BJÖRK : UNPLUGGED

1. human behaviour
2. one day
3. come to me
4. big time sensuality
5. aeroplane
6. like someone in love
7. crying
8. the anchor song
9. violently happy

Label : Flower Pop Records

Venue : MTV Studios, New York City, New York, USA

Recording Date :  November 7th, 1994

Length : 41:38

Quality : Soundboard recording (A+)

Review : Björk recorded her own very original MTV-Unplugged-session, consisting of nine songs from the "Debut"-disc, in 1994. There were some plans on releasing a CD-version of it together with the "Debut"-remix-mini-album in 1994 but Björk cancelled it 'cause she wanted to separate live-performances from studio-recordings. A limited-edition mini-album called "Celebrating wood and metal", consisting of six songs from the "Unplugged"-session, was given away for free to the 2000 first subscribers to the official Björk-fanzine "Telegraph", though. Luckily, the complete session is available on various CD-bootlegs with very good sound-quality. The "Unplugged"-session is generaly based on a cembalo, diverse Indian percussions and Björk's voice. A nice, dramatic cembalo-intro sets the mood before Björk opens with a playful version of "Human behaviour", only assisted by the cembalo. Then there's a lenghty "One day", based on Talvin Sigh's percussions and different bell-sounds (reminding me a little bit of the Tori Amos-song "Bells for her"). Like many of the other numbers, it's slower and more relaxed than the original version, focusing more on the atmosphere and Björk's words and less on the melody-line. "Come to me" goes on in the same vein but with some nice flute-solos, which makes it sound very similar to the version she performed during the "Debut"-tour (listen to the version in the "Vessel"-video, for a nice reference). Björk changes the lyrics and adds some Gibberish frases and some lovely roaring noises in the lenghty percussion-and-organ-based "Big time sensuality". Both "Like someone in love" and "The anchor song" sound identical to the versions on the "Debut"-disc (since both original-versions are all acustic). "Aeroplane" is a lot more focused on the wind-instruments  and "Crying" adds some very nice danceable percussion-efforts courtesy of Talvin Sigh. The final version of "Violently happy" is my definite favorite, sounding very similar to the version she performed during the "Debut"-tour (again "Vessel" is a nice reference). Björk performs the strange lyrics about living in the small town of Reykjavík and being in love with someone on the other side of the planet, in a sad tone of voice assisted by an organ. Eventually the tune gains speed as the drums come in and all of a sudden it burts into the well-known sparkling techno-track, but with the electronic drum-patterns replaced by exotic percussions. It certainly is a good end to an "Unplugged"-session just as wonderfully vivid and dreamy as the "Debut"-album and as colorful as the sparkling yellow dress she wore on the MTV-broadcast. It's definitely one of the most interesting bootleg-items around and it's a nice compliment to the "Debut"-remix-mini-album.