Cocteau Twins stepped off of the production line in 1987 and their only release of the year was one previously unissued track which was included on a 4AD label compilation LP, ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’, released in June 1987. The track in question was ‘Crushed’. The band were far from idle however, just that their efforts were in other directions, not least in the direction of creating their first permanent recording base from which to work, based in Acton, where they enlisted the aid of members of 4AD label-mates Colourbox and Dif Juz in the fit-out and construction of the space.
Deluxe Edition LP: ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ (4AD CAD D 703)
‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ was very much a project of the label founder, Ivo – and consequently, it was lavished with some degree of effort in its presentation and formatting. The ultimate edition is a wooden box-cased version which gathers together all formats of the release (4AD, CADX 703), but that is up there in the stratospheric level of 4AD collectables due to the extremely limited numbers it was produced in (apparently 100, most of which were allocated to members of the acts involved. More on that below…
Next on the list however is this Deluxe Edition of the LP format…
According to what looks to be an informed source via a comment of the discogs.com entry for this release, this Deluxe Edition appears to have been pressed up in an edition of 10,000 copies. Lavish it certainly is compared to the standard vinyl LP (4AD, CAD 703), since it comes packaged in an outer slipcase which houses a three-way fold-out insert/sleeve as well as an inner sleeve for the record plus a large size (12”x12”) 24 page booklet.
Naturally, this series of VersionCrazy articles focusses primarily on Cocteau Twins, but a lot of the fellow acts on this compilation are more than familiar 4AD label mates and there is much else of appeal beyond the solitary ’Crushed’. Dif Juz, who have a direct connection to the band by way of Robin Guthrie’s production work (and of course touring with the band as support act too), turn in a mighty fine, somewhat muscular workout in the shape of ‘No Motion’, which comes highly recommended.
The lavish booklet contains a double-page spread devoted to the band, which as well as some text also contains a few stills from the video for the song (as well as some lush background imagery already familiar from the ‘Head Over Heels’ period sleeve designs. The text comprises the following…
“Why waste your time?” demanded the cab driver when he found out I was on my way to talk to the Cocteau Twins.
His voice came muffled but certain through the perspex screen.
“You know you’ve run out of terms of description. And once that’s happened, all you can do is start talking about the subjective experiences their music can enhance. Then, no matter how heady you get, you’ll miss the essence of the whole thing.”
“Fact is,” he said, steering briskly towards West London, “a good Cocteau Twins record is as good as a good Shangri-Las record. But if you’d asked Shadow Morton, even he’d have found it impossible to evaluate. It’s just an uncanny but natural complicity with the heart of the pop beast, an untouchable way of expressing it. Listening to the Shangri- Las is walking in the sand, not just a bloody soundtrack. And no matter how abstracted a Cocteau Twins record can become, it leaves the same space for you to implant your own thoughts. That’s just the way it works.
“Just like the way it spirals upwards, ” I pointed out lamely. “And I think it’s time they had another hot single.”
“The only incandescent pearls of light within a mile radius of the Cocteau Twins,” he continued, ignoring me, “are in their music. Not your gob, mine, or anyone else’s…
With that, I told him to turn back for home. He was getting too belligerent, it was a fruitless journey and besides, I’d always hated people who got the last word in…
Quite! The texts for the album were written by Arthur Parker.
Musically, there is nothing extra to be found on the deluxe edition, it’s all a matter of the packaging. Worth noting the credits on one of the booklet pages too;
All tracks written or recorded specifically for this “Lonely Is An Eyesore” compilation and its accompanying video, except Dead Can Dance’s “Frontier”, which is the original 4 track recording. Sleeves and booklet designed by 23 Envelope. Stills are from the “Lonely Is An Eyesore” video, directed by Nigel Grierson of 23 Envelope, except Throwing Muses’ “Fish”, which was directed by Danger Video. Commentaries by Arthur Parker. Typeset at Zeta, London. Printed at Gothic Print, Biggin Hill, Kent. Origination at Botany Lithographic, Tonbridge, Kent.
I’m not 100% certain when the Cocteau Twins track ‘Crushed’ was recorded – in some accounts I have read it as being their only recording of 1987 (e.g. the ‘Facing The Other Way – The Story of 4AD’ book by Martin Aston, in others (e.g. the official Cocteau Twins website) that it was from the same sessions/period as the ‘Love’s Easy Tears’ tracks. In a feature about the album from Melody Maker magazine (issue dated 4 July 1987) the comment that their contribution “is a bit old” is made by Elizabeth, which perhaps leans closer to it hailing from 1986 after all.
CD version (4AD CAD 703 CD)
The CD version comes in a standard jewel case complete with a booklet that is so thick that it barely fits into the case. It’s pretty much a miniature of the booklet that comes with the Deluxe Edition LP. Musically, no difference from the LP version. This original CD release does not contain a bar code, later represses do.
Cassette version (4AD CAD C 703 CD)
A modest affair by comparison to the other formats, especially given the fact that the ’80s were very much the cassette format’s heyday, what with all kinds of potential for extras to give the format perceived better value, such as bonus tracks or multi-fold-out inlays or box packaging.
Thanks as ever to Lieutenant030 for providing these pics.
Video cassette version (4AD VAD 703)
Now then, the video edition is the one format that DOES differ in some way from the other editions by way of its musical content, including an additional previously unreleased version of a Cocteau Twins track. The variations are the version of ‘Fish’ by Throwing Muses is a different take altogether and over the end titles of the video there is an instrumental version of the ‘Victorialand’ track ‘Oomingmak’ by Cocteau twins.
Boxed Set Edition (4AD CAD 703 X)
As mentioned above, this was an ultra limited edition release and I’ve certainly never seen any sign of it before, but this detailed comment from the discogs.com profile maxal, posted 17 September 2022, goes into some detail of its contents:
CAD703X is a deluxe wooden box, a limited edition of 100, containing all the different editions of Lonely Is An Eyesore (vinyl, cassette and CD)and some additional prints.
About the box: 30 were released for sale (£200 each directly from 4AD), 70 were given away to the bands, distributors of 4AD material and others. The prints were rather expensive, bringing the cost of production of the box up to £500. There are two prints, one 15×20 cm (etching) by Jinny McGarrity, where small details differ from box to box. The other is larger, 100x200cm (by Terry Dowling), printed on rice paper. The prints were wrapped in a sealed plastic-like paper.
Other
If you are unfamiliar with ‘Crushed’, check out the video on YouTube.
Robin Guthrie did also contribute to the recording of Harold Budd’s ‘The White Arcades’ album during 1987 (though the album was not issued until 1988) by way of engineering on the tracks recorded at the first Cocteau Twins Studio (as did. Lincoln Fong, yet to emerge in the Cocteau Twins story – soon.)
So, there we have it – 1987 in the Cocteau Twins history – one song spread across many formats! As it turns out, the two Cocteau Twins tracks discussed here would later re-appear on the additional disc packaged with the 1991 singles compilation box set. More to come on that, naturally.
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