This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver. It was first self-released in July 2007, and later saw wide release on the Jagjaguwar label in February 2008. The album is principally the work of singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. While living in Raleigh, North Carolina, Vernon fell ill with mononucleosis and a liver infection, and grew frustrated with his songwriting and life. He left Raleigh and drove to his father's remote hunting cabin an hour northwest of his hometown, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, hoping to be alone. The album was recorded at the cabin between late 2006 to early 2007. Vernon abandoned his old songwriting methods and instead focused on wordless melodies that he later set to words, which he felt evoked a more subconscious meaning. The record's lyrical subjects include lost love and mediocrity. His folk-infused songs include heavy choral arrangements, featuring Vernon's falsetto, and horns. He hunted his own food and spent much of his time isolated. Though he did not intend to make an album, he received strong encouragements from friends and decided to self-release For Emma, Forever Ago in July 2007. After several performances and online exposure, he was signed to Jagjaguwar later that year. For Emma, Forever Ago attracted wide acclaim from music critics, achieving a spot on dozens of end-of-the-year lists, as well as several awards. It became a major commercial success for Jagjaguwar, an independent label, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of over one million units. "Skinny Love" became the album's best-performing single and also went gold. Vernon gathered together several musicians to form a band to tour with. The album's touring cycle lasted two years, ending in late 2009, and visited several countries and music festivals worldwide. In 2020, it was ranked 461 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest albums of all time.
What an absolute beauty this debut album is. I am convinced the subsequent albums are more impressive from an innovation standpoint, but this is sheer pleasure. Great laidback folk songs with fantastic melodies, tantalising vocals and impressive instrumentation.
Sad man is sad
One of my favorite albums and absolutely missing from the original list. There's not a bad song on the album and the introspection and vocal passion of his delivery is among the best. Though the lyrics are difficult to decipher in places, i'll just embrace the mystery.
I’ve heard some Bon Iver and liked him, and when I pulled this up in Apple Music saw a VERY long write up for this album. I read that before listening, and it recommended putting on some headphones… which I did. I loved this album. Really impressive and hard to believe someone in such a state holed up in a cabin in the north woods came up with this… then again it makes sense too. Really wonderful.
The first and best album of Bon Iver is one that has its unique stylings make a lasting impact in an album less than 40 minutes. When this first came out it really changed the indie music landscape. I’m shocked this wasn’t on the original list. The melancholic sounds with the auto tune vocals created a mystifying listen that still resonated today. It’s really one of the best albums from the 2000s. A must listen. 8.9/10
Someone gave my wife a burned CD of this in its word of mouth phase, before it really broke through. I recall I liked it well enough but wasn't over the moon, and took the lyrical side to be kind of mumbly word salad. It turned out to be a slow burn for me though. As a flyover state former country boy myself the origin lore has always amused me a little - how it glosses over the fact that having access to a plumbed and wired family cabin on tens of acres of land is pure economic privilege, or that its remoteness is pretty relative in terms of how we reckon distances in these parts - its not like a bar, restaurant meal or throwing in a few loads of laundry at Mom and Dad's house would have required more than a drive millions of Americans wouldn't blink at as a commute. For all that, there is a sense of isolation, and transformation, that is undeniable. I came around as a full partisan on it (I like most of the rest of Vernon's catalog very well too) and I think in its genre it's the best of its decade - a true album, carefully composed, not a speck of filler in it, bookended by and shot through with absolute bangers. Staying truly independent in the face of what must have been avid courting by the major labels tips it into the realm of the greats for me.
The user list has been dropping some heaters recently; I’d say this is worthy for main list contention at this point. Just like that pop punk album hit the spot for just having fun, this one hits the spot for making me very very sad.
This album is just magical. The high pitch vocals take you to another world.
I'm not a fan of Bon Iver's work after this album (what I've heard of it anyway), but this album I absolutely love. Especially the song For Emma, it's so beautiful. My daughter's name is Emma, so the song makes me emotional for that reason as well as the pure beauty of the song. 4 stars.
"I don’t know, but White Butler’s really into it." - Maya Rudolph as Beyonce. https://youtu.be/ELXbZsYHhpQ?si=l8iP5fp1tIdpseJg&t=294 If you get that reference, first of all, you're my people, but second, you'll understand how I feel about most Bon Iver albums and tracks. Talk about sticking to your style. It's the dictionary definition of white people music. Every song sounded like the last. Not horrible, by any means, and I was somewhat surprised when I recognized a couple of tracks. This is the epitome of a 3 star album on my scale. 1 star = absolutely terrible. No redeeming qualities. 2 star = not my jam/style, decent, but nothing to hook me at all. 3 star = I actually liked a couple of elements/songs, but likely would not re-listen again 4 star = would re-listen again, really liked it 5 star = all-time great, historically significant, etc.
I’ve never really cared about Bon Iver and I continue to not do so
I never got the hype with this artist.
Didn't I just review and slag these guys off a few days ago? Nah, I checked and it was ages ago. This is just kinda nothing. It is most definitely up its own arse, but where it might be pretentious, it's not super arrogant. It's a bit too miserable for that. It IS pretty bland, though. 2/5.
Yup Nice choice 5
Probably in my top 10 albums oat
Thanks for introducing me to this immaculate album 18 years ago, Bob Erickson
Modern classic!
Can’t believe this wasn’t on the original list. Absolute masterpiece of an album.
Who is Emma to have inspired such a collection of soft, beautiful songs? I don't actually want to know.
A real game changer, much like Fleet Foxes, to recalibrate the 2000s against the pop garbage of the late 90s.
Very calm and peaceful. Easy to listen to.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Skinny love, Blindsided
Aughts folksy indie with beautiful lyrics.
Quite nice and more accessible than his more recent work.
Putting the bon in bon iver
Beautiful album, where it all began for Bon Iver. Guy retreats into the woods with mono and heartbreak, records a brilliant record that kinda changes the world. First few listens, "Skinny Love" is the best. Years down the road, "Re: Stacks" will hit you like a freight train. Shout out to Bon Iver man, amazing catalog all the way through. Thank you to whoever picked this! 4.5/5
It's actually hilarious that this is his worst album. Did not expect that when I first heard it. It's amazing. It's just... A bit simple compared to everything that followed!
Not as good as contemporary reviews (and my memory) would have suggested, but a solid fragile Americana effort. A little more variation of sound, style and dynamic range would have been nice.
Never really bothered with Bon Iver, and if I'm honest I only know a few songs of theirs because of Kina Grannis, Imaginary Future and Kate McGill, like "Re: Stacks". There's some good stuff on the album. Generally easy listening, some simple guitar and peaceful vocals.
Pretty good debut album. The kinda indie folk bullshit I like. Still Bon Iver has never really gelled with me to absolutely love it. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Slight yes.
Beautiful sad songs
Not usually a singer-songwriter fan, but there's enough going on here to elevate this one against my tastes. The orchestration (and acoustic guitar especially) reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel, and the LP contains some surprising punches of dynamic contrast that piqued my interest. The slower, more ballad-like tracks still drag interminably as they tend to do on albums like this, but Vernon injects enough personal flair and instrumental elements to keep things as exciting as they could be
This was the longest album I have ever heard, which is quite a feat considering it's only 37 minutes long. It was fine, if a bit one note and glum. Fave Songs: For Emma, Creature Fear, Flume, Lump Sum
I’ve started to get into his works in the last little bit. However this one hasn’t grabbed me as much as some of the others.
Yea, real nice.
It was nice, but not really my bag
Some worthwhile stuff to sift through but a bit whiney and aimless.
Better than the other Bon Iver album on here, but I'm still not really sold on them. Justin Vernon is only behind two layers of autotune as opposed to eight hundred on "22, A Million" on here, so that's a plus. Still no idea why he chooses to do that when his voice is completely fine. Songwriting is fine, the beginning and end are quite strong, but something is missing and I can't really put my finger on it. It's just not very interesting. In one ear, out the other kind of thing. 3/5.
The vocals remind me of TV on the Radio, but there's something just a little bit too lackadaisical about this whole thing, which may be the point, but it's just not for me.
Indie folk, alt-country, country folk, ambient. Aburrido. Un 2.
Don’t get him / them. Should like it.
This must be some millennial thing that I'm too Gen X to understand. It's moderately inoffensive background pap, sung in a ludicrous falsetto. Fits right in with mid 2000s music. That is not a good thing.
I forgot I was listening to something until I remembered...bored to death.