release date: Jul. 13, 1993
format: cd (519715-2)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,28]
producer: Nellee Hooper
label: Mother Records / One Little Indian - nationality: Iceland
Track highlights: 1. "Human Behaviour" - 2. "Crying" - 3. "Venus as a Boy" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Like Someone in Love" - 6. "Big Time Sensuality" - 9. "Come to Me" - 10. "Violently Happy"
Studio solo debut after leaving the successful indie pop band The Sugarcubes - actually, it's not her actual debut as solo artists since she released her first cover-songs album in her Christian name at the age of 12 in 1977; however, with the title Debut, she initiates her (artistic) adult music career pointing to the fact that her childhood debut should not have critics search for comparisons some 18 years down the line. This is her actual debut as Björk. This is the first issue of the album that consisted of 11 tracks, but already as of Nov. '93, the label reissued the album with 12 tracks and the addition of "Play Dead" on cd issues - later vinyl issues contain the original 11 tracks.
The loss of The Sugarcubes wasn't positively welcomed as they had been a nice blow of fresh air to the music industry, so a solo album by Björk at this point was like a secondary option.
Musically and instrumentally, she wasn't renowned for her musical capabilities, as her main instrument in her former band had been her voice. Therefore, the album almost came as a bit of a shock to everyone - including fans of Sugarcubes. Her vocal remains the same, but the music was brand new. It's literally one of the rare occasions where everything turned out just right. Stylistically, it's a difficult task to pin out - even today, as it represents a huge blend of influences and styles. Yes, it's art pop, and perhaps one should just refer to it as that leaving out the electronic, alt. dance, dance-pop, electropop, trip hop, and house elements, which by no means are just filler styles.
That year the album was aired everywhere. Not just on local and national radio stations, in record stores, not just bars and cafés - the album would be heard in restaurants, in clothes boutiques, shoe shops, and at sports retailers, in airports - you name it. It was like the soundtrack of the year, and it was naturally nominated dozens of prizes all over Europe. Across the Atlantic critics were a bit more controlled, and Rolling Stone even called the album 'a disappointment'; however, the general and wide-spread reception was more than just a thumbs up.
I played the album again and again and truly found it one of the absolute best releases of '93, but I also tired of the sound - not as much the music qualities but the sound of Björk, in general. Anyway, the album is a 'must-have' in any collection of popular music, and it's a quite natural inclusion in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Furthermore, the album is included in many best of lists like Slant Magazine's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s", Spin's "The 125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years", Channel 4's "125 Nominations for the 100 Greatest Albums", Elvis Costello's list of "500 Albums You Need", Melody Maker's "Albums of the Year", Mojo's "The Greatest Albums of All Time... and How They Happened", NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" - just to mention some. In retrospect, I find the album worth the positive reviews and think of it as an essential contribution to modern popular music as well as a cornerstone in the history of contemporary popular music.
Essential and highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Spin NME 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Select 4 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 3,5 / 5 but Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]
1993 Favourite releases: 1. Tindersticks Tindersticks - 2. Björk Debut - 3. The Breeders Last Splash
