Björk - Debut

Artist: Björk

Released: December 18, 1977

Genre: Folk, Pop, Disco

Language: Icelandic

Some few years ago I've listened to this Icelandic singer for "best album". Really unique! The voice, the music, the lyric, the video clip, and even the singer herself. Yes, it's Björk!

Couple months ago my friend stocked me with all of her albums, and I got surprised that she had entered this entertainment world since her early ages.

The songs in this album were a mixture of covers translated into Icelandic, like The Beatles hit "The Fool On The Hill" ('Álfur Út Úr Hól'), Edgar Winter's 'Alta Mira,'Melanie Safka's "Christopher Robin" ('Bænin') and Stevie Wonder's song "Your Kiss Is Sweet" ('Búkolla'), but it also contained some songs written specifically for the album, like the song "Arabadrengurinn" ('The Arab Boy') written by stepfather Sævar, and one instrumental flute-tribute to Icelandic painter Jóhannes Kjarval written & performed by 11-year old Björk herself.

Bjork was offered the chance to do a second album, but she turned it down. With the money she earned she bought herself a piano and started composing new songs of her own.

The album was released in two formats, vinyl and cassette, in fairly limited edition (at least 7000 copies) and is rare to find outside of Iceland.

It was recorded at Hljóðriti Studios in Reykjavík. Hildur Hauksdóttir (Björk's mother) designed the cover and the photo was taken at a local Reykjavík studio.

Track Listing:

1. "Arabadrengurinn (The Arab Boy)" [Sævar] – 5:00
2. "Búkolla (Your Kiss is Sweet)" [Stevie Wonder; Syreeta Wright] – 3:16
3. "Alta Mira" [Edgar Winter] – 2:30
4. "Jóhannes Kjarval" [Björk Guðmundsdóttir] – 2:15
5. "Fúsi Hreindýr" – 3:27
6. "Himnaför" – 2:32
7. "Óliver" – 2:47
8. "Álfur Út Úr Hól (The Fool on the Hill)" [Lennon/McCartney] – 3:04
9. "Músastiginn" – 2:44
10. "Bænin (Christopher Robin)" [Melanie Safka] – 2:00

Download bài hát Arabadrengurinn (The Arab Boy)

Remarkable Creature

Mary Anning was struck by lightning when she was a baby. Since she was a young girl her father had taught her to look for fossils such as Ammonite (snake stone or petrified serpent), Brittle Star, Gryphaea (devil's toenail), Sea Urchin, Belemnite (devil's finger), etc., for souvenirs in the beach. Mary was really good at that. She was a kind person that lead with her eye. 

Elizabeth Philpot and her two sisters had moved to Lyme (south coast of England), gave away their previous live in London because their brother got married, and went through the life of spinsters. She was really fond of historical journals and other books, except novels. She found new activity - yet as hobby - walked through the beach and search for fish fossils.

There young Mary Anning, from working class background, and Elizabeth Philpot, from higher class, met and made friends. Yet, they had a strong bond of relationship in the world that dominated by men. Especially when young Mary found the ancient fossils (Ichthyosaur "fish lizard" and Plesiosaur "sea dragon") that became scientifically challenge human's thinking about the creation of world and God. 

We can see them struggled with poverty, rivalry and ostracism, as well as the physical dangers of their chosen obsession. It reminds us that friendship can outlast storms and landslides, anger and and jealousy.

 The author herself says that this novel is fiction but some of the persons were real. She got the inspiration after visited Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester, on the south coast of England. Among the usual displays, there was a wall devoted to Mary Anning, who lived in the early 19th century in the nearby town of Lyme Regis, where fossils are abundant.  

http://www.tchevalier.com/remarkablecreatures/story/index.html

 

Maksim Mrvica - Exodus

This song can be found in Maksim Mrvica's "The Piano Player" album (2003).
Originally arranged by Ernest Gold (1960) that won an Academy Award fro Best Music: Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, for Exodus.
Maksim himself is an Coratian pianist player born in Sibenika in May 3, 1975.