Cocteau Twins - where to start?

Garlands for the simple, vital arrangements which got me hooked on them way back when. It's so clever it sounds simple. But it ain't. Treasure for the throbbing, overproduced and visceral full attack. For me Garlands (which I think is the one Tony cited above) has stood up well to the test of time. Their later stuff hasn't.

IMO.

Harry,

Garlands is a fine album but Treasure is my personal favourite and I would consider it lapidated but never over-produced.  Agree with the  visceralism of the album, that's what tells it apart from others  and in particular the opening track  Ivo.

Tony

I remember it as a tour de force on vinyl but it never shone much on CD.

Bit confused. I do own copies of Treasure on vinyl and CD and do prefer the vinyl copy.  BBC sesssions, Garlands  and Head Over Heels on CD. All great albums but, hey,  it's a matter of personal taste at the end of the day.

Indeed. I didn't think the CD came across as gracefully as the LP. It sounded to much like HiFi to me. But s you say, it's a personal thing. I'm happy to own it and as a dip in point it shouldn't disappoint. Nor should Garlands. 

"Treasure" is the one. Truly haunting.

I think you now know that 'Treasure' is the place to start. A girlfriend at the time fell in love with it when I left her a copy by her student door (she is beside me now as I type this). Don't overlook 'Victorialand' for a quieter piece and 'Blue Bell Knoll' for more recent stuff. 

I don't remember who said it (maybe nobody did) but , 'you either get high to the Cocteau Twins or make love'.

Fixie?

Filigree and Shadow, which draws together their 12" singles is an excellent album.

Nigel,

Filigree & Shadow is the excellent 2nd album by This Motal Coil (4AD label super group put together by Ivo Watts-Russell, the owner of the label I believe). It does feature the various members of Cocteau Twins however, but no extended Twins songs.

The Pink Opaque features a mixed bag of Twins singles and is hard to get here now as it was released mainly in the US to break them there.

Regards

Neil

Silly me! The CD I meant to mention is Lullabies to Violaine, which has two volumes. Which of course has a totally different title!! But it's very good nonetheless.

Four calendar cafe is not bad for an album

I would agree with the suggestions for Treasure or one of the compilations. Garlands is a much different proposition - it's much more dense & abrasive than later releases (Will Heggie's bass partly responsible) - so it's not much like 'Song to the Siren' in feel.

Hi folks

Thanks for all your suggestions & nfo, I will start with Treasure & report back my findings (spoke to a friend earlier that concured with this)

Whilst I know the compilation is a safe bet I'd rather indulge myself into a specific place in their career (if that makes sense?)

cheers!

Blue Bell Knoll

Treasure

Victorialand 

Heaven and Las Vegas

They released in 1991 a box set of all their singles and EPs and previously unreleased stuff plus a bonus CD. The bonus cd contains a stunning song called Crushed which was used on the This Mortal Coil video collection to promote 4ad label. 

Can't go wrong those albums but avoid the remastered cd's ! 

I also love the Moon and the Melodies which you won't find under the Cocteau twins as it was a colaberration between them an Harrold Budd. It's filed under the band members name. 

A fantastic band

I think that over the course of their life the Twins went from something rather original to something rather samey. I wouldn't give them 2p for anything after Treasure but I'm sure many will love this period more than the earlier stuff. So it goes.

Only secondhand via the usual sites I believe.