If you are looking for copies of classic Cocteau Twins albums on vinyl, you are in luck. Following recent re-releases of Blue Bell Knoll, Heaven or Las Vegas, Tiny Dynamine / Echoes In A Shallow Bay and The Pink Opaque, 4AD Records has announced today that they are reissuing both Head Over Heels and Treasure.
The label has stated that releases have utilized new masters created from high definition files transferred from the original analogue tapes, with both albums are being pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl that included download codes.
Cocteau twins 1983 second studio album Head Over Heels saw the departure of original bassist Will Heggie (who would later join local Grangemouth band Lowlife), and saw the pair of Robin Guthrie and Elizabeth Fraser evolve the music into the prototype of several genres such as Dreampop, Ethereal, and Shoegaze
Head Over Heels was the band’s first true masterpiece.While a transformative record in scope, the opening track “When Mama Was Moth” sets the tone for the sonic journey that follows in tracks such as “Sugar Hiccup”, “Five Ten Fiftyfold”, “Musette and Drums”, and “In Our Angelhood”.
The record is often supplemented by the equally incredible Sunburst and Snowblind EP, with more variations on the same syrupy textures.
Cocteau Twins’ 1984 3rd studio album was the first with bassist Simon Raymonde who remained with the band until they broke up in 1997.
The record one of the most beloved by fans, has a wintry, almost crystalline sound, like the shimmering lace skirt on the cover, or ice after a snowstorm. The songs here highlight the focus on sound over lyrical content, as singer Elizabeth Fraser’s soprano warbles with emphasis on syllabic rhythm rather that aural comprehension.
The song titles take their names from archaic and mythical figures, such as “Aloysius”, “Persephone”, “Lorelei”, and “Pandora”, the latter of which is sometimes listed as “Pandora (For Cindy)”, indicates that many of the songs are dedicated to real people, as is the opening track “Ivo” which was written for 4AD label owner Ivo Watts-Russell.
Both reissues are set for March 16th.
