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Rating: There are bands that excel in LP format (think of Pink Floyd with "Wish You Were Here" or "Hounds Of Love" and "Aerial" by Kate Bush) and others, however, that express the height of their artistic creativity on, so to speak, less “demanding” formats. This is the case with the Cocteau Twins, a band whose history is more or less known to all, and especially their various stylistic transitions.
"Lullabies To Violaine" is a quadruple album that allows us to enjoy their history in Extended format from 1982 to 1996: from the claustrophobic lullabies extracted from "Lullabies" and "Peppermint Pig" to the calm pop/rock of the b-sides from the singles "Tishbite" and "Violaine", passing, of course, through those dark masterpieces that made the history of the Cocteau sound (the unforgettable "Aikea-Guinea" and "Echoes In A Shallow Bay"). The sound is almost entirely remastered by Robin Guthrie, who, despite the dedication and effort we owe him for bringing exceptional songs back to life that would otherwise have been forgotten, sometimes exaggerates a bit with his “correction methods”, giving certain pieces too much air (the 12” version of "Sugar Hiccup", for example, and especially "Hazel" which with that strange surround drum effect loses much of its original claustrophobic character), sometimes adding a bit too much echo effect ("Pink Orange Red", "Quisquose"), or bringing his guitar a bit too “forward” (making the bass almost imperceptible) and the voice of Elizabeth Fraser a bit too “behind” in other pieces: small things that are noticed if one also possesses the original EPs…
"Lullabies To Violaine" is not just a collector's item: it allows anyone and, especially those who have recently discovered the music of the Cocteau Twins, to approach their world on 7”. The collection has also been released separately in two double volumes, but unfortunately for vinyl lovers, only on CD. Personally, I recommend the original box set, although the price is not exactly cheap. But it is worth it, especially for the long acoustic section present on the third disc and for the alternate version of "Aikea-Guinea", even sweeter and more airy than the original.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Feathers-Oar-Blades (04:26)
Their fate
And hot
Their face
They're haters
Then they form, then hands
Then they form, then hands
Crestfallen
Weaken
Here comes the oppressors
Oppress, fallen, weaken
Feathers-oar blades
Spitting their feathers
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Crestfallen
Weaken
Here come those oppressors
Oppress, fallen, weaken
Ordered
To attention
The choice of this party
Use your hands, he talked to him
Use your hands, he talked to him
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out
Spitting out
02 Alas Dies Laughing (03:38)
Flaxen, the dress is born
Crush a crushing stone
Tie a starching walls
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Flaxen, the dress is old
Fingers, this dress is tied
Tie a starching walls
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
03 It's All but an Ark Lark (08:04)
It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Barking, bighting at monster sails
Barking, bighting at monster sails
Barking, bighting at monster sails
Barking, bighting at monster sails
It's all but an, all but an ark lark
It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Is mocking bird my lullabies?
Is mocking bird my lullabies?
Is mocking bird my lullabies?
Is mocking bird my lullabies?
It's all but an ark lark
It's all but an ark lark
It's all but an ark lark
Off in my
Off in my
Off in my
Off in my
06 Hazel (02:49)
Oh, on the phone
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
Ta- tattletale
And on the phone
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Oh, on the phone
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
Ta- tattletale
And on the phone
Julie outside
Julie outside
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Oh, on the phone
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
Ta- tattletale
And on the phone
Julie outside
It's a scuttle
I'm a cheater
Julie outside
Oh, I slammed sleighs to him
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
I slammed the sleighs down
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Oh, I slammed sleighs to him
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
I slammed the sleighs down
Julie outside
As a scuttle
Your playground
Across you
Julie outside
In vagrance
Playground
Julie outside
I won't need you
Julie outside
08 From the Flagstones (03:38)
At times I've seen you from the armyard
At times I've seen you from the flagstones
At times I've seen you from the balustrade
At times I've seen you from the flagstones
And you can't cajole
And you can't cajole
And you can't cajole
And can't cajole
At times I've seen you from the aureole
At times I've seen you from the flagstones
Like another goalstone
You may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
You may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
You may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And make a joke
At times I've seen you from the balustrade
At times I've seen you from the flagstones
At times I've seen you from the balustrade
09 Hitherto (03:52)
Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes
Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes
Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes
Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes
Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes
10 Because of Whirl-Jack (03:26)
Fly, won't you fly?
It comes overreaching
It's that whirly-gig
It's also for jack...
Whoever comes clean or a hullaballoo
For whip-stitching
Please won't you fly?
Please won't you, please won't you, please won't you fly?
13 Pepper-Tree (03:58)
Gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On pepper tree
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel she
You gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On purple scotch
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel touch
Gain his voice
On pepper tree
Heart's been swallowed whole
Who's real muse and she
You gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On purple scotch
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel touch
Gain his voice
On pepper tree
Heart's been swallowed whole
Who's real muse and she
Heart's been swallowed whole
Who's real muse and she
You gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On purple scotch
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel touch
15 Kookaburra (03:18)
To a girl who you mind
A starry sky memory
When Eros spurns Rococo
Rouge thus far
- chorus -
She's spark run away for you
Do you know what we call the moon
There is no end
Ca candle blown, she'll doubt
Faced with past losing
chorus
And you my god
Can't give show
Can't give
Til you go dancing
Forgive my love
Ca candle blown
she will not
And you my god
Can't give show
Can't give
Til you go dancing
-chorus(slightly different)-
So she'll decide
To marry can we come to be
16 Quisquose (04:10)
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
what polite
Jesus Jenny Gemini
Has all of it criss-crossed
High electron power failing
Hit by degree
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
what polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
Quise qualledo qualledo quallido quallido do do do do au
a Rococo au oahoo
hurt polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
Jesus, seasonal, his name, comical
what polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
what polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how
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Other reviews
By alaindelon
The dual voice of Elizabeth Fraser rises like a trail of light, initially fluorescent and crystalline, like a naive and mischievous child.
In each of the 4 splendid CDs of 'Lullabies To Violaine' I challenge anyone to find a song that isn’t a gem.
