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| BBC Sessions,
Cocteau Twins |
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| Music,
Richard Young,
20 January 1999 |
Rating: F4
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Being a long time Cocteau Twins devotee, I can't really fault the contents of this double CD collection of early radio sessions and live tracks. This is familiar territory, covering the early electro gothic exploits of their first E.P; "Lullabies", through the Eighties and the heavier "Hitherto" up to tracks taken from 1996's "Milk and Kisses". John Peel championed Cocteau Twins' early efforts, and much of this collection is taken from his famous sessions, which includes the rare "Strange Fruit" - with Elisabeth Fraser as a lamenting angel on the eve of the apocalypse, while Robin Guthrie's guitar provides an uncharacteristically thunderous backdrop.
Highlights of disc 2 include a session version of "Pepper Tree"; lazy and decadent, all red curtains and mirror balls, it boasts probably the sleaziest guitar sound ever recorded. The packaging, however, is a disappointment. The BB bloody C, in their typical eagerness to label everything on God's earth with their awful logo, have forgotten to write any kind of discography, information about the band, or even their names. Instead we get the names of the BBC producers and engineers involved.
Any respect for the music is eclipsed by self congratulation, and the sub 'A'- level artwork is obviously an afterthought and an insult to the genuinely original designs of 4AD and 23 envelope. My Advice? Buy this, throw away the inserts, and enjoy some of the most beautiful and inventive music of the last 17 years.
Bella Union
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