Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
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Free Music Notes for Agaetis Byrjun
Free Music Review: AMAZING MUSIC BEYOND THE COMPREHENSION OF SOME POP MUSIC CRITICS MINDS
Hit: 5 Stars
Like the other reviewer nearby, I also have a pet peeve about this word "pretentious" when applied to Sigur Ros (or other arful pop). It is a universal cliche amongst reviewers who don't like art rock or progressive rock. The word "pretentious" actually means:
---adjective DISAPPROVING
---trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are,
especially in matters of art and literature:
---a pretentious art critic
---The novel deals with grand themes, but is never heavy or pretentious.
-- characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
-- making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious
I've heard this word all my life because apparently I like a lot of music that is "pretentious." The last time I heard it used was recently on a radio special about the 40th anniversary for The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which one critic decried as "the beginning of pretentiousness in pop music". And this for an album that is consistently at the top of almost every list as the most important album ever made-- I guess a LOT of people like pretentious art.
What these critics are saying is that pop and rock musicians that have other musical influences (i.e., world music, classical music, jazz music) are somehow falsely trying to BE world musicians, classical musicians, and jazz musicians by using those influences. Or that lyricist that have other influences (i.e., poetry) are trying to BE poets. In reality, all they are is open-minded pop and rock musicians, willing to experiment with skills they have that lie beyond the boundaries of early rock styles (i.e., Eddie Cochran, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.).
I'm not sure why it makes you pretentious simply because you have musical skills beyond pop and rock, but I can't imagine a more boring scenario than a genre that didn't grow or challenge itself. In reality, this is how the language of an art form evolves. The heyday for what Sigur Ros is trying to do was between 1967-1977, when progressive rock was literally a top ten chart topping phenomenon.
In the end, this is all "pretentious" means when used by such critics: they don't like the styles of music that exist midway between folk and classical, or rock and jazz, or whatever and whatever. I love music rooted in pop, rock, and folk that is embellished by all sorts of influences from more complicated genres. I love the fact that a song can swing from a gentle little folk tune to a complicated instrumental movement. I also love the storytelling aspect of longer pieces of music and concept albums-- it gives the lyricist more time to stretch out and explore a theme. These artists are not trying to be something that they are not, they are being exactly what they ARE: pop artists with ears open to other influences. This happened as soon as Paul McCartney (in 1967) came into the studio after hearing a classical work with a Bach trumpet, and he wrote and plopped a similar trumpet arrangement in "Penny Lane." It happened when Brian Wilson crumbled the Beach Boys formulaic song structure (1966) and started to record his collage piece SMiLE. And then for ten odd years after, much of the best of rock music had similar boundary-breaking tendencies.
Sigur Ros is very much in the art-rock category. You can see their lead singer from one or two vantage points (albeit extreme ones): either he is the most otherworldly supremely beautiful gift to pop music that has ever happened, or he is a pretentious pseudo-opera singer. And really, which vantage you choose depends on whether or not you are moved by his work. You can tell which camp I fit in-- I think he's one of the most important pop artists on the planet, and you'd have to be crazy not to at least give him a chance to work his magic on you. Buy this record--- TODAY!
Free Music Review: Surprised when I found out they were human beings...
Hit: 5 Stars
After introducing many listeners to their distinct sound by way of the "Vanilla Sky" sountrack album, Icelandic quartet Sigur Rós (pronouned "Seer Rose" with the R's rolled) has built a following interested in expanding their tastes in music and virtually elimintaing insomnia. Agaetis Byrjun (pronounced "Ow-gate-is Beeryune"), the band's third overall album to date, is their masterpiece. It is the ultimate realization of the spectrum of human emotion, and, when accompanied by candles and a good pair of headphones, proves as an adequate cure for sleep deprevation. The band's instrumentation is relatively simple: vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards/synthesizers. The miracle of this is the otherworldly sound channeled through these instruments and into the ears, heart, and soul of the listener. The album begins with an intro, roughly a minute long, which resembles an underwater choir singing an irresistable refrain, chopped and repeated by the loopwork of keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. It slowly travels into the now-famous "Svefn-G-Englar"(Sleepwalkers) by way of the repeating ping of a sonar detector and the rumbling of an underwater submarine. The two songs together serve as an exposition to a much grander scheme, but it is here that we are introduced to Sigur Rós' distinctive blend of angelic vocals, channeling bass work, etherreal percussion, and quite possibly the most beautiful guitar feedback ever recorded, by way of guitarist/vocalist Jonsi running a cello bow along the strings. From this, the listener is transported into the stellar "Staralfur" by way of a rapidly drumming heartbeat. From first listen, one is compelled to make a nighttime trip to an open field to gaze at a star-painted sky, revelling in the sheer beauty of life.
Next is the hypnotic "Flugufrelsarinn", brought in by a combination of wind and guitar screeching. The song borderlines erotica, and is as irresistable as it is trance-inducing. Brass hummings bring in "Ny Batteri", a song that is altogether more melancholy in its scope as compared with the rest of the album. It's as if the band is lost in its own emotional maelstrom, struggling to find any signs of light. A peephole is found in the jazz-like "Hjartad Hamast", which sounds like Miles Davis as interpreted by a Martian. The peephole then tears, to become the rejuvenation that is "Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa". The longest song on the album, it is arguably the most beautiful, shifting through 4 main phrases all in one swift, breathtaking motion.
Now that the rejuvenation has been found, it is time for the youthful abandon that is "Olsen Olsen". The timely, enchanting bass riff guides the listener through a dark forest leading to a meadow, filled with a grand choir encircling a lone flutist. Immediately following is the smile-inducing title track, "Agaetis Byrjun". The guitar intro fades in from nothing, and the divine instrumentation makes the listener think of the same. A flying kite comes to mind in this song. As for "Avalon", the closer, nothing will be disclosed. It serves as a final farewell to the listener, tucking them in goodnight, and letting them rest assured that life is indeed filled with beauty, if they would only allow their ears to hear it.
Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful albums ever made. Sigur Rós is a band not easily dismissed. Agaetis Byrjun is an experience not easily forgotten. Your ears, mind, heart, soul, and eyelids will love you forever.
Free Music Review: The finest achievement in the musical history
Hit: 5 Stars
As a huge Sigur ros fan who have been their fan since 2001. I can't help but feel obligated to share my sentiment on this fine piece of Art as I have benefitted tremendously with their music artistically and in my personal life and love. I describe their music as the brutally honest expression of human souls and emotions. It's rare occasion in our lives where we are encountered with something so raw and surreal as this. Because we, as products of society, commonly forced to conform and interact only on the surface level where the display of genuine emotion is not only discouraged but frowned upon. With that being said, I believe as some other reviewer here previously mentioned, their music brings out the deepest emotions and melt the coldest hearts. I am not sure about the latter one as some people don't really have hearts. But their music has such a soothing and calming effect on my emotion and soul that I can describe listening or being immersed in their sound landscape as one of the truly one of the few enlightening moments of my life. But I can assure you that this is not for everyone's cup of tea. Some people listen to music to not fully to immerse but for simple enjoyment as everyone has different background music for their themes of life. But I can confidently assert that this music effectively cleanses my soul from all the ugliness and pain of living in the world devoid of true emotions and soulful interactions. We as humans want to delve in creative endeavor essentially we do it because we have this inherent desire to want to create something of value, something so grand, something so effective, something so challenging and something that effectively change. And I believe many musicians and artists have attempted to do what very few had successfully achieved hence very few musical pieces or any other art pieces are called, true art. Not all musical pieces are artistic or claimed by others as finest art pieces. They don't pretend to be and they serve entirely different purposes. However, what this music does as a piece of art is to communicate with the listeners in most intimate, humane sense. There is absolutely no pretention, façade but honest portrayal of our human lives and emotions. And the reason why many others including myself cherish this so much is because of how rare and fortunate for us to experience that. If you want to live a life devoid of this raw emotions, that's fine. But if you want your life to be filled with beauty, soul and honest and intimate interaction between human beings, you should never miss your opportunity to learn about this precious band. I don't think listening to this album once will do justice for their genius and beauty of music.
As for detailed review of this particular album, I consider this piece to be much more controversial, powerful, political album than others. I do sincerely recommend you getting all their albums as they conjure various themes of life and styles. The album cover in particular implies a new beginning, in which we can dust off all the dirt and false truths we have been fed in the past and we can start as new mind like a baby who has been born. And this album does it so powerfully and effectively as it paints your mind with innocence, hopes, dreams, beauty and love.
I will have to say some of the darkest, the most essential, most emotionally charged and moving songs can be found in this album, which may or may not be difficult for some people to digest. But this album is personal favorite of mine and will be probably for my lifetime.
Free Music Review: A Soundtrack for Heaven
Hit: 5 Stars
Let me begin by saying that of the two Sigur Ros albums, I can't choose a favorite...they are both excellent, but to my ear quite different from each other. I would characterize Agaetis Byrjun as the more orchestral of the two, using fuller, more sweeping arrangements. There is also more use of ambient sound effects. It's also, in spite of the darker cover art, the brighter and more optimistic of the two. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this evokes in me the beauty I might imagine in Heaven. Yes, there are some dark places here, but overall, this is a very comforting work to listen to.Probably Pink Floyd's album Meddle is one of the best comparisons--especially to "Svefn-G-Englar", which seems to have been heavily influenced by "Echoes". Although "Svefn-G-Englar" is not an epic on the scale of "Echoes", it manages in its own way, the same kind of relaxed beauty found in the opening and closing sections of the Pink Floyd song. The classic rock influences also show in Sigur Ros' reliance on more traditional instruments rather than allowing it to be completely synth-driven. The Hammond organ is clearly audible in "Svefn-G-Englar", and the Rhodes electric piano is featured in "Hjartad hamast". Also, the haunting backdrop common to most Sigur Ros songs is not created by a synth, but instead by an electric guitar played with a cello bow. Jonsi's voice, rather than conveying any message, is an instrument in and of itself, even higher than Radiohead's Thom Yorke, and perhaps at times even more melodic.
While it is all quite good, my absolute favorite tracks, without a doubt, are "Staralfur" and "Hjartad hamast". A gorgeous piano riff in "Staralfur" serves as the backdrop to a beautiful string section. This is the sort of work with which I would love to be greeted in Heaven--especially the final great orchestral solo. "Hjartad hamast" is a very interesting combination between a melancholy-seeming blues-influenced piece and a sequence so beautiful that it evokes a sense of flying. In light of that section, even the more brooding sections no longer seem so dark.
Other highlights include the percussion work on "Ny batteri" and the piano on "Vidrar vel til loftarasa", as well as its innovative orchestral outro. The last two tracks seem to move in a less orchestral direction that foreshadows the work on ( ). "Avalon" even takes on a somewhat minimalist approach not unline Talk Talk's later work. Lately, this album has even been a comfort in trying to deal with a recent loss. Others' perception of the music may differ, but the overall effect of this album is to uplift. While I love both Agaetis Byrjun and ( ), I must grudgingly admit that this is probably the strongest of the two.
Free Music Review: Believe the hype.
Hit: 5 Stars
Near the end of 2000 in many best-of-the-year lists, music critics started raving about an unknown band from Iceland with some kooky name you could barely pronounce who had apparently put out an album that was supposedly one of the most amazing records anyone would ever hear. Right before that, Thom Yorke of Radiohead had sung the praises of this band, and by the beginning of 2001, both hipster wannabe's and obsessive Radiohead fans alike desperately sought out the album by Sigur Ros, if only to display it as their own Badge of Hipness, the one thing that would tell them they were cool.And I was one of those people, I'm sorry to say. I had barely heard of the band, but since December 2000 I had been trying to find the cd in record stores, with no success, feeling somewhat gullible searching for a cd that some lousy writers said was great. What the heck did they know? Well, I have to say, after listening to Agaetis Byrjun countless times, all that hype was warranted.
Simply put, this is one of 2000's best albums, perhaps one of the best of this young decade. Pick your adjective: ethereal, enigmatic, sensuous, ambient, trancelike...those have been the buzzwords describing Sigur Ros, but not one word can pin down the sound. Slow beats, bowed guitars, beautiful orchestration, and the otherworldly (there's another buzzword) vocal talents of Jon Por Birgisson (which echo Yes's Jon Anderson) make this album sound like it was sent to us from another planet. Every song is a standout, from the cult favourite 'Svefn-g-Englar' to the string-accompanied 'Staralfur' to the sing-along melody of 'Olsen Olsen'. Although it's seventy-one minutes long, not a second sounds wasted.
The lyrics and song titles add to the album's mystery: it's all in Icelandic, except for 'Olsen Olsen', which is sung in an Icelandic-English-jibberish hybrid the band dubs "Hopelandic". Besides, Sigur Ros insis the lyrics don't mean anything anyway; it's the overall feel of the music that counts. And it's you're reaction to this music that truly defines the sound of Agaetis Byrjun...some may say it's dark, some may say it sounds bleak, but when you listen carefully to the layers of music on this most stunning record, the true definition begins to surface until you're smiling in beatific reverie: life-affirming.