Heavily influenced by classical music, 11 of these tracks use orchestral instumentation of some type or another, Bjork's music is driven by her unique voice, a selection of programmed beats, and the genre of which she studied as a child.

Here's to another 10 years of creativity. I wonder if there will be another Greatest Hits collection at the end of that epoch?

PS: Don't buy Family Tree. While a effort that appears noble in concept, it is simply not worth the price for what is offerred.


Gudmundsdottir's Greatest (4.5 stars)   February 10, 2003
Antonio Robert (Slovakia, Europe)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful

Pounding beats and refreshing electronica, lovely strings and weird sounds that appear just made for her, these are glimpses of special and hard-to-imitate music the artist known as Bjork writes and performs.

When Bjork Gudmundsdottir stormed the music scene in 1993 with her "Debut" album, she immediately became one of the most unique popular artists. Also her style of singing, pronouncing English words and intonation became instantly recognisable, as it already was, in fact, during her previous years with The Sugarcubes.

With each and each new release, the singer/songwriter/instrumentalist/producer brought something new, which made all of her albums great and unlike one another.

Bjork's fans decided via a website poll which songs should be chosen for this collection. Their selection is truly representative, although her most successful single release, "It's Oh So Quiet", is missing, as are pieces from the "Dancer In The Dark" movie -- of which al least the duet with Thom Yorke "I've Seen It All" would fit here nicely.

Anyway, what's here is top quality. From "Debut", here is her first single ever, the haunting "Human Behavior", danceable "Big Time Sensuality", cosmopolitan "Venus As A Boy" and smash cooperation with David Arnold, "Play Dead" (extra track on later release of "Debut").

"Post", released in 1995, ushered in the menacing, yet memorable "Army of Me" and wistful "Hyperballad". Also "Isobel" and "Possibly Maybe" add colours to the varied palette.

From "Homogenic" (1997), we have here symbolic "Joga", euphoric "Bachelorette", the stunning hit "All Is Full Of Love" (great to open this set) and sound-scaping "Hunter", where you can literally hear the drums of the hunters off to catch something.

"Vespertine" (2001) contributed two cuts, enchantingly cold "Pagan Poetry" and pulsing "Hidden Place". The final track, "It's In Our Hands" was first to appear on "Vespertine", but in the end was replaced by "It's Not Up To You" and thus had its place reserved as the only new studio official release for the "Greatest Hits".

To illustrate what Bjork means: in a recent Reader's Digest 30-question poll in Europe, one of the three most frequently correct answer was; from which country the singer Bjork comes. From Iceland, of course.

Her popularity will never bring Iceland that much (in terms of money) as Abba once brought Sweden. But if a singer ever put his/her country more on the map in people's eyes, it's Bjork -- by far the best known Icelander.


Brilliantly Baffling   January 4, 2003
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I first discovered Bjork by buying Vespertine on winter day, after seeing Dancer in the Dark a while ago, and from that day on, I never turned back, enchanted by this woman's voice a buying Homogenic, Selmasongs, and Post so far, all wonderful albums. Only a few songs I didn't like at first hearing, but I listened to the ones I didn't like over and over, and I started to realize all of them were good. I never skip tracks when listening to a Bjork CD.

Yet lookie here, Bjork's Greatest Hits, nothing you have to make yourself like, just a wonderful summary of Bjork's wonderful songs! Though they are drawn from a variety of sources (Debut, Post, Homogenic, Vespertine) which are all completely different, the Greatest Hits album has drawn them all into a cohesive whole.

1. All Is Full of Love

Using the video version, which added more beats and structure, it remains one of Bjork's most elegant, sustained, yet powerful pieces. If you listen to the lyrics you feel better about everything around you.

2. Hyperballad

Yay! Wee! This is the Bjork song I'm most frequently humming to myself, the one that I use to convert new fans. Everyone who has heard this song that I know likes it alot.
Morbid lyrics, but a confident and happy output. Great name, ain't it?

3. Human Behavior

Like something out of West-side-story almost, with finger snapping and catchy melodies. Love it.

4. Joga

A tribute to iceland, the strings in this song last in your head for weeks and weeks. Amazing.

5. Bachelorette

Great lyrics, deservedly one of the most popular of Bjork's songs. Seeing the Utena anime music video of it just made it all the better!

6. Army of Me

Crashing beats, a crashing good time, a perfect moment of righteous anger.

7. Pagan Poetry

My second favourite Bjork song ever. The first time I heard it, I was caught by the raw bass line, the lyrics, her beautiful singing, the harps, and the music boxes. Transcendent.

8. Big Time Sensuality

Really catchy song, one of the few Bjork songs that make me want to get up and dance. (of course, I haven't heard Debut yet, but still.)

9. Venus as a Boy

One of the perhaps maybe a little weaker moments in the album. Interesting lyrics, singing, and orchestration... but doesn't she sound a tiny bit bored while singing this?

10. Hunter

One of my top 5 Bjork songs, with the relentless marching beats and some of Bjork's most powerful singing.

11. Hidden Place

The opening track on Vespertine which got me hooked to her, from the first beats which are so much more complex than anything I've heard and even more complex than any beats from any of her previous albums.

12. Isobel

Gives great, stark imagery. Great to listen to while reading fantasy or something like that. A prelude to bachelorette and a postlude to Human Behaviour, if I'm not mistaken.

13. Possibly Maybe

The least accessible song on this album, but taking the time to listen is worth it. The lyrics will get you in the end. The opening is a little too stick -in your head. It was repeating in my mind over and over and over for quite a while, though it's good, it shouldn't do that. o_O

14. Play Dead

Powerful. Sticks in your head. Too bad it was written for an awful movie, the Young Americans.

15. It's in Our Hands

My favourite Bjork song ever, and the only new song on this album. I heard it first when downloading the Music Video off her site, and I was stunned by the beauty of it. From the beats to the amazingly wise lyrics (Cruelest, almost, always to ourselves, it musn't get any better, it's in our hand, it always was), everything comes together into a most magical whole. If songs like this are in the future of Bjork, I will remain utterly spellbound by her for years to come.

Note: Some tracks from Selmasongs, like I've Seen it All and In the Musicals would have been nice. The ignoring of a great album isn't that nice.

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Extremely worthwile   September 20, 2005
Louise Leggett (Auckland, New Zealand)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

The very first cd i ever bought! Still listening to after a year but unfortounately has a scratch!

1.ALL IS FULL OF LOVE
Actually a remix of the existing track. Lots of ripples of sitar and harp. The beats are very loud and sounds very robotic (just like the video)

2.HYPERBALLAD
Lots of rustling and computer bleeps with climbing strings and morbid lyrics (a cross between classical and seventies disco glam)

3.HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
Very tribal timpanis and electric harp with lots of lyrics about humans being crazy

4.JOGA
Crunching volcanic beats against a planitive string background. Very uplifting lyrics

5.BACHELORETTE
Like joga but more sinister and romantic

6.ARMY OF ME
Kind of like listening to someone fooling around on a synthisiser. Very good.

7.PAGAN POETRY
vespertines harp and music box against bass and clicks with a bjork mantra about lillies.

8.BIG TIME SENSUALITY
A remix of the original but less eclectic and more city/club friendly than the original

9.VENUS AS A BOY.
A nice blend of new age tick tock rythyms against bollywood strings and some strange groaning noise. Listen hard to the lyrics.....

10.HUNTER
Eerie crackles and woozy strings. Creepy. No wonder they used this for this x files soundtrack.

11.HIDDEN PLACE
Kind of like something from HOMOGENIC but more floaty with plenty of choirs and slurpy noises.

12.ISOBEL
Kind of latin,but with a grinding synth starting after the trumpet.Very confusing lyrics

13.POSSIBLY MAYBE
Starts with a phone ringing but then turns into a sort of country lounge thingamajig.

14.PLAY DEAD.
Good for people who dont mind or even like the noise of wailing with clatter and bangs and an orchestra.

15.ITS IN OUR HANDS
My favorite song ever and the most warm song ever. Rice crispies and bells.

If you have just gotten into Bjork then greatest hits a a good place to start. If you are and an old fan than i hope this makes a valuble addition to your collection.

Sicerely

Adam


Bjoerk is not for those of poor taste.   September 17, 2006
Mladen (Croatia)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This is the best of the best of a person I think of as a true artist, one of the few you can find these days. As people say, if you get stuck with Bjoerk, you're not gonna stop, so whoever likes her work is gonna get this album too. I respect her work because she creates music she likes & not the music that global masses are gonna buy. That's the reason the selection for this album was chosen by the fans. Her albums selling in millions worldwide prove that she's not a passing star & that she brings something special to people who appreciate her work & who buy her albums. And those commenting her music as 'for potheads only' prove themselves to be such bad & unthrustworthy advisors who simply shouldn't grade works on such childish impressions. I simply don't believe any of poor comments like those are gonna influence Bjoerk's fans, because she's proven herself an impressive, bold, inovative, brilliant & respected artist ages ago.