Favorite EP?

[mattadore]

ctblue always devoted the same loving care to the creation of their EP's that they did to the full length albums. Which one of the 4AD-era EP's do you enjoy the most?

[mmmender]

love's easy tears - no question!!!!!!!!!

[mattadore]

I chose Echoes... it was tough to pick between this, Lullabies, and Tiny Dynamine...

[REPLICESS]

'Old School' ;) - The lucious 'Lullabies' :D

[watchlar]

ah crap..i meant to vote for loves easy tears...i voted for aikea guinea by accident

lol

[mmmender]

Originally posted by watchlar
ah crap..i meant to vote for loves easy tears...i voted for aikea guinea by accident

fixed!

[watchlar]

ah gee thanks!!!!

[ScottL]

Originally posted by mattyboyo1
I chose Echoes... it was tough to pick between this, Lullabies, and Tiny Dynamine...
yeah, me too...except Lullabies...LET and TD were close contenders for me.

[someotherian]

this is a tad tricky.. not cos of my decision for first choice (LET) but because i love Tiny D & Echoes too.
just too much good stuff to choose from.

[multymfoiled]

Love's Easy Tears....It was my second Cocteau purchase back in college....absolutely beautiful!

[kookaburra]

I bypassed Love's Easy Tears for Echoes... simply because I've always felt that it needed to be remastered...excessive, by far, with the bass.

[ScottL]

Originally posted by kookaburra
I bypassed Love's Easy Tears for Echoes... simply because I've always felt that it needed to be remastered...excessive, by far, with the bass.

Wow, that is exactly what I thought too! I think LET was musically brilliant, vocals full of power and beauty ...but Echoes edged it out for much the same reason for me, and also it, most of all, has a mood to it that just seems like the place I'm in.....anyway...at the end of the day I tend to listen to all of it...:)

[kookaburra]

Indeed.

Perhaps, more than too much bass, it's a bit short on mid-tones (with the exception of parts of Orange Appled); something like a painting all in pastels and framed in black...or a string orchestra without violas.

Still, you are correct: the songs are heavenly. I struggled not to rank it first.

[Bfenby]

Yeah, has to be Loves Easy Tears - wonderful.

Love the way the EP cover is used in the Stars & Topsoil artwork.

[chevelu]

Love's Easy Tears - hands down, my favorite Cocteau Twins release!

[superblast]

love's easy tears :)

[Maria Jose]

I ' m always so bad at this kind of thing !!!
Every EP has a different memory with it . . .
Aikea Guinea was released by a Spanish label , I was living in Barcelona , my
hometown , at the time.
Straight home to the turntable , full volume, it was just ecstatic .
My then boyfriend was around and of course absolutely hated it so picture me gleeful when on B-side , you had Kookaburra again .
I thought that it was simply sensational !
That ' s something I really liked about Cocteau releases , that they never seemed to follow any established rules .
As with Tiny / Echoes , released with just a week difference because after
being recorded as an album the Cocteaus said " sod it " to a concept they were not quite sure about .
In the good old times of European FM , when you could listen to indie releases before they were in the shops , you had me glued to the radio taping songs from Tiny - what an experience it was ! - and later Echoes , rushing to friends houses to listen and marvel .
I got LET from a friend returning from London . When she handed it to me ,
I was SO happy !!!! And the cover . . . It was so very Cocteau no to have any words on the front . It was always such a joy !!
LET is SIMPLY gorgeous , a " goodie" as Liz called it .
Oh , God ! I ' m about to change my vote now !
As I said , quite hopeless . . .
:o

[Maria Jose]

I ' ve just had this silly idea .
Once we ' ve decided on the board ' favourite EP , we should set a date and time so that we all listen to it simultaneously !
Alright , you ' ve guessed it , I ' m not working today , loads of time to
spare on my brain , blah , blah , blah . . .

[E-Lo]

I must agree, although the divine melodies of Love's Easy Tears make it a favorite EP, I find the sound quality is particularly bad on the title track.

Funnily enough, I always thought it was way too trebly, with a lot of what sounds like harsh, "white noise". And the bass very muddy, and undefined, which is a shame because I love that clean bass strum of Simon's. Too bad they don't remix/remaster this EP 'cos it needs it the most!

Simon, if you are around, what are your thoughts on the recording of LET?

[chevelu]

i'm actually quite fond of the "wall-of-sound" that they created on LET.
the muddy drums and bass has got lots of punch and the whole ambience to the title track makes me think of what a adrenaline-kick sounds like:eek:

[Maria Jose]

Very much so . One of the things I like most about LET is that as soon as it starts that wall of sound sucks you in.
At the time it simply was like something never heard before , as if you were thrown inside the washing machine just as spinning began and released at its very end , pure power .:D

[mattadore]

Well, I've just gotta say, I think this is the clearest consensus yet I've seen for a poll on this board concerning ctblue material. It's LET in a landslide!!! :)

[superblast]

the fact that this poll has been such a landslide for LET might suggest to people who aren't that familiar with cocteaus that the other EPs aren't very good. i think the EPs are all fantastic and are completely necessary to my collection of CT music. i think the EPs in general (including post-4AD) contain some of their best songs (as i'm sure many agree). it just so happens for me that LET is the most consistent EP - i adore all the songs on it. many of the other releases come very close though.

[watchlar]

i wish they'd remaster the box set....and then release it again with a LIVE dvd and the Promo videos...and ....you get the picture

[ScottL]

Watchlar, I see you've started taking your medication again...;)

[watchlar]

Originally posted by ScottL
Watchlar, I see you've started taking your medication again...;)


WOW...GREAT GUESS...HOW'D YOU KNOW? ;) ;) ;)

[hiccup]

Definitely Love's Easy Tears

[someotherian]

Originally posted by E-Lo
I must agree, although the divine melodies of Love's Easy Tears make it a favorite EP, I find the sound quality is particularly bad on the title track.

Funnily enough, I always thought it was way too trebly, with a lot of what sounds like harsh, "white noise".
ok this seems like the point i tell you my LET 'story' (leesa, you don't need to read this, you already know it :) )...

when i first got the LET 12", i too found the production extremely 'tinny'.. heavy on the treble, not very clear, almost distorted. anyway, even though i loved playing it i was convinced that i had just bought a bad pressing of the vinyl, as it just didn't sound right. so i bought another one!
needless to say it was the same and i realised that was just how it had been mixed.

ok it's a faintly embarrasing story.. :o .. but nice to find out that i'm not the only one that thinks the sound is a bit 'off'.
still a brilliant EP though! :D

[dprid]

I voted for Peppermint Pig as that track alone is worth the price of admission. I do like Love's Easy Tears though, and I fondly recall the feeling of relief I felt when I first played it and discovered that they were back on form after the aberrations of Dynamine, Echoes & Victorialand.

And a special mention for Peppertree on Spanglemaker, if only for the clock at the end :)


Addendum: I went and grabbed all EPs off the shelf just to confirm and I've finally realised what a damn fine song "Those Eyes, That Mouth" is. Strange isn't it how a song can suddenly jump out at you after all this time.

[multymfoiled]

Originally posted by watchlar
i wish they'd remaster the box set....and then release it again with a LIVE dvd and the Promo videos...and ....you get the picture

That's a great idea! Too bad it will most likely never happen...:(

[randomrob]

loves easy tears- fergettaboutit. As Im fond of saying.. they 'nailed' their sound here......

[zed]

...........hey, y'all,.....the vid ain't half bad 'neither.
Liz looks like some jungian archetype
Z:cool:

[etc etc]

Here I go....
I agree with the LET consensus, but as I agree with Rob on the fact that they "nailed" their sound at around this time. For me, parts of treasure, LET and BBK signal the entry into maturity for this band. The early stuff to me are like sketches for the masterworks...I think the post 4ad ep's are by far some of their best releases (especially the "b-side" non album tracks from those ep's). I have the box set and the other early ep's, but the ones that always make it to the cd tray are the ep's from M&K's era and FCC and HOLV era...they will always win out for me..no comparison...to me tracks like Flock of Soul, Primitive Heart, Three Swept, Ice Pulse, Mud and Dark, Smile, Tranquil Eye, an elan, Round, Circling Girl and Touch Upon Touch, Mizake the Mizan and Watchlar....well THAT IS THE SHIT I LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! Hands down! O.K. now let me wrap myself in plastic and duct tape as my nations leaders have advised me to do and prepare for the rotten vegetables and mud that will be tossed my way, I can take it!

[mattadore]

Originally posted by etc etc
O.K. now let me wrap myself in plastic and duct tape as my nations leaders have advised me to do

Ummm... if I buy duct tape and plastic sheeting, do the terrorists win? :confused:

[etc etc]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they (the terrorists) win a complimentary copy of the boxed set of ep's and a free t-shirt from the milk and kisses tour!

[Lucibelle]

Wow! I just voted and saw how many votes that LET got! :eek: I also voted LET, but for different reasons... It was the first thing by Cocteau Twins I had ever heard! :)

[ScottL]

Originally posted by mattyboyo1


Ummm... if I buy duct tape and plastic sheeting, do the terrorists win? :confused:

uh...I was going to suggest a self-sealing coffin...if the intent is to lock ourselves in an airtight box(oxygen considerations didn't appear to be discussed)...that would be very effective and kill 2 birds with one stone. I was glad to see some intelligent criticism of such a foolish idea come out in the media...it is about as good as getting under your desk when nukes are falling on ya...

heh...sorry, I know yours was just a brief glib comment...so was mine, just felt like venting today...pointed at no one in particular...I take threats seriously, but false solutions which I know well to be pointless is an insult to our security(which is flimsy at best)...

[Lucibelle]

Originally posted by ScottL

...it is about as good as getting under your desk when nukes are falling on ya...


Lolol!!! Scott, I made that very same comment just the other day!!!

[E-Lo]

Since we're on the topic of remastering, LET sounds, etc., I wish they would reshoot or at least clean up their 1986/87 videos, i.e., LET and Crushed.

Granted, I have an nasty, ancient who-knows-nth generation Bleeker Bob's VHS pirate comp with LET, but even on clean copies, particularly LIAE Crushed, the picture is extremely grainy/jerky. I could be absolutely crazy though, if this was all done on purpose! :confused:

[badjumper]

Had to vote LET.

That wall of sound is indeed magnificent and now seems like commercial suicide for the sake of art.
At the time though, the level of anticipation for the impending CT EP meant that Robin farting in a money box would have spelt success.

Those Eyes, That Mouth is purely from the heart.

[Hitherto]

Originally posted by Maria Jose
I ' ve just had this silly idea .
Once we ' ve decided on the board ' favourite EP , we should set a date and time so that we all listen to it simultaneously !

I think this is a fantastic idea Maria.

[dynamine]

i voted for Tiny Dynamine("but i'm not"),"love's easy tears" would be a strooong 2nd.:)

[mattadore]

Originally posted by dynamine
i voted for Tiny Dynamine("but i'm not"),"love's easy tears" would be a strooong 2nd.:)

clapping

How I do love "Echoes..." & "Tiny..."...

It's not an easy choice, so many good EP's to choose from!!!

[kookaburra]

I can't believe that Echoes hasn't received more votes. Where are my aesthetic counterparts?

[ScottL]

Right here(I guess)...I voted for echoes, it is a strong 1st for me. I did already know LET was quite popular here..but I'm surprised it had such a landslide victory. CT fans as a whole have never come closer to agreeing on one single thing.

[mattadore]

I also voted for Echoes... ;)

[ScottL]

Hmm....now I know I'm crazy ;)

[mattadore]

It's a beautiful thing... we wouldn't want you any other way. Besides, you're safe here, surrounded by the proverbial birds of a feather... ;)

[Brett]

It's a staggering landslide. I'm fairly surprised in so far as so many of the others are exceptional too. You might be interested that on a 'Greatest EP's' thread on another forum it soon became the Cocteau Twins all the way.

Sunburst and Snowblind, despite being just the two of them at the time, contains 4 high class tracks, 3 of which continued to be fan favourites at gigs throughout their career. It just edges it for me. Just!

[gary_exo]

LET is my fave ep too & i actually like the harshness in the upper end & would NEVER criticize it or wish for a remaster.
that sound it had would be destroyed by any changes.
i adored pretty much everything the band put out & each release just made my life that bit better.

[Shivers]

I'm the only one who voted for Sunburst & Snowblind cos I'm a punk. Yeah. With a thorn in my side and a spirit of contrariness.

[Shivers]

I'm the only one who voted for Sunburst & Snowblind cos I'm a punk. Yeah. With a thorn in my side and a spirit of contrariness.

...so punk I posted twice.

[kookaburra]

Shiv'

I've always loved Because of Whirl-Jack.

[lake]

Lullabies for me. I can't explain why. It just is so.
The cover , the label, & most of all the sublime voice /music.
Wow. Shivers. I'm going to put it on.

[iceblink555]

Originally posted by Tym
Love's Easy Tears....It was my second Cocteau purchase back in college....absolutely beautiful!

Same here. LET must've been the 2nd or 3rd *cassette* I bought after discovering CT w/ BBK. Must've played that tape to *death* in 1989! And it's held up over the years (the tape AND the music). Looks like I'm really w/ the crowd on this one--Aik. Guin. is also #2 for me, but *not* because of the title track. --Alan

[iceblink555]

Has there been a poll on the post-4AD EP's/CD-singles? I think that might be more divided. Not really sure which one I'd choose. --Alan

[ezzydynamine]

i would say iceblink luck, but it's not an EP really.. more a single from HOLV..


So i pick The Spangle Maker

[steven]

I'm going to second what someone else said earlier about the incredible disparity between LET (now 30 votes) and the other EPS. The voting makes it look like the other EPs aren't up to snuff, but in reality, I think they're all bloody brilliant - just LET captured a sound that really was amazing.

Steven

[Pale Clouded]

Echoes In A Shallow Bay!!

[gary]

I'd have a much easier time choosing if there's a "Tiny Dynamine/Echoes In A Shallow Bay" option.

[Gipson]

I wouldn't pick LET as my favorite EP either. It's a fine EP but it's not one where I usually feel compelled to listen to it. I'm surprised that the older EPs didn't get more votes. Maybe it's because of Pink Opaque?

[fornasetti]

I think Love's Easy Tears, because Sigh's Smell of Farewell is my fave CT song. Echoes is probably a good second.

[Jeek]

Love's Easy Tears, hands down!!

[Ghosty]

I voted Spanglemaker because of the extended version of PDD and the lovely Pepper-Tree. The title song is not really a favourite of mine though.
Love's Easy Tears is great cause it's the most consistent one, but the track sequence seems to vary. My original one was like this:
Love's Easy Tears
Orange Appled
Sigh's Smell of Farewell
Those Eyes, That Mouth
The EP on the box set has Orange Appled as the last track, and I saw a vinyl EP once that left out Orange Appled altogether.
But it's easy to hear that all 4 of these songs belong together soundwise.
I always thought the 4 tracks from The Moon and the Melodies with Liz' vocals on might make an interesting companion EP to LET, same as Tiny is to Echoes.

[Louiswin]

This is a no brainer for sure. Every song on LET is beautiful.

:dance:

~Perry

[Rad]

I only have two EPs and I like 'em equally...
'Echoes...' and '...Dynamine'

[plink]

plumped for aikea guinea, though tough choice all round, second choice would have been lullabies

[spiderlocks]

Love's Easy Tears.....I am going to have to put that in the cd player right now

[bearclaw]

i voted sunburst snowblind - the reason being simply - head over heals was my first cocteau twins cassette - i purchased and it had the ep as bonus tracks - it was unlike anything i had ever heard before - and as with all cocteau twins eps and singles & cds theres not a single track that i dont completely adore there are only two other groups that i have had that experience since - tindersticks & sigur ros - but above ALL cocteau twins continously reveal themselves through theyre wonderously heavenly back catalouge i'm so delighted that these eps are being remastered

[rufusmtvern]

I picked peppermint pig but I''m wondering why this thread was started again when another one exists that's been around a while?........

just curious

[andylama]

Why not? We're not militant about keeping vintage threads on life support.

Very interesting that Love's Easy Tears is ahead by a very wide margin.

[seg]

"Echoes in a shallow bay". Way above every other EP.

I don't like LET as much as the twin EPs, "Aikea-guinea" or "The spangle maker". Yes, it's good and "Sigh's smell of farewell" is one of CT's best recordings, but I just don't like it that much. I wish "Crushed" was there instead of "Orange appled"...

[Barbazul]

Love's Easy Tears, definitively! I agree with those that love every single ep as I do, but Those Eyes,That Mouth is just heaven... it touches the same kind of feelings that Round actually does. I'm eagerly to listen the remastered versions.... please hurry up November 22th I can't wait!!!!!

[fornasetti]

Did someone just monkey around with the voting ?

[mike_mhg]

Must have done. Since when did we have 99 voters on anything?

Loves Easy Tears by the way.

[Mr. ED]

hmmmm... I must've brainfarted since I thought I responded to this thread already. Echoes is my personal fave... I actually was first introduced to it as a double CD with Tiny D...so TD would be my close 2nd and LET third.

[rosenkranz]

without doubt: love easy tears!!!!!!!!
those eyes that mouth is one of my favourite CT songs!

[petroldarling]

love's easy tears!
it is their most perfect ep as a whole, i think.
though i do love echoes and tiny dynamine... A LOT.

[moeism]

lullabies is what i chose. but i like sunburst and snowblind a lot a well as peppermint pig...

[petroldarling]

sunburst is really good! sometimes i forget about how much i love pre-blue bell knoll recordings, because those are usually what i'm in the mood for...

[Tinspur]

To deviate ever so slightly from topic, I think the best non-album release was the Bluebeard single, the eponymous track is always a goody, three-swept is an underrated b-side, ice-pulse absolutely roxors, and the acoustic version of Bluebeard is quite lovely in itself...

[dan699]

aw, hey wait a minute here. EP? How can anybody see past "Love's Easy Tears"? I first bought this in '86. It was years before I bought it again on CD - with "Orange Appled". My God!!!! How could something so perfect get even better!!!! This was forgotten for years in the UK. Love's easy tears rules, OK!

[mmmender]

looks like LET is the hands-down winner in this poll.....as it should be!

[Thackeray]

LET was but I decided IceBlinkLuck

[julie1963]

Loves Easy Tears

[kinty]

yep i think Loves East Tears too, closely followed by Aikea Guinea

K

[kyuball]

LET was great (it was the first CT anything I ever bought) but I just think that Aikea Guinea is a more powerful EP. Very pristine songs with a real kick and driving basslines underneath -- massive! It just simply floats and flutters a lot better than LET. Sometimes LET can get a bit noisy and all the sounds seem to run into each other.

On the other hand, I do have to admit that 'Sigh's Smell of Farewell' is probably hands down the best song of all the 8 songs on AG and LET....