History Music / CocteauTwins

The band also began gaining attention over the Atlantic, after signing a contract with Creator/CapitolRecords in 1988 for US distribution. By this point, the relationship between the band, and 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell had soured, and he dropped them from the label, after the release of the more accesible ''Heaven or Las Vegas,'' their most commercially successful album. Tensions also appeared in the band, due to Guthrie's drug and alcohol abuse, and the end of Fraser and Guthrie's romantic relationship.

The Cocteau Twins was a Scottish AlternativeRock band, known for being the TropeMakers and {{Trope Codifier}}s (along with Music/ThisMortalCoil and possibly Music/DeadCanDance) of the DreamPop genre.

The band was formed in 1979 by Guthrie, bassist Will Heggie, and Fraser. They took their name from the song "The Cocteau Twins" by Johnny and the Self-Abusers (who you might know under their new name, Music/SimpleMinds), and quickly obtained a record deal with Creator/FourADRecords. Their first album, ''Garlands,'' was a largely PostPunk album heavily indebted to their acknowledged influences: Music/JoyDivision, Music/TheBirthdayParty, and Music/KateBush. It was an instant success.

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: As an instance of the Cocteau Twins' greater emphasis on the sounding of the lyrics, than on their literal meaning, in ''Treasure'' there are several songs in which, most of the words begin with a certain letter. In "Ivo" this letter is ''P,'' in "Pandora" it's ''F,'' and in "Aloysius" it's ''S.''

* TitledAfterTheSong: Their name came from the rare Music/SimpleMinds song "The Cocteau Twins," about two gay guys who were really into Jean Cocteau.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''Treasure'' brought some jazz and world beat influences in, making their sound even airier and a lot less Goth-y. ''Blue Bell Knoll'' boasted the fuller sound, and much more polished production, that characterized their last four albums.

* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Yet another way of looking at Fraser's lyrics. According to Guthrie, when they went on tour in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, they learned that audiences there, had always thought she was singing in their language.
** By her own admission, the more abstract songs sometimes used random combinations of foreign words

* OneWomanWail
* SpeakingSimlish

* SubduedSection

* {{Word Salad Title}}s

* WordSaladLyrics

The band also began gaining attention over the Atlantic, after signing a contract with Capitol Records in 1988 for US distribution. By this point, the relationship between the band, and 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell had soured, and he dropped them from the label, after the release of the more accesible ''Heaven or Las Vegas,'' their most commercially successful album. Tensions also appeared in the band, due to Guthrie's drug and alcohol abuse, and the end of Fraser and Guthrie's romantic relationship.

For their next move, the band signed with Fontana Records for global distribution while remaining with Capitol in the USA. Their first album for the label, ''Four-Calendar Café,'' was recorded amidst continued turmoil, with Guthrie entering rehabilitation for substance abuse, and Fraser suffering a nervous breakdown. [[NewSoundAlbum It departed even further from their trademark complex dream pop,]] moving instead towards clear, conventional AlternativeRock. It drew a predictably mixed reaction. Their next album, ''Milk and Kisses'', returned to heavily layered guitars, and incomprehensible lyrics.

* Sweet Dreams Fuel: "Heaven Or Las Vegas", can also be applied to everything they've done with the exception of Garlands.

For their next move, the band signed with Fontana Records for global distribution while remaining with Capitol in the USA. Their first album for the label, ''Four-Calendar Café,'' was recorded amidst continued turmoil, with Guthrie entering rehabilitation for substance abuse, and Fraser suffering a nervous breakdown. [[NewSoundAlbum It departed even further from their trademark complex dream pop,]] moving instead towards clear, conventional AlternativeRock. It drew a predictably mixed reaction. Their next album, ''Milk and Kisses,'' returned to heavily layered guitars, and incomprehensible lyrics.

The band broke up in 1997 while recording a new album, due to irreconcilable differences. All three members have gone on their own ways, with Raymonde and Guthrie focusing on producing for other artists, and recording solo albums. Fraser has had the most public exposure since, due to her vocal contributions to Music/MassiveAttack's song "Teardrop," and "Lament for Gandalf" off Music/HowardShore's soundtrack for ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings,'' but has otherwise stayed in a sort of semi retirement, only rarely releasing new material.

The band were supposed to reunite for the 2005 Coachella Festival, but Fraser pulled out for "personal reasons."

* ThePeteBest: Will Heggie.

The '''Cocteau Twins''' was a Scottish AlternativeRock band, known for being the TropeMakers and {{Trope Codifier}}s (along with Music/ThisMortalCoil and possibly Music/DeadCanDance) of the DreamPop genre.

* CreatorBreakdown: Fraser's massive psychiatric crisis in 1993, and concurrent romantic breakup with Guthrie, was the beginning of the end.
* CreatorCouple: Fraser and Guthrie.
* CompletelyDifferentTitle: When ''Treasure'' was first released in Japan, the album was renamed ''神々が愛した女たち'' (Woman Whom Gods Have Loved). A later reissue demoted it to TheForeignSubtitle.

[[caption-width-right:400: Left to right: Elizabeth Fraser, Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie.]]

[[caption-width-right:400: Left to right: Elizabeth Fraser, Simon Raymond and Robin Guthrie.]]

[[caption-width-right:400: That's Fraser, Raymonde, and Guthrie from left to right.]]

The band broke up in 1997 while recording a new album, due to irreconcilable differences. All three members have gone on their own ways, with Raymonde and Guthrie focusing on producing for other artists, and recording solo albums. Fraser has had the most public exposure since, due to her vocal contributions to Music/MassiveAttack's song "Teardrop," and "Lament for Gandalf" off Music/HowardShore's soundtrack for ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings,'' but has otherwise stayed in a sort of semi retirement, only rarely releasing new material.

[[caption-width-right:400:That's Fraser, Raymonde, and Guthrie from left to right.]]

The '''Cocteau Twins''' was a Scottish AlternativeRock band known for being the TropeMakers and {{Trope Codifier}}s (along with Music/ThisMortalCoil and possibly Music/DeadCanDance) of the DreamPop genre.

The band was formed in 1979 by Guthrie, bassist Will Heggie, and Fraser. They took their name from the song "The Cocteau Twins" by Johnny and the Self-Abusers (who you might know under their new name, Music/SimpleMinds) and quickly obtained a record deal with 4AD Records. Their first album, ''Garlands,'' was a largely PostPunk album heavily indebted to their acknowledged influences: Music/JoyDivision, Music/TheBirthdayParty, and Music/KateBush. It was an instant success.

Heggie left the band in 1983 after a tour supporting their second EP, ''Peppermint Pig.'' Undaunted, Guthrie and Fraser recorded a new album, ''Head Over Heels,'' entirely on their own with producer John Fryer. It was with this album that the band arrived at its SignatureStyle: Guthrie's [[EchoingAcoustics heavily echoed and processed]] guitars combined with Fraser's powerful singing and IndecipherableLyrics, creating an overall atmospheric sound.

Guthrie and Fraser next contributed to 4AD's collective {{Supergroup}} Music/ThisMortalCoil, being the sole players on the highly acclaimed [[CoveredUp cover]] of "Song to the Siren" by Music/TimBuckley. It was during these sessions that they met Simon Raymonde, who joined the group shortly thereafter as bassist and remained with them until the end of their career.

With the classic Fraser / Guthrie / Raymonde lineup now in place, The Cocteaus put out a long series of critically acclaimed albums and [=EPs=] that continued to refine their DreamPop style. The one anomaly in this series is the album ''Victorialand,'' which Raymonde did not contribute to as he was busy working on the new This Mortal Coil album. As a consequence, ''Victorialand'' is a largely acoustic ambient dream pop album, featuring only vocals, reverbed guitars, and occasional saxophone (courtesy of Dif Juz member Richard Thomas).

The band also began gaining attention over the Atlantic after signing a contract with Capitol Records in 1988 for US distribution. By this point, the relationship between the band and 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell had soured, and he dropped them from the label after the release of the more accesible ''Heaven or Las Vegas'', their most commercially successful album. Tensions also appeared in the band due to Guthrie's drug and alcohol abuse, and the end of Fraser and Guthrie's romantic relationship.

For their next move, the band signed with Fontana Records for global distribution while remaining with Capitol in the USA. Their first album for the label, ''Four-Calendar Café,'' was recorded amidst continued turmoil, with Guthrie entering rehabilitation for substance abuse and Fraser suffering a nervous breakdown. [[NewSoundAlbum It departed even further from their trademark complex dream pop]], moving instead towards clear, conventional AlternativeRock. It drew a predictably mixed reaction. Their next album, ''Milk and Kisses,'' returned to heavily layered guitars, and incomprehensible lyrics.

The band broke up in 1997 while recording a new album, due to irreconcilable differences. All three members have gone on their own ways, with Raymonde and Guthrie focusing on producing for other artists and recording solo albums. Fraser has had the most public exposure since due to her vocal contributions to MassiveAttack's song "Teardrop" and "Lament for Gandalf" off Music/HowardShore's soundtrack for ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings,'' but has otherwise stayed in a sort of semi retirement, only rarely releasing new material.

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: As an instance of the Cocteau Twins' greater emphasis on the sounding of the lyrics than on their literal meaning, in ''Treasure'' there are several songs in which most of the words begin with a certain letter. In "Ivo" this letter is ''P,'' in "Pandora" it's ''F,'' and in "Aloysius" it's ''S.''
* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Yet another way of looking at Fraser's lyrics. According to Guthrie, when they went on tour in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} they learned that audiences there had always thought she was singing in their language.
* CreatorBreakdown: Fraser's massive psychiatric crisis in 1993 and concurrent romantic breakup with Guthrie was the beginning of the end.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''Treasure'' brought some jazz and world beat influences in, making their sound even airier and a lot less Goth-y. ''Blue Bell Knoll'' boasted the fuller sound and much more polished production that characterized their last four albums.

* {{Scatting}}

** And ''Peppermint Pig,'' their second EP, sounds more pop influenced, almost like they were [[Music/ThePolice Police]] wannabes.

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: As an instance of the Cocteau Twins' greater emphasis on the sounding of the lyrics than on their literal meaning, in ''Treasure'' there are several songs in which most of the words begin with a certain letter. In "Ivo" this letter is 'P,' in "Pandora" it's 'F,' and in "Aloysius" it's 'S.'

The band broke up in 1997 while recording a new album, due to irreconcilable differences. All three members have gone on their own ways, with Raymonde and Guthrie focusing on producing for other artists and recording solo albums. Fraser has had the most public exposure since due to her vocal contributions to MassiveAttack's song "Teardrop" and "Lament for Gandalf" off HowardShore's soundtrack for ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings,'' but has otherwise stayed in a sort of semi retirement, only rarely releasing new material.

* CreatorCouple - Fraser and Guthrie.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness - ''Garlands'' is PostPunk, as opposed to the band's reputation as DreamPop heroes.
** And ''Peppermint Pig'', their second EP, sounds more pop-influenced, almost like they were [[Music/ThePolice Police]] wannabes.

* EpicRocking - Shows up occasionally, such as with "It's All but an Ark Lark", "Donimo" and "Lazy Calm".
* IndecipherableLyrics - Leading to {{Mondegreen}}s.

Discography:

* ''Head over Heels'' (1983)

!Tropes

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: As an instance of the Cocteau Twins' greater emphasis on the sounding of the lyrics than on their literal meaning, in ''Treasure'' there are several songs in which most of the words begin with a certain letter. In "Ivo" this letter is P, in "Pandora" it's F and in "Aloysius" it's S.
* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Yet another way of looking at Fraser's lyrics. According to Guthrie, when they went on tour in Japan they learned that audiences there had always thought she was singing in their language.
* CreatorBreakdown - Fraser's massive psychiatric crisis in 1993 and concurrent romantic breakup with Guthrie was the beginning of the end.

The band were supposed to reunite for the 2005 Coachella Festival, but Fraser pulled out for "personal reasons".

The band broke up in 1997 while recording a new album, due to irreconcilable differences. All three members have gone on their own ways, with Raymonde and Guthrie focusing on producing for other artists and recording solo albums. Fraser has had the most public exposure since due to her vocal contributions to MassiveAttack's song "Teardrop" and "Lament for Gandalf" off HowardShore's soundtrack for ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'', but has otherwise stayed in a sort of semi-retirement, only rarely releasing new material.