Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
The Pink Opaque
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Pink Opaque | ||
 |
||
| Compilation album by Cocteau Twins | ||
| Released | 1985 | |
| Recorded | 1982-1995 | |
| Genre | Dream pop | |
| Length | 40:03 | |
| Label | 4AD/Relativity Records | |
| Producer(s) | Cocteau Twins, Ivo Watts-Russell | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cocteau Twins chronology | ||
| Tiny Dynamine (1985) |
The Pink Opaque (1985) |
Victorialand (1986) |
Contents |
The Pink Opaque is a 1985 compilation album composed of tracks originally recorded between 1982 and 1985 by the Cocteau Twins. A joint release by UK-based 4AD (the band's label) and the USA-based Relativity Records, this marked the first official domestic USA release by the Twins.
At this point in time, 4AD maintained an office in New York, but did not distribute their records in their USA. Instead, they licensed recordings to interested USA labels. This resulted in the vast majority of 4AD releases only being available in America as pricey imports. Beyond Modern English being licensed to Sire Records, and This Mortal Coil's It'll End in Tears having been released by Atco subsidiary Valentino in 1984, most 4AD releases were very rare in the USA.
Despite these limitations, the Twins' 1984 single "Pearly Dewdrops' Drops" fared quite well on American college and modern rock radio, leading Relativity to seek out an American distribution deal from 4AD. By the time the deal was made, the Twins already had a prolific output--from 1982 to 1985, they had released three LPs and five EPs on 4AD. Rather than reissuing all eight of these releases, The Pink Opaque was assembled as a sampler of the band's material up to that point.
The Pink Opaque is also significant in 4AD's history, as it was the label's first-ever CD release. As part of the agreement, Relativity pressed a single CD edition for both US and UK release. Therefore, the CD's sleeve contained both the 4AD and Relativity catalog numbers (CAD513CD and EMCD8040, respectively). Relativity also made the album available on cassette and LP in America only.
- The Spangle Maker (4:40)
- Millimillenary (3:40)
- Wax and Wane (3:51)
- Hitherto (3:51)
- Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops (4:10)
- From the Flagstones (3:40)
- Aikea-Guinea (3:56)
- Lorelei (3:42)
- Pepper-Tree (3:57)
- Musette and Drums (4:36)
While "Wax and Wane" is the only track acknowledged in the liner notes to have been remixed, there are several differences on many of the other songs in comparison to the original releases.
Overall, all the songs were re-mastered, even if very slightly, so that volume levels and such were consistent throughout the entire album.
The remix of "Wax and Wane" lowers the guitar in the mix, and brings the bass and vocals more to the forefront, in comparison to the version that appeared on Garlands. The drum machine track has been replaced with a new, more "dance-friendly" version.
"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" is faded out early in comparison to the version that was released by 4AD in 1984 on a 7" single and The Spangle Maker EP (which did not have a fade-out at all).
"Aikea-Guinea" is noticeably remixed, with the vocals brought to the forefront, giving the music a "flatter" sound in comparison to the 1985 4AD EP version.
"Millimillenary" was originally released on an extremely rare sampler given away with a UK music magazine in 1984. The version that appears here is significantly re-mixed, also with a fade-out added. This track has never been released again since, a sore point for many fans, since The Pink Opaque has long been out of print. Many fans had hoped that it would be included on 2005's Lullabies to Violaine compilation, but ultimately it was not. (As a side note, "Millimillenary" was the first song recorded after Simon Raymonde became a member of the band.)
Elizabeth Fraser sings and Robin Guthrie plays guitar on all tracks. Bass guitar is played by Will Heggie on track 3; by Guthrie on tracks 4, 6 and 10; and by Simon Raymonde on all other tracks. Like all Cocteau Twins releases, percussion is handled by a drum machine. The band is credited as producer on all tracks, except for "Wax and Wane," where Ivo Watts-Russell is credited as co-producer.