Cocteau Noobs

[mmmender]

Yet again I have the impossible task ahead of me to create a CT compilation CD for someone who has never even heard of Cocteau Twins. I've done this many times before but usually end up selecting from a list of my personal faves, which doesn't always draw them into wanting to hear more from the band. I want to provide a selection that will start off with the most "accessible" tracks then lead up to some more "adventurous" one's....I don't want to scare her off by putting something from Garlands first on the list! I'm restricting myself to a limit of 15 songs in total. I could use your help in suggesting not only a tracklisting for this compilation but a proper playback order as well. Cocteau newbies everywhere will thank you!

:help:

[Phil Lawton]

"Stars & Topsoil".

[Fritter]

"Pink Opaque" + Pink Orange Red

[frarn]

Accessible tracks?

I'd conside including some of the V to L disc 4 tracks e.g. Tishbite, Primitive Heart, Round, Smile, Tranquil Eye, Alice?

[mmmender]

"Stars & Topsoil".
That would make things easy but S&T has tracks like "Blind, Dumb, Deaf" and "Sugar Hiccup" which aren't the best of tracks, in my opinion. I tend to think that tracks from both Garlands and HOH are not as accessible as tracks from other (later) releases.

[Phil Lawton]

That would make things easy but S&T has tracks like "Blind, Dumb, Deaf" and "Sugar Hiccup" which aren't the best of tracks, in my opinion. I tend to think that tracks from both Garlands and HOH are not as accessible as tracks from other (later) releases.

"Sugar Hiccup" is very accessible, though, Lees.

[mike_mhg]

You have to go middle to late period when picking for newcomers :

Watchlar
Itchy Globo Blow
50 50 Clown
Those Eyes, That Mouth
Know Who You Are......
Orange Appled
Three Swept
Tranquil Eye
Mizake The Mizan
Crushed
Treasure Hiding
Mud and Dark

[Tinspur]

I'd go with a list that goes something like this:

Heaven or Las Vegas
Bluebeard
Rilkean Heart
Tranquil Eye
Love's Easy Tears
Orange Appled
Athol Brose
Ivo
Crushed
Pearly Dewdrops' Drops
Oomingmak
Aikea Guinea
An Elan
Pink Orange Red
Pale Clouded White

I think starting off with the most accessible tracks i.e. those that have distinguishable words might be advisable if your friend is stuck on the whole lyrical content and/or doesn't get the whole mouth music thing that Liz does. Then, work your way down to the more.....errrrr cocteauy tracks.

[Diane65]

I like to throw in "Another Day" and "Song to the Siren". I also pace the flow of the CD, ending up with the slower selections at the end.

[Moya xx]

"Stars & Topsoil" is what got me hooked.

[moeism]

That would make things easy but S&T has tracks like "Blind, Dumb, Deaf" and "Sugar Hiccup" which aren't the best of tracks, in my opinion. I tend to think that tracks from both Garlands and HOH are not as accessible as tracks from other (later) releases.

I didn't like Cocteau Twins so much until I heard Garlands.

You have to ask her what kind of music she enjoys, which I'm sure you've done... So? What is it that she likes?

[elisa]

I like the idea of including Song to the Siren because it showcases Liz's lower register voice. I'd been listening to CT for about a year when I heard Siren on my local college radio station. I taped it and listened to it over & over, never realizing it was Liz's voice until I finally bought "It'll End In Tears" on cassette.

I liked the idea of discovering all of Liz's different tones, registers, octaves when I was first getting into CT. Treasure has some excellent examples of Liz's different voices (Ivo and Persephone, for example), as do Tiny Dynamine/Echoes. I also liked getting to know their different styles - Robyn's more psychedelic/distorted guitar work on Love's Easy Tears, Liz's muffled vocals on Kookaburra, and some of their 'jazzier' leanings (Multifoiled, Pandora), as well as more keyboard-driven stuff like Lorelei.

[Nomen_Luni]

You could include 'From The Flagstones' as you can, for the most part, understand what Liz is singing. I'd also suggest Pearly Dewdrops Drops (which seems to feature on lots of 'Various Artists' compilations), Lorelei and Aikea Guinea.

To me, they seem like the easiest songs to listen to. :)

[randomrob]

start w/Ivo - nobody dont like Ivo

[randomrob]

just put all the poppy tunes... watchlar, loves easy tears, calfskin smack, bluebeard, summerhead, kissed out red floatboat, cico buff, fluffy tufts, ivo, aikea-guinea, kookaburra, pearly dewdrops-drops, millimillenary,lorelei, and right at end put shallow than halo (thatll fuck em up):banana:

[randomrob]

honestly when i saw the title cocteau noobs, i thought you had made a cocteau themed first person shooter... running thru grangemouth shooting mad cows w/golden arrows or something.... 'cocteaufragfest' yeah baby

[dprid]

Just put the singles on it. That's the ones the band/label thought were most accessible.

[Simonp]

Whatever you put together it MUST include Carolyn's Fingers and Orange Appled.

[randomrob]

Orange Appled- CT song commonly mistaken for Abba

(never thought that song was mixed very well IMO)

[mike_mhg]

Just had a woman photographer (specialises in aerial photography actually...she's good) in our prep room who caught a hearing of my *you have mail* alert, which is the opening chords of Carolyns Fingers. She said "You've got mail, your noise sounded like the beginning of a song".

I said "It is, do you want to hear all of it?"

"Go on then, who is it by the way?"

"Cocteau Twins"

"Who are they then?"

Anyhow, played her Carolyns Fingers, Itchy Globo..., and Those Eyes...

We have a new fan.

[Quisquose]

Excellent work, Mike! I wish I could do that.

[Pearly]

Song to the Siren and Pearly-Dewdrop 'Drops did it for me to get hooked up and we are talking about years ago!!! Lorelei also worked for me to keep wanting more.

[Brett]

Tell us more about the person, Lees. Why do you think they'll want this? What music do they like? Only THEN can we make an informed judgement about the tracks that might appeal.

But if somebody doesn't like Hitherto IMO a bullet to the back of the head is a waste of good steel.

I really DON'T agree with putting all singles on though. Make it like you're making ONE album, only selecting from every track in existance. Just MHO

[plink]

you could always make a completely randon selection mmm. like the musical 8 ball game

[pilgrimx]

When a person don't know the CT's,usually i make a compilation of the last 3 albuns,normally they like,then ask for more,i give them tracks from BBK,HOH and Treasure,and if i can,i put aikea-guinea and crushed,for the last i gave them to listen Victorialand and Garlands,if you put some tracks from garlands at the first compilation,people stare at you,like,are you crazy?At least is what happen to me.Elisa spoke about their track of it'll end it tears,Song to The Siren,i agree with her,it's a good choice,usually everybody like it,and shows the powerfull voice of Liz.

[Diane65]

Crushed, Those Eyes, That Mouth, Lorelei

[randomrob]

yknow, the more of these posts I read the more I wonder why people like certain songs.... this may constitute a new thread...

[mike_mhg]

Re: NEW FAN, Post 20.
Excellent work, Mike! I wish I could do that.

Pure luck. She heard my mail alert and was intrigued. Heard the others and is smitten.

She wants to know where she can learn more, but cocteautwins.com seems to be down at the minute. Anybody any ideas where, other than u-tube?

[Tinspur]

With cocteautwins.com and cocteau uk both down at the moment, the best place for info would probably be cocteau.org.

[Brett]

Nah, still reckon we need to know more about the target! Treat this like an assassination - slick and professional. We're after a result here not a service.
:)

That said - I can't see many Fontana era tracks making my cut.

[garp]

In the numerous CT compilations I have made for newbies, I have almost
always ended with Domino, because of its slow build up to a mesmerizing
end that always leaves me wanting more. And I have heard from the people
later that it had the same effect on them.

[dprid]

In the numerous CT compilations I have made for newbies, I have almost
always ended with Domino, because of its slow build up to a mesmerizing
end that always leaves me wanting more. And I have heard from the people
later that it had the same effect on them.
Do you mean Donimo ;)

[garp]

Yes I did. I really should read before I post.

[moeism]

no biggie. i didn't even catch that typo.

[dprid]

Yes I did. I really should read before I post.
Sorry - you're in a land of obsessives when you come here. Please don't take it to heart, and don't whatever you do call them The Cocteau Twins :D

[moeism]

regarding that whole "the" issue, I think it's a purely grammatical issue. For example, I wouldn't say:

"I just washed my The Cure t-shirt" (which by the way I do not know any. just an example), even though the name of the band does include the "the"

It is difficult not to add the "the" to make a sentence flow smoothly.





Why am I even bothered? This has been said a billion times already. Oh well.

[gladwin]

If it's fifteen songs maximum, then I'd stick to the studio albums, and work backwards, taking two songs from each, from Milk and Kisses to Treasure (I'm not counting The Moon and the Melodies but I am treating Tiny Dynamine and Echoes in a Shallow Bay as an album). I might indulge myself with a song from a single at the end, to make the numbers up to fifteen, but off the top off my head, here goes...

Milk and Kisses (1996)
01. Serpentskirt
02. Seekers Who Are Lovers

Four Calendar Café (1993)
03. Evangeline
04. Squeeze-Wax

Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
05. Heaven or Las Vegas
06. Road, River and Rail

Blue Bell Knoll (1988)
07. Blue Bell Knoll
08. Carolyn's Fingers

Victorialand (1986)
09. Throughout the Dark Months of April and May
10. The Thinner the Air

Tiny Dynamine/Echoes in a Shallow Bay (1985)
11. Pink Orange Red
12. Eggs and Their Shells

Treasure (1984)
13. Ivo
14. Pandora

BAD 405 (1984)
15. Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops (12" version)

[Lullaby]

Definately have Bluebeard (I personally like the accoustic version) and Rilkean Heart :)

[mtedora]

Definately have Bluebeard (I personally like the accoustic version) and Rilkean Heart :)

hmmm, just a quick mathematical ponderance:
i'm wondering of just maybe the notes Elizabeth Fraser hits on the chorus in the acoustic version of that great song are mathematically perhaps the highest notes she hits throughout Her "recorded" career with C/T.

[shoegazr]

the thing is, cocteau twins seem to be a band that you either get or you don't. i don't think too many people are on the fence about whether or not they like ct. i've always made comps that contain what i feel are accurate representations of what the band does, and not necessarily what the "scare off" factor might be. i used to do a radio show back in the mid '90s and it was always the obscure songs like "dials" or "sultitan itan" that would garner multiple phone calls from people asking "who WAS that?"

anyway, if it were me, the line-up would go something like this:

1. Lazy Calm
2. Mizake the Mizan
3. Melonella
4. Sigh's Smell Of Farewell
5. Aikea-Guinea
6. Fotzepolitic
7. Lorelei
8. Millimillenary
9. Crushed
10. Love's Easy Tears
11. The Spangle Maker
12. Sea, Swallow Me*
13. Pale Clouded White
14. Dials
15. Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires

*yes, i consider "the moon & the melodies" a proper ct album...the genius of harold budd just makes it that much better.

[fornasetti]

1.Wax And Wane
2.Musette And Drums
3.Because of Whirl-Jack
4.Ivo
5.Amelia
6.Quisquose
7.The Thinner The Air
8.Sea, Swallow Me
9.Pink Orange Red
10.Great Spangled Fritillary
11.Those Eyes, That Mouth
12.Sigh’s Smell Of Farewell
13.Blue Bell Knoll
14.Athol Brose
15.Ella Megalast Burls Forever
16.Watchlar
17.Road, River And Rail
18.Rilkean Heart
19.Violaine
20.Seekers Who Are Lovers

[moeism]

If it's fifteen songs maximum, then I'd stick to the studio albums, and work backwards, taking two songs from each, from Milk and Kisses to Treasure (I'm not counting The Moon and the Melodies but I am treating Tiny Dynamine and Echoes in a Shallow Bay as an album). I might indulge myself with a song from a single at the end, to make the numbers up to fifteen, but off the top off my head, here goes...

Milk and Kisses (1996)
01. Serpentskirt
02. Seekers Who Are Lovers

Four Calendar Café (1993)
03. Evangeline
04. Squeeze-Wax

Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
05. Heaven or Las Vegas
06. Road, River and Rail

Blue Bell Knoll (1988)
07. Blue Bell Knoll
08. Carolyn's Fingers

Victorialand (1986)
09. Throughout the Dark Months of April and May
10. The Thinner the Air

Tiny Dynamine/Echoes in a Shallow Bay (1985)
11. Pink Orange Red
12. Eggs and Their Shells

Treasure (1984)
13. Ivo
14. Pandora

BAD 405 (1984)
15. Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops (12" version)

*scratching head* where did hoh and garlands go?!?!?

[100%Clown]

tally the top vote getters in the "once and for all.. best song" thread, afterwhich, tally up the top vote getters for "accessibility" from this thread, then conjure up some higher mathmatical calculation which effectively merges the two results and you'll have yourself a proper newbie mix!

[ossian]

Oh how I envy CT noobs. Endless magic times ahead.

[Jeek]

1. Iceblink Luck
2. Carolyn's Fingers
3. Bluebeard
4. Orange Appled
5. Fotzepolitic
6. Aikea Guinea
7. Crushed
8. Oomingmak
9. Those Eyes, That Mouth
10. Blue Bell Knoll
11. Ooze Out and Away, Onehow
12. Pink Orange Red
13. Lorelei
14. Eperdu
15. Frosty the Snowman (It's the perfect example of them at their shimmmery best!)

[gladwin]

*scratching head* where did hoh and garlands go?!?!?

I was taking on board others' suggestions that the early stuff might be a bit offputting at first listen, which is also why I decided to work backwards.

I chose to suggest two songs from each album because hearing just one isn't always enough to persuade newcomers to try the whole thing.

[winters]

12/?/06 502PM at home (and drunk):cheers:

a tough assignment

Lazy Calm
Aikea-Guinea
Carolyn's Fingers
Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires
Musette and Drums
The Ghost Has No Home
Pandora
Pur

[julie1963]

Coincidentally I've just done one for a friend, I started with Petter tree then Love's Easy Tears, Those Eyes That Mouth and then led her chronologically though their albums. Sorry to say she got most of my faves as well.

Pepper Tree
Love's Easy Tears
Those Eyes, That Mouth
Orange Appled
Oomingmak
Blue Bell Knoll
Itchy Glowbo Blow
A Kissed Out Red Floatboat
Iceblink Luck
50 50 Clown
Bluebeard
Pur
Serpentskirt
Rilkean Heart
Rilkean Heart (acoustic)
Ups
Smile
Frosty The Snowman (for the novelty of it!)

[fornasetti]

1.Wax And Wane
2.Musette And Drums
3.Because of Whirl-Jack
4.Ivo
5.Amelia
6.Quisquose
7.The Thinner The Air
8.Sea, Swallow Me
9.Pink Orange Red
10.Great Spangled Fritillary
11.Those Eyes, That Mouth
12.Sigh’s Smell Of Farewell
13.Blue Bell Knoll
14.Athol Brose
15.Ella Megalast Burls Forever
16.Watchlar
17.Road, River And Rail
18.Rilkean Heart
19.Violaine
20.Seekers Who Are Lovers

Update : the compilation above got a good response from a friend. I gave it to her as a christmas gift and she liked it. ;)

[freezer89]

You know what would be really cool to add along with the actual comp disc? A sort of listener's guide prefacing / pointing out some unique attributes to each song in the compilation. I did that for a friend once and she said it made her enjoy the songs so much more.

So tell us how it went with the comp!!