Björk Guðmundsdóttir & Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar — Gling-Gló (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Björk's elastic, somersaulting voice is right at home delivering these traditional Icelandic and jazz tunes. Happy songs performed by Björk with the Icelandic jazz group Gudmundar Ingólfssonar Trio really showcase her voice and reveal how her unique singing style shares some common ground with scatting. The trio consists of pianist Gudmundar Ingólfsson (who, contrary to popular rumor, is not Björk's father), Gudmundur Steingrímsson on drums, and Thórdur Högnason on bass. Björk performed with this trio a few times before they recorded Gling Glo, and everyone must've had a good time, because the album captures the group moving through a mixture of jazz numbers and Icelandic songs with a free and easy feel. When Gling Glo was first released in 1990 on the Smekkleysa (Bad Taste) label, it went platinum, becoming the label's best seller. The first 14 songs are from this original issue, while the last two tracks (and the only songs sung in English -- "Ruby Baby" and "I Can't Help Loving That Man") are drawn from a rehearsal recording made a year prior to the album. Joslyn Layne
Tracklist :
1    Gling Gló 2:37
Lyrics By – Kristín Engilbertsdóttir
Music By – Alfreð Clausen
2    Luktar-Gvendur 4:00
Lyrics By – Eiríkur K. Eiríksson
Music By – Nat Simon
3    Kata Rokkar 2:56
Music By, Lyrics By – Theodór Einarsson
4    Pabbi Minn 2:40
Lyrics By – Þorsteinn Sveinsson
Music By – P. Burkhard
5    Brestir Og Brak 3:18
Lyrics By – Jónas Árnason
Music By – Jón Múli Árnason
6    Ástartöfrar 2:43
Music By, Lyrics By – Valdimar Auðunsson
7    Bella Símamær 2:38
Lyrics By – Loftur Guðmundsson
Music By – Mark Fontenoy
8    Litli Tónlistarmaðurinn 3:23
Music By, Lyrics By – 12. September
9    Það Sést Ekki Sætari Mey 4:00
Lyrics By – Loftur Guðmundsson
Music By – Rogers og Hammerstein
10    Bílavísur 2:38
Lyrics By – Jón Sigurðsson
Music By – Holmes
11    Tondeleyo 3:29
Lyrics By – Tómas Guðmundsson
Music By – Sigfús Halldórsson
12    Ég Veit Ei Hvað Skal Segja 3:03
Lyrics By – Loftur Guðmundsson
Music By – Darion, Coleman, Gimbel
13    Í Dansi Með Þér 2:26
Lyrics By – Þorsteinn Sveinsson
Music By – Pablo Beltrani Ruiz
14    Börnin Við Tjörnina 2:46
Music By, Lyrics By – Jenni Jónsson
15    Ruby Baby 4:00
Technician – Georg Magnússon
Written-By – J. Leiber / M. Stoller
16    I Can't Help Loving That Man 3:40
Technician – Georg Magnússon
Written-By – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
Credits :
Bass – Þórður Högnason
Drums, Maracas, Bells [Reindeer] – Guðmundur Steingrímsson
Piano, Tambourine – Guðmundur Ingólfsson
Vocals, Harmonica – Björk Guðmundsdóttir

BJÖRK — Homogenic (1997-2011) SHM-CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By the late '90s, Björk's playful, unique world view and singular voice became as confining as they were defining. With its surprising starkness and darkness, 1997's Homogenic shatters her "Icelandic pixie" image. Possibly inspired by the end of her relationship with drum'n'bass kingpin Goldie, Björk sheds her more precious aspects, displaying more emotional depth than even her best previous work indicated. Her collaborators -- LFO's Mark Bell, Mark "Spike" Stent, and Post contributor Howie B -- help make this album not only her emotionally bravest work, but her most sonically adventurous as well. A seamless fusion of chilly strings (courtesy of the Icelandic String Octet), stuttering, abstract beats, and unexpected touches like accordion and glass harmonica, Homogenic alternates between dark, uncompromising songs such as the icy opener, "Hunter," and more soothing fare like the gently percolating "All Neon Like." The noisy, four-on-the-floor catharsis of "Pluto" and the raw vocals and crunching beats of "5 Years" and "Immature" reveal surprising amounts of anger, pain, and strength in the face of heartache. "I dare you to take me on," Björk challenges her lover in "5 Years," and wonders on "Immature," "How could I be so immature/To think he would replace/The missing elements in me?" "Bachelorette," a sweeping, brooding cousin to Post's "Isobel," is possibly Homogenic's saddest, most beautiful moment, giving filmic grandeur to a stormy relationship. Björk lets a little hope shine through on "Jòga," a moving song dedicated to her homeland and her best friend, and the reassuring finale, "All Is Full of Love." "Alarm Call"'s uplifting dance-pop might seem out of place with the rest of the album, but as its title implies, Homogenic is her most holistic work. It might not represent every side of Björk's music, but Homogenic offers some of her most impressive heights. Heather Phares   Tracklist & Credits