5. “It’s Oh So Quiet” – Bjork
(From the album Post)
1995
Bjork followed up the success of “Army Of Me” with “Isobel”, another song that melded genres by combining electronic beats with a string arrangement. However, it was the third single from Post, a cover of the 1951 show tune “It’s Oh So Quiet”, that really showed how willing Bjork was to push the boundaries of pop music, while also sealing her reputation as an alt rock maverick willing to try almost anything. Bjork’s cover of “It’s Oh So Quiet” is musically quite faithful to the big band/show tune style of the original version (which had already been redone several times in various languages over the years) but is really sold by Bjork’s dynamic and over-the-top vocal performance. Bjork treats the song like a true musical number from a Broadway show and goes from whisper to shout and back (all done with her exotic, ear-catching accent) while also adding all sorts of personality to the vocal piece, making her performance feel as if it draws on acting as much as it does singing. Of course, a show tune is meant to be seen and the colorful and fun music video directed by Spike Jonez adds to the song’s magic. Indeed, Bjork sells “It’s Oh So Quiet” by taking it so serious, really sinking into the piece like she was playing a role in a musical; while at the same time making it so over-the-top that it feels playfully ironic (or at least read that way in the irony-drenched 1990’s). Who knows though, maybe Bjork did have a bit of the acting bug, as she would have a cameo role in Pret-A-Porter around this time and then played the main role in 2000’s Dancer In The Dark, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Whether done seriously or ironically, “It’s Oh So Quiet” would be one of Bjork’s most successful songs, going Top 20 in ten territories including #4 in the UK, while also being an alternative radio hit in the United States.
Follow all the posts at the Alternative Reality site: www.alternativealbumsblog.wordpress.com
Alternative Reality: An Alternative Music Blog 