Von (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈvɔːn], Hope) is the debut studio album by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, released on 14 June 1997 by Smekkleysa Records. Production lasted over two years, and the result sounded significantly different from the original recordings. The band considered scrapping the final result, but decided not as it would have made the process too long. In exchange for recording time, Sigur Rós painted the studio they recorded in.[9]
| Von | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 June 1997 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 71:59 | |||
| Label | Smekkleysa | |||
| Sigur Rós chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 68/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| Blender | [3] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[4] |
| musicOMH | [5] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[6] |
| Rock Sound | 6/10[7] |
| Under the Radar | 4/10[8] |
Von was originally released in Iceland to positive reviews from critics, but went relatively unnoticed abroad. In the first year following its release, Von sold only 313 copies in Iceland. Following the band's popular international releases Ágætis byrjun and ( ), it was re-released in the United Kingdom in 2004, and in the United States a month later. In 2005, Von and Ágætis byrjun were declared platinum albums in Iceland, signifying domestic sales of over 5,000.
Composition
editThe sixth track consists of 18 seconds of silence, and gave name to Sigur Rós's official website, 'eighteen seconds before sunrise'. The last track starts with six minutes and fifteen seconds of silence, then consists of a portion of "Myrkur" played backwards, hence the name of "Rukrym."
The tracks "Hafssól" and "Von" were later re-recorded with different arrangements, the former released as a B-side to the Hoppípolla single and both appearing on 2007's Hvarf/Heim.
Artwork
editThe cover depicts Jónsi's sister Inga Birgisdóttir as a baby.[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | English translation | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sigur Rós" | Victory Rose | 9:46 |
| 2. | "Dögun" | Dawn | 5:50 |
| 3. | "Hún Jörð ..." | Mother Earth ... | 7:17 |
| 4. | "Leit að lífi" | Search for Life | 2:33 |
| 5. | "Myrkur" | Darkness | 6:14 |
| 6. | "18 sekúndur fyrir sólarupprás" | 18 Seconds before Sunrise | 0:18 |
| 7. | "Hafssól" | The Sea's Sun | 12:24 |
| 8. | "Veröld ný og óð" | A World, New and Crazed | 3:29 |
| 9. | "Von" | Hope | 5:12 |
| 10. | "Mistur" | Mist | 2:16 |
| 11. | "Syndir Guðs (Opinberun frelsarans)" | Sins of God (Revelation of the Savior) | 7:40 |
| 12. | "Rukrym" | Ssenkrad | 8:59 |
| Total length: | 71:58 | ||
Personnel
edit- Jón Þór Birgisson – vocals, guitar
- Georg Hólm – bass
- Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson – drums
References
edit- ^ "Reviews for Von by Sigur Rós". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
- ^ Andy Kellman. "Von - Sigur Rós | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
- ^ Slower into its stride, with tune-free twittering and dull homages to FX-pedal rock making up the first half. [Jan/Feb 2005, p.123]
- ^ Alexander Tudor (22 April 2009). "Sigur Rós – Von". Drownedinsound.com. Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
- ^ Heward, Emily (2009-06-08). "Sigur Rós – Von | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
- ^ Sam Ubl (30 November 2004). "Sigur Rós: Von". Pitchforkmedia.com. Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
- ^ Gardner, Noel F. (June 2009). "Sigur Ros – Von." Rock Sound (123): 84.
- ^ They failed handily on this effort, but as we all know by now, it was only a matter of time before they got it right. [#8, p.112]
- ^ "Sigur Rós – trivia". Sigur-ros.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
- ^ "Sigur Rós - Timeline Photos". Facebook. Retrieved 2015-03-02.