Homogenic Live
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''Homogenic Live'' is a live album by
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ic singer Björk, collecting her favorite performances from her 1997–1999 Homogenic Tour. It was Björk's first tour to have soundboard recordings and thus the first of her live CDs to feature a wide variety of performances taken from different dates and venues throughout a single tour. Originally released in the five-disc '' Live Box'' set in 2003, ''Homogenic Live'' was later released separately on 1 June 2004 by
One Little Indian One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In ...
records.


Background

Björk did not have soundboard recordings for her first two concert tours. When compiling material for those tours’ corresponding live albums, she had to use audio taken from pre-mixed videotaped performances. Beginning with the Homogenic Tour, she began collecting soundboard recordings with each section of her touring band mixed separately. During the Homogenic Tour, several microphones captured the Icelandic String Octet (as evidenced on the concert film, ''
Live in Cambridge ''Live in Cambridge'' is an official DVD released by the Icelandic musician Björk on 26 November 2001. It contains a live performance by Björk on the Homogenic Tour, recorded live at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England, on 2 Dece ...
'') while Mark Bell's electronic equipment was fed directly into the mixer. This recording technique allows for a greater clarity of sound and a certain deal of control in the mixing process, allowing the audio technician to raise or lower the different elements, be they the performer's vocals, the different sections of the touring band or even the crowd. ''Homogenic Live'' is Björk's first live album to be mixed in such a way.


Reception

Critics praised ''Homogenic Live''. Comparing it to Björk's previous live albums, Scott Plagenhoef for ''
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'' complimented the stripped down strings and electronics setting, saying it "could have left (Björk) potentially vulnerable, but she fills the empty space with the full force of her voice... In the end, the renditions seem more assured and well-conceived" than on both '' Debut Live'' and '' Post Live''.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
wrote that "the relatively spare instrumentation allows Björk to take her songs down slightly different paths while retaining the heart of the studio recordings" and that "Björk's voice shines throughout". ''
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'' criticised the slew of releases Björk was putting out at the time but agreed that the live album was a historical record "of the beauty and majesty of Björk's voice and her compositions", while ultimately concluding that as a companion project to its "landmark" parent album ''
Homogenic ''Homogenic'' is the third studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 20 September 1997 by One Little Indian Records. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B, and Markus Dravs, the album marked a styli ...
'', it "failed to offer any new insights into the inner workings of Björk and her live experience".


Track listing

;Notes *"You've Been Flirting Again" included here is the Icelandic version of the song. *"I Go Humble" interpolates "
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", written and performed by
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
. *"The Anchor Song" interpolates "Um Akkeri", written and performed by Björk.


References

{{Authority control 2004 live albums Björk albums One Little Independent Records albums Albums produced by Björk