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(More customer reviews)I received Bjork's "Live Box" as a Christmas present for 2004 and was so excited to finally have my hands on it. I had, after all, wanted to own this box set a few months prior to actually owning it. The four CD's contained within it are live versions of Bjork's first four solo studio albums "Debut," "Post," Homogenic" and "Vespertine." It's taken me quite a while to truly appreciate them all as individual sets, but it's been worth it because it is truly an exceptional piece of music to add to any Bjork fan's collection.
The fourth album in the collection is "Vespertine Live," which is my personal favourite from the entire series. Out of the four live albums we have, this is definitely my favourite. I suppose I'm a little biased because Vespertine is far and away my favourite Bjork album and up there as one of the best albums I've ever heard. However, there's something about hearing this album live which sends chills down my spine. Bjork said she didn't want the listener to hear this live music and just feel it directly from the speakers, but she wanted the sound to slowly creep out and envelop them in its warm embrace. She definitely succeeded in her aim, because if you curl up in a ball and listen to this live performance in full then you'll be transported to another realm. Bjork manages to create such a sensual and intimate atmosphere in these songs that you won't want to go anywhere else. There are a total of 16 songs on this live album which were all taken from the Vespertine World Tour which ran from August to December 2001.
The album opens with "Frosti," the cute little music box instrumental which divided the original album. Here it is used to open the show. Bjork gently caresses the hand made music box before moving into "Overture." Taken from the "Selmasongs" album, this is, I suppose, a second intro. The full orchestral section on this song is very powerful and sets the tone completely, before we move into the third song. This is the majestic "All Is Full Of Love." As the song gradually swirls in, Bjork arrives to sing her classic lines of this beautiful masterpiece. This is and always will be one of my favourite Bjork songs ever, and hearing it live is such an overwhelming experience. A complete assault on the emotions. "Cocoon" follows and is so gentle and fragile it could break in the light of day. This version is amazing and almost better than the original. Bjork's character shines through so much especially as she sings "A train of pearls..." The next song is the stunning "Aurora" which is a beautiful piece that opens with the sound effects of crunching snow under foot. Bjork sounds amazing as ever as her vocals rise to the angelic harp that flutters around the set.
"Undo" is next and is such a beautiful live piece. This could very well be the best performance on the album, because it achieves the effect that Bjork was hoping for - hear those opening notes of this song and you can't help but be drawn in. This has always been one of my favourite Bjork songs and credit has to be given to the amazing all-female choir from Greenland. "Unravel" is the second of only two songs from "Homogenic" here, and it fits in beautifully where no other songs from that album would do. This sparse and mournful ballad is short and sweet singing a story of lost love to the Devil. Bjork fans know it, but hearing it live is a complete revelation. "I've Seen It All" is amazing live and receives a generous reception from the audience. Thom Yorke is not here to provide his vocals on his parts so Bjork fills them in. Maybe he wasn't asked to sing them because a male voice might shatter the fragile tenderness of this intimate setting. Who knows.
"An Echo, A Stain" is an amazing song, but this live version is a bit of a letdown for me. The album version is one of my favourite songs ever, but this live version is a bit too sharp for my liking. The electronica can be a bit overpowering at times for me, and this was, in my opinion, the most relaxed and serene song Bjork has ever recorded. "Generous Palmstroke" is a great highlight of this album due to the harp played beautifully by Zeena Parkins. I've not actually heard it many times before so I'm a little unfamiliar with it, but it fits in perfectly here. "Hidden Place" is amazing live. Not quite as structured as the album version, but amazing nonetheless. The intimate audience setting really love this song judging on the reception it receives. The female choir is great here and Bjork weaves her magic web around the arrangement to create something completely enchanting. "Pagan Poetry" is great live and the mixture between hi-tech, electronic blips and crackles with older, more traditional instruments is very appealing. Bjork doesn't sing quite as powerfully as she does on the original which suits the setting much better.
"Harm Of Will" always had one of the best intros to any Bjork song I'd ever heard. The violins are so sweet and fragile that you feel they would bend and break if there was any tension in the room. This beautiful song doesn't feature the 'cut and paste' style of vocals which Bjork achieved on the album version, but works much better for it. "It's Not Up To You" is a song I was obsessed with at one point. When listening to the album, I would keep this on repeat for many times. I love how the song opens up really closed and shut off, before just unfolding and creating this large space, by use of the choir of course. This isn't quite replicated live, but it's just as enjoyable a listen. "Unison" is superb live and proved me wrong when I thought Bjork wouldn't be able to pull this off live. The song has such a gradual build up and I wasn't sure she could achieve it, but she does. The album closes with "It's In Our Hands," which was a brand new song at the time. This song is a bit more alert and upbeat than anything else on the album. Bjork said she enjoyed performing this, because it was almost like she could rock out at the end after performing all these slow - albeit beautiful - songs. This has grown to be one of my favourites on the album. There's a sound like an aeroplane that powers up as the chorus approaches, it's quite incredible.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
I was so impressed with this live album that I went out straight away yesterday and bought the "Royal Opera House" DVD which is Bjork's amazing performance in London opera house of the songs on this CD. I have yet to watch it in its entirety, but I have been very impressed with what I've seen so far. The aim for Bjork's studio albums is to have everything perfectly synchronised and in place to make the most of her stunning music. When everything's in place, it will take your breath away by the second. However, singing the songs live, Bjork breaks them down and allows the listener access to all the little sounds that nestled in the corners of the original songs, but couldn't be accessed because of the album's tight structure. It's like once you heard those little sounds, they were gone because something else had replaced them, such was the complexity of the album. There's a definite acoustic element in these live recordings, which should be respected and commended. If you buy this live album then I suggest you buy the DVD of the concert too, as a sort of companion. Either way, if you love Vespertine then you must own this.
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