Sugarcubes - "Birthday" C / D

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Classic to me. I hear Bjorks grunts and I want to touch her funny.

― Chris, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Absolutely classic. I can't imagine high school without this song.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic, especially the "Ahhhhh ohhh ahhh..." parts. Is it just me, or is this song pretty disturbing, like in a pedophilic way?

― Kate Spiren, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Pedophilia/dominant-submissive sex are major themes on _Life's Too Good_ (see "Deus", "Sick For Toys", "Motorcrash", "Mama", "Coldsweat" remix). I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this album to pieces.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

High School?!?!?! Damn, you're young, Dan!

"Birthday" is a complete and utter fucking classic.

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Total classic, but then, I'm totally biased.

― Mark, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I actually laughed when I saw the question, as I can't imagine anyone choosing anything other than classic: there's my piece of contrarian- bait for the future.

Each time I've gone on about the Sugarcubes in articles, most of what I'm talking about is my initial reaction to hearing "Birthday" for the first time, in a radio context: "what the hell is this, and how can it be so beautiful?" -- basically the same reaction I've been looking for in everything I've liked since then.

― nabisco%%, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not that young, Alex! I'm less than a year away from 30.
― Dan Perry, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

AlexInNYC in even older than Sinkah shockah!
― RickyT, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, and yes, absolute classic, despite having very dodgy lyrics indeed.

― RickyT, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Two years from 30 and I remember this from high school as well. Just fantastic.

― Chris, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, and yes, absolute classic, despite having very dodgy lyrics indeed.

What's dodgy about "Give me a big mother/soft and wet one/That would caress me/In all those special places/Where's a strong mother/One that squeezes me/One I can crawl upon and cling to?"

― Dan Perry, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Absolutely nothing. Your name is Mr. Squelcho, isn't it?

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So Classic for this 29yo. Seek the Icelandic vers. if you're squelchy about the lyrics. Don't forget the Mary Chain "remixes": Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey-ay.

― Spencer Chow, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

classic. i can't imagine primary school without this song; i still remember the first time i heard it on the radio. i kind of feel bad that i missed out on the themes of the lyrics from that album when i first heard it. Are any of Bjork's solo albums worth checking out?

― hamish, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In re the solo albums and whether they're worth checking out Hamish lots of people will tell you "oh yes absolutely you must hear them" but the actual answer is "no."

― John Darnielle, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, you absolutely must check out Post and Homogenic. Beautiful albums, both. *sticks tongue out at Mr. Darnielle*

― Melissa W, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Et tu, Melissa? I know though. It's just that I am fated to be That One Guy Who Thinks This Particular Emperor Has No Clothes. Liked "Birthday," though, esp. the demo version in Icelantic or whatever that lovely language is called.

― John Darnielle, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When I heard "Birthday" for the first time on the CBC, I was transfixed. Everything sounded so off-kilter yet reigned in somehow, and then in comes Björk, with the most intense voice I'd heard in a long time. I'm with nabisco, I can't see how anyone could possibly answer anything other than classic, but I think I'm also with John: I don't really see much of the appeal of most of Björk's solo work or, indeed, any of the Sugarcubes' output post-Life's Too Good. Now, I just recently picked up the two K.U.K.L. albums, and those are certainly a lot more fun.

― Sean Carruthers, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think the Justin Robertson remix is superior to the album/single version because the bassline is more prominent and the beats are tougher. Incidentally, beer is £4 a pint in Iceland.

― chris sallis, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

alex in nyc is eight years younger than me

"birthday" is cool

kate must go

― mark s, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The first time I heard this song, I had to pull the car over to the side of the road to keep from crashing it. Utter classic.

― Colin Meeder, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

steals the glittery sound from joy division's atmosphere. not in a good way.

― Senor Pulpo, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dud, I'm afraid. To me it seems to be an idealisation of what being five is like, which is completely different to what being five was actually like for anyone I know, even the ones who weren't friends with R. Kelly.

(Shit, I can already see the mob approaching with flaming torches and I haven't even hit submit yet.) But I like her solo stuff! Really!

― B-Rad, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've never much liked it. The first ever music paper I bought had a singles poll and put this at the top, and I was so excited to hear it and when I did I just thought "So what?" and that reaction's stayed with me ever since. The reason I don't like it I've never quite been able to articulate, which is a pity as I think I'd understand myself and how I liked music better if I could. Partly it's that I don't find Bjork's voice beautiful at all, or rather I don't think she's very good at using it, not here at least. Partly the punkish- childishness of the song doesn't appeal. But even beyond that there's the same feeling I get with Liz Frazer, a feel that this concept of "beauty" - despite being as far as I know original and new - is also somehow unsubtle and underwhelming. It's like the feeling I get listening to Sigur Ros - this is not beautiful, it's the Sort Of Thing That Gets Called Beautiful.

― Tom, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Or the sort of thing that other people find beautiful and that you don't?

― chris sallis, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is it just too obvious for you? Too pretty, melodic, nice, euphonius etc? I read a review of Beth Orton that criticised her for making "pretty", as if making melodious music was somehow a cop-out.

― chris sallis, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry, that should of course be "pretty music". I have to change my horrible email address.

― chris sallis, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well yes if it gets called beautiful I'm sure other people find it beautiful. I'm not saying the people calling it beautiful are lying! That actually applies more to Liz Frazer - wordless angelic vocalising strikes me as kind of the quick road to 'beauty', the pop equiv. of soft-focus photography. Like I say I'd be happier if I did know why I don't like "Birthday" but I can't pin it down.

And no I like pretty melodic stuff, often.

― Tom, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well I'm a sucker for wordless angelic vocalising, cascading fx laden guitars and gauzy production values. I don't like the original Birthday mix either, but as I say the Justin Robertson remix is excellent.

― chris sallis, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

it's as good as the original "birthday" (the one by altered images)...

― g, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

well, it's happy birthday but I've always heard a lot of similarity between the first sugarcubes record and altered images...

― g, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Birthday = Major thesis on why anything I have in common with "indie" just doesn't apply before ~1994

― Graham, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"thesis" = "evidence" or equiv.

― Graham, Monday, 24 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

revive. classic as im listening to it now.

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

seriously one of my favorite songs ever. i had one of the best moments recently driving around last saturday with the windows down when this came on.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Sure is.

It seemed to be on the indie chart rundown on The Chart Show for my entire childhood.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I first heard/saw it on Saturday Night Live.. Thought it was a great song & young Bjork was cute as a button...

But now Deus is my favorite...

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I love this song so much it hurts. I heard this last night for the first time in ages. A friend of mine in trying to make the point that Bjork's solo output surpasses that of the Sugarcubes actually said "the Sugarcubes sucked". I haven't spoken to her since.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Thursday, 13 November 2003 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

They did suck...except for that song.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 13 November 2003 04:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Bjork's solo work and the Sugarcubes can't really be compared. She has said it herself a million times: the Sugarcubes was not her band. it was no one's band and everyone's band. They were anarchists and nobody said no to anybody elses input, really. That is why they sound so goddam weird. I mean, they've got a horns, guitars, synths...a poet who raps occasionally, and Bjork screaming her head off in between atonal choruses. It really has very little to do with her solo ambitions. And beer in Iceland is a lot more expensive than 4quid. Try nine.

― tiiiiiiiiiim (tiiiiiiiiiim), Thursday, 13 November 2003 04:52 (twenty-two years ago)

those wacky icelanders.

75% of Life's Too Good is godhead.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 13 November 2003 04:53 (twenty-two years ago)

oh and birthday is a total classic, but overplayed. Hit rocks me in a fashion not dissimilar to a hurricane.

― tiiiiiiiiiim (tiiiiiiiiiim), Thursday, 13 November 2003 04:54 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, my senior year of high school, i'd listen to this before going to school and feel dreamy all morning. plus the video is fab.

― youn, Thursday, 13 November 2003 05:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Birthday"=Classic.

And what was that stuff up there dissing Elizabeth Fraser, Tom? For me, the "beauty" inherent in the Cocteau Twins was never in their etherealness, but in Fraser's intensity, Guthrie's chiming guitars, Raymonde's rubber band bass and those massive echoey drum loops. Which is why later Cocteaus -- ethereal Cocteaus -- didn't do it for me (anywhere near as much).

Liz Fraser, at her best, is not soft focus, OK?

And Björk solo can be great or terrible. Post and Homogenic are amazing, and when the mood is right, Vespertine is one of the most... um... beautiful albums ever recorded.

― David A. (Davant), Thursday, 13 November 2003 06:09 (twenty-two years ago)

why did she sew a bird in her knickers though. or i guess he sewed it? that sounds naughty

i once knew a girl that painted huge books but i don't think she glued them together

― ron (ron), Thursday, 13 November 2003 06:21 (twenty-two years ago)

The Sugarcubes were fucking incredible. The first album is impeccable.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Birthday is a wondrous thing and probably reponsible for me never really getting into solo Bjork as it was (for me) a high point that she has never again reached.

― H (Heruy), Thursday, 13 November 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Saying that Bjork went downhill after "Birthday" does not do full justice to the sheer vertiginous nature of her decline - I'd liken it to a sky diver who's chute fails to open

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 13 November 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Songs with Bjork's involvement that are just as good as "Birthday":

Deus
Cold Sweat
Motorcrash
Traitor
Blue-Eyed Pop
Sick For Toys
Pump
Regina
Nail
Shoot Him
Water
Planet
Hit
Venus As A Boy
Big Time Sensuality
Hyper-Ballad
Isobel
It's Oh So Quiet
Enjoy
Alarm Call
Bachelorette
Joga
Hunter
Pagan Poetry
Frosti

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

OK I qualify my last statement: my interest in Bjork and her art (and herself for that matter) went into a steep and as yet unchecked decline akin to that of a sky diver whose parachute has been sabotaged by jealous fellow sky divers... pause for breath... as soon as the 3'18" (or whatever it is) duration of "Birthday" was completed.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 13 November 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i rated bjork's solo work up to (but not including) her second solo album. but that first 'cubes album is IMO definitely her highest point.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 13 November 2003 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

The pinnacle may actually be "Bachelorette".

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:09 (twenty-two years ago)

dan otm

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

though i still like "birthday" more

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

fiddo c. OTM

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

WUV

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Fear our ginchy babies.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

they will wear french rolled jeans

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I will raise them in wild herds.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:18 (twenty-two years ago)

dan will do the milking

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:20 (twenty-two years ago)

fc will wail the chorus to "Birthday" at them as a lullaby.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

it's alright if i pick a little fight boooonnaaazaaaa

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

We'll all live together in a remote farmhouse as manly men.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Is there a (US) version of "Life's Too Good" yet that doesn't sound crappy? Mine's all tinny and washed-out sounding, the cassette sounds better. Has it been rereleased or can anyone recommend a particular import? It has to have the bonus tracks, of course... it's no good without "Cat."

Also "Birthday" of course classic.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 14 November 2003 00:21 (twenty-two years ago)

An absolute classic.

― daavid, Friday, 21 November 2003 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

first heard it on some year end freebie comp from Melody Maker or NME or something. best tune on there!

second best: My Bloody Valentine - "Strawberry Wine"
little did we know what was in store for us...

― Paul (scifisoul), Friday, 21 November 2003 03:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Dead classic. This song was actually pivotal to the way I listened to (and wrote) music.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 21 November 2003 04:38 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.