One week at number one on w/e 13th April 1985
I sense I'm going to have problems continually finding new ways of talking about the Cocteau Twins; their progression was almost abnormally linear. Most groups have fumbles or falls, suffer dramas, try new styles on for size, accidentally upset everyone with a vile comment, or even strive to impress their record company and bank managers with an attempt at an obvious crossover hit. The Cocteau Twins did none of those things - they just remained confidently in their own lane, steadily getting more effective at just being themselves.
“Aikea-Guinea” is another example of how enviously skilled they were at crafting soundscapes which, while bereft of intelligible lyrical meaning, evoke unexpected memories and emotions. I didn’t actually know that the track was apparently named after the colloquialism for a seashell in Scotland, which makes my refreshed response to it interesting – about a minute in, I was suddenly visualising myself, aged four, ambling clumsily along Bournemouth beach, slightly overwhelmed by the vast emptiness of it all but comforted by the melody.
The track feels surrounded by aerosol mist and spray, swirling and skying around Liz Fraser’s breathy and ecstatic delivery, with only Simon Raymonde’s basic, plodding bassline acting as a worldly anchor. The overall effect is like being guided by a motherly hand, Fraser insisting that while it might seem foreboding, this new landscape is both beautiful and safe – the melodic reassurance is offered immediately after each ambitious run of vocal skydiving. In terms of production and arrangement, it’s stunning; there may be have been other similarly adventurous and purposeful pieces of indie studio work out there in 1985, but if there were, I’ve come across no evidence of them so far.
The rest of the EP is fresh to me, but doesn’t really hit the same highs, either vocally or in terms of effectiveness. “Kookaburra” is much more leaden and repetitive, while “Quisquose” interchanges disquieting wailing with thudding piano lines and a chorus which sounds the closest to Kate Bush the group ever got.
Final track “Rococo” sounds the most futuristic of the bunch, pushing sounds out of guitar effects pedals that sound incredibly prescient; this is shoegazing in all but name. For all that, though, its unwavering commitment to a very simple melodic idea means its appeal wanes slightly for me before its natural end.
Still, the lead track was (and is) stunning, and the end result was a record which only just missed out on a Top 40 place by one chart position. The group were rapidly beginning to become news outside the confines of their fanbase, ready in the eyes of many to step up and become the first big example of Something Else. How they dealt with that is going to be an interesting ongoing story, stuffed to the gills with “what ifs”.
New Entries Elsewhere In The Chart
11. James - Jimone EP (Factory)
Peak position: 11
Not a new one from the latest Manc press sensations at all, but an earlier largely ignored 1983 single from the group, repressed and given a second wind as a buzz emerged around them.
Lead track “Folklore” is close to sounding absolutely bloody nothing like the band we know, while also having giveaway nudges and hints. While the arrangement is as earthy, waltzy and as trad folk as it gets, Tim Booth’s detailed, chewy vocal lines are already in place, as are his lyrical stylings which cross between earnest, melancholic and wry. It's more of an historical curiosity than a high water mark in their discography, though; the band later confessed that they deliberately recorded some of their weakest songs first, worried that they might wreck their best efforts with nerves and inexperience in the recording studio.
23. The Room - Jackpot Jack (Red Flame)
Peak position: 23
This turned out to be the group’s final single. While John Peel took them under his fatherly wing and had broadcast their work frequently and enthusiastically since 1980, the fact remained that the hard edges around their output didn’t make sense to many casual listeners, least of all by the middle of the decade.
All that said, the long, dank and creepy “Jackpot Jack” feels surprisingly in keeping with the period despite its admirable lack of commitment to any particular fashion or style. Elements of it even predate and predict elements of the Blue Aeroplanes or Kitchens of Distinction at their most stripped bare, proving that perhaps The Room were inspiration for all contrary arty buggers everywhere.
26. The Long Ryders - I Had a Dream (Zippo)
Peak position: 23
The Long Ryders had their feet both in country rock and old school psychedelia, a combination which should have made them deeply seductive to American critics and college rock audiences, but against the usual run of things appeared more appealing to the British instead. When the group finally arrived here in 1985, they were somewhat flummoxed by the music press and record label A&R attention, eventually signing to Island Records for the UK market.
While that predictably didn’t result in huge success, they remained one of the most visible country rock acts here until their demise. “I Had A Dream” is where the over-excitement began. By adding an agitated edge to well-worn sounds, they piqued the interest of rock journalists who knew and loved their dusty history, and wanted something which respected its elders while also having a youthful, fresh and vital feel. So it was, and so it shall ever be.
Number One In The Official Charts
Philip Bailey with Phil Collins: "Easy Lover" (CBS)
It's only just dawned on me after decades that ye olde charts contained two acts called "Twins" who had three members apiece and none of them were related. You won't find The Thompson Twins lurking in this blog, mind you!
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