Someone should start a Cocteau Twins thread

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Seriously, they are worth talking about.

[xxxMidgexxx]

Seconded!

[patient_ot]

One of my favorite bands ever.

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My current favorite is Head Over Heels. It’s got a nice mix of their earlier gothiness with their later wispiness. I’ve been extremely lucky finding CT records locally in shockingly nice shape. I did have to resort to the internet for The Spangle Maker 12” and Echoes in a Shallow Bay. From the 4AD years, the only thing I’m missing at the moment is Garlands. I’ve passed on it a couple of times in shops at $25, which I’m regretting now. I have Blue Bell Knoll and Heaven or Las Vegas on CD. I’d like to get an OG (4AD or Capitol) BBN on vinyl. I’ve heard that pretty much all versions of HOLV on vinyl have issues, so CD might have to suffice for that one. I guess I also needThe Moon and the Melodies, which seems hard to come by on CD or LP these days. I’ve never heard anything from the Fontana years.

[patient_ot]

My current favorite is Head Over Heels. It’s got a nice mix of their earlier gothiness with their later wispiness. I’ve been extremely lucky finding CT records locally in shockingly nice shape. I did have to resort to the internet for The Spangle Maker 12” and Echoes in a Shallow Bay. From the 4AD years, the only thing I’m missing at the moment is Garlands. I’ve passed on it a couple of times in shops at $25, which I’m regretting now. I have Blue Bell Knoll and Heaven or Las Vegas on CD. I’d like to get an OG (4AD or Capitol) BBN on vinyl. I’ve heard that pretty much all versions of HOLV on vinyl have issues, so CD might have to suffice for that one. I guess I also needThe Moon and the Melodies, which seems hard to come by on CD or LP these days. I’ve never heard anything from the Fontana years.

HOH has been my favorite for a long time. I never bother with CT stuff on vinyl because the condition is usually never up to snuff or it's not the pressing I'm looking for. A lot of the reissues were botch jobs taken from the horrible RG remasters, which I have no interest in either.

I think their music sounds best on the un-remastered CDs, which are not too difficult to find if you know where to look. I've got most of the 4AD albums including "Moon" that way as well as the Singles box set. Actually my Singles box is the same one I bought way back in the 90s. At one point it was in storage out of state and I ended up buying a second copy. When I got my original copy out of storage I sold my second copy.

RE: Garlands, I never really got into it honestly. I much prefer the first two singles/EPs for that era of their sound.

RE: the Fontana stuff, I've heard bits and pieces here and there, but never owned any of it. If I see any of it in the used bins cheap I might take a chance.

[JGJR]

Of all of their stuff, Blue Bell Knoll and to a lesser extent Heaven or Las Vegas are the two that I come back to the most. The only one I currently own is BBN. I had the un-remastered disc (I think) and now I have this version. I thought it sounded OK, but haven't tried it out on the new turntable.

https://www.discogs.com/Cocteau-Twins-B ... se/5883381

I'd definitely like to acquire/re-acquire (had some of the others on CD like Treasure, etc.) more of their stuff, too. I've only streamed The Moon and the Melodies and only heard it recently whereas I've been a fan since I was 15. I liked it a lot.

[scannest]

At least now I know what inspired this thread. C'mon guys, full transparency...

[patient_ot]

Of all of their stuff, Blue Bell Knoll and to a lesser extent Heaven or Las Vegas are the two that I come back to the most. The only one I currently own is BBN. I had the un-remastered disc (I think) and now I have this version. I thought it sounded OK, but haven't tried it out on the new turntable.

https://www.discogs.com/Cocteau-Twins-B ... se/5883381

I'd definitely like to acquire/re-acquire (had some of the others on CD like Treasure, etc.) more of their stuff, too. I've only streamed The Moon and the Melodies and only heard it recently whereas I've been a fan since I was 15. I liked it a lot.

HOLV took a long time to grow on me. I thought it was overproduced and over-polished when I first heard it and couldn't really get into it. I like it a lot more now despite that.

Honestly, IMHO, a lot of the band's best material was not on albums, but non-album singles and EPs, so anyone that hasn't heard those is missing out.

[patient_ot]

At least now I know what inspired this thread. C'mon guys, full transparency...

Had no idea about this until just now. Way too much talking throughout.

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At least now I know what inspired this thread. C'mon guys, full transparency...

That was unexpected.

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I listened to both Fontana records today and was surprised by how much I liked them. They are a little more straightforward than the earlier stuff, but still very enjoyable.

I was very lucky to find Cocteau Twins records in very nice shape. They are all OG 4AD pressings and remarkably clean. Hopefully I get as lucky with the Canadian Echoes in a Shallow Bay that I just bought from eBay…

[JGJR]

At least now I know what inspired this thread. C'mon guys, full transparency...

Had no idea about this until just now. Way too much talking throughout.

Same; truly didn't know that existed and wanna watch.

[Fillavoid]

I listened to both Fontana records today and was surprised by how much I liked them. They are a little more straightforward than the earlier stuff, but still very enjoyable.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Fontana albums. I haven't listened to Four Calendar Cafe very much, but I've listened to Milk & Kisses a lot. That album has some great songs. I love the melodies and guitar sounds.

As an aside, I find it interesting how Liz Fraser began writing more straightforward lyrics during this era. For example, I know "Rilkean Heart" is about her friendship with Jeff Buckley...and "Half-Gifts" is also pretty intense if you read the lyrics. Anyway, her approach to lyric-writing definitely changed between the early albums and later ones, which I find interesting.

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As an aside, I find it interesting how Liz Fraser began writing more straightforward lyrics during this era. For example, I know "Rilkean Heart" is about her friendship with Jeff Buckley...and "Half-Gifts" is also pretty intense if you read the lyrics. Anyway, her approach to lyric-writing definitely changed between the early albums and later ones, which I find interesting.

That, and you can actually understand what she’s singing! Yeah, that was a huge change. I’ve been listening to them since the late ‘80s, but didn’t hear HOLV until a few years ago. That was a huge shock that took some getting used to.

[JGJR]

As an aside, I find it interesting how Liz Fraser began writing more straightforward lyrics during this era. For example, I know "Rilkean Heart" is about her friendship with Jeff Buckley...and "Half-Gifts" is also pretty intense if you read the lyrics. Anyway, her approach to lyric-writing definitely changed between the early albums and later ones, which I find interesting.

That, and you can actually understand what she’s singing! Yeah, that was a huge change. I’ve been listening to them since the late ‘80s, but didn’t hear HOLV until a few years ago. That was a huge shock that took some getting used to.

Wait what? Not even the title track? That was all over 120 Minutes and college radio back in the fall of 1990 and along with Blue Bell Knoll, which I first heard around the same time or a bit earlier, was my intro to the band. I still think it's their best song aside from maybe "Sugar Hiccup." Both are absolute masterpieces IMO.

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Wait what? Not even the title track? That was all over 120 Minutes and college radio back in the fall of 1990 and along with Blue Bell Knoll, which I first heard around the same time or a bit earlier, was my intro to the band. I still think it's their best song aside from maybe "Sugar Hiccup." Both are absolute masterpieces IMO.

I was introduced to CT by a girl gang I started hanging with in my senior year of high school. I mostly heard them while hanging out with them. I liked them, but was not hugely into them. I think I had Treasure, Garlands, and a little bit later, the singles box set. I vaguely remember HOLV coming out, but didn’t pay that much attention to it. I didn’t really start digging into their catalog on my own until the early ‘00s, and even then, I was more focused on the earlier stuff. I don’t think I actually listened to HOLV in it’s entirety until a few years ago.

And as for their best song, “Sugar Hiccup” is a strong contender, but I think I would put “The Spangle Maker” at the top.

[jaybird]

Wait what? Not even the title track? That was all over 120 Minutes and college radio back in the fall of 1990 and along with Blue Bell Knoll, which I first heard around the same time or a bit earlier, was my intro to the band. I still think it's their best song aside from maybe "Sugar Hiccup." Both are absolute masterpieces IMO.

I was introduced to CT by a girl gang I started hanging with in my senior year of high school. I mostly heard them while hanging out with them. I liked them, but was not hugely into them. I think I had Treasure, Garlands, and a little bit later, the singles box set. I vaguely remember HOLV coming out, but didn’t pay that much attention to it. I didn’t really start digging into their catalog on my own until the early ‘00s, and even then, I was more focused on the earlier stuff. I don’t think I actually listened to HOLV in it’s entirety until a few years ago.

And as for their best song, “Sugar Hiccup” is a strong contender, but I think I would put “The Spangle Maker” at the top.

LOL... Every cute goth-y/new-wave girl with a sideways haircut that I had a crush on back then was into this band... one girl put this tune on a mixtape for me in like 1990... I can still smell the Aquanet and clove cigarettes when I hear it.

[xxxMidgexxx]

I don't recall an album from Cocteau Twins that I disliked. Pretty consistent.

But what do I know? I like (old) Styx and all of Cannibal Corpse.

[JGJR]

Wait what? Not even the title track? That was all over 120 Minutes and college radio back in the fall of 1990 and along with Blue Bell Knoll, which I first heard around the same time or a bit earlier, was my intro to the band. I still think it's their best song aside from maybe "Sugar Hiccup." Both are absolute masterpieces IMO.

I was introduced to CT by a girl gang I started hanging with in my senior year of high school. I mostly heard them while hanging out with them. I liked them, but was not hugely into them. I think I had Treasure, Garlands, and a little bit later, the singles box set. I vaguely remember HOLV coming out, but didn’t pay that much attention to it. I didn’t really start digging into their catalog on my own until the early ‘00s, and even then, I was more focused on the earlier stuff. I don’t think I actually listened to HOLV in it’s entirety until a few years ago.

And as for their best song, “Sugar Hiccup” is a strong contender, but I think I would put “The Spangle Maker” at the top.

LOL... Every cute goth-y/new-wave girl with a sideways haircut that I had a crush on back then was into this band... one girl put this tune on a mixtape for me in like 1990... I can still smell the Aquanet and clove cigarettes when I hear it.

That is great. didn't have a crush on her, but I think it was an older (college age when I was 15) lady who was a family friend at the time who first introduced me to both Prefab Sprout and Cocteau Twins on the same tape. It was Blue Bell Knoll and it's still my favorite today.

[jaybird]

Wait what? Not even the title track? That was all over 120 Minutes and college radio back in the fall of 1990 and along with Blue Bell Knoll, which I first heard around the same time or a bit earlier, was my intro to the band. I still think it's their best song aside from maybe "Sugar Hiccup." Both are absolute masterpieces IMO.

I was introduced to CT by a girl gang I started hanging with in my senior year of high school. I mostly heard them while hanging out with them. I liked them, but was not hugely into them. I think I had Treasure, Garlands, and a little bit later, the singles box set. I vaguely remember HOLV coming out, but didn’t pay that much attention to it. I didn’t really start digging into their catalog on my own until the early ‘00s, and even then, I was more focused on the earlier stuff. I don’t think I actually listened to HOLV in it’s entirety until a few years ago.

And as for their best song, “Sugar Hiccup” is a strong contender, but I think I would put “The Spangle Maker” at the top.

LOL... Every cute goth-y/new-wave girl with a sideways haircut that I had a crush on back then was into this band... one girl put this tune on a mixtape for me in like 1990... I can still smell the Aquanet and clove cigarettes when I hear it.

That is great. didn't have a crush on her, but I think it was an older (college age when I was 15) lady who was a family friend at the time who first introduced me to both Prefab Sprout and Cocteau Twins on the same tape. It was Blue Bell Knoll and it's still my favorite today.

She was lots of fun.... First Ballot Hall of Famer:

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These girls were just friends. I only ever hooked up with one of them. They were the ABC After School Special weird outsider girls. There was actually a very 80s movie moment once when I was walking down the hall at school and overheard a guy making fun of one of them and was like “hey, that’s my friend you’re talking about,” and he backed off. That was the girl who shaved her head after all of her hair fell out because she bleached it one too many times before using Manic Panic on it. She used to have “SINEAD!” yelled at her all the time. Keep in mind, this was pre-Nirvana, before it was cool to be a weirdo. Thank god for them, though. I was kinda lost after I lost interest in hardcore. They turned me on to Bauhaus, the Birthday Party, Cocteau Twins, Throwing Muses, etc., plus, they were just fun as hell to hang out with. It was a total 180 from the all male skate crew I had been hanging with for most of high school (though those guys were all solid too).

[xxxMidgexxx]

I started a bit of deep dive going back to the beginning. Listened to 'Garlands'. Not sure if I heard it before start to finish. It sounds dated though prolly unique for that time period.

[xxxMidgexxx]

Ha. WFUV just played HOLV and I’m reminded of how terrific they wound up being. Those vocals!

[JGJR]

At least now I know what inspired this thread. C'mon guys, full transparency...

That was unexpected.

Watched this yesterday finally; I kinda dug her version, but wish there was a better recording. Her comments are funny, too. I forget how niche a lot of our interests are (or maybe how old we all are lol) given that her own stuff (which aside from the alt-country type stuff she occasionally dabbles in, holds little interest to me) is super popular and stuff like "Heaven or Las Vegas" which I'm sure many of us (myself included) consider all-time classics are relegated to "I bet you all don't know this song" territory for her obviously much younger fans. I think "it was on 120 Minutes and college radio virtually 24/7 in the fall of 1990" and then remember that was over 30 years ago before most of her fans were even born. Where does the time go?

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Recent eBay wins:
Blue Bell Knoll (OG US vinyl)
The Moon and the Melodies (Relativity/4AD CD)

Fails:
Asshole seller never sent Echoes in a Shallow Bay and is not responding to messages

[JGJR]

Recent eBay wins:
Blue Bell Knoll (OG US vinyl)
The Moon and the Melodies (Relativity/4AD CD)

Fails:
Asshole seller never sent Echoes in a Shallow Bay and is not responding to messages

Lucky duck; curious how much.

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BBN was $16 (plus shipping) and TMATM was $15.50.

I got a refund on the EIASB 12” this morning, which is good, but means I still need a copy.