Disco de Cocteau Twins: “Head Over Heels”

Most albums feature music which reveals the era in which they were recorded. But "Head Over Heels" by Scotland's Cocteau Twins doesn't sound like it belongs to ANY era, even though it was released in 1983. A beautiful rush of etheral magic, "Head Over Heels" stands in a class of its own. The slow-moving opener "When Mama Was Moth" has vocalist Liz Frazer delivering hypnotic (yet incoherent) chants, while the brooding "The Tinderbox (of a Heart)" marches along in all its dark glory. Things get upbeat in "In Our Angelhood" with great melange of guitars, and the single "Sugar Hiccup" holds up well. I've owned this CD since my days in college, and I like it more with each listen. The melodies these guys craft are some of the most beautiful I have ever heard. Mainstream listeners may not realize it, but the Cocteau Twins are among the most influential acts of the last 25 years, developing a unique and distinguished sound that would inspire later genres known as trip hop and ambient. Indie label 4AD re-released "Head Over Heels" with remastered sound supervised by Robin Guthrie. At first, I was reluctant to buy this CD, which, after all, was already reissued by Capitol in 1991. But the sound quality of the new 4AD release is a definite imporvement over the original, featuring a full-bodied sound that projects much better than Capitol's edition. So, even if you already have the Capitol release (or if you have no copy of "Head Over Heels" at all), you should make the upgrade and buy this great album reissued by 4AD.

"Head over Heels" could be seen as a transitional album, the Cocteau Twins' sound moving from the raw post-punk of "Garlands" towards the beautifully textured soundscapes of "Treasure," but HOH's material is still captivating. The style ranges from dark, slow songs like the first track, "When Mama was Moth," to (not quite) typical 80's prog-rock ("In Our Angelhood"). But undoubtedly the highlight of the album is the final track, "Musette and Drums." I truly doubt that any review could communicate this song's power and majesty to one who has not yet heard it, but I shall say a few words. This is the first of the Cocteau Twins' usual type of album-ending songs (like "Pur" and "Frou-Frou Foxes in Mid-summer Fires"), in which the sound starts off stable and easy before launching into a driving beat and absolutely gorgeous wailing by Liz Fraser. On "Musette and Drums" this shift, however unpleasant it might be to use this word, is nothing short of orgasmic. And that voice! Liz Fraser might not have the greatest range in the world (although it's certainly not limited), but the amount of emotion which she puts into her singing is incredible. I would certainly recommend this album as a first to anyone who has not yet heard the Cocteau Twins. Along with "Treasure," I think it serves as a wonderful introduction to the greater body of their work.

This is without a doubt the greatest Cocteau Twins effort, in my opinion(even Liz has said she favors this album). If you're just now hearing about them and looking for a good place to start, this would definitely be it. The full range of moods contained in this 10 track album will give you a pretty good idea of what you might find in the others, and yet not one is like the other. It may take time to warm up to their music and Liz's other worldly vocals, but once you settle into the sound its hard to escape. This album alone has gotten me through many a dark times and it continues to be one of my very favorite recordings to date. Listen to it. Take a chance. Forget about music you know. And let yourself slip into the sounds. You'll enter into another world all together. Also, try Victorialand. Incredible sounscapes... like snow drifting in the sun.

Reduced to a duo after the departure of Will Heggie and reacting violently to Alan Rankine's sharp-focus production on the Peppermint Pig EP, Cocteau Twins' sophomore LP Head Over Heels opens dramatically with "When Mama Was Moth," a whirlpool of reverb and tremolo sludge - thick, black, and endless. Immediately it becomes apparent that there has been a major shift in the band's aesthetic and focus. Gone are the plodding post-punk basslines and any pretense of sounding like a live band. Head Over Heels is a diverse and synaesthetic work, each song evoking its own set of mental images explicitly suggested through careful mood-setting.

"Five Ten Fiftyfold" adds saxophones and compressed 12-string acoustic guitars to the stew, Elizabeth Fraser's soaring vocals drawing plaintive and romantic emotions out of the desolation of the cold, crystalline landscape. "Sugar Hiccup" is graceful and bouyant, riding a wave of mysterious choral effects and liquid guitar arpeggios - this song is a daydream encapsulated in sound, the occasional dissonant guitar is so small against the pretty background that it isn't disturbing and only adds to the fantasy.

"In Our Angelhood" is the last Cocteau Twins song to ever resemble late-70s post-punk and early-80's goth-rock, and it sounds as if the band included it just to prove retrospectively that they had always been the best band of that genre even if their earliest recordings never reflected it. Peter Hook and Siouxsie Sioux are audible influences, but neither Joy Division nor the Banshees ever used sound to paint a picture so effectively - a listener could drown in this mix!

"Glass Candle Grenades," a sci-fi cabaret fanfare of sorts, doesn't sound like anything at all recorded before or since. It sounds more like an H.R. Giger painting, but with more grace and femininity. "In The Gold Dust Rush" is a lilting anthem of angelic voices and slashing acoustic guitars. Its choruses are placid mirror-surfaced ponds from which verses ascend like Martian spires. "The Tinderbox (Of A Heart)" is hushed and cyclical, hypnotically beckoning the listener draw closer until all of the instruments vanish suddenly leaving the vocals and drum machine hanging like a spider's web to ensnare the entranced. In case anyone listening was still questioning the band's range, they include the bluesy "Multifoiled," the closest to filler on this disc. It's still oddly intriguing and works well in the context of the album. "My Love Paramour" is seductive and cryptic, using moaning guitar sustains to create a sense of tension and danger. The album ends as dramatically as it began with "Musette and Drums," a minor key waltz full of queasy harmonic intervals and feverish vocal acrobatics. It rises to a climax and dissolves, only to return like a freezing gale. Robin Guthrie's guitar screams atonally as the song fades into nothingness.

By the time of Head Over Heels, Robin Guthrie has developed into a masterful producer and guitarist, building oceanic panoramas from heavily-effected guitar overdubs and sputtering drum machines. Elizabeth Fraser is no longer the sheepish mumbling girl-child of Garlands. She has grown into a powerful feminine presence capable of shredding hearts and brains with only her voice, but wise and benevolent enough to exercise restraint. Intellectually free to explore new ideas and emotions as well as technically capable of creating exciting and complex textures, Cocteau Twins undergo a cathartic rebirth with Head Over Heels, and in doing so begin a succession of masterful albums among the most unique and intriguing in the history of rock music.

Not very often do you hear music that transcends language - this one did it for me. Even though much of the lyrics cannot be understood, one connects immediately to the silky-smooth vocals and the almost-magical guitar tracks. A colleague of mine said I'd love the Cocteau Twins if I liked Jazz-Fusion (I do!). He got me a couple of his CDs, and I couldn't give them back! All I can say is, a 1000-word review is not going to do much. Go buy one; own one and you'll understand.