Cocteau Twins - Stars & Topsoil: Collection 1982-1990
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CD Details
Artist: Cocteau TwinsEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2003-06-03
Music Label: 4ad / Ada
Soundtracks:
- Blind Dumb Deaf
- Sugar Hiccup
- My Love Paramour
- Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops
- Lorelei
- Pandora
- Aikea-Guinea
- Pink Orange Red
- Pale Clouded White
- Lazy Calm
- The Thinner The Air
- Orange Appled
- Cico Buff
- Carolyn's Fingers
- Fifty-Fifty Clown
- Iceblink Luck
- Heaven Or Las Vegas
- Watchlar
Music reviews of Stars & Topsoil: Collection 1982-1990
Music Review: A supplement to my other review
Rating: 5 Stars
Did you read my earlier review below? Well, I just forgot to mention that "S&T" features digitally remastered versions of all the songs, which in itself adds a new depth to the band's sound and their production techniques. Sure, the trio's early albums were released in the infancy of the CD technology, which makes the slightly muddy audio of "Head over heels" and "Tiny dynamine/Echoes.." forgivable, but the low dynamic range of their mid-to-late-'80s material detracted a bit from the quality of the music. Listening to many Cocteau Twins albums and EPs over the years shows clearly that the trio thrive on economical pop arrangements which nevertheless employ a lot of sonic details and manage to transcend any musical boundaries -- apart from the need to find an appropriate musical accompaniment for Liz's vocals, which is one of the hardest tasks one can imagine. Now you can fully appreciate the band's striking artistic and technical achievements with the dynamic and utterly flawless audio quality of this 18-track compilation: The early cuts such as "Sugar hiccup" and "Lorelei" do greatly benefit from the remastering treatments; the drum machines hit a bit harder and echo around in various directions, while Simon's bass playing is much more discernible in the mix, bringing a new clarity to his style. In short, all the instruments frame the voice of Liz much better than before, perhaps best heard on "Aikea-Guinea" whose clanging frame drums have never sounded better. Robin's opening guitar chords on "Pink orange red", "Heaven..", and "Carolyn's fingers" also achieve a stronger emotional power than before. It's a pleasure to listen to the opening section of "Lazy calm" with tape hiss subtracted, and "The thinner the air" finally lives up to its title as everything sounds like it's floating randomly in the air. It also should be noted that you can hear some elements which were buried in the arrangements before: There's a lot of acoustic guitar playing on the latter-day songs, and some of the cymbals/hi-hats/claps are brought out much clearer now. Although not among my favorite CT songs, "Fifty-fifty clown" and "Watchlar" have improved because the insistent bass pulses propel both songs more effectively than before and add a stronger edge to these otherwise not so exciting songs. Of course, the way Liz's vocals are integrated into the music (or, depending on your view, the other way round) also deserves a glowing critical bouquet: During the last verse of "Pandora" her voice sounds like echoing up from the depth of a cavern, while at other times she floats ethereally over chiming guitar chords ("Carolyn's fingers", "Heaven or..") or sounds a little more 'normal' and intelligible in context ("Blind..", "My love..", "Iceblink luck"). Another bonus is the 8-page, full-color booklet, which contains liner notes by Alan Warner and makes for as professional a finished product as one could hope for. One might question the value of an item which is almost entirely composed from previously available singles and album tracks, but that would be missing the point. Firstly, this is the best place to start for new fans ("BBC Sessions", "The pink opaque", and "The forgotten 4AD track" are more expensive and not as representative of the band's work), secondly, the songs are virtually all highlights, and thirdly, the digital remastering shows the virtues of the band in the best light. In sum, this is a thrillingly enjoyable album from one of the most influential and distinctive bands of the '80s. If only the 4AD label would release a Cocteau Twins video collection on DVD now...
Description of Stars & Topsoil: Collection 1982-1990
Available for the first time on vinyl, Stars And Topsoil is the first ever collection of the best of their 4AD years. Following their ascent from alternative novices to universally acclaimed artists, Stars and Topsoil is a true testament to one of the most original bands to emerge in the last two decades. Over a career at 4AD that spanned six albums and seven eps, Cocteau Twins retained an intriguing uniqueness of style that defied comparison. This chronological collection is a fitting reminder of why Cocteau Twins are so important.Alternative Rock CDs
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