Gling-Glo

gling-glo

Track Listings

1. Gling Gló

2. Luktar-Gwendur

3. Kata Rokkar

4. Pabbi Minn

5. Brestir Og Brak

6. Astartöfrar

7. Bella Símamær

8. Litli Tónlistarmaðurinn

9. ÞAd Sést Ekki Sætari Mey

10. Bílavísur

11. Tondeleyo

12. Eg Veit Ei Hvað Skal Segja

13. Í Dansi Með ÞÉr

14. Börnin Við Tjörnina

15. Ruby Baby

16. I Can't Help Loving That Man

Gling-Gló,Björk,Musicrama, Inc,Iceland,Rock/Pop,Standards,Traditional,Vocal Jazz

Gling-Glo

Average customer rating:

It is what it is...
My favorite Bjork album
decent album - worth it for bjork fans interested in understanding her musical influences
Bjork unleashed
jazz for the jazz-blind or 'what was she thinking?!'

Gling-Gló
Björk
Manufacturer: One Little Indian Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000AYL44
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Gling Gl
Luktar-Gwendur
Kata Rokkar
Pabbi Minn
Brestir Og Brak
Astartr
Bella Sm
Litli Tstarmann
d S Ekki Sri Mey
Bvr
Tondeleyo
Eg Veit Ei Hvaal Segja
Dansi Mer
Bn Vina
Ruby Baby
I Can't Help Loving That Man

Customer Reviews:

It is what it is..........2006-09-18

In response to the review by Laura Laureate, check the date this album was recorded...1990! You can hardly say success had gone to Bjork's head...she was still in the Sugarcubes and relatively unknown back then. She tried something different and then moved on. That being said, it is only essential for true Bjork fans.

My favorite Bjork album.......2006-07-03

I especially love Luktar-Gvendur, Kata Rokkar and I Dansi. I think Kata Rokkar may be the best song Bjork has ever recorded (that's in my humble opinion of course).

It's jazz... Upbeat at times, slow and smooth at others. Except it has Bjork's voice on it. She's not the jazziest of vocalists, but she still adds 150% to the beauty of the music. It's soo much different from the rest of her other work, which may mean that even if you don't like her solo-electronica stuff you may like this. However, if you're reading this you probably already like Bjork, thus I'm wasting all of this useful space. I'll stop now.

decent album - worth it for bjork fans interested in understanding her musical influences.......2006-01-07

i wish people would take the time to check their information before writing reviews. but of course that's the trade-off we get with web reviews right - as opposed to reading a newspaper or magazine writer's take on something, which has to be fact-checked.

two things from previous reviews need to be addressed. laura laureate writes of bjork, "has success gone to her head? does she think she can 'do it all'? so far she has made fairly smart choices... but she is hitting a wall with gling-glo". if you looked at the title of the album you'd see that this is a reissue. gling-glo was released in the states in 2003, but originally recorded and released in iceland in 1989-1990. this is a full five years before post, when she was still playing with the sugarcubes and was barely known-of here in the states. so this was actually done way before the "smart choices" laura speaks of. besides which, musicians don't play music just for the benefit of the purchasing public. bjork and the very famous icelandic jazz trio she's playing with on this album had played together several times, and had really enjoyed themselves. so they recorded an album together. sometimes musicians play music of a type or genre that they're interested in, or to play with musicians they like, and the result ends up influencing their later work. in that sense i find it pointless to ask whether she can "do it all"; the fact that she tried it is what's interesting for us music fans.

steve parker writes of the trio that "somehow they manage to completely miss the essence of jazz... It's like learning a foreign language from a book, without ever hearing it spoken... somewhere between New York and Iceland something crucial got lost in translation.". perhaps that's because this is an icelandic jazz trio, popular in iceland, recording mostly icelandic folk songs, for an icelandic audience. musical traditions always morph and change when translated across cultures. it may not jive with our definition of the genre but that doesn't make it any less valid or successful as music.

on this album, bjork is playing with the gudmundar ingólfssonar trio. the trio is one of the most popular jazz groups in iceland. given the context, i think it's a fairly successful album. the jazz is "light" to american tastes, but enjoyable nonetheless. reminds me of the stuff played in the soundtrack to harry met sally, all the stuff that's iconically associated with warm christmassy winters in new york city. perhaps that's what happens when jazz is translated into a snowy, cold clime. not groundbreaking, but pleasant.

bjork, on the other hand, shows her incredible vocal range on this album. her jazz singing is compelling and successful. one of the reasons i initially fell in love with her solo music is because of her very jazz-like take on pop singing. (disclosure: i'm a jazz musician and fan, but i'm also a pop fan, and like most styles of music, i think the two genres are incredibly hard to "mix" and get right.) what i really like about this album is that it's an opportunity to hear bjork's vocals in a more "traditional" setting. for me, it proves her real abilities as a singer. plus it seems to have had a positive influence on her later work.

overall, if you're a bjork fan, a fan of light jazz, and/or a musician interested in hearing the various influences upon bjork's music, this album is definitely worth it. i just wish i knew icelandic so that i could sing along!

Bjork unleashed.......2005-10-07

This jazzy set floored me. I know it predates her solo career but it unleashes all the joy and pleasure of that wonderful voice and presence. Now the rest of her solo career makes sense: the electronica experimentation and self-seriousness about her art are necessary because she's already expressed her straighforward, outright joy in music here in this set.

The negative reviews here have it wrong -- there's nothing slight about the jazz musicians backing her up. They may not be breaking ground, but in their own way, they are as exuberant and joyous as Bjork herself.

Wholeheartedly recommended, especially for social situations involving high spirits and perhaps distilled spirits.

jazz for the jazz-blind or 'what was she thinking?!'.......2005-09-05

steve peters has already pointed out the shortcomings of this cd in his intelligent review (see below). i'd like to go a step further: i am disappointed in björk's lack of judgement. it makes me wonder... has success gone to her head? does she think she can 'do it all'? so far, she has made fairly smart choices and was obviously able to rate her talent in a way that allowed her to make the best use of it but she is hitting a wall with 'gling-glo'.

this is a sad album that lacks the pizzazz as well as the voice to pull it together. steve peters calls the musicians an "anemic lounge combo" and i couldn't agree more. and björk? in 'gling-glo' she sounds completely... yes, silly... and i don't buy into the idea of silly-by-design. sorry, all you other björk-fans out there, but we should admit that björk is NOT a jazz-singer nor does she even come close. she does have limits, she is human, she errs... and in case you don't want to make the same mistake i did: spare your money and invest it in other albums of hers. any one is 10x better than this.

Average customer rating:

Unlistenable tripe
Icelandic pixie + lounge band = 3.5 stars
Made it to gold - and they weren't even in it for the money
Bjork singing jazz? It happened!!
Immensely enjoyable

Gling-Glo
Björk
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000005JUM
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Tracks:

Gling Gl
Luktar-Gwendur
Kata Rokkar
Pabbi Minn
Brestir Og Brak
Astartr
Bella Sm
Litli Tstarmann
d S Ekki Sri Mey
Bvr
Tondeleyo
Eg Veit Ei Hvaal Segja
Dansi Mer
Bn Vina
Ruby Baby
I Can't Help Loving That Man

Album Description

1990 release on UK Smekkleysa/ Mother/ One Little Indian, ajovial jazz album the Icelandic nymph cut with a jazz triowhile she was still the vocalist for the Sugarcubes. 16tracks, with all but two sung in Icelandic: covers of Leiber/ Stoller's 'Ruby Baby' & Oscar Hammerstein II/ JeromeKern's 'I Can't Help Loving That Man'. Highly acclaimed &highly recommended for anyone looking to augment their Bjorkor Sugarcubes collections!

Customer Reviews:

Unlistenable tripe.......2004-12-02

I am a big Bjork fan and own every single one of her albums. I love them all, except for this one. This is pure easy listening jazz, and in Icelandic. A lot of people seem to like it, but I can't stand it.

Icelandic pixie + lounge band = 3.5 stars.......2004-08-17

do you like bjork's voice? do you want to hear what she sounds like backed up by a swinging lounge jazz band? then look no further because that is what Gling-Glo is all about. some of these songs sound like little sweet nursury rhymes and others are all out swinging jazz songs. being a big fan of hard bop, be-bop, and avant garde free jazz, i personally don't like this kind of "light" jazz too much. but bjork's voice is the key element here. so it's much better than i would have hoped. there are a few moments where i can't help but picture old men in leisure suits snapping there fingers along to the rolling basslines and tapping high hat. that kind of bugs me...but then bjork's voice soars into the picture and eases the pain. this is worth tracking down if you are a bjork fanatic.it should be noted that almost all the songs are in her native Icelandic language and the price is pretty high for this album. so if none of these factors bother you; then by all means, dive in.

Made it to gold - and they weren't even in it for the money.......2004-05-11

I have had this album since its initial release (x yrs ago) and it's definitely been one of my favourites and still is and always will be. I also know a little about it and how it came to be. It was a collaboration between Iceland's most loved jazz musicians, Gudmundur Ingolfsson (piano) and Gudmundur Steingrimsson (percussion), veterans in their field, and young Bjork, who enjoyed a mixed fame in the home country - famous for being creative in her own right and infamous for shocking people with sensitive tastes. (FYI, neither of them is her dad.) While Bjork was in the Sugarcubes, she and Ingolfsson started hitting it off together and playing live whenever she had the time. They then recorded a collection of songs that were all chosen by Bjork with the aid of some friends. What I remember most is that at the time the album was released it had become common knowledge that Ingolfsson had cancer (news spread fast in a small country). A year later he was dead. That Gling-glo should turn out to be such a hit was such a great thing because it turned out to be last recordings he ever made. It should be noted that Gling-glo is considered as much Ingolfsson's album as it is Björk's, and that he is sorely missed by all.

Having said all that, I must add that the whole album is such a delight, that I wish they could have made more. It's easy on the ear, it swings in a modest way and it always, always picks up my spirits if I'm feeling blue.

And I always sing along at the top of my voice... everytime :-)

Bjork singing jazz? It happened!!.......2002-10-04

I'm a huge Bjork fan and I've got most of her other CDs. After downloading a few songs and reading reviews for Gling-Glo I decided to give it a shot. Any other singer and this CD would be average at best, but the Bjork factor makes it awesome. Nobody sings with the same conviction and feeling in their voice as Bjork. The instrumentalists are pretty good as well. Overall, decent music + Bjork = excellent album.

Immensely enjoyable.......2001-11-07

I didn't know what to expect when I purchased this disc. Bjork with a three piece jazz combo. This CD really highlights her voice within a conventional music framework, without losing the idiosyncrasies of her style that her fans love. Despite not being able to translate a word on all except two tracks, I've found this CD to be so enjoyable that I often listen to it several times in a row.

Average customer rating:

Gling-Glo
Bjork
Manufacturer: One Little Indian
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000281U6
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Tracks:

Gling Glo
Luktar-Gvendur
Kata Rokkar
Pabbi Minn
Brestir Og Brak
Astartofrar
Bella Simamer
Litli Tonalistarmadurinn
Ruby Baby
I Can't Help Loving That Man
Pad Sest Ekki Saetari Mey
Bilavisur
Tondeleyo
Eg Veit Ei Hvad Skal Segja
I Dansi Med Per
Dornin Vid Tjornina

Album Description

1990 release on UK Smekkleysa/ Mother/ One Little Indian, a jovial jazz album the Icelandic nymph cut with a jazz trio while she was still the vocalist for the Sugarcubes. 16 tracks, with all but two sung in Icelandic: covers of Leiber/ Stoller's 'Ruby Baby' & Oscar Hammerstein II/ Jerome Kern's 'I Can't Help Loving That Man'. Highly acclaimed & highly recommended for anyone looking to augment their Bjorkor Sugarcubes collections!

Average customer rating:

Gling-Glo
Bjork
Manufacturer: Smekkleysa
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000LZL9MC

Average customer rating:

Gling-Gló
Björk
Manufacturer: Musicrama/Koch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DENV0
Release Date: 2001-01-09

Tracks:

Gling Gl
Luktar-Gwendur
Kata Rokkar
Pabbi Minn
Brestir Og Brak
Astartr
Bella Sm
Litli Tstarmann
d S Ekki Sri Mey
Bvr
Tondeleyo
Eg Veit Ei Hvaal Segja
Dansi Mer
Bn Vina
Ruby Baby
I Can't Help Loving That Man

Average customer rating:

not essential, but not bad
Amazing
sheer genius
Excellent Bjork and Excellent Jazz!
Excellent Bjork and Excellent Jazz!

Gling-Gló
Björk
Manufacturer: Msi Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000AOQG
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Gling Gl
Luktar-Gwendur
Kata Rokkar
Pabbi Minn
Brestir Og Brak
Astartr
Bella Sm
Litli Tstarmann
d S Ekki Sri Mey
Bvr
Tondeleyo
Eg Veit Ei Hvaal Segja
Dansi Mer
Bn Vina
Ruby Baby
I Can't Help Loving That Man

Album Details

Bjork's First Band Prior to the Sugarcubes. Tracks (In Icelandic) Include: 'gling Glo', 'luktar-gvendur', 'kata Rokkar', 'pabbi Min', 'brestir Og Brak', 'astartofrar', 'bella Simamaer', 'litli Tonlistarmadurinn', 'pad Sest Ekki Saetari Mey', 'bilavisur', 'toneleyo', 'eg Veit El Hvad Skal Segja', 'i Dansi Med Per', 'bornin Vid Tjornina'.

Customer Reviews:

not essential, but not bad.......2005-10-18

this is a nice little cd. basically, it's a young Bjork backed by a jazz combo. it gets into some painfully average "sitting in a lounge, sipping on cocktails" kind of dinner jazz; but if you're a fan of Bjork....this could be a nice listen. not bad.

Amazing.......2005-08-18

I actually got this CD to use as background music for my Traveller campaign set in the Sword Worlds. It gives a nice twist to the familiar, yet has an alien quality to it. Many of her CDs have an alien sound to them that lend well to gaming background music.

sheer genius.......2003-07-21

A friend once asked me why I bought this album. My response was "why WOULDN'T I want an album that included a jazz recording of 'O Mein Papa' in Icelandic?"

Excellent Bjork and Excellent Jazz!.......2003-07-11

I was really suprised by this CD! I thought it would be some not so good Bjork pre-"Debut" material. Instead, I got to listen to one of the best Bjork albums I've heard. I would put it up there with "Homogenic" and "Greatest Hits". Of course, it is a different genre of music; but it is still increadible.

Excellent Bjork and Excellent Jazz!.......2003-07-11

Average customer rating:

Gling Glo

Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DEM95
Release Date: 2002-07-16

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