Björk – Utopia

Reviewing every record in my collection:

I have mixed feelings about this vinyl. Presentation wise it's beautiful; The peach vinyl is probably the best looking vinyl I own, at least a top 5. Soundwise it's really good, not the miracle everyone was saying it is but a very good one indeed. My only and biggest gripe with it is the tracklisting, part of what makes Utopia, well, Utopia is the tracklist; the transition and how the album flows is, at least for me, Essential when listening to this album. I understand this had to be done to fit the an hour and fifteen minutes record onto two vinyls, but still, it's a bummer. I don't think I'll come back that often to this vinyl due to that, but I cannot not recommend this pressing to any Björk fan; despite of it's flaws, it sounds fantastic and looks amazing.

I keep coming back to this album, there’s some sublime moments. It holds up on its own. It’s out there but also fiercely feminine. There’s something unique about it…

would anyone be interested in trading this for The Divine Feminine (uo pink)?

great album iluvit so much BUT real sad stuff happens to my peach vinyl：there turns out two stickers on sidea when i open it ANDtwo songs are covered…showed my anger to the factory anyway . color is beautiful

The package, artwork and peach vinyl - all is superb and you can display it somewhere in your house and it will look extremely beautiful. I definitely recommend to own this vinyl in this limited colored edition. As for the music itself - the album is definitely not her best, yet it is not her worst. Not an easy listening, to get into Utopia was a big challenge even for a long-time fan as me. A lot of experiments with flutes, choir, bird songs and beats, very little harmonies or melodies, the singing rather conservative. Very strong influence of her collaborator Arca can be felt: the contribution of this person may not be to everyone's liking and this new musician in Björk's life is definitely not as original and revolutionary as was Mark Bell in the past. Yet, the album is still above average compared to many other artists and for all Björk's fans is a must. For only-to-be Björk fans, I recommend to start with Homogenic or Post. Very good songs: Blissing Me, The Gate, Saint, Losss and Body Memory.

mine came with a free extra a side label stuck right onto the record lol

Great album, solid pressing, little-to-no interference. There's some noticeable cut-off during some song transitions that seem to ruin the experience, however.

The peach color looks wonderful, though!

This thing is beautiful! Serious, this is so so beautiful! It was printed on a glossy paper, since the front cover to the sleeve which holds the vinyls. The lyrics to all the fourteen tracks were printed on the sleeves together with an art exclusively for the album and the "thank you" section. The discs... aaaaah the discs! These discs are heavy, but certainly not 180g, and they are peach coloured. Describing them with words is not enough to say how beautiful they are. And the sound quality... except for a few pops on side D, it was immaculate pressed! The vinyl is really quiet with solid bass so we can listen to all the birds and flutes the way Björk and Arca wanted to.
The album itself is really abstract. We can see that on the front cover. I was panicked when I first saw it, but let's think about it. This is abstract, maybe utopic, the way Björk and Arca wanted to be. Listen to those flutes and those birds, see the front cover, the flowers inside and understand the lyrics makes the Utopia experience closer to the Vespertine and Vulnicura experience.
A great great album with a great great Rough Trade exclusive edition. 5 stars once again for this amazing Icelandic musician.

This edition sounds great, the vinyl is very quiet except for a few clicks on the last side. The packaging is very nice as well, glossy inner and outer sleeves along with little details such as artwork on the inside of the gatefold pockets.

Yeesh. I don't know what to say. I have bee a Bjork fan since the early 90's, when she was the lead singer for the Sugarcubes. I have all three of the Sugarcubes records, as well as her of her solo outings (with the exception of the one she recorded at age eleven) including Gling-glo. There was a time that I could buy her records without ever having heard them and was never worried that I may not like them. Those days are over.

In the last 12 or so years, her releases seem to have less and less structure and melody, and are lacking the innovation of her earlier works. Utopia is no exception. There is nothing really new here, much of the album seems derivative of the quieter moments of Debut, with a bit of Homogenic thrown in for good measure. In interviews, Bjork labels the record a joyous affair. I don't really hear the joy in these songs. With practically no melodies, no vocal acrobatics, and the slow, laborious pace of the album, it doesn't come across as joyful to me. Not to mention the fact that the album clocks in an at a whopping 73 minutes. Without structure, and similar pacing in each of the songs, I am frankly having a difficult time even distinguishing the tracks from one another. The album as a whole seems disted to me, with strings and woodwinds seemingly randomly placed throughout. Clearly, the critics disagree, as the album is garnering quite a bit of critical acclaim. I have to wonder, have these critics ever heard Vespertine, or Homogenic? Perhaps I am a jaded fan, but in my humble opinion, Utopia does not hold a candle to these albums.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend this album to even the the most avid Bjork fans. The record feels tedious, and I don't think that music should ever feel "challenging to get through". If you are thinking of purchasing this album, I advise you to try to listen to it first, before buying it. I am sadly regretting spending $80 (including shipping) for the colored vinyl version. I wish I had ed it first, and saved my money. Sorry Bjork!