20/04/2004

Bjork - avant garde for a pop market

Bjork occupies a unique place in contemporary music: she'd be equally at home performing in an avant garde installation art gallery and in an MTV pop video. Critically credible, immensely popular. A bit like Mozart, then.

Her appeal is based on:

* a unique, haunting, soaring voice - once heard, never forgotten;
* intriguing writing - you really have to listen carefully or you'll miss something important;
* artful musical arrangements - at the crossover between blues-based pop and blues-averse dance/electronica; it challenges poprockists who decided against investigating the dance revolution to reconsider;
* a strong sense of artistic vision which is followed through - in album sleeves, videos, web site, books and, especially, eminently collectable box sets.

Bjork's first two albums, Debut and Post, are probably her strongest. Greatest Hits, from last year, is a wonderful sample of the story so far, with the tracks chosen by fan poll. It's very highly recommended (and, unbelievably, often deeply discounted).

Her innovative record company, Ten Little Indians, frequently shows bigger competitors how to manage the legacy of their important artists by their handling of Bjork. Their release of a 4CD live box set was boldly innovative. The individual CDs are now being issued as all-live versions of each of the first four albums, all compiled from a variety of live concert performances.

I'd guess Bjork's primary fan base is 20-30 year old pop fans, but the artist has such depth that she should be on the must-try list of any serious music fan, of any age.

Bjork: Musician for Grown-Ups? Absolutely: one of the most important of the last quarter century.

Gerry Smith

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