Jóga

by

Björk

Edit

Joga was the first song put to single-pressing from Homogenic. Oh boy, I got suckered into the $60 box set featuring all of these tracks plus a 3 minute video!!! Imagine my shock when I see this nifty EP compilation released months later to the music stores at a MUCH more palatable price. OUCH----

I give this CD four stars because even though this is a gorgeous song and there are some essential bjork bits on this disc, the first three mixes of Joga are EASY "mixes", not remixes. What you hear is the original song minus some of the percussion on this one, some more instrumentation subtracted on that other one .... The first three mixes are semi-naked versions of the song. Very easy and cheap to throw together to make a few extra bucks. You'd THINK you were getting a truly "DIFFERENT" treatment of the song rather than a gentle, bony one. The same is true for the All is Full of Love Choice Mix - subtract any sort of beat/percussive electronics from the original and there's your song. They are all beautiful and good but obviously so easy to produce that really they're just money-makers. This is not like the REmixing of old. Immature - if I remember correctly - is another stripped away version here...

Non-album tracks: Sod off is about heartbreak and release (a sad, angry "leave me alone!" song). So Broken with its flamenco guitar features Bjork singing and wailing and crying over lost love. Half of it is emotional babbling rather than lyrics because of the dejected emotion she's focused on conveying. Appropriate for a good heartfelt purge. It is only for those who really love Bjork though. These songs are so emotionally charged that unless you're trying to purge some similar emotion of your own, you might find them too depressing because of their saddened character.

And finally, the Joga/Alec Empire remixes! This was my first taste of Alec Empire and boy, did it disgust me! Now I own some of his other music!!! (including The Destroyer) "Digital Hardcore" - hyper crazy frenzied harsh techno ... so intense and noisy and still art ... I believe it's the II mix that I enjoy? -- Bjork essential. The other two remixes are very similar to it though, just not as artistically-arranged (which is another disappointment in terms of musical variety per dollar). But oh, those two Bachelorette Empire remixes from the box set - don't bother!!!

1. Joga(Howie B. Main Mix)-This track is a variation on the album version with very few minor differences (namely extra beats and a few new noises at the end). The beats are more "thumping" than on the album version, but the strings are retained so it sounds just as beautiful.

2. Joga(String & Vocal Mix)-This is basically an orchestral version of the album track. very nice.

3. Joga(Buzz Water Mix)-a toned down mix. Mostly vocals and some soothing keyboard and distant beats (which you can barely hear, sounds like when someone is wearing headphones and you can barely hear the beat of the song they're listening to). Further into the song, they put in a kind of annoying noise.

4. All Is Full Of Love(Choice Mix)-This is the album version without the harpsichord. I bet the majority of people couldn't tell the difference though.

5. Joga(Album Version)

6. Sod Off-WONDERFUL non-album track with very powerful strings. This is Bjork putting her foot down.

7. Immature (Bjork's Version)-a very stripped down version of the album track except with newly recorded vocals. Think acapella with piano. I actually like this version a lot.

8. So Broken-another fantastic b-side. this one features acoustic guitars. nice.

9. Joga(Alec Empire Mix)/10. Joga(Alec Empire Hardcore Mix/11. Joga(Alec Empire Hardcore Mix-all 3 of these sounded the same to me. It's basically just NOISE with scattered vocals. Ruines the song, totally useless.

So aside from the last 3 tracks and the unecessary "all is full of love" version, this CD is worth getting, mostly for the B-sides