Disco de Cocteau Twins: “Treasure [Remaster]”

In the early 1300's, Dante Alighieri became increasingly underwhelmed with language. He felt Latin (the written language) was artificial and furthermore, all the "natural languages" (languages used for speaking, opposed to Latin) were vulgar. He believed that this all had stemmed from the blasphemy of Babel, where God's (and Adam's) perfect, true language had splintered and fragmented and probably died. After years of research Dante decided it was impossible to find the first and perfect language so he vowed to make one himself. He felt he'd write poetry so lulling and beautiful that the rest of the world would adopt his new-language. As far as I know, he never succeeded. The Cocteau Twins, however, (and you thought I'd never get around to them) may have found what Dante had craved. Elizabeth Fraiser's "vocals" are stunningly beautiful, and one can always hear pieces of words or sentences from as many languages as are out there, I swear I have heard Dutch, French and of course English in her "lyrics" and I presume there may be a healthy dose of Gaelic, or Celtic, in some of her yodels (but I wouldn't know for sure). Most describe her form of singing as gibberish (in a good way) but I think it may be more calculated than that. I suppose it can be said she is singing in both Babylonian and Dante's imaginary language, embracing each. I dunno.

I first heard of the Cocteau Twins in 1985 when I was a rather rabid Cure fan, I had read somewhere that the Cocteau Twins were Robert Smith's favorite band. That was enough for me to search them out, but it simply wasn't that easy. Anyone who is my age with my musical tastes will recall the days when record stores just didn't have everything. They will remember how hard it was to find things like this. I had searched seemingly everywhere, but couldn't find the Cocteaux, until, by chance, visiting a friend who had a neighbor, who somehow had several dusty and thick LP's. That was my introduction. Like many Cocteau Twins fans, I have nearly every release, stopping after they left 4AD. I have always considered Treasure their opus, with it's lilting melodies and richly embroidered tapestry of sound, sexy breathy voices and desperate wailing screams, unlike anything at the time, or since. It is every Cocteau Twins fan's hobby to try and sing along and the lyrics one comes up with are as amazing as they are varied. For instance, from Persephone "....leads a paperchase, for a timepiece never changes this..." (one of my own, now it's your turn).

There really needs no convincing, buy this album, it is simply one of the best ever made, and timeless too. I have given this album as gifts in the past to a wide range of people who have all enjoyed it. In fact, I only know one person who knows of the Cocteau Twins who does not like them, but she's really weird and dislikes most things. This is a great album for the CD format because you can put it on repeat, but I must admit, I do miss the style and slickness of 4AD albums, the vinyl was definitely thicker and heavy, they were a good label.

Another way to review this album would be swifter with only these two words: "BUY IT"

Back in 1984, a college friend turned me on to this album (on vinyl). It was the first album by CT that I had ever heard. Besides the really unusual cover and strange song titles, the music at first left me not knowing what to think, but soon I began to warm to it. Eventually I found myself hopelessly addicted to Elizabeth Fraser's amazing vocals and haunted to near-insanity by the hypnotic guitar and keyboard lines. Like Happy Rhodes later, I at first thought, because of her incredible versatility, that Fraser was one of two vocalists (I thought that Robin Guthrie was the other; Robin is usually a female name, after all). Anyway,despite my initial confusion,I grew so attached to this album that it became one of my all-time high-raters. The moods on this album range from the joyous ("Aloysius") to the sinister ("Beatrix")to the melancholy ("Amelia") to the come-hither whispers of "Otterley". "Treasure" remains to me the quintessential and most unusual CT album, though I eventually ended up buying them all. It marks the period when they fully emerged from the harsh edges of "Garlands" into the dreamscape of CT Heaven. Run, don't walk, to buy it, but be warned: you may require 12-step therapy after a few listens!

The Cocteau Twins have been my favorite band for nearly 15 years now, and I still maintain to this day that they had made some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Liz Fraser has the voice only angels can dream of, and the lush, ethereal dreamscapes that enshroud her glorious voice...mere words can't describe what this music does for me. "Treasure" is indeed just as its title implies, and is one of their finest. I have introduced this band to numerous people in the past, and while some sadly just don't get it, others fell in love with CT as immediately as I did. Many bands have tried to emulate them and did fairly well, but the Cocteaus stand on their own as visionaries. I mourned the demise of this fantastic group after the release of their final album, "Milk and Kisses" (a gorgeous return to their days of old, while yet still melding with a bit of the new)...but thank goodness, their music lives on and continues to inspire me in ways few artists have. I can't say enough good things about the Cocteau Twins...their music is art in its purest, highest form....to hear it is to LOVE it!!!

I'd been told over and over that I must have "Treasure," and when I finally had it (maybe it was just me, but this was really hard to get) I was astonished. It is absolutely breathtaking (not to mention my new favorite cd.) If you like the beautiful things in life, I promise you will like "Treasure" because it contains all of it. Everytime I play it, I it reminds me of walking dark cathedrals or cemeteries when it rains. Not to sound morbid, but that's the kind of atmosphere and memories the songs induce. Absolutely beautiful. Fans of dark ethereal, this is for you. Its exquisite, elegant music for the dark at heart ...and anybody with good taste.

This CD by the Cocteau Twins makes me think angels do tread on the ground and have a habit of singing whatever they please. The music is lush but not lost, soaring yet not new age. The work is simply something you put on and listen to and enjoy the experience every time over time. I do not know of another band as successful with completely non-worded lyrics and atmospheric sound walls. The floating over head voices of the Cocteau Twins, enter the Treasure...

Matthew Hahn, www.movingtracks.com