I love Roccoco! Its a massive wall of noise!
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 04:20 (ten years ago) link
Great poll ... "Aikea Guinea" is a worthy #1.
I backed into "Cherry Coloured Funk" (and to some extent, the Cocteaus) via the Otherness remix too!
Thank you LeRoo!
My ballot:
Pearly Dewdrops DropsOrange AppledHalf GiftsSugar HiccupHeaven or Las Vegas
Iceblink LuckCherry Coloured FunkAikea GuineaLove's Easy TearsCarolyn's Fingers
Golden VeinRilkean HeartKookaburraBlind Dumb DeafLorelei
Musette and DrumsMemory GongsThe Thinner the AirHithertoSerpentskirt
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Monday, 23 September 2013 05:45 (ten years ago) link
Love Blind Dumb Deaf. Sat up til midnight last night working on a cover versh.
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 06:29 (ten years ago) link
I thought we'd ruled out Another Day? As it's just Liz plus McCarrick/Ball strings? I'd have voted for that.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 23 September 2013 07:26 (ten years ago) link
Here are my ballots. Great poll though I am pretty surprised by the results. Nobody loves "Theft and wandering around lost" except me? That song is like a bath on a cloud in heaven. It's warm & cosy & a little sad, in one word pure bliss. Additionally the lyrics are about her body, maybe this is the song about menstruation?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTtL74Ytp0Y
1 SongsFifty-fifty clownTheft and wandering around lostHeaven or Las VegasCherry-coloured funkKnow who you are at every ageI wear your ringLazy calmOil of angelsFor Phoebe still a babySugar hiccupIvoWhen mama was mothPitch the babyBluebeardShallow then haloElla Megalast burls foreverThe hollow menIn the golden dust rushWax and waneGarlands
2 albumsHeaven or Las VegasFour-Calendar CaféVictorialandGarlandsThe Moon and the Melodies
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 23 September 2013 07:37 (ten years ago) link
Mine:
From The FlagstonesThe Spangle MakerHithertoDonimoOrange AppledSugar HiccupOomingmakAlas Dies LaughingPandoraGrail OverflowethCico BuffKookaburraGreat Spangled FritillaryCarolyn's FingersPersephonePink Orange RedThose Eyes, That MouthSeekers Who Are LoversMy Love ParamourFrou-frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires
From The Flagstones is, and always will be, my favourite. I saw one of the last Will Heggie shows where it was roughed out and was clearly a song about to be transformed, and then the early Simon shows took it somewhere else and began to be the roadmap for what the band would become. I remember the days when they would play it twice, rewinding the drum tape back to it for the encore.
I think the Gothteaus get a bad press tbh, there are some really good songs in there.
― Ian Glasper's trapped in a scone (aldo), Monday, 23 September 2013 08:04 (ten years ago) link
1 Itchy Glowbo Blow2 Crushed3 Orange Appled4 My Love Paramour5 Lorelei6 The Thinner The Air7 Sea, Swallow Me8 Ella Megalast Burls Forever9 Musette and Drums10 Fotzepolitic11 The High Monkey-Monk12 Pepper Tree13 Millimillenary14 Throughout The Dark Months of April and May15 Aikea-Guinea16 Circling Girl17 Athol Brose18 Great Spangled Fritillary19 Ivo20 Summerhead
Yeah, yeah, spell-checker, underline all you like.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 23 September 2013 08:09 (ten years ago) link
Never liked "Aikea-Guinea", so a bit baffled by that being our #1. And "Wolf in the Breast" woz robbed. Otherwise, great work everyone. And an exemplary roll out by LeRooLeRoo.
01. A Kissed Out Red Floatboat02. Wolf in the Breast 03. Suckling the Mender04. Sugar Hiccup05. Ivo06. Donimo07. Aloysius08. Fotzepolitic 09. Beatrix10. Blue Bell Knoll11. Musette and Drums12. Orange Appled13. Quisquose14. Athol-Brose15. From the Flagstones16. Heaven or Las Vegas17. Those Eyes, That Mouth18. Lorelei19. Fifty-fifty Clown20. Rococo
― Jeff W, Monday, 23 September 2013 09:47 (ten years ago) link
Nobody loves "Theft and wandering around lost" except me? That song is like a bath on a cloud in heaven. It's warm & cosy & a little sad, in one word pure bliss. Additionally the lyrics are about her body, maybe this is the song about menstruation?
I always thought that song was about... well, rape, to be blunt. Abuse at the very least. She was abused by a family member as a kid, and I figured the song mightve been about that, seeing as she was doing therapy and stuff at that point.
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 10:18 (ten years ago) link
"The man is an offenderHe took my valueAnd I give back his shameAnd I take back my power"
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 10:24 (ten years ago) link
Its jarring when she started singing actual,emotional real stuff,because some of it was fairly dark. Reminds me of how TMBG sound so happy but a lot of their songs are miserable lyrically!
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 10:25 (ten years ago) link
And on that note actually, and I'm sure ive mentioned this before: love how "Rilkean Heart" and "Tishbite" are about Jeff Buckley. And his song "Morning Theft" is about her.
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 10:26 (ten years ago) link
Sorry, Half-Gifts, not Tishbite!
(tho, I guess HG could be about Robin as well now I think about it)
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 10:27 (ten years ago) link
Oh and, sorry to blather on so much, but "Theft" has one of my fave ever lines of hers in it: "keep cutting myself on the edges of reality". So awesome.
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 10:43 (ten years ago) link
i think you are right about theft, trayce, actually it's quite obvious, i think the lyrics go on like that:
My body is my ownMy body is mine aloneAnd I deserve protectionAnd I can create it for youIs this what my body said?Use meDrain meFall around meIs this what my body said?Engulf meI'm already dead
it's even more so an absolute miracle of a song. how can someone write such beautiful music about such a terrible experience? that's incredible.
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 23 September 2013 11:19 (ten years ago) link
Indeed :)
― taxi tomato or bag tomato (Trayce), Monday, 23 September 2013 11:39 (ten years ago) link
"Theft, And Wandering Around Lost" is the first track I regretted not including after alex in mainhattan repped hard for it on 2 other threads including the poll setup. was amazed when I looked up those lyrics! Four Calendar Cafe is hella underrated, side 1 is pure gold!
thanks to digging due to this poll I've also discovered new faves like "Mud And Dark" and other FCC & M&K era b-sides.
woulda put "Itchy Glowbo Blow" higher too had I relistened before submitting ballot. also regret not voting for "Suckling The Mender".
― Paul, Monday, 23 September 2013 15:42 (ten years ago) link
who's the other "Otterley" vote? good on ya! no love for "Feet-Like Fins" (OG Victorialand version)?
― Paul, Monday, 23 September 2013 15:56 (ten years ago) link
I love "Feet-Like Fins". That whole album is incredible. I'm surprised I was the only one who voted for "The Tinderbox (Of a Heart)". It's so dramatic. But I love the Gothteaus (lol love that name), I also gave "But I'm Not" it's only vote.
― LeRooLeRoo, Monday, 23 September 2013 16:29 (ten years ago) link
paul, i am happy that you appreciate fcc and esp. theft, and wandering around. a minor correction though: in the poll setup i didn't mention the song, but you quoted me from the old album poll thread.
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 23 September 2013 16:52 (ten years ago) link
Speaking of "Otterley" does any French speaker think she's actually using French words in this? I hear "On est bien", "On est ensemble", "Saveur de toi", "Doucement", etc...
― LeRooLeRoo, Monday, 23 September 2013 17:04 (ten years ago) link
great poll! thanks, LRLR!
my ballot:
1. The Spangle Maker2. Pearly Dewdrops’ Drops3. Lorelei4. Aikea-Guinea5. Sugar Hiccup6. Cherry-Coloured Funk7. Millimillenary8. Kookaburra9. Frosty The Snowman10. Iceblink Luck11. Wax And Wane12. Heaven Or Las Vegas13. Donimo14. Mud And Dark15. Sigh’s Smell Of Farewell16. Hitherto17. Bluebeard18. Circling Girl19. Feathers-Oars-Blades20. Musette And Drums
― da croupier, Monday, 23 September 2013 17:32 (ten years ago) link
re: French "Otterley" - I'm convinced I hear "ce soir la", but I'm sure there's some lyric site interpretations to tell me otherwise.
I really do believe some of the obsessives (originally on the Cocteau Twins website/s?) who've subjected the music to overlistening have uncovered some closer-to-true lyrics. for example, I always heard "Fotzepolitic" as "seams sew me back to you", but missed the word 'bounce' which I now can hear! so: "see and saw bounce me back to you".
on the other hand, I own the Japanese LP of Garlands complete with lyric sheet so I see where it can go horribly wrong and comical.
― Paul, Monday, 23 September 2013 18:14 (ten years ago) link
as in, the printed lyrics are incorrect, or having the correct ones lets you see how wrong everybody else was?
― money, chicken and other DNA (sleeve), Monday, 23 September 2013 18:44 (ten years ago) link
I think I was the other Otterley voter! I like it for its presaging of Victorialand.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Monday, 23 September 2013 19:02 (ten years ago) link
I don't think they've ever provided full lyrics, just the snippets on the first 2 albums.the Japanese record label made a valiant but doomed effort to work out all the Garlands lyrics - quite funny to read. haven't looked at it in a while but I wouldn't be surprised if they flubbed even the provided snippet placements.
― Paul, Monday, 23 September 2013 19:45 (ten years ago) link
"Otterley" has always been my fave. I think it's just one open chord, tuned to minor-major 9th (minor 3rd, major 7th), played in 4 positions with a linking melody. probably my fave harmonic progression of theirs too. also once had (still have?) a demo version of it on a music rag (NME/MM?) freebie cassette.
― Paul, Monday, 23 September 2013 19:51 (ten years ago) link
It's interesting that quite a few of us have so much of our ballots represented, which suggests that we've hit upon a canon, no?
― Shannon Leeedles (Leee), Tuesday, 24 September 2013 05:06 (ten years ago) link
I think it might be because it took only 3 votes to get into the top 50, and we are posting top twenties.
― MatthewK, Tuesday, 24 September 2013 11:33 (ten years ago) link
Thanks for doing this poll! Cocteau love on ILX so heartening. My ballot (a Top 10):
Those Eyes, That MouthRilkean HeartCherry-Coloured FunkFotzepoliticBlue Bell KnollLoreleiCarolyn's FingersAmeliaIvoSummerhead
― Peter Scholtes, Tuesday, 24 September 2013 12:31 (ten years ago) link
The Top 50 is broken down like this:
Treasure: 7 songs, 1249 pointsHeaven Or Las Vegas: 7 songs, 1189 pointsBlue Bell Knoll: 7 songs, 868 pointsHead Over Heels: 5 songs, 858 pointsVictorialand : 5 songs, 590 pointsMilk & Kisses: 1 song, 107 pointsGarlands: 1 song, 99 pointsThe Moon and The Melodies: 1 song, 96 points
Love's Easy Tears: 3 songs, 630 pointsThe Spangle Maker: 3 songs, 601 pointsAikea Guinea: 2 songs, 503 pointsSunburst & Snowblind: 2 songs, 360 pointsTiny Dynamine: 1 song, 206 pointsEchoes in a Shallow Bay: 2 songs, 190 points
The Pink Opaque: 1 song, 152 pointsIt'll End In Tears: 1 song, 125 pointsLonely Is An Eyesore: 1 song, 111 points
― LeRooLeRoo, Tuesday, 24 September 2013 17:06 (ten years ago) link
^Presented this way makes a lot of sense to me - i.e. feels about right.
Except I voted for the "Sunburst..." version of Sugar Hiccup. If everyone else did the same that puts it (rightly) top of the EPs ;-)
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 24 September 2013 18:31 (ten years ago) link
x-post: interesting stats!
here's a correction on the "Otterley" music:
open chord is: g,b♭,d,g,a,d and the harmonic effect of the melody over the shifted open chord is:
gm9 (no 7th) 4 bars (=same thing as gm add9)
cm9 (no 7th) 2 bars -> e♭mM9 2 barscm9 (no 7th) 2 bars -> g♭mM9 2 bars
on the repeat the melody over the gm9 goes 9th->octave->minor 7th->major 7th at which point yields: gmM9so if you want a good example of what minor(3rd)-major(7th) chords sound like (with added 9th), "Otterley" is it!there's an additional drone which could be from the reverb or sustained notes (probably from/related to one of the chords above)
Martyn Bates is another guitarist from same era who made great use of (droning) fourths in chords, especially on the high (b and e) strings, for example "Bright Play Of Eyes".
― Paul, Tuesday, 24 September 2013 18:36 (ten years ago) link
Many thanks for your time and effort SebLRLR. And for bearing with me with my duplicates and so on
SONGSLoreleisugar hiccuplazy calmaikea - guineaheaven or las vegasathol brosePandoraPearly dew drops…Carolyn's fingersKookaburraPink Orange redCherry coloured funkspooning good singing gumCico buffFor Phoebe…Iceblink luckfrom the flagstonesFeathers Oar Blades (that's off an EP right?)Orange appledFluffy TuftsThose eyes that mouth
AlbumsTreasureHeaven or..Blue BellVictorialandHead over heels
― Jessie Fer Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Tuesday, 24 September 2013 19:09 (ten years ago) link
Otterley is so good, it just missed my ballot.
― money, chicken and other DNA (sleeve), Tuesday, 24 September 2013 19:18 (ten years ago) link
27. "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires"27. "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires"27. "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires"27. "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires"27. "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires"27. "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires"
******
WTF?!?!!?!?!?!!?!!??!!?
******#ambientaggro_outofbounds
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 03:47 (three years ago) link
i've been scanning through this thread, loving it. loving every single post. and then i get to #27, and the song that i expected to be top 3, it's...# 27. only 5 votes! wtf did frou-frou do to you?
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 03:49 (three years ago) link
the chilly verses, like cigarettes outside the garage in winter, and then inside to whatever place that the chorus is, whatever is happening there - that is the very warmest, best place.
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 03:55 (three years ago) link
WAIT A SECOND
#65: In the Gold Dust Rush?
no. no. nO NONONONONONO
this is not right. i demand a re-poll
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 03:58 (three years ago) link
listen to it, it's this weird jangly moment - imagine if felt came up with 2 or 3 more riffs like this one, it's fucking amazing
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 03:59 (three years ago) link
to me the verse is an instant classic, it sounds soooo iconic and good
#ambientaggro_outofboundslmao
― brimstead, Tuesday, 9 February 2021 04:00 (three years ago) link
I would’ve def voted frou frou high
arguably the reverb is on too high. i get that. i'm tolerant of high reverb, others aren't. (others who can't appreciate a heavenly fucking thing when th-)
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 04:00 (three years ago) link
― brimstead,
when i read this, i immediately think
we need a re-poll
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 04:01 (three years ago) link
these are different times. this is 2021!!!
you know what, though, now that it's 10 minutes later and i've sobered up, i recognize that the vast majority of my top 20 appeared in the top 40 of this poll. also, ALL of these songs are so lovely. i'm smitten. i was kidding about my aggro thing, it's a silly thing because cocteau twins are so NON-aggressive and it really hits the spot for me sometimes (a person who sometimes goes aggressive, i have to admit, when i care, because goddammit! etc, but cocteau twins are the other side of that, just the real good stuff for me. <3 oof oof
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 04:07 (three years ago) link
the whole album is chilling in the sauna and then rolling around in the snow
― fbclid=fhAZ3l (f. hazel), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 04:08 (three years ago) link
I'm still sore that Eperdu placed at #82
― fbclid=fhAZ3l (f. hazel), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 04:09 (three years ago) link