The Album Review Club - Week #145 - (page 1923) - Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans

Yes, I think that's a fair point - it's slick, but it does have EV's unique vocals and his lyrics are atypical of the slicker genre.


Whilst we always welcome comments from all on here, this album is going to finish high because of votes from the regulars, which hopefully makes it feel like a major victory for BH.

I was going to say that I wasn't impressed with the ludicrous number of half points and even a 9.1, but maybe we should encourage it. We saw how last week The Tubes finished with an identical scoring record to a previous album, but if some of us started handing out 8.6s and 4.9s, the chance of identical records would be reduced.
Bollox, thought I'd scored this, as know the album, but hadn't!! Will just say, Alive is am epic song, Even flow is decent, but for a 'rocker' ....the rest, and Pearl Jam generally don't do it for me. So not voting is a blessing for the worlds only true VAR fan ;)
 
Cocteau Twins....Head Over Heels.
1983 and as a regular listener to nighttime radio David Jensen and John Peel I came to love The Cocteau Twins.
I was raised a Laurieston man near Falkirk,on the roads out towards the north and east a fifteen minute stroll you come to the town of Grangemouth home of Liz Fraser and Robin Guthrie the two most significant members of the Cocteau Twins along with Will Heggie who left before Head Over Heels release.
Loved this record on it's release 40 years ago.The distinctive Cocteau Twin sound was born after Heggie left and appeared on this record.
Frasers voice with the lyrics that just baffled me along with Guthries guitar a perfect combination.
Regulars in Peels festive fifty shows they were up their in the 80's indie scene with the best.
I still listen to this album to this day.Expecting some to love and some to hate.
It will be interesting to see how others see this album.
A great time for Indie music hopefully you will enjoy.
Added below a Tim Buckley track a song to the siren by this mortal coil,Liz and Robin with their version.As good as it gets.






Great choice. I have to be in the mood to listen to the Cocteau Twins but when I am there really isn't another band like them.

Any particular reason you've chosen this album over the others?

The guy who co wrote Song To The Siren with Tim Buckley was actually a poet rather than a songwriter and I think you can tell. Once went into a pub where there was a couple who were playing, a woman singer and a guy on an acoustic, it was bog standard stuff nothing too offensive mostly background music. When she said we're going to finish with a song by Tim Buckley made famous by Liz Fraser we looked at each other and grimaced a bit in anticipation. Cue a rendition that was just the tiniest notch, maybe 2 or 3%, below Fraser and Guthrie's version. Entire pub silent and slack jawed.

It has occurred to me to nominate It'll End In Tears on this thread on the basis it's an interesting mixed bag rather than a single artist. Don't think I will (the cover police will get me ;-)) but it represents all that was good about 4AD.
 
Great choice. I have to be in the mood to listen to the Cocteau Twins but when I am there really isn't another band like them.

Any particular reason you've chosen this album over the others?

The guy who co wrote Song To The Siren with Tim Buckley was actually a poet rather than a songwriter and I think you can tell. Once went into a pub where there was a couple who were playing, a woman singer and a guy on an acoustic, it was bog standard stuff nothing too offensive mostly background music. When she said we're going to finish with a song by Tim Buckley made famous by Liz Fraser we looked at each other and grimaced a bit in anticipation. Cue a rendition that was just the tiniest notch, maybe 2 or 3%, below Fraser and Guthrie's version. Entire pub silent and slack jawed.

It has occurred to me to nominate It'll End In Tears on this thread on the basis it's an interesting mixed bag rather than a single artist. Don't think I will, but it represents all that was good about 4AD.
Still my favourite album of theirs.
Was going to pick Musette and Drums in the knockout Cup but went for Arabian Nights instead.
Weird to think how nighttime radio had an influence on me back in the 70's and 80's.
 
Still my favourite album of theirs.
Was going to pick Musette and Drums in the knockout Cup but went for Arabian Nights instead.
Weird to think how nighttime radio had an influence on me back in the 70's and 80's.

Night time radio, the accompaniment or most of the time the alternative to doing your homework. Seared in loads of people's brains I think.

Never really understood the accusation sometimes levelled at the Cocteau Twins that they were a Siouxsie rip off.

Liz Frazer has still got it, such a shame her career has been so intermittent. Doing some stuff now with her partner who I assume she met through Massive Attack, on the subject of which Teardrop is just a brilliant song.
 
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Have never listened knowingly to the Cocteau Twins but this should by rights be right up my street
Same here, and I'm thinking I might have never heard them, will advise in my review. Spotify radio indicates I'm perhaps going to like this a lot.

Fantastic that after getting an early 90's staple of knowing every song, I'm going to get to sample an album and band I've never knowingly heard thanks to bennyboy!

Much appreciated, and I'll try not to rate it an 8.3, though as noted, that was a nostalgic nod (cheers Coatigan for pointing that out).

It should be clear by now that as a newbie here, I have no idea what I'm doing.
 
“Iceblink Luck” was my most played Spotify song a few years back, but I’ve only really heard their hits other than Heaven or Las Vegas. That’s precisely why I enjoy this thread — this brings a band I’ve been wanting to listen more to right to my front door.

Be interesting to hear what you make of this relative to Heaven or Las Vegas, I think it's simultaneously identifiably similar but actually quite different. If that makes sense!
 

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