This is one of these DVDs that gets very frequent rotation in my house, and it's not just because of the fabulous song selection. A great antidote to the glossy and flavourless MTV fodder- of course, you will not expect anything less from Bjork, but even though I liked the first Volumen video collection, it was not something I would view very often. This one is different, I found it very absorbing right from the start.
Alarm Call is pure joy, Bjork in jungle settings, posing on a raft in the middle of a river and getting on with that snake. The snappy punchline when she gets back at the little fishies with sharp teeth is just great.
All Is Full Of Love is one of the best videos you will ever see, though I find it very disturbing. The clash of cold, surgical machine world and the powerfullly emotional music and gestures gave me a real pause.
Hidden Place uses a simple trick: there is a colorful and possibly sentient liquid - think the black liquid from X-files- that crawls around Bjork's face; all of this makes for strangely fascinating sight. Goes great with the song, too.
Pagan Poetry is my favourite- the piercings may be too much for some people, and thanks to the flashes of Bjork's nipples it is guaranteed that no network music TV will ever touch this footage, so here's your only chance to see it. Bjork looks bleeping amazing in that topless dress, pearls and all, and being wild and fantastic, but this video also makes the song itself come alive. It was not a very memorable track from Vespertine for me, but that changed after I saw the story in motion, so to say.
Cocoon is interesting, just about that, and the other two videos are "only" very cool, but I love the way Bjork wanders around the forest/grass like a little, tiny, pregnant and somewhat kooky Alice in Wonderland in the Hands video.
It seems Bjork is bent on releasing a DVD every week, and there are a lot of them to choose from; I own several of them, but this one is really precious.
October 21, 2005 |  | A Little Less Than I Expected (but not a bad thing) |  |
Today, I got Volumen Plus DVD based on the reviews here at Amazon, particularly with regards to the nudity in two of Björk's videos. Although the videos were tastefully and artistically done well (reflecting Björk's talents as a visual artist), as a guy, I have to say that my expectations were not quite met. In Pagan Poetry, she was filmed either too close or too far away for her [mammary glands] to be fully seen; maybe it should have been filmed at multiple angles. As for Cocoon, it seemed as though she was covered with powder, and like Pagan Poetry, you couldn't get a real sense of Björk's physical beauty. But then, if that's the only thing a person looks for in a video, then you would be better off watching a performance by someone like the "talented" Britney Spears. In fact, the videos that I liked the best are It's In Our Hands and Alarm Call, which are both set in a forest/lagoon. I really liked the interplay between Björk and the animals in Alarm Call and the dress that she wore in the video. In my opinion, I think Alarm Call (one of the two up-tempo videos on the disk) did more to promote her beauty than either of the videos where she appeared nude.
By the way, Volumen Plus is just that, a "plus" to Björk's Volumen DVD. Compared to the original, I have to say that this disk was a little mellower and not as diverse as Volumen, but I still would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Björk.. April 2, 2004
A wonderful companion to volumen, it is worth the purchase if only for the video to "all is full of love", the most gorgeous music video I have seen to date. "Pagan Poetry" is also a standout with its pearl piercing content and the obsessive delivery of one of Bjork's most touching songs. "Cocoon" gives the erotic song of the same name an almost virginal futuristic geisha treatment and the cocoon spinning nipples are precious and surprising. A must buy for Bjork fanatics.
February 27, 2004| | | Don't Throw Away "Volumen" | |
I was all set to sell my Bjork "Volumen" DVD when I saw that Bjork put out an updated version of the video collection. It wasn't until I saw that she was kind enough to put out an addendum to her previous release as well that I decided to hold on to my disc. "Volumen Plus" is a collection of videos made after the release of the intital disc. I was worried that the updated "Volumen" might have extras that wouldn't be on any other release but luckily that wasn't the case so for all of you Bjork fans worried that your copy would be lacking, no need to fear. Stick with "Volumen" but add "Volumen Plus" to your collection as well since you'll have a complete collection of innovative videos (not to mention Bjork nude in two of them). For those with a decent sound system, 5.1 surround for several of those videos is added as well as normal dolby sound. Bjork has some of the most intriguing videos out there and this collection highlights just how progressive and artistic she is when it comes to making pieces that compliment her music for the better. While not as encompassing as "Volumen", "Volumen Plus" still is a worthy disc for those who want to add to their collection or just want to see what how this Icelandic pixie has progressed as an artist since her early nineties "Debut".
July 1, 2003| | | Remarkable - Bringing the avant garde to the masses | |
If you already have Volumen (the first part, previously issued) this DVD is the perfect supplement to catch you up on what has happened since. The videos are fresh, somewhat daring and visually stunning. This is not you regular MTV "dime a dozen" video. Bjork, once again, teams up with true visual arts masters and brings us video art worthy of university level discussion in art classes. One of my favorites here is "All is Full of Love", simply one of the best "music videos" made. The effects are amazing, the narrative simple, and probably one of the most sensual scenes of robots on film.
June 30, 2003More reviews at Amazon.com ...
Daily Birthdays
(6 reviews)