One of those bands where my aesthetic response to the cover art pretty much exactly corresponds to my enjoyment of the music within. 'Garlands' - neat-looking but kind of literal (for the Cocteaus at least) and gothy. 'Head Over Heels' (vinyl - I saw the CD art and thought 'agh, what is this pink? this is the least pink album ever!') and 'The Pink Opaque' - gorgeous, beguiling, dark, desperate. 'Treasure' - pretty, sure, but on the ornate side, and less emotionally compelling to me personally, very much like the music on said album.
[Cue chorus: "They had other albums, y'know!"]
― Clarke B., Thursday, 31 July 2003 08:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Clarke B., Thursday, 31 July 2003 08:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Clarke B., Thursday, 31 July 2003 08:53 (twenty years ago) link
Wax and WaneFive Ten FiftyfoldMusette and DrumsMillimillenaryHithertoThe Spangle MakerBeatrixIvoIceblink Luck*Seekers Who Are Lovers
*or Blue Bell Knoll (can't decide).
(And now I feel bad leaving out "Multifoiled", "When Mama Was Moth", etc).
― David A. (Davant), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 31 July 2003 11:31 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 31 July 2003 11:49 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 31 July 2003 14:30 (twenty years ago) link
― geeg, Thursday, 31 July 2003 14:56 (twenty years ago) link
11, so there...!
― Paul (scifisoul), Thursday, 31 July 2003 17:34 (twenty years ago) link
― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 31 July 2003 22:25 (twenty years ago) link
― joni, Thursday, 31 July 2003 22:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Saturday, 2 August 2003 03:24 (twenty years ago) link
― AdrianB (AdrianB), Thursday, 10 February 2005 09:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble... (Bimble...), Thursday, 10 February 2005 14:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 10 February 2005 14:53 (nineteen years ago) link
― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 10 February 2005 14:56 (nineteen years ago) link
Aikea-GuineaHalf-GiftsCherry Coloured Funk (Mark Clifford Mix)Orange AppledIceblink Luck
Sugar HiccupIvoHeaven or Las VegasRilkean HeartGolden Vein
― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 10 February 2005 17:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― noodle vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 10 February 2005 19:26 (nineteen years ago) link
"But I'm Not""The Tinderbox (Of A Heart)""Ivo""Aikea-Guinea""Great Spangled Fritillary""Orange-Appled""The Thinner The Air""Sea Swallow Me" (there you go Noodle Vague!)"Crushed""Blue Bell Knoll"
bonus: "Song To The Siren"
― Seb (Seb), Thursday, 10 February 2005 23:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― jeffery (jeffery), Friday, 11 February 2005 01:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Si Carter (Si Carter), Friday, 11 February 2005 01:29 (nineteen years ago) link
10. "Road, River, and Rail"9. "Serpentskirt (BBC Version)"8. "She Will Destroy You"7. "Great Spangled Fritillary"6. "Hearsay Please"5. "It's All But An Ark-Lark"4. "Carolyn's Fingers"3. "Summerhead"2. "The Spangle Maker"1. "In the Gold Dust Rush"
― Ian Riese-Moraine's exploding hamster zeppelin! (Eastern Mantra), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 17:19 (eighteen years ago) link
10. "Half-Gifts (BBC Version)"9. "Ooze Out and Away, Onehow"8. "It's All But An Ark-Lark"7. "Hearsay Please"6. "Summerhead"5. "Great Spangled Fritillary"4. "Whales' Tails"3. "Carolyn's Fingers"2. "The Spangle Maker"1. "In the Gold Dust Rush"
― Ian Riese-Moraine forever! (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Silent Disco of Glastonbury (Bimble...), Sunday, 5 June 2005 18:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― wanko ergo sum, Friday, 30 March 2007 04:29 (sixteen years ago) link
― Bimble, Friday, 30 March 2007 05:04 (sixteen years ago) link
― John Splith, Friday, 30 March 2007 22:41 (sixteen years ago) link
Don't they dispise that video with a passion though? I don't know how they manage to film in Holloway Sanitarium (the most awesomely designed, psychedelic building in the UK) and make it look like some dingy church somewhere out in the wilds.
― JTS, Thursday, 1 May 2008 16:53 (fifteen years ago) link
Impressed by the near-upset on the Smiths vs. Cocteau's thread and looking to make a compilation to rekindle my fandom, I downloaded what I didn't have from eMusic and iTunes, and began my tracklist with all the recommendations here. That's more than 5 hours of music in fans' Top 10s.
That said, I've easily and happily eliminated an hour of that on my way to compiling eight favorites so far (up through the "H"s). I don't get the love for what sounds like PiL filler covered by Edith Piaf.
― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 22:47 (fourteen years ago) link
What meanst thou by that last sentence? The only thing even remotely close to PIL is possibly "Peppermint Pig" ep which is so far off style from the rest of their output it doesnt count.
― 65daysofsugban (Trayce), Wednesday, 13 May 2009 06:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Pete, post your comp tracklisting when you're done! I'm interested.
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 13 May 2009 12:03 (fourteen years ago) link
You're right, Trayce, it probably doesn't apply to much more than that and Garlands.
― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 13 May 2009 15:06 (fourteen years ago) link
The climax on "The Spangle Maker" is transcendent. y/y?
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 13 May 2009 15:46 (fourteen years ago) link
I'll probably come up with a new one-CD distillation some day (maybe tomorrow), but for now it's:
Sugar HiccupAmeliaCarolyn's FingersLoreleiThose Eyes, That MouthIn the Gold Dust RushRilkean HeartBlue Bell KnollFotzepoliticMillimillenaryPeppermint Pig (7")In Our AngelhoodIvoCherry-Coloured FunkFeathers-Oar-BladesFive Ten FiftyfoldSummerheadSeekers Who Are LoversPink Orange RedGreat Spangled FritillarySea, Swallow Me
― Pete Scholtes, Saturday, 16 May 2009 01:50 (fourteen years ago) link
Wait, improved reshuffle (scratch the above):
Sugar HiccupLoreleiCarolyn's FingersAmeliaBlue Bell KnollCherry-Coloured FunkPeppermint Pig (7")In Our AngelhoodSeekers Who Are LoversIn the Gold Dust RushFotzepoliticMillimillenaryThose Eyes, That MouthIvoFeathers-Oar-BladesFive Ten FiftyfoldSummerheadRilkean HeartPink Orange RedGreat Spangled FritillarySea, Swallow Me
― Pete Scholtes, Saturday, 16 May 2009 04:20 (fourteen years ago) link
It's all good man. I want all the Cocteau Twins lovers to come to my house so we can form a secret society forever. We can overcome anything. I really believe this. It's only a matter of time.
― More Goth Than Your Grandmother (Bimble), Saturday, 16 May 2009 04:25 (fourteen years ago) link
ivocherry colured funkpearly dewdrops dropscherry coloured funk
i dont know why i attempted this but an ex-gf was into these guys and these are the songs i can remember liking. i need to track down some albums obv.
― Michael B, Saturday, 16 May 2009 19:12 (fourteen years ago) link
On a seasonal Cocteau Twins binge right now, got hit with that overwhelming list-making urge.
Love's Easy TearsLoreleiThe Spangle MakerBlue Bell KnollGlass Candle GrenadesSpooning Good Singing GumTheft, And Wandering Around LostCherry Coloured FunkFifty-fifty ClownAikea-Guinea
― J. Sam, Sunday, 15 January 2017 19:54 (seven years ago) link
From when I was an '80s teen I've appreciated what this group does, but had never plunged into their catalog until now.
The Spangle MakerIvoLoreleiAmeliaAikea-GuineauLove's Easy TearsLazy CalmCherry-Coloured FunkIceblink LuckI Wear Your Ring
― Josefa, Saturday, 21 September 2019 14:09 (four years ago) link
I'm not sure it's my absolute favorite, but 'Love's Easy Tears' is perhaps the best synthesis of everything I love most about them. It might be my favorite, though.
― Welcome To My Lifemare (Old Lunch), Saturday, 21 September 2019 14:27 (four years ago) link
Was at the record store yesterday and it seems used prices for OG Cocteau vinyl has doubled in the last couple years. $15-25 for a 12” and 40+ for LPs.
― brotherlovesdub, Saturday, 21 September 2019 16:26 (four years ago) link