Cocteau Twins ‎Stars And Topsoil A Collection (1982-1990)

Cocteau Twins ‎Stars And Topsoil A Collection (1982-1990)

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Stars and Topsoil collects some of the Cocteau Twins' better-known 4AD material, which ends at 1990, before their departure to Fontana in the U.K. and Capitol in the U.S. Outside of college radio support and some late-night MTV rotation, the Cocteaus were basically invisible and unheard of in the U.S.; in the U.K., they were a higher profile act, but they still remained more of a cult band with a rabid following. As a barometer for the unfamiliar more than anything else, the compilation will either lead to the purchase of the group's entire catalog or nothing more, because those who are familiar tend to fall into two distinct camps: There are those who find the group to be from the gods, and there are those who are in firm belief that they were birthed from the stinking pit of the precious art-fluff well. Though the Cocteaus never really repeated themselves, they held a set of characteristics throughout their discography that made them extremely unique -- characteristics that launched a legion of imitators. While the selection here is fairly representative, there still isn't a definitive first place to go with the Cocteaus. An era spanning seven LPs of studio material and nine singles is a good load to pick from, and this particular track listing is just one of hundreds a fan could come up with. The disc is just as quality as most other Cocteaus releases

Cocteau Twins ‎Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins Heaven Or Las Vegas

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When an album connects with a listener so flawlessly and personally, it can be quite the challenge for said listener to sum up the album in an objective manner, as in many cases, any attempt at reviewing the record will undoubtedly lead to biased conclusions. Reviews can be personal to an extent though, as much of the aesthetic appeal of music in general equates to the personal tastes and sensibilities of the listener, especially when it comes to a genre that relies so heavily on the atmosphere, texture, and emotion as opposed to technicality or musical virtuosity. Cocteau Twins are, in my humble (and personal) opinion, one of the most underappreciated and unrecognized groups of both the 80’s and the early 90’s. They managed to maintain a gorgeously lush and icy sound throughout the majority of their career and were practically without peer in the genre of dream pop. The impeccable mix of guitars and synths always managed to create an otherworldly and inviting atmosphere, and Elizabeth Fraser’s wonderfully unique, quirky, and downright angelic voice carried the groups sound to astoundingly beautiful heights. This was truly heavenly music, and practically none of their albums displayed this mastery better than Heaven or Las Vegas. The first aspect to address about this album is the incredibly uplifting and comforting vibe that radiates off of each and every track. The general mood here is one of blissed-out fascination and joy, and it can be quite easy to zone out or doze off to many of these songs. Said mood is perpetuated by the intuitive instrumentation. The layers of guitars provide both a glowing rhythmic drive and a beautifully textured accompaniment to the simplistic, yet effective bass line. The percussion is basic and likely programmed in most cases, but this basic nature succeeds in leaving the focus on guitars and vocals unimpeded, as well as holding a steady, and at times, quite groovy beat. Finally, Elizabeth Fraser’s voice serves as arguably the most important aspect of the album, let-alone the sound of Cocteau Twins’ entire catalog. The group would never be elevated to such an artistic height where it not for the fragile, articulate vocalizations of Frazer, and her performance here is arguably her best since Treasure, or even her entire career. Songs certainly vary in intensity and style as well. Tracks such as “Iceblink Luck” and “Fotzepolitic” seem very anthemic and celebratory in nature with the slightly higher emphasis on higher ranged sounds, whereas others songs like “Heaven or Las Vegas” and “Wolf in the Breast” are more relaxed and blissful, in part due to the considerably lower tempo and deeply drawn-out chords. Then there are masterpieces like “Fifty-Fifty Clown” and “Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires” that basically floor the listener with overwhelmingly dense, melodious progressions and outstanding layered vocals by Fraser, ultimately equating to tear-jerkingly gorgeous songs. The main criticisms against this album generally lean toward a relative lack of complexity or originality, and while these can be sound arguments, they don’t hold much weight with me in this case because of the practically flawless execution and passionate performance. The sound is one that has always clicked with me, all the way since my first listen to “Cherry-Coloured Funk”, and I personally can hardly find any relevant flaws as a result. To me, this album represents a celebration of the personal, individual experience of music as an entity, with nothing but sheer emotion and feeling given the center stage, and when music is this pure and elegant, and evokes such positive emotions upon every listen, any and all doubts of this being a classic to me are erased. This is simply some of the most beautiful music to ever be released in any medium, and I urge all to give this a listen at least once. You may have just as pleasant and personal an experience with this album as I’ve had.

Cocteau Twins ‎Garlands (Unremastered Expanded Re-Issue Edition)

Cocteau Twins Garlands (Unremastered Expanded Re-Issue Edition)

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At the time of the recording of Garlands, Cocteau Twins were a trio: Robin Guthrie on guitar and drum machine, Liz Fraser on voice, and Will Heggie on bass. Heggie was sort of the leader of the group in a sense: his sinuous post-punk bass riffage drives all 8 of the songs here. It is this strong bass underpining that gives the album a real 1982 post-punk feel. I would compare this to the way Jah Wobble's bass drives Public Image Limited's Metal Box, or the way Peter Hook's basswork drives New Order's Power, Corruption, and Lies. So Heggie's bass is the foundation of the music of Garlands. Layered over that bass is a clunky drum machine, the Roland 808 if you believe the press. This was the standard drum machine for a long time, and it's presence here is very typical. None of the beats are challenging: they are there to provide a sort of metronomic presence in the songs. Robin Guthrie plays some of his harshest, punkest riffs on this album. The guitar whirs and screams with lots of high-end trebly distortion. His playing here is not as subtle as what he later became known for. Still, it is very in keeping with the times. The final element to the sound is Liz Fraser's voice. When Garlands came out, i i am sure that her singing was very unique. She squeals and warbles her way through lyrics that hover at the edge of comprehension. Her voice is harsh here, not as refined as it would become, but there is a certain power and presence to it. But like i said earlier: they were young and this album shows that. However, for what it is, it's pretty good. It's a dark, moody, bass and squealing guitar laden lost epic of the post-punk scene. For folks into this type of music, Garlands is something to check out. The album starts off with Blood Bitch diving head first is the deep bass. This is followed by Wax and Wane, a song which Mr. Guthrie was to remix in 1985 for the band's first American release. I know the version from The Pink Opaque better, and it still strikes me as odd to hear this orginal mix. Here, the drum machine takes center stage, clinking it's way through the beat. It is surrounded, enveloped, by Heggie's bass in an unstoppable riff -- perhaps the best he has ever done (although i say that with the caveat that his later work is largely unknown to me). Fraser and Guthrie see-saw their way through the melody. The overall effect: a fever dream of paranoia. It's a great post-punk song. The Twins follow that up with But I'm Not, a song in which Fraser cuts loose vocally. She sings a deep, husky, jazz-influenced (Etta James perhaps?) style that she wouldn't really return to for years. Her vocal theatrics make this song noteworthy, because otherwise the music is unremarkable after the intense riffage of Wax and Wane. Blind Dumb Deaf is up next, and is probably the weakest track on the album. It seems to be The Robin Guthrie Show, as the drum machine and guitar dominate the proceedings. Not bad per se, just not as good as the rest of the album. The next track, Shallow Then Halo is one i never really noticed until i listened to the re-mastered CD. I think that this tune, of all the ones here, really benefitted the most from the re-mastering. It sounds much less muddy in remastered form than it did in the original. Of course this is true of the whole album, but Shallow Then Halo had the most mud removed. In general, this is a good gothy tune. Fraser's voice is nicely layered, and you can almost uderstand her vocals here. The bass and guitar complement each other very well too. Suddenly, i find i like this song. Odd. The Hollow Men is less goth more dub, as the drum machine and bass notes echo about. Next is the title track, which is a good rocking tune. And finally, the album ends with the decent but not stellar Grail Overfloweth. Overall, this isn't a bad album. On it's own. It is a very typical album for the early 1980's, and it has a few tracks that standout among the general mass of music from that time. One thing about the 2 versions i now own. Until this version came out, the version you were most likely to encounter was a combined CD that included an early Peel Session and the 7" single for Speak No Evil b/w Perhaps Some Other Aeon tacked onto the end. That makes it a 14 track CD, and those extra tracks are pretty good tunes in this same general vein. This re-mastered edition strips the "added bonus tracks" from the album, and restores it to it's orignal 8 song glory. After years of hearing the compiled edition, this sounds somewhat incomplete to me. When Grail Overfloweth peters out, i expect to hear Dear Heart. It's wierd that it just ends, but i guess that is my problem, caused by my familiarity with the compiled edition only. And the re-mastering really works here. Guthrie did a fine job. Each song is less muddy than it was on the original release, and the songs shine in the added clearness. I guess that i kind of wish that Guthrie had remastered all of it, the album, the Peel Session, and the 7", and put out the whole thing. But oh well. Those Peel tracks made it onto the BBC Sessions disc. But i am not sure if they were re-mastered there..... At any rate, i would heartily endorse this record to fans of that early 80's proto-goth/early new wave/post-punk sound. Cocteau Twins had a unique interpration of that particular cultural zeitgeist, and while they had better work to come, this is certainly a worthwhile listen for fans of the genre. If, however, you are a Cocteau/dreampop fan, be forewarned: this is pre-dreampop Cocteau Twins. It's not what you think of when you think Cocteau Twins.

Cocteau Twins Head Over Heels As Recommended By Dandyboy

Cocteau Twins Head Over Heel

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Losing original member Heggie might at first have seemed a troubling blow, but in fact it allowed the duo of Fraser and Guthrie to transcend the darkened one-note gloom of Garlands with Head Over Heels. The album introduces a variety of different shadings and approaches to the incipient Cocteaus sound, pointing the band towards the exultant, elegant beauty of later releases. Opening number "When Mama Was Moth" demonstrates the new musical range nicely; Fraser's singing is much more upfront, while Guthrie creates a bewitching mix of dark guitar notes and sparkling keyboard tones, with percussion echoing in the background. Other songs, like the sax-accompanied "Five Ten Fiftyfold" and "The Tinderbox (Of a Heart)" reflect the more elaborate musical melancholy of the group, while still other cuts are downright sprightly. "Multifoiled" in particular is a charm, a jazzily-arranged number that lets Fraser do a bit of scatting (a perfect avenue for her lyrical approach!), while "In the Gold Dust Rush" mixes acoustic guitar drama into Fraser's swooping singing. Perhaps the two strongest numbers of all are: "Sugar Hiccup," mixing the mock choir effect the band would use elsewhere with both a lovely guitar line and singing; and "Musette and Drums," a massive, powerful collision of Guthrie's guitar at its loudest and most powerful and Fraser's singing at its most intense.