Björk - Vessel (1994)

Part of Björk's Live DVD series, Vessel presents live performances and short films from her Debut-era material, as directed by Stephane Sednouai, who also shot her video for "Venus as a Boy." The disc begins with an impressionistic mix of performances and interviews with Björk that seem a little precious nearly a decade on, especially considering how much her work and persona have grown since 1994. The concert portion of Vessel, however, is first-rate, documenting her live interpretations of songs like "Human Behaviour," "Venus as a Boy," "Big Time Sensuality," and "Aeroplane" while they were still relatively new. Die-hard Björk collectors will especially want this DVD, as it features a performance of "Atlantic," a relatively obscure B-side. Sedanoui does a good job of capturing the performances in a fairly unobtrusive way while still adding some fittingly arty effects. While it's not a definitive representation of the Björk live experience, Vessel is valuable as a time capsule of her work and image at this time.

by Heather Phares, AMG