Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.12.2004, Síða 40

BUBBI, ELVIS AND JUDAS
I chose to accept the more-often-than-not despicable job of the critic, solely on the grounds of it concerning
the “Rock-King of Iceland”, Bubbi Morthens. The importance of Bubbi in society can hardly be overstated. A
recent interview with radio DJ Óli Palli gives a clue as to what extent he has marked the lives of some of us.
In it, the DJ said that when he’d started listening to Bubbi’s music at an early age, Bubbi had “appeared as
Christ, and changed my life”. For better or (as is often the case) for worse, many a-tattered soul remembers a
similar experience, at least with the second part of the sentence.
REASSESSMENT
Bubbi’s career is in many ways
parallel to that of Elvis’; he started
out as a rebel the likes of which we
had never seen before and reached
heights in popularity likewise
previously unknown. He spoke
against the rich and crooked; when
he sang about the dire conditions
of the poor and the plight of the
common working-man, he did it
with an unidentifiable charisma that
made middle-class kids want to be
common working-men. Sadly, his
similarities to Elvis didn’t end with
him being crowned as “The King“.
Once upon a time this “working-
class hero” was feared by authorities
for his power over the masses; he
was respected as a leader of his
community. Whenever there was
some social issue to be dealt with,
the journalists would seek Bubbi’s
comment on it. His point of view
was big news, and how we soaked
them up. Things have changed.
In a way, Bubbi has now
become symbolic for a musician’s
version of the “1990’s leftist sell-
out phenomenon”; his ravings on
everything from whaling to inhaling
(not to mention his screaming about
the joy of boxing) have long since
alienated him from many of his
fans. No one doubts his talent as
a songwriter. The problem is that
when Bubbi releases a decent song,
it connotes instantly to the rest of his
escapades.
Bónus-Bubbi
Bubbi’s commercial success has
been remarkable. He’s always been
a bestseller; shortage of money can’t
have troubled him much, compared
to other compatriot musicians. All
in all he’s written over 400 songs and
sold about 250.000 albums, almost
one per Icelandic citizen. Once upon
a time, Christmas wasn’t Christmas
without a new “Bubbaplata”.
But his steady record sales haven’t
satisfied him; as his music became
ever-blander, he started doing
commercials for Tópas, and let Visa
sponsor him.
Nobody really cared that much
about this “sell-out” until people
heard that familiar voice singing
about the enjoyment of shopping for
high-quality fresh fruit in Hagkaup,
part of the incredibly wealthy
Baugur supermarket chain. Bubbi
added insult to injury when he had
the audacity to excuse himself by
dressing the low-cost marketing
strategy of Bónus in philanthropic
clothing by saying that the billionaire
founder of Baugur, known as
Jóhannes í Bónus, had single-
handedly lowered the prices of food
to previously unheard of rates when
first entering the retail market; thus
aiding the working-classes more
than most political measures have
achieved!
Although it is true Bónus did
lower prices at the time, Hagkaup
are actually the high price outlets of
the chain.

Bubbi & EXXON, Elvis & Nixon
In spite of the whole shebang
this sell-out stint provoked,
Bubbi continued serving the not
particularly almighty Króna. He
started working for the (surprise,
surprise) filthy-rich oil company
ESSO (EXXON). ESSO had not
been exactly instrumental in lowering
petrol prices; but as always, Bubbi
could explain. This time it wasn’t to
honour a corporate comrade of the
poor, this time it was for the benefit
of little children. He was now an
apostle of sobriety and signed an
advertising deal with ESSO in which
he agreed to appear beneath their
banner all over the country preaching
his favourite sermon at defenceless
schoolchildren: the never-ending
account of how merely-human
Bubbi slew the fierce and vicious
Drug Dragon. The king of rock had
become a clown.
Such remarkable dishonesty is
an interesting parallel with that
scene from Fat Elvis’ “mission”
in 1970, when he took a trip
the White House to volunteer
as a “Federal Agent at Large” in
fighting the “anti-establishment”
and “Communist-brainwashing”
drug elements in popular culture. It
is demonstrative of Elvis’ lengthy
absence from real life that it was
Nixon himself who dissuaded Elvis,
citing the necessity that Elvis retain
his credibility among youngsters.
Similarly, Bubbi didn’t appreciate
the fact that his anti-drug ramblings
would probably have an adverse
effect on the kids.
Bubbi & Reality
But a króna is a króna. Bubbi
continued selling his name and
reputation. He appeared on
television advising children to use
bicycle-helmets (prompting Megas
to write the satirical song “Hjálmar”
(Helmets). Bubbi also appeared
advertising and driving an expensive
jeep in the countryside delivering
weird and sometimes baffling
monologues about how much he
loved going fishing in his fancy jeep
and how he just couldn’t understand
people who stayed in the city all
week long. Here, inadvertently,
Bubbi hit the nail on the head; he
just doesn’t understand. He seems
to have absolutely no idea about that
dimension of reality inhabited by
“people who stay in the city all the
time”. These people, the very people
on whom he built his career, simply
can not afford travelling to the
countryside in a luxurious jeep to go
fishing in high-priced rivers, a luxury
normal to successful self-employed
people like Bubbi, bank directors and
foreign royalty. Most of these people
that Bubbi doesn’t understand, have
to be at work every day to afford to
buy their grub in benevolent Bónus.
Bubbi & Jesus
After a trilogy of albums of banal
love songs and some misguided
attempts to be a young rock n’
roller again, Bubbi is back with the
fishermen and workers. But this
time he’s brought along a new friend
called Jesus Christ. Together they
redeem Judas (who was only doing
his divinely commissioned job),
chastise Mammon and his followers,
of whom (we can only hope) Bubbi
is conscious of being one himself.
Some of the songs are based on the
recently discovered (1945) Gospel of
Thomas.
Elvis Presley is Rock’s first and
greatest gospel singer. Until recently
he was also one of Rock’s few gospel
singers. These days it’s something
of a trend, more and more Christian
songs are coming out: KK and
Magnús Eiríksson are only two of
many Icelandic songwriters that have
begun writing a lot in this vein. Why
not atheist Bubbi?
This album is, quite surprisingly,
his best work in years. The melodies
are pretty smooth, with folksy
humming, and relaxed playing.
They’re familiar, but not as forced
as usual, and come from all around:
he’s most likely been listening to
the Oh Brother Where Art Thou
soundtrack, but Irish influences are
prevalent (both the banjo player and
the fiddle player work in “Celtic”
band Papar). In one song he dabbles
in Icelandic old-time rhymes and
then we have the usual suspects:
Dylan, Johnny Cash’s American
period, traces of Bruce Springsteen’s
whining on Nebraska can be heard,
Tom Waits and more; Bubbi himself
cites Jack White, Nick Cave and
Leonard Cohen as his main sources
of influence. Good company to be
in. There’s nothing electric to be
heard here, no drums. Reputedly,
the album was recorded in 16 hours
and it sounds as if Bubbi’s band is
(finally) having fun. He should stick
with these guys for a while.
Why it works
Tvíburinn (The Twin) is roughly
divided into two halves: songs about
work and working-men and songs
concerning Jesus. Many say it’s high
time he gave that “Aldrei fór ég
suður” (a bitter song about the perils
of fish processing) theme a rest. On
Tvíburinn, this becomes evident;
the Christian songs are refreshing
compared to the seaman shanties,
because in them the listener is spared
the burden of Bubbi’s fame and
track record. It’s possible to actually
consider him as a religious and
honest songwriter that simply wants
to sing “constructive” songs about
that immortal biblical theme. He
isn’t preaching as much as he is wont
to and with the exception of thinking
about Pop-Idol in the line “Around
the corner the Judge is waiting”, the
listener is mostly alleviated of having
to remember Bubbi’s extra-musical
career.
The King’s Castle of Lies
Iceland’s most famous song about
cannabis is Bubbi’s “Afgan”, a
love song about hashish from
Afghanistan. Tvíburinn’s “Lífið
er erfitt” (“Life’s a Struggle”) uses
similar imagery. Here follows
a translation and a tempting
interpretation of some of the lyrics.
It begins thus:
“Life’s a struggle and the meter is
running. An old King and a small
boy lose their way in reality’s ocean.
The sad Queen does her dance,
while the Clown picks up dusty
darkness; the magic’s gone, as is the
ancient vigour”.
In his rockumentary Blindsker the
image of Bubbi being a middle-aged
“boy” is often repeated, (to become
child-like is also a necessity if one is
to fathom The Father in The Gospel
of Thomas). Here, he’s lost his way,
his queen (who else but Brynja?) is
sad while he (the clown) picks up the
“dusty darkness” (drugs?) and all is
lost. Later, he continues:
“Greed poisons your heart like a
snake … In Armani-armour you
storm into the bank … [but] the
shield is broken … your weapons
are dull, that step [Hagkaup/The
Jeep?] was a mistake/that you made
in hope of a quick buck … my friend
you’ll never find neither honour nor
dignity in falsehood ... the castle [of
lies] burnt-down, the well is empty”.
Bubbi seems to repent his
dishonesty and service to Mammon,
as he recently pointed out in
an interview on the Christian
fundamentalist TV-station Omega,
where he said that he was “on the
national team of liars”, that out of
his “deep-rooted lies” he “builds a
[protective] castle”, and that “I lie
to myself, to my closest ones, to
the nation, the media; to the whole
bundle … [lying] is what I’m trying
to get away from, and it’s going
miserably”.
Well, on this album he seems to
grasp the (at least musical) difference
between right and wrong. When
Bubbi sings about Jesus, he gets away
with it, maybe because he has yet
to sell out his faith in god. To the
many who have been hoping he’d
redo his Utangarðsmenn-albums
and be “for real” again, he puts up
his middle finger in a more or less
graceful manner. Let’s accept Bubbi
Morthens into our lives once more as
Rock’s saviour and our own private
Elvis. It’s not as if Kalli Bjarni looks
likely to dethrone him any time
soon.
by Klemens Ólafur
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