THE BEST VOCALS THEY EVER DELIVERED...
I've a fair number of singles/EPs/LPs by Cocteau Twins and Everything But The Girl in the collection. Yes, I've bought much of the stuff for the music, but I've also been attracted to both bands by the talents of their vocalists, Elizabeth Fraser and Tracey Thorn.However.....I reckon my favourite songs that they have ever sung on are by Massive Attack.
mp3 : Massive Attack - Protection
mp3 : Massive Attack - Teardrop
Protection can be found on the LP of the same name, and was also released as a single in January 1995, climbing to #14 in the charts. It's a song that I find moving and uplifting in equal measures, and it was a touch of genius to ask Tracey to take the vocal as her voice is that great mix of strength and fragility that holds together a truly amazing piece of music.
Teardrop is on the LP Mezzanine, and it was released as a single in April 1998, reaching #10, and in the process becoming the biggest hit for Massive Attack, and indeed for any record that featured Elizabeth. A stunning five and a bit minutes of beauty.....it slides along perfectly, and just as you think the vocal has finished and you're into the fade out with the music she comes back at you with a final cry of 'it's tumbling down.....' and then the gorgeous instrumentation begins again.
Oh and of course both songs came with videos that were truly groundbreaking....
6 comments:
Spot on on both counts JC!! Personally I can't wait for Tracey's next release...as she recently Twittered...yeah my latest iPhone addiction...Ewan Pearson is hard at work mixing the tracks down... I have always had a love/hate relationship with Cocteau Twins and Ms Fraser. She is a most evocative vocalist and CT are a beautiful marriage of things twisted and askew musically, but they NEVER translated live for me and I gave them some have dozen tries. The first time I saw them was at NYC's Danceteria where they finally took the stage at 02:30am and played for 40 minutes with naked lightbulbs in front of their faces...
Both are great tracks but Liz Fraser's voice generally gives me the creeps. Ickle girly psycho. My sister used to torment me with repeated plays of "Pearly Drew Drops Drops". shudder.
Great post, JC!
Love both these bands -even some of Everything But the Girl's late eighties stuff, like 'Apron Strings' and 'The Night I Heard Caruso Sing.' Both also did a bit of backing, Liz Fraser lending her vocals to Ian McCulloch's 'Candleland' and Felt's 'Primitive Painters' while Tracey Thorn's vocals crop up on the Go-Betweens' 'Head Full Of Steam.' Same year as 'Teardrop' Liz was the featured vocalist on Craig Armstrong's single 'This Love' which seems to have slipped off the radar a bit. Shame...
Great tracks from a truly innovative bunch.
The mixes on both twelves were a different class especially The Mad Professor's Radiation For The Nation mix of Protection.
It will be interesting to see in what direction they take the new album when it is eventually released.
I think the music is such a pitch perfect frame for the ghostly vocals (certainly on Teardrop), it adds an extra texture..great selection..
I think Liz did much better stuff with The Cocteau's to be honest
I did a bit about it on my blog
http://puttheneedleontherecord1-v.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html
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