Sugarcubes - The DVD Review
Posted by John Malady on 03.01.2006
A very interesting trip down an abstracted Icelandic memory lane and Bjork makes it worth the while even if you are not a loyal fan.
The Sugarcubes were always a unique band and they are probably best known today as the group that spawned the talented and eccentric Icelandic singer Bjork. The Sugarcubes formed on June 8th, 1986 "according to group legend" which was the day that Bjork gave birth to her son. The band contained members who were in various other Icelandic bands before joining forces together to form the Sugarcubes. The original line up consisted of: Bjork-vocals, Einar Benediktsson-vocals, Siggi Baldursson-drums, Einar Mellax-keyboards, Thor Eldon-guitar, and Bragi Olafesson-bass. Bjork and Einar Benediktsson were the core creative songwriting forces as well as the voices of the band. Magga Ornolfsdottir replaced Einar Mellax on keyboards after the first album. The Sugarcubes recorded 3 albums as a band: Life's Too Good (1988), Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! (1989), and Stick Around for Joy (1992). After the release of Stick Around for Joy The Sugarcubes disbanded. Life's Too Good was a popular college radio staple in the US, contained a minor hit with the song "Birthday", and also received critical acclaim from reviews worldwide mainly due to the unique voice that is Bjork. The following albums never really lived up to the bar set by the first with fans or critics and after Stick Around for Joy was released the Sugarcubes called it a day. The Sugarcubes were the biggest group ever to come from Iceland and now 14 years after their last album Rhino/Electra has released Sugarcubes The DVD a compilation of all their music videos. Here is the run down of what you get.
CONTENTS
1. Birthday-Icelandic
2. Cold Sweat
3. Deus
4. Motorcrash
5. Luftgitar
6. Regina
7. Planet
8. Eat the Menu
9. Birthday-English
Extras
1. Hit
2. Walkabout
3. Vitamin
There are no linear notes, no pictures, nor is there anything inside the DVD other than the content to watch. This actually makes sense to me because after all this time this seems to be a release aimed at the hardcore fans of The Sugarcubes that would like to have all their videos in one package and not a release that is trying to gain a bunch of new fans . Modern Bjork fans would probably do best by getting some Sugarcubes music to explore her roots rather than buy a DVD of all their videos but therein lies a thought I had while viewing this compilation, new Bjork fans probably should check this DVD out because not only does it show Bjorks beginnings but she easily makes some of the unwatchable videos worth sitting through with her intense dramatic presence and performances.
What are music videos? This has and probably will always be a huge topic of debate among music purists but at their best music videos co-exist with the songs they are showcasing and become beautiful pieces of art that compliment the song and occasionally elevate the song to another level. At their worst music videos are just thrown together randomness that distract or sometimes ruin a good song as well as just being a record companies marketing tool to get their acts exposure. The Sugarcubes have some of both types represented in this DVD and most of the videos feel like bizarre acid tripped public broadcasting films shot with free equipment but one thing always makes them interesting to watch and that is Bjork. Only a few of the songs represented in the DVD have Einar Benediktsson singing (talking through) the whole song which was always a problem for me with The Sugarcubes, Bjork always sounds interesting so why does the Icelandic version of The B-52's Fred Schneider insist on putting his voice in there? In the end it is irrelevant but sometimes it takes away from the whole vibe that Bjork is transmitting. It's obvious now that the world thought the same as well because she is the only one who still has a globally successful music career. With that aside there is something to be said for this compilation as a whole because it almost runs better as one large film rather than isolated videos. Until they had a bigger budget which is only evident on the last few videos these all look the same. They are all shot in Iceland, there are always themes of dolls and toys, and they all seem like low budget attempts at making abstract art films.
Ultimately that is what over half of these videos are: Icelandic art films by an original and bizarre Icelandic band. So why did I say that fans should check this out? Bjork! She is simply one of the most engrossing singers to watch visually. She plays with the camera and is fully aware even early on what she looks like when she is doing it. This has nothing at all to do with her looks which makes it that much better in the end for me. Bjork is strange because she always makes her face go in and out of these childlike expressions and contrasts them with intensely adult complications like she is being or was traumatized by something. I personally find that even if I don't grasp everything she is saying lyrically her acting and emotions transmit the story. This is what makes this DVD interesting to watch.
I do not recommend for someone with no prior knowledge of The Sugarcubes or Bjork to purchase this but old school fans of the band and even modern Bjork fans that want to see her evolution as a singer and performer should give this one a whirl. The DVD has great sound quality but as I said before 80% of it is rough low budget films but as a whole it is an extremely interesting look into a unique musical talent and vocalist as well as a slice of Icelandic musical culture.
The 411: Definitely released for old school Sugarcubes fans but newer Bjork fans may benefit from this trip down memory lane. Overall when watching all The Sugarcubes videos together you can easily cast aside any of the faults with the low budget film quality or any of the odd annoyances of Einar Benediktsson's talking over the unique voice of Bjork because she shines from the first moment you see her and somehow you find yourself drawn into her dramatic delivery of her unique brand of singing. This DVD is definitely another piece of evidence that whether you like her or hate her Bjork has not only natural musical talent but a distinct personality that is all its own and in todays music market thats just not something I can complain about.
