View Full Version : Pardon my ignorance... but how ARE they?
achzyrm
Feb-13-06, 9:34 PM
If you read my intro in the "For Phoebe Still A Baby" forum, you may recall that I only recently re-immersed myself into CT's artwork, in the course of a divorce, having paid attention to little else other than The Marriage for quite a long time. I'd say it would have been 1999 - 2000 since I felt at all informed.
I've read up on the bio and tributary sites, gotten a fair amount of detail, and was glad to read they continue to work, are apparently healthy and productive and so forth.
But I was wondering more on a human level, would anyone here know: How are they all doing?
Are they friends, still? Do they get together on special occasions, like Robin and Elizabeth's daughter's birthdays, or holidays?
How are their new families?
Have they done any single-date reunion performances?
Ever received more due recognition than they had when they were still actively working under the Cocteau Twins name?
Do they stay in touch with any of their friends and contemporaries from some of the other 4AD projects? Kevin and Bilinda from My Bloody Valentine, or Micki and Emma from Lush? Do they work with them ever? Has there been any discussion of collaborative projects in the future between themselves, and/or any of their peers and colleagues?
Are they still doing all right from their royalties, I hope to God? What kind of sales are they doing? Have they maintained their annual numbers, or increased? (I would assume so)
Finally and most importantly to me, how is Ms Fraser's voice? A friend of mine, a vocalist, once remarked that she wouldn't have been surprised if the recording sessions for every CT composition had left her literally soaked in sweat, about to faint - or actually fainting - from the gymnastics performed.
As she put it, this was an artist who routinely sang with more power than Bjork, at higher octave than D.Galas, and she suspected that many of the people she worked and trained with were often -very- concerned for her; that there would be days when she couldn't talk, times when she could barely swallow, and occasional pain that would leave her in tears.
And so I wonder as to the prospects of a future tour in support of her recent work, to say nothing of a CT reunion. As much as it pains me to say it, if there were any chance of her injuring herself, I would BEG her not to do it, and instead encourage and train her daughters, if they're musically talented and inclined.
(And how wonderful would that be? A second generation of these families?)
Any time you could spare filling me in on any of the above would be sincerely appreciated -- Thank you in advance!
ArnoldZiffel
Feb-13-06, 10:27 PM
One of our members, Simon Alexander, told us that he heard from a very reliable source that Liz was busy hanging curtains in her new home. That information is about two years old however. She probably has the curtains up by now.
Robin & Simon show up here occasionally. Click on Members List then click on their names. You can read all of their posts. They'll be like your brothers before you know it.
One of our members, Simon Alexander, told us that he heard from a very reliable source that Liz was busy hanging curtains in her new home. That information is about two years old however. She probably has the curtains up by now.
:lmao: oh man, funny funny funny...
You probably had enough for several threads there mate. We could use a new thread or two so go for it.
mike_mhg
Feb-14-06, 3:57 AM
One of our members, Simon Alexander, told us that he heard from a very reliable source that Liz was busy hanging curtains in her new home. That information is about two years old however. She probably has the curtains up by now.
oh man, funny funny funny
ditto
achzyrm
Feb-14-06, 4:59 AM
You probably had enough for several threads there mate. We could use a new thread or two so go for it.
Yeah, I apologize for that - I write a HUGE amount anytime I write anything; I've been that way since proto-usenet, about the time of Blue Bell Knoll actually... or maybe that was FIDOnet. (meh, who cares...)
I'll break them down and ask particulars...
I guess the first two I'd ask would be: Would anyone know how Elizabeth's voice is, these days? I wondered if that might have been a contributing factor for her bowing out of the 2005 mini-tour, and I've not yet found any indication of her performing outside of studio - where multiple breaks and takes are always available - for some time now.
(Certainly I'd hope that by the time she releases her solo album, she'd be able to tour it... Although that'd be an athletic feat for any woman approaching 50, especially with a history like her own)
And the second one: Has there been any early word as to whether Lily and/or Lucy Belle demonstrate a similar talent?
Thanks, and good morning UK! (4:00 a.m. here in Texas)
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 5:17 AM
How are they all doing?
Robin
-----
Working under the name of "The Great Walloosa", Robin carved out a very successful career as a prestidigitator, eventually becoming chairman of the East Grinstead Magic Circle. Pushing the boundaries of conjuring further and further, however, proved to be his downfall.
Performing his daring "Gonads In A Bucket" illusion at the 1999 Royal Variety Show, his insistence that Prince Charles should participate in assisting with the trick on-stage ended in tragedy when His Royal Highness emasculated seventeen Chelsea Pensioners with a simple plastic hair comb. As British law obviates any member of the Royal family from prosecution, Guthrie bore the full brunt of the law, although his rendition (with a piece of tissue hurriedly wrapped around the comb in question) of "Wax and Wane" as he was being dragged from the stage by the local constabulary is the talk of the Golders Green Gephilter Fish Appreciation Society to this day.
Now living in a kibbutz on the borders of Essex and Lancashire, Guthrie has achieved some minor success with his range of sponge hammers.
Simon
-----
Spotted by Belgian entrepreneur Rene Le Toosh whilst shopping for garrott wire in Fortnum & Masons, Simon enjoyed a brief period of mainstream fame between 2000 and 2003.
At a little over 6' 2", his world tour of Norfolk as the world's tallest midget was cut short when organisers of a rival extravaganza produced their own tallest midget in the form of Barry "The Baz" Barrington, who, at 6' 9", decimated Simon's claim to fame. Dark mutterings of Cuban heels abounded, although the Raymonde camp could prodice no substantive evidence with which to re-instate their candidate.
Adrift in the twilight world of light entertainment, Raymonde found temporary celebrity as the scoreboard on the television quiz show "What's My Bazooka?". However, following a misunderstanding arising from a misplaced cucumber and the daughter of blind unicyclist Thelma McWirralstein, Simon was forced to retire from the limelight and now works as an alternative therapist in the treatment of sleep-dirt.
Liz
---
Upon the demise of CT, Fraser dropped from public life for a period of three years. Rumours circulated, fuelled by a series of in-depth articles in the Stornaway Bugle, that she had been recruited by the CIA to work in their program to train dolphins in the highly dangerous task of delivering tactical pasta-sauce warheads in battlefield situations. This was based mainly on the sole testimony of Earl Wuckfit, a Texan ex-Navy SEAL who saw service in such diverse theatres of conflict as New Jersey and Tallahasee.
2001 saw Liz Fraser's public re-emergence and she enjoyed a triumphant spell as second-assistant bacon-slicer at Asda Wal-Mart's Clifton branch. Her talents were quickly recognised by store manager Darren Geeky, who plucked her from the relative obscurity of the cold-meat section and thrust her into the limelight of afternoon-shift shelf-stacking.
Success followed success - Fraser's name became synonymous with the now legendary "Heinz Exotica" and "Kellogs' Krispy" promotional drives. "Liz was just phenomenal," recalls Geeky. "She'd have a whole pallet of 'Beans A La Grimsby' onto the display stand before you could say 'Honey-cured ham, three for the price of two - offer ends March 30th'. That sort of talent only comes along once in every generation.'
Fraser is currently appearing in the stage production of "Seven Breads For Seven Butters" at the Art Blakey Theatre, Weston-Super-Mare.
mike_mhg
Feb-14-06, 5:25 AM
and here she is, Alan, just after her promotion
http://uk.geocities.com/mike_mhg/lizatasda.jpg
Baddy2shoos
Feb-14-06, 5:29 AM
that picture still makes me laugh, there's a better one somewhere where she's wearing her uniform.
mike_mhg
Feb-14-06, 5:42 AM
I hope some kind soul is working on a proper answer for him.
achzyrm
Feb-14-06, 6:46 AM
I hope some kind soul is working on a proper answer for him.
actually, ain't minding this a bit... :-) That was pretty damn awesome to tell the truth... just gotta familiarize.
plus, after sitting here for 18 friggin hours writing the most bullshit code you could imagine for something that's gonna get shoved aside by the next MBA who comes along anyway, the courtesy of the personal attention is actually pretty gratifying
(And: I'll take the lack of -bad- news, as good news...)
mortalcoil
Feb-14-06, 7:32 AM
Robin
-----
Working under the name of "The Great Walloosa", Robin carved out a very successful career as a prestidigitator, eventually becoming chairman of the East Grinstead Magic Circle. Pushing the boundaries of conjuring further and further, however, proved to be his downfall..............etc, etc, etc.
Now that's bloody funny!
But I see you have far tooo much bad rep for anybody to think so.
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 7:34 AM
I see you have far tooo much bad rep for anybody to think so.
I'm just a victim of circumstance and a world too unwilling to accept hetero-necrophilia as a way of life, Mort.
mortalcoil
Feb-14-06, 7:49 AM
I'm just a victim of circumstance and a world too unwilling to accept hetero-necrophilia as a way of life, Mort.
Shame, we live in such a blinkered society.
One of our members, Simon Alexander, told us that he heard from a very reliable source that Liz was busy hanging curtains in her new home. That information is about two years old however. She probably has the curtains up by now.
how come liz thought of you on this forum as freaks !
all these liz-haters jokes since last year are getting to be really sick !
am i the only one here to think that way ?
are you all freaks ?
welcome to the atrocity exhibition,
"step inside", you can laugh now !:crazy:
Baddy2shoos
Feb-14-06, 8:00 AM
I'm a fully paid up member of the cocteau freak brigade, got a fucking problem with that?!
mortalcoil
Feb-14-06, 8:01 AM
She did let a lot of people down.
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 8:02 AM
how come liz thought of you on this forum as freaks !
all these liz-haters jokes since last year are getting to be really sick !
am i the only one here to think that way ?
are you all freaks ?
welcome to the atrocity exhibition,
"step inside", you can laugh now !:crazy:
These "Liz hater jokes" (I don't see much - if any - hate) have been going on forever and not just since last year (by which I take it you mean post-Coachella).
Are we all freaks? Dunno...which scale of freakdom should use with which to measure ourselves by?
Oh, and don't worry too much - I've been led to believe that LF has never been in here.
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 8:03 AM
Shame, we live in such a blinkered society.
I can but soldier on, Mort. It's a solitary furrow I cut.
She did let a lot of people down.
sorry but as i already wrote somewhere here :
she owes nothing to us.
you can regret it of course but it's the truth.
what more can i say?
Baddy2shoos
Feb-14-06, 8:25 AM
I don't care what happened at Coachella, I still think she's fab, were just having a little fun.
how come liz thought of you on this forum as freaks !
all these liz-haters jokes since last year are getting to be really sick !
am i the only one here to think that way ?
are you all freaks ?
welcome to the atrocity exhibition,
"step inside", you can laugh now !:crazy:
I believe she actually referred to fans in general as freaks, not forum members, and the comment probably pre-dated the internet (or at least its common usage).
As for liz-haters, well it's true a few people were not best pleased with her following the Coachella debacle last year, but I don't for one second believe there's any hate for her here. Why on earth would someone who hates Liz want to spend time on a fan site partially devoted to her? What we don't do here however is treat the band members as deities and above criticism. We may love the band but there is a healthy attitude towards the band members whereby we treat them as normal people who happen to be rather talented musicians rather than shining lights of humankind as some other fan forums seem to insist on. This means that talented writers like Phil can allow his mind to wander off at right angles and write humourous posts about the band members - not because he hates them but because he treats them as he would anybody else. To me that indicates a healthy respect but certainly not hatred.
I couldn't have put it better if i'd spent all week trying to write something, Dave.
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 10:54 AM
This means that talented writers like Phil can allow his mind to wander off at right angles and write humourous posts about the band members - not because he hates them but because he treats them as he would anybody else.
You see, it's this sort of careless, offhand comment which only serves to give me a good name.
I insist, sir, that you cease and desist such practices or, by thunder, you shall be hearing from my chiropractor.
We may love the band but there is a healthy attitude towards the band members whereby we treat them as normal people who happen to be rather talented musicians rather than shining lights of humankind as some other fan forums seem to insist on. To me that indicates a healthy respect but certainly not hatred.
i can't see where is healthy respect when you make fun of someone continiously on this forum.
considering the life liz had when she was young, i think this is pure sillyness.
i bet you were the funny one at school, right ?:digi:
Baddy2shoos
Feb-14-06, 11:58 AM
were you the twatty one?
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 12:05 PM
i can't see where is healthy respect when you make fun of someone continiously on this forum.
considering the life liz had when she was young, i think this is pure sillyness.
i bet you were the funny one at school, right ?:digi:
Let me see.....£1,000? £2,000? £10,000? £1,000,000?
Oh, I give up....exactly how precious are you?
They're three people who made music that we all like. None of them are the product of the loins of Greek Gods and if we all had to stop and investigate the life history of everyone we run across or comment on inlife, we'd be as dead as open-toed sandals.
That Liz had a difficult childhood is her problem to deal with, not mine, not Dave Priddy's, not yours. I like the Twins music, not their biographies.
Did you stop to consider the trial;s and tribulations in Dave Priddy's life before th jibe about being the "funny one at school"? Did you consider that he may have had a wretched time at school or do your lofty standards only apply to those you choose.
Get a grip.
I think Liz is a fab lady too, Coachella debacle or not. I can only base this on the music she has made, along with any interviews or public soundbites. I wouldn't slag her off here, perhaps unless i had some exceptional personal reason to, which i don't. It's just a bit of fun Vog, as Rob Brydon might say, so can we not just leave it at that?
It's just a bit of fun Vog, as Rob Brydon might say, so can we not just leave it at that?
yes of course 4cc we should.
this topic was fun enough.
:)
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 12:10 PM
i always loved you:baby:
Misplaced affection aside, Vog, look at this place for what it is...a bunch of people who are enthusiats for the music of a band that died almost ten years ago.
The sort of reverence you seem to want us all heap upon them, either collectively or on an individual basis, is that rabid kind seen on the (genuflects and farts wildly) Lisa Gerrard forum or in the midst of those strange cults in Waco.
Gimme a break, mate...utter bilge and nonsense is all I can do well.
Bloody hell. I've even impressed meself there. OK, anyone else got any other rifts, feuds or arguments they want ending. Give me a call, ASAP. 10% off for the first 100 callers, usual rate thereafter.
it's really funny that none of you all ever made fun of robin or simon over here !
maybe it's because you know they browse around here some of the times ?
by the way, i don't want you to show some reverence (what the fuck is that?)
just be respectful of the artists you once loved.
the personal/private life of Liz is her business.
who are we to know better ?
just give her a life please. this is getting ridiculous.
:weird:
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 12:38 PM
it's really funny that none of you all ever made fun of robin or simon over here !
maybe it's because you know they browse around here some of the times ?
by the way, i don't want you to show some reverence (what the fuck is that?)
just be respectful of the artists you once loved.
the personal/private life of Liz is her business.
who are we to know better ?
just give her a life please. this is getting ridiculous.
:weird:
Vog
Read the post at the top and see how I treat Robin and Simon just in this thread alone.
I've ribbed the pair of them in the past and will do so in the future.
I can't give her a life - she's already got one and we'll make not one difference to her one way or the other in here. That I and others choose to make up alternate realities about her is neither here nor there. I don't dress them up in ways to make them sound authentic.
She doesn't come here. Not ever. Don't worry.
ArnoldZiffel
Feb-14-06, 1:05 PM
One of our members, Simon Alexander, told us that he heard from a very reliable source that Liz was busy hanging curtains in her new home. That information is about two years old however. She probably has the curtains up by now.
Robin & Simon show up here occasionally. Click on Members List then click on their names. You can read all of their posts. They'll be like your brothers before you know it.
I am sorry I upset you, Vog75. I was being honest. Simon Alexander really did tell us about his reliable source telling him about the curtains. Click on Members List then click on Simon Alexander. Read through the posts. As Bogart said: "I kid you not".
ArnoldZiffel
Feb-14-06, 1:17 PM
Bloody hell. I've even impressed meself there. OK, anyone else got any other rifts, feuds or arguments they want ending. Give me a call, ASAP. 10% off for the first 100 callers, usual rate thereafter.
Hamas and the Israeli Cabinet on Line #2. Shall I tell the Danish Cartoonist Society and Islamic Jihad to hold?
as dead as open-toed sandals.
Hey, I'm wearing those as we speak! And you're telling people they're DEAD? Tsk tsk.
Phil Lawton
Feb-14-06, 6:17 PM
Hey, I'm wearing those as we speak! And you're telling people they're DEAD? Tsk tsk.
Ghosty
We need to talk, lad.
I find Liz to be extremely attractive beyond comprehension. Maybe because I'm Scottish too. Nah, that wouldn't have anything to do with it. Mostly from her look and mannerisms from the two videos from the peek of Cocteau Twins career during the Heaven Or Las Vegas album. Her look and mannerisms. Her smile when she sings, "I'm happy again..." gives me the chills!
ArnoldZiffel
Feb-14-06, 11:21 PM
True! Liz is a beautiful woman. She is also one heck of a decorator.
Musette
Feb-15-06, 4:46 PM
I am sorry I upset you, Vog75. I was being honest. Simon Alexander really did tell us about his reliable source telling him about the curtains. Click on Members List then click on Simon Alexander. Read through the posts. As Bogart said: "I kid you not".
Simon Alexander has said a lot of things.
ResetTwo
Feb-15-06, 6:45 PM
You see, it's this sort of careless, offhand comment which only serves to give me a good name.
I insist, sir, that you cease and desist such practices or, by thunder, you shall be hearing from my chiropractor.
I agree!
Quisquose
Feb-16-06, 10:16 AM
Well, I am bored this morning, and seeing as how no one else has attempted to answer this nice person's questions, I will give it the old college try. Most of what I know I picked up on these forums - if I am wrong about something, please chime in and correct me.
But I was wondering more on a human level, would anyone here know: How are they all doing?
Robin and Simon pop in from time to time and seem to be doing fine. Robin has recorded with "Violet Indiana" and more recently has put out a solo album, Imperial. He also did the soundtrack to the film "Mysterious Skin". He has a blog that he posts to regularly (do a search to find the link). Simon remains active with Bella Union, though sadly he hasn't seemed to do much music making of his own lately - hopefully that will change. Also I believe Simon is recently single again. Liz remains a complete mystery. No one on these boards seems to know much about her activities, though she has recently done work with Yann Tiersen and Massive attack. A bootleg recording of her and Jeff Buckley singing "All Flowers in Time Bend Toward the Sun" has recently surfaced on the boards and caused a bit of a stir. The mythical "solo album" has so far remained just that.
Are they friends, still? Do they get together on special occasions, like Robin and Elizabeth's daughter's birthdays, or holidays?
How are their new families?
You'd have to ask them that - I recall that Simon has written that he still considers Elizabeth a close friend, but otherwise they keep their personal relationships close to the vest, which is understandable. After the Coachella thing last year it wasn't hard to guess by reading between the lines that the relationships were a bit strained by what went down, but really no one knows but them. They say very little about their families, which again is understandable.
Have they done any single-date reunion performances?
No - nothing after the breakup.
Ever received more due recognition than they had when they were still actively working under the Cocteau Twins name?
Eh, that's hard to say. In my opinion, not really. Robin and Simon have remained visible in the music business and have been mostly favorably reviewed, I think. Also there has been a steady stream of remasters and rarities issued over the years that probably helps keep people from forgetting CT.
Do they stay in touch with any of their friends and contemporaries from some of the other 4AD projects? Kevin and Bilinda from My Bloody Valentine, or Micki and Emma from Lush? Do they work with them ever? Has there been any discussion of collaborative projects in the future between themselves, and/or any of their peers and colleagues?
I don't recall them ever discussing that on the forums, but who knows? Ask Robin - maybe he'll answer.
Are they still doing all right from their royalties, I hope to God? What kind of sales are they doing? Have they maintained their annual numbers, or increased? (I would assume so)
There again, you'd have to ask one of them. I have gotten the impression from some of the things that have been written over the years that they may have not been treated as well as they'd like by the "biz", in terms of contracts, royalties, etc.
Finally and most importantly to me, how is Ms Fraser's voice? A friend of mine, a vocalist, once remarked that she wouldn't have been surprised if the recording sessions for every CT composition had left her literally soaked in sweat, about to faint - or actually fainting - from the gymnastics performed.
As she put it, this was an artist who routinely sang with more power than Bjork, at higher octave than D.Galas, and she suspected that many of the people she worked and trained with were often -very- concerned for her; that there would be days when she couldn't talk, times when she could barely swallow, and occasional pain that would leave her in tears.
That's a very interesting observation. I always figured she had a natural ability to do the things she did that made them easier for her than the average vocalist - otherwise she wouldn't do it (does that make any sense?). EF has had a steady, but frustrating trickle of guest appearance-type recordings released over the years. The solo album has been talked about for literally years and yet we don't seem any closer to seeing it now than we did when the band first broke up. The music she has recorded has struck many people as being kind of "safe" or ordinary compared to her CT work. There has been some debate in this community as to the reason for that - does she lack the will to do more, or the ability? But there again, if anybody out there knows the answer, they ain't saying.
And so I wonder as to the prospects of a future tour in support of her recent work, to say nothing of a CT reunion. As much as it pains me to say it, if there were any chance of her injuring herself, I would BEG her not to do it, and instead encourage and train her daughters, if they're musically talented and inclined.
There are a couple of people who claim to have heard R & E's daughter Lucy sing, and say she is really something. It's a cool thought, isn't it? It's also been said that she reads these boards sometimes. I would hope that people would respect her privacy though - that's got to be a weird position to be in!
...So, how'd I do? comprehensive, but not stalkerish, I hope... ;-)
Phil Lawton
Feb-16-06, 10:34 AM
You're far too sensible for these boards, Q.
See me in my study later.
Baddy2shoos
Feb-16-06, 10:46 AM
I don't think I've ever posted more than a paragraph on these boards.
ArnoldZiffel
Feb-16-06, 10:55 AM
Ms. Quisquose did an excellent job. Moderator material.
Phil Lawton
Feb-16-06, 11:40 AM
I don't think I've ever posted more than a paragraph on these boards.
Gold, more often than not, comes in the smallest of nuggets, Beth.
Phil Lawton
Feb-16-06, 11:41 AM
Moderator material.
Hush, man...that sort of crazy talk could spark a revolution.
Baddy2shoos
Feb-16-06, 11:41 AM
Gold, more often than not, comes in the smallest of nuggets, Beth.
you say the sweetest things...
Phil Lawton
Feb-16-06, 11:48 AM
you say the sweetest things...
Just a big fluffy teddy bear, Beth....with a heart of granite.
Hamas and the Israeli Cabinet on Line #2. Shall I tell the Danish Cartoonist Society and Islamic Jihad to hold?
I retired from the old feud-ceasing business yesterday, Bob. Wasn't making enough money. I should have said, but it slipped my mind. ;)
ArnoldZiffel
Feb-16-06, 7:06 PM
I retired from the old feud-ceasing business yesterday, Bob. Wasn't making enough money. I should have said, but it slipped my mind. ;)
Can't blame you David. Diplomats are under paid and un-appreciated.
achzyrm
Feb-19-06, 5:06 PM
...So, how'd I do? comprehensive, but not stalkerish, I hope... ;-)
You did brilliantly! Thank you so much! I honestly feel better now.
I mean, in my lifetime, I've seen a number of geniuses fall. Goettel from Skinny Puppy, for example, Matthew Fletcher from Heavenly, Chris Acland from Lush... I couldn't think of anything more heartbreaking than if CT had fallen upon any sort of unhappy times, and I sincerely appreciate your reassurances to the contrary.
Thank you, again!
-ach
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