Cocteau Twins — Head Over Heels/Treasure(16th March 2018) ¶→¶ Cocteau Twins : ‘Head Over Heels’ and ‘Treasure’ Represses: Location: Grangemouth, Scotland Studio: Palladium Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland Genre: Gothic rock, ethereal wave, post~punk Album release: 31 October 1983 / 16th March 2018 Record Label: Nonesuch Duration: Tracks: 01 When Mama Was Moth 02 Five Ten Fiftyfold 03 Sugar Hiccup 04 In Our Angelhood 05 Glass Candle Grenades 06 In The Gold Dust Rush 07 The Tinderbox (of A Heart) 08 Multifoiled 09 My Love Paramour 10 Musette And Drums Credits: Cocteau Twins →¶→¶ Elizabeth Fraser— vocals →¶→¶ Robin Guthrie— guitar, bass guitar, drum machine →¶→¶ John Fryer— Producer Additional personnel: →¶→¶ Jon Turner— engineering →¶→¶ 23 Envelope— sleeve art design →¶→¶ “Ally”is thanked for saxophone on “Five Ten Fiftyfold” Members: →¶→¶ Elizabeth Fraser— vocals (1979~97) →¶→¶ Robin Guthrie— guitars, bass, drum machine (1979~97) →¶→¶ Will Heggie— bass (1979~83) →¶→¶ Simon Raymonde— bass, guitars, piano (1983~97) ζ≡ 4AD are repressing two more Cocteau Twins records on vinyl this coming March, the albums Head Over Heels and Treasure. These are the latest additions to our ongoing reissues from the band, following Blue Bell Knoll, Heaven or Las Vegas, Tiny Dynamine / Echoes In A Shallow Bay and The Pink Opaque. ζ≡ Using new masters created from high definition files transferred from the original analogue tapes, both albums are being pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl and come with download codes. Digital HD audio versions of both albums will also be made available through specialist retailers at the same time. Head Over Heels ζ≡ Released in late~1983, Head Over Heels is the Cocteau Twins’ second album and features classic tracks ‘Sugar Hiccup’ and ‘Musette And Drums’. ζ≡ Coming not long after original bassist Will Heggie had departed the band, the chemistry between remaining members Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie was flourishing. By moving the band on from the starkness of their debut, they were now making the music that would help them define the decade ahead; her wordless, dreamlike vocals a powerful instrument over his lush, textured guitars. AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett;Score: ★★★★½ →¶→¶ 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. Treasure ζ≡ The band returned to being a trio in 1984 with guitarist Simon Raymonde joining their ranks in time for third album, Treasure. ζ≡ Produced by Robin Guthrie and featuring tracks ‘Lorelei’, ‘Ivo’ and ‘Persephone’, Treasure is often celebrated as one of the band’s finest works. As Pitchfork put it when including the album in their Top 100 Albums of the 1980s, “Treasure was titled simply enough. An adjective for the endlessly inventive melodic lines you’d find buried in these songs, and a verb for what you’d do with them for years to come.” Album release: November 1st, 1984 Recorded: August~September 1984 Studio: Palladium Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland Rooster, West London, England Genre: Ethereal wave dream pop Tracks: 01 Ivo 02 Lorelei 03 Beatrix 04 Persephone 05 Pandora (for Cindy) 06 Amelia 07 Aloysius 08 Cicely 09 Otterley 10 Donimo ζ≡ All tracks written by Cocteau Twins (Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde). Credits: → Elizabeth Fraser— Vocals → Robin Guthrie— Guitar → Simon Raymonde— bass guitar, production → Drostan Madden— Engineer → Jon Turner— Engineer → 23 Envelope— sleeve design AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett/Score: ★★★★½ →¶→¶ The opening two numbers of Treasure are simply flawless, starting with “Ivo,” where gently strummed guitar and low bass support Fraser’s singing; then suddenly added, astonishing chimes and steady percussion build up to a jaw~dropping Guthrie guitar solo. Topping that would be hard for anyone, but in “Lorelei,” the Twins do it, with an introductory, breathtaking guitar surge leading into one of Fraser’s best vocals, compelling in both its heavenly and earthly tones and rolls. Not a word may be understandable, but it isn’t necessary, while the music, driven on by a pounding rhythm, is as perfect a justification of digital delay pedals and the like as can be found. As Treasure continues, the accomplished variety is what stands out the most, whether it be the gentle, futuristic~medieval pluckings on “Beatrix,” the understated moody washes and Fraser whispers on “Otterley,” the upbeat guitar lines of “Aloysius,” or the slightly jazzy touches on “Pandora.” The concluding number ends the record on the peak with which it began. “Donimo” starts with a mysterious mix of mock choir sounds, ambient echoes and noises, and Fraser’s careful singing before finally exploding into one last heavenly wash of powerful sound; Guthrie’s guitar, Raymonde’s steady bass, and drum machine smashes provide the perfect bed for Fraser’s final, exultant vocals. Treasure lives up to its title and then some as a thorough and complete triumph. →¶→¶ https://www.allmusic.com/ Website: http://www.cocteautwins.com/ Label: http://4ad.com/ Discography: ≡ζ≡ Garlands(1982) ≡ζ≡ Head over Heels(1983) ≡ζ≡ Treasure(1984) ≡ζ≡ Victorialand(1986) ≡ζ≡ The Moon and the Melodies(1986) (in collaboration with Harold Budd) ≡ζ≡ Blue Bell Knoll(1988) ≡ζ≡ Heaven or Las Vegas(1990) ≡ζ≡ Four~Calendar Café(1993) ≡ζ≡ Milk & Kisses(1996)
Location: Grangemouth, Scotland
Studio: Palladium Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland
Genre: Gothic rock, ethereal wave, post~punk
Album release: 31 October 1983 / 16th March 2018
Record Label: Nonesuch
Duration:
Tracks:
01 When Mama Was Moth
02 Five Ten Fiftyfold
03 Sugar Hiccup
04 In Our Angelhood
05 Glass Candle Grenades
06 In The Gold Dust Rush
07 The Tinderbox (of A Heart)
08 Multifoiled
09 My Love Paramour
10 Musette And Drums
Credits:
Cocteau Twins
→¶→¶ Elizabeth Fraser — vocals
→¶→¶ Robin Guthrie — guitar, bass guitar, drum machine
→¶→¶ John Fryer — Producer
Additional personnel:
→¶→¶ Jon Turner — engineering
→¶→¶ 23 Envelope — sleeve art design
→¶→¶ “Ally” is thanked for saxophone on “Five Ten Fiftyfold”
Members:
→¶→¶ Elizabeth Fraser — vocals (1979~97)
→¶→¶ Robin Guthrie — guitars, bass, drum machine (1979~97)
→¶→¶ Will Heggie — bass (1979~83)
→¶→¶ Simon Raymonde — bass, guitars, piano (1983~97)
ζ≡ 4AD are repressing two more Cocteau Twins records on vinyl this coming March, the albums Head Over Heels and Treasure. These are the latest additions to our ongoing reissues from the band, following Blue Bell Knoll, Heaven or Las Vegas, Tiny Dynamine / Echoes In A Shallow Bay and The Pink Opaque.
ζ≡ Using new masters created from high definition files transferred from the original analogue tapes, both albums are being pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl and come with download codes. Digital HD audio versions of both albums will also be made available through specialist retailers at the same time. Head Over Heels
ζ≡ Released in late~1983, Head Over Heels is the Cocteau Twins’ second album and features classic tracks ‘Sugar Hiccup’ and ‘Musette And Drums’.
ζ≡ Coming not long after original bassist Will Heggie had departed the band, the chemistry between remaining members Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie was flourishing. By moving the band on from the starkness of their debut, they were now making the music that would help them define the decade ahead; her wordless, dreamlike vocals a powerful instrument over his lush, textured guitars.
AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett; Score: ★★★★½
→¶→¶ 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.
Treasure
ζ≡ The band returned to being a trio in 1984 with guitarist Simon Raymonde joining their ranks in time for third album, Treasure.
ζ≡ Produced by Robin Guthrie and featuring tracks ‘Lorelei’, ‘Ivo’ and ‘Persephone’, Treasure is often celebrated as one of the band’s finest works. As Pitchfork put it when including the album in their Top 100 Albums of the 1980s, “Treasure was titled simply enough. An adjective for the endlessly inventive melodic lines you’d find buried in these songs, and a verb for what you’d do with them for years to come.”
Album release: November 1st, 1984
Recorded: August~September 1984
Studio: Palladium Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland Rooster, West London, England
Genre: Ethereal wave dream pop
Tracks:
01 Ivo
02 Lorelei
03 Beatrix
04 Persephone
05 Pandora (for Cindy)
06 Amelia
07 Aloysius
08 Cicely
09 Otterley
10 Donimo
ζ≡ All tracks written by Cocteau Twins (Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde). Credits:
→ Elizabeth Fraser — Vocals
→ Robin Guthrie — Guitar
→ Simon Raymonde — bass guitar, production
→ Drostan Madden — Engineer
→ Jon Turner — Engineer
→ 23 Envelope — sleeve design AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett / Score: ★★★★½
→¶→¶ The opening two numbers of Treasure are simply flawless, starting with “Ivo,” where gently strummed guitar and low bass support Fraser’s singing; then suddenly added, astonishing chimes and steady percussion build up to a jaw~dropping Guthrie guitar solo. Topping that would be hard for anyone, but in “Lorelei,” the Twins do it, with an introductory, breathtaking guitar surge leading into one of Fraser’s best vocals, compelling in both its heavenly and earthly tones and rolls. Not a word may be understandable, but it isn’t necessary, while the music, driven on by a pounding rhythm, is as perfect a justification of digital delay pedals and the like as can be found. As Treasure continues, the accomplished variety is what stands out the most, whether it be the gentle, futuristic~medieval pluckings on “Beatrix,” the understated moody washes and Fraser whispers on “Otterley,” the upbeat guitar lines of “Aloysius,” or the slightly jazzy touches on “Pandora.” The concluding number ends the record on the peak with which it began. “Donimo” starts with a mysterious mix of mock choir sounds, ambient echoes and noises, and Fraser’s careful singing before finally exploding into one last heavenly wash of powerful sound; Guthrie’s guitar, Raymonde’s steady bass, and drum machine smashes provide the perfect bed for Fraser’s final, exultant vocals. Treasure lives up to its title and then some as a thorough and complete triumph. →¶→¶ https://www.allmusic.com/
Website: http://www.cocteautwins.com/
Label: http://4ad.com/
Discography:
≡ζ≡ Garlands (1982)
≡ζ≡ Head over Heels (1983)
≡ζ≡ Treasure (1984)
≡ζ≡ Victorialand (1986)
≡ζ≡ The Moon and the Melodies (1986) (in collaboration with Harold Budd)
≡ζ≡ Blue Bell Knoll (1988)
≡ζ≡ Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
≡ζ≡ Four~Calendar Café (1993)
≡ζ≡ Milk & Kisses (1996)
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