There's a fine line between providing a wealth of material for your fans and exploiting their loyalty and devotion. Where that line is drawn is essentially the decision of each individual listener and consumer, but in recent years, a sizeable number of people have no doubt determined that Björk has crossed it. The much-beloved chanteuse seems to release a new box set, compilation, DVD or multi-part single every other month-- and although none of these new products carry malicious intent or are lazily conceived, the eccentricity of some of her releases (particularly the perverse object-fetish box set Family Tree) still seems to have cost her a tiny bit of goodwill.
Ironically, then, a quartet of previously released records-- some of which contain material that has also already appeared on DVD-- is worth the attention of Björk's non-devotees. Originally released last year as a four-disc box (one that included a five-track DVD and a 32-page booklet), Björk's Live series collects the best available recordings from each support tour for her four studio albums. In some cases, those "best available" recordings are either frequently bootlegged or have appeared on DVD, most notably Björk's Unplugged session and her Post-era Shepherd's Bush Empire set. The individual releases allow Björk's more fervent fans who held out rather than re-purchase those recordings to collect the albums they don't already own while presenting the less-devoted with the opportunity to pick and choose from among the selections without committing to purchasing an entire box. (Let's face it, most hardcore Björk fans were going to buy the live box regardless of what it contained.)
The titles are perhaps misleading-- each disc isn't a replication of an album in a live setting; they're simply named to correspond with each tour. For Björk, it's an appropriate approach because each phase of her solo career has had a distinct personality, look, and sound. Most of Debut Live is constructed from the aforementioned Unplugged-- the holdout is the much-circulated and elegant harpsichord version of "Venus as a Boy", from a 1995 appearance on Later with Jools Holland. (The only absent Unplugged track is "Atlantic".) The set is mostly a muted affair in which the newly solo Björk seems hesitant to be the focus. Instead, a multicultural band that includes a pre-fame Talvin Singh on tabla, longtime Björk collaborator Guy Sigsworth, and the underrated Leila Arab take center stage.
The band's patient approach and blend of Eastern folk and jazz suits the holding out for hope of "One Day" and a harp-boosted "Like Someone in Love", although slowed versions of "Big Time Sensuality" and "Human Behavior" drag and seem a bit clenched and stiff. That's a particular disappointment because Björk and her players do manage to loosen the muso, stool-sitting setting on playful, sprightly versions of "Crying" and "Violently Happy". In part because of the restrictions of this setting, Debut Live strays furthest from the studio arrangement, but also contains the weakest selection of songs among the four discs.
Post Live suffers from almost the exact opposite problem: The tracklist and Björk's confidence each improve but this is the least revelatory of these sets (and therefore arguably the least necessary). The majority of the album (nine of 13 tracks) is culled from the 1997 Shepherd's Bush Empire performance, and is filled out by another pair of tracks from the 1995 Jools Holland appearance (an unfortunately tired rendition of "Hyper-Ballad" and a slightly countrified "Possibly Maybe"), a brisk run-through of "I Miss You" from TFI Friday and a playful version of "It's Oh So Quiet", on which Björk's shape-shifting voice threatens to spill into self-parody.
The limited sound and power of the TV appearances are dry to begin with, but really stand out alongside the rest of the material from her kinetic Post tour sets. Blending styles and infusing most of her work with the clang and buzz of German electronic pop, the Shepherd's Bush performances are vital. Even some of the seemingly demure tracks punch above the weight: "Headphones" crackles, yawns and stirs to open the disc, "The Modern Things" mixes the Eastern percussion of the Unplugged set with the buzz of machines, and "One Day" has more clang than it does chops. Once again, however, the disc peaks when the beats are increased-- whether that be on a stirring "Enjoy", the jungle love of "Big Time Sensuality" or feisty, eye-opening readings of "Isobel" and "I Go Humble".
Despite the success of the Shepherd's Bush Empire show, eclecticism and energy need not always be keys to great live performances. The strings and beats of Homogenic Live and the odd cast of characters (Matmos, a harpist, an orchestra, and an Inuit choir) of Vespertine Live seem static on paper but are captivating on record. Mirror images of one another, tracks from the musically warm yet sometimes lyrically coarse Homogenic and Vespertine-- with its cozy sonics and emotional vulnerability-- make up the bulk of their live namesakes.
Recorded with Mark Bell and the Icelandic String Octet, Homogenic Live sees Björk drop the safety net of a traditional pop/rock show. That setting and the sparse arrangements could have left her potentially vulnerable, but she fills any empty space with the full force of her voice-- and does so without the occasional overselling heard on Post Live. The big-reward/small-package approach also greatly improves the sound of Björk's TV performances-- three tracks from a 1997 Jools Holland performance run laps around the ones from two years earlier. In the end, the renditions seem more assured and well-conceived on the later two albums. But alas, a third version of "Anchor Song" was perhaps an unnecessary touch.
As a recording, Vespertine Live is engaging, but as an argument for the rehabilitation of the studio album's reputation, it's downright compelling. With the exception of another awkward solo performance of "I've Seen It All" and a pair of sensual Homogenic tracks ("All Is Full of Love" and "Unravel"), the record is entirely made up of Vespertine-era songs, yet hardly suffers from bulging with what is widely considered Björk's weakest effort. Live, Vespertine's glitch-pop nuances are magnified, the choir is less cloying, and the music box melodies are more embraceable. Having to sell the songs to an audience and force them to connect removes the cocoon from arrangements that otherwise tend to sound too private and slight. As a result, songs like "Aurora" and "Unison" are now captivating rather than forgettable, while "Hidden Place" and "It's in Our Hands" can stand toe to toe with some of Björk's better work. Indeed, while Homogenic Live may contain the best tracks and the most thrilling performances, Vespertine Live is the one disc in this series that could supplant its namesake in your listening rotation.
