feel like I didn't really pay attention to this though

Not interested.

A bit too dissonant for my taste, but when that dissonance converged, the payoff was fantastic.

Can hear so much Robyn, Rosin Murphy, Kimbra etc. Loved Crying and Play Dead is absolute perfect closing track - what a voice

good quriky mood. impossible not to listen to. try on a walk

Very fun album, I absolutely loved Björk's vocals in this record.The instrumentals where good, I preferred the first half of the album rather than the second.

3

Not bad at all. Have heard many things about her but never really get music. There were some great songs on this album

a real London record! it's fun to think of bjork as a hot young thing running around the city, maybe saying "fuck John Major" to anyone who will listen. fav track: like someone in love

Nao gostei da voz meio insegura

Music was good, voice more like upset cat

Stone cold classic. Bring on the new shit!

Super funky. Had some really cool bright spots, but more of the album was 'weird' then good listening.

Great beats, interested to hear other things produced by her. But the singing and lyrics aren't for me.

A bit strange for me, but great early electro pop!

I just started... I am nervous. I mean, it's just not my sound. I will say, \"Big Time Sensuality\" has that 90s disco vibe that slaps. But, I would be okay (and I know Jonah would, too), if I didn't hear Bjork for a long while.

Very good.

A classic I loved revisiting.

There's more life than this beautifully sums up this album which is a discordant mess. Terrible voice. Weird. 1 star. Fucking terrible album

What a powerhouse of a debut album! Every song is good, and there's such a wide range of sounds and styles. Some songs have a disco feel to them, like Big Time Sensuality. 4/5

Tolle Stimme, aber die Art und Weise, wie sie benutzt wird, kommt bei mir nicht an. Irgendwas mit Katzen und Jammern. Schade!

Classic Bjork. Unusual but a great listen.

Boo

Et specielt album. Meget elektronisk og nogle spændende numre. Et par mærkelige numre også og nok ikke lige et jeg kommer til at høre igen