Cocteau Twins: Heaven Or Las Vegas LP

When they first emerged in the early 80s, the Cocteau Twins were compared most often to Siouxsie & The Banshees, but in truth they never sounded like anyone – or anything – else. Taken together, their nine albums, and sixteen EPs/singles, sound less like a band and more like an element of nature. Which was very 4AD. Ivo Watts-Russell has always claimed that his aim was to unearth music that was timeless, free of any trend, movement or era and even in their earliest incarnation, the Cocteau Twins were true to that remit, firmly charting their own course.

 

Heaven or Las Vegas was issued in 1990 and is the band's most commercially successful release, reaching No. 7 in the UK album charts. Numerous publications have since declared it one of the best albums of the '90s with Pitchfork calling it “a core of ungodly gorgeous songs that is every bit as moving and relevant today as it ever was.” Label founder Ivo Watts-Russell goes further, candidly revealing in the recent 4AD biography, Facing The Other Way, that this album wasn’t just his favorite Cocteau's album but also his favorite all-time 4AD album, and “by a long shot.” calling it “the perfect record.”