Cocteau Twins : Classic or Dud

anyway. victorialand, blue bell knoll, heaven or las vegas probably favourites. even four-calendar cafe had some sublime moments.

not so keen on the very early stuff 82/83. 85-90 probably best period. not as edgy then, but don't see them as an 'edgy' band.

favourite song has to be 'the spangle maker'

and those sleeves were wonderful

But actually they're rubbish. Yeah they're beautiful ethereal cascades of sound but it just makes no connection with me, and listening to a whole album is like being force-fed merinques.

I probably differ from most fans, since I didn't think their middle period ('88-'93) was so hot. To me, their career was similar to the Comsat Angels and Throwing Muses in that they started hot, cooled off, and ended hot. That said, I maintain that the endless murk and cheap rhythms of Garlands are totally bitchen. Same regard is held for Milk and Kisses, which most people tend to sour on.

Paging Mr. Raggett...

There's more variety in their work than most give them credit for, I think, and while there are certainly patchy albums here and there, _Treasure_, _Victorialand_ and _Heaven or Las Vegas_ alone touch me and cut to the quick. Oh yeah, and "The Spangle Maker" single and the _Aikea-Guinea_ EP and "Pink Orange Red" and...

I like the meringue comparison, but no. The Victorian mentions, album title aside, can be laid at the feet of Vaughn Oliver's art. It's all about taking something dank and making it beautiful while keeping the heft, and about making something that *shouldn't* work -- incomprehensible lyrics, an emphasis on effects over clear melody -- work like a charm. Wouldn't change a single thing about 'em.

I'm on a spree tonight - and I'm massively back into the Cocs. I think Treasure is one of my all time fave albums, but my knowledge of the rest of their stuff doesn't extend much past it, only to "Four Calendar Cafe" (which I realise is to Treasure as Sing when Your Winning is to Life thru a Lens).

So go on - lets speak of how awesomely great Lorelei is.

One of the great bands of the 80s.

some time last autumn i had a funny turn :

falling in love with the cocteaus again.

http://www.ambitious-outsiders.com/images/lineup05.jpg

Yeah ha I think at one point I also thought that was it. I mean who would hear "curtsies", she really smears the word.

Cocteau Twins are seen as progenitors to shoegaze in their guitar sound, but I guess you could say the same about their lyrical approach. I have always appreciated Slowdive and MBV because most pop lyrics are daft, and by submerging the vocals in the mix, those bands avoided that disappointment. Liz Fraser’s avant-garde lyric writing, which was then distorted behind recognition in her singing, was the same goodness.

Encountered "Pearly Dewdrops'-Drops" today, as part of a mix... what a terrific song (oddly titled though it is). I tried out some bits & pieces of their other early stuff, and wasn't feeling it as much... I'll have to keep trying, kept coming back to that one song.

try sampling the EPs as opposed to album tracks

If you like “Pearly…” specifically, then I’d recommend ‘The Pink Opaque’ which is a US compilation of key tracks from that era.

Thanks to both, those were good tips for finding a groove (this track "Millimillenary," dang...)

Wish I had been hip to this band in high school; they would have fit so tightly in my taste profile at the time.

(this track "Millimillenary," dang...)

so great and only available via the Pink Opaque comp, not released anywhere else which is a travesty obv

“Wax and Wane” remix is decent too, in that 80s 4AD dance mix vein

It also contains my favorite Cocteau’s track - “Aikea-Guinea”

"Aikea-Guinea" is my favorite CT track too :)

I think you would probably enjoy the album Head Over Heels, which is close in sound to "Pearly..", especially the song "Sugar Hiccup".

Thanks, will queue that up next (I'm almost thru The Pink Opaque this morning; "Aikea-Guinea" happens to be playing right now... great collection)

This group sure had a way with song titles! haha

That's all Liz Fraser. Wait till you see the ones on Blue Bell Knoll !

"Sugar Hiccup" was a good call!

I feel like the Sugarcubes def. took some inspiration here (tho I imagine this is a bog-standard observation)

I remember an early Sugarcubes interview where Björk said she often got compared to Kate Bush, Siouxsie Sioux and Liz Fraser.

And just that slow-tempo groove, echoing drums, and chiming gtr of some of these tracks (although I guess that would describe a lot of '80s acts!)

morrisp, you gotta check out the Love's Easy Tears EP. Their single best release for me, has kind of a 60s-pop-beamed-through-interstellar-space vibe

Thanks – just listened, and liked it a lot (perfect description, too!)

I found this in a cutout bin of unsold Record Store Day stuff - Sun's Signature (Frasier and Damon Reece)

HOLY SHIT THIS IS GREAT why didn't anyone freak out about this

feels like a mix of Cocteau's and Portishead Third

https://sunssignature.bandcamp.com/album/suns-signature

waht

I thought this already made the rounds! Yeah it's fine stuff.

I must have missed it, just saw the cover in the bins and googled it, was only $8 so I figured why not, super blown away by how great this is, beautiful tracks, feels a piece with CT but has its own identity

her voice has held up remarkably!

plus Steve Hackett!!

Woah. Thanks for info. Had no idea.

Happy 60th to Liz!

Yesterday in the northern suburbs of Chicago there was a blue minivan with Louisiana plates and a bumper sticker that said "STOP HONKING I'm trying to figure out what Cocteau Twins are saying" over the Heaven or Las Vegas cover art.

It's sold out

https://i.imgur.com/pI7Yi4b.jpg

John Bonham is all over this album huh

Yessir.

"1984’s Treasure was a landmark album for the Cocteaus that saw improvements in both their songwriting and Guthrie’s production—it also marked the debut of their multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde. They worked in some new gear, including an E-mu Emulator sampler and Yamaha DX-7 for bell sounds, but they stuck with their E-mu Drumulator with an important upgrade.

The change? Guthrie swapped out the original eproms for Digidrums’ Rock Drums chips, which featured samples of John Bonham from “When The Levee Breaks.” It gives the backing tracks a distinctive sampled edge but with a Drumulator feel.

In the magazine One-Two Testing, Guthrie explained how he used the Drumulator on the record. “We start with a very basic guide drum on the Drumulator. I’ve tried all the drum machines and that’s the most straightforward machine to work with. Examples? Well, supposing you wanted to erase a particular drum from a song. On some machines that would take you ages. With the Drumulator it’s straightforward. Tuning of the drums on it would be helpful, I suppose, but you could always varispeed them once they were on tape. I’ve got some of the new chips for our Drumulator—the Rock chips sound great. I’ll stick with that machine.”

Also Shout by Tears For Fears

twins becoming one of my fav bands

https://i.imgur.com/QFFJGor.png

The first 20 seconds of this sound like music for a secret super Mario brothers underworld level

https://thequietus.com/articles/33528-cocteau-twins-head-over-heels-anniversary

never picked up on either of those drum samples, good excuse to play treasure at a very loud volume when I clock out.

That Record Got Me High - Cocteau Twins 'Treasure' with Miki Berenyi

Ugh, that Quietus review gets 721 words in before it mentions the band or the album

Thanks, john

never picked up on either of those drum samples, good excuse to play treasure at a very loud volume when I clock out.

rock out with your clock out

https://i.imgur.com/1sNGV7D.jpg

Feel like“Slip Away the Chicken Slice” needs a comma.

Slip Away, the Chicken Slice

I coulda sworn "Bitter Gourd Grasping" was a BBK outtake but I guess not

also, ATTN Swen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaOlNfC8_xQ

Damn those clips were so laid back. I miss 80s news

As noted on the reissues thread, besides a new reissue of Moon and the Melodies, all their videos are now officially uploaded on their page and in hi-def. Embed was playing a little havoc with the URL so just C/P this: www.youtube.com/@cocteautwinsofficial/videos

Thanks

The Cocteau Twins' "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" open S3E4 of The Bear.

Just saw some digipak editions of Treasure and Heaven or Las Vegas in HMV that I’ve not seen before. Are these remasters? Google is telling me nothing. The 2003 or so remasters are a bit compressed mess so if these sound better I want them bad. Tidal appears to just have the original releases judging by the dates (and sound) so I can’t try before I buy. 4ad website seems next to useless for info. Anyone?

hmm according to discogs, this treasure digipak has the same UPC code as the 2003 remasters: https://www.discogs.com/release/26964548-Cocteau-Twins-Treasure

Grazie

heard "suckling the mender" at h&m today