Milk & Kisses

Last updated

Milk & Kisses
MilkAndKisses.jpg
Studio album by
Cocteau Twins
Released15 April 1996 (UK)
14 May 1996 (US)
StudioPors Poulhan, Bretagne and September Sound, London
Genre Dream pop
Length42:40
Label Fontana
Producer Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins chronology
Otherness
(1995)		Milk & Kisses
(1996)		 BBC Sessions
(1999)

Milk & Kisses is the eighth and final studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, issued on 15 April 1996 in the UK by Fontana Records and on 14 May 1996 in the US by Capitol Records. [1] [2] It proved to be their last; a meeting two years later to record a new album ended with the breakup of the band. [3] [4]

Contents

Background

Commenting on the inspiration for the title Milk & Kisses for the album, lead singer Elizabeth Fraser said "a friend was kind of comforting me on the phone and they were just being so sweet, really. They had empathy for what I was going through, and they said, ‘I wish I could get the poison out of you. I wish I could just take it out of you and replace it with milk and kisses.’ And I just thought that was really brilliant! It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I kept hearing it and feeling so good about it, it seemed right to use it". [5] On the process of the recording of the album, Robin Guthrie claimed "making this record was a very joyous experience. It only took two months to record, which for us is amazing. Simon used to come into the studio in the daytime to do his thing, then I would come in at night to do mine, and then Liz would come in when neither one of us was around. We were never in the studio at the same time. This time, we really were together much of the time". [6] Raymonde later recalled of Milk & Kisses "the brilliant thing about this album is that it all happened so fast. Robin and I would write a song and then not have to wait around forever the muse to visit Liz". [7]

The song "Rilkean Heart" was an homage to Jeff Buckley, who was a lifelong lover of the work of poet Rainer Maria Rilke. [8]

The Japanese edition of Milk & Kisses contained two bonus tracks ("Flock Of Soul" and "Primitive Heart"). [9] The Hong Kong edition contained a duet version of "Serpentskirt" sung by Elizabeth Fraser with C-pop artist Faye Wong. Wong later recorded an acoustic version of "Rilkean Heart" for her 1997 album Faye Wong , on which Guthrie and Raymonde also wrote a new song, "Yu Le Chang" ("Amusement Park"), for her. In 2013, Sarah Brightman covered their song "Eperdu" on her album Dreamchaser .

Recording

The recording process for Milk and Kisses was a lot smoother and more productive than the previous recording sessions for the band's last album, Four Calendar Cafe (1993), which was recorded and released following the end of Fraser's and Guthrie's 13 year relationship. During the recording sessions for the previous album, the band tried to avoid each other, frequently spending time in the studio on separate occasions, fearing that the band would be unable to work together to complete Milk and Kisses. By 1995, the band seemed to be in a position where they were willing to work and spend time together again, and began the recording process for the album. "We worked quite closely together on this record, which we hadn’t done so much on the previous one" stated Raymonde, further claiming that "Robin and Liz had broken up and it was a complex time. But I actually think the band was in a really good place during Milk & Kisses. Some time had passed and they were both in relationships with different people. All of the rawness was gone from their relationship. Ironically, Liz left a year or so after we finished it." [10]

An alternate Chinese version of the song “Serpentskirt” on the album was recorded by Faye Wong (Wangfei), and featuring lead singer of Cocteau Twins, Elizabeth Fraser, featuring on backing vocals. Wong also recorded a version of “Rilkean Heart", also from Milk & Kisses. [11]

Release and performance

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Magic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Martin C. Strong 7/10 [15]
Muzik Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Pitchfork 5.0/10 (1996) [17]
7.4/10 (2018) [18]

The album was released by Fontana Records, their second release under the label following the release of their 1993 studio album Four Calendar Cafe. The album was released during a time of pressure and fragmented relations between the band and their label, with bassist Simon Raymonde claiming that the band should "never have signed the deal", claiming that the record label worked in a very different manner than that of the band, and that the Cocteau Twins were unable to replicate previous sales and success, which appeared to be a disappointment to the record label. [19]

Speaking during the 25th anniversary of the albums release in 2021, bassist Simon Raymonde stated "I don’t think the recordings [on Milk and Kisses] are anywhere near the best we did by any stretch of the imagination. I think the songwriting was good, but I always felt the record sounded muffled. The remastering has actually helped that, which is something I almost never say. I do have a lot of great memories of it, because as you know it turned out to be our last record.”

Critically, Milk & Kisses received generally positive reviews, with AllMusic claiming "Milk & Kisses finds the band in a comfortable rut; they've created, and now perfected, a style of music so distinctive that there seems to be little recent creative growth. The result is a beautiful, lush, but somewhat dated and unengaging sounding album that tends to wash over the listener without making any real impact. It is, however, everything that a Cocteau Twins album promises; hypnotic, dreamy, awash in ethereal voices, and delicate, liquid guitars". [20]

Track listing

All songs written by Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde.

  1. "Violaine" – 3:45
  2. "Serpentskirt" – 3:57
  3. "Tishbite" – 3:50
  4. "Half-Gifts" – 4:18
  5. "Calfskin Smack" – 4:58
  6. "Rilkean Heart" – 4:02
  7. "Ups" – 3:34
  8. "Eperdu" – 4:38
  9. "Treasure Hiding" – 4:55
  10. "Seekers Who Are Lovers" – 4:45

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart performance for Milk & Kisses
Chart (1996)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts) [21] 64
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [22] 48
Canadian Albums ( RPM ) [23] 53
UK Albums (OCC) [24] 17
Scottish Albums (OCC) [25] 24
US Billboard 200 [26] 99

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocteau Twins</span> Scottish rock band

Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde in 1983. The group earned critical praise for their ethereal, effects-laden sound and the soprano vocals of Fraser, whose lyrics often eschew any recognisable language. They pioneered the 1980s alternative subgenre of dream pop and helped define what would become shoegaze.

<i>Heaven or Las Vegas</i> 1990 studio album by Cocteau Twins

Heaven or Las Vegas is the sixth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 17 September 1990 by 4AD. Despite 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell proclaiming it one of the best-ever releases on his label, he released the group from their contract at the end of 1990 because his relationship with the band had soured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Fraser</span> Scottish singer and member of the Cocteau Twins (born 1963)

Elizabeth Davidson Fraser is a Scottish singer. She was the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins who achieved international success primarily during the fifteen years from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. Their studio albums Victorialand (1986) and Heaven or Las Vegas (1990) both reached the top ten of the UK Album Charts, as well as other albums including Blue Bell Knoll (1988), Four-Calendar Café (1993) and Milk & Kisses (1996) charting on the Billboard 200 album charts in the United States as well as the top 20 in the UK. She also performed as part of the 4AD group This Mortal Coil, including the successful 1983 single "Song to the Siren", and as a guest with Massive Attack on their 1998 single "Teardrop".

<i>Garlands</i> (album) 1982 album by the Cocteau Twins

Garlands is the debut album by the Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was released on 10 July 1982 by the record label 4AD. It peaked in the top 5 of the UK Independent Albums Chart, and received support from BBC Radio 1 radio host John Peel.

<i>Treasure</i> (Cocteau Twins album) 1984 album by the Cocteau Twins

Treasure is the third studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 12 November 1984 by 4AD. With this album, the band settled on what would, from then on, be their primary lineup: vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, guitarist Robin Guthrie and bass guitarist Simon Raymonde. The album also reflected the group's embrace of the distinctive ethereal sound they became associated with.

<i>Four-Calendar Café</i> 1993 studio album by Cocteau Twins

Four-Calendar Café is the seventh studio album by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released on 18 October 1993 by Fontana Records. It marks their first release since leaving their former record label, 4AD, and the first album since their 1990 critically acclaimed sixth album Heaven or Las Vegas. Two singles were released to promote the album, "Evangeline" and "Bluebeard". A performance to promote "Bluebeard" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno marked their debut performance on American television.

<i>Victorialand</i> 1986 album by the Cocteau Twins

Victorialand is the fourth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released by 4AD in 1986. Working without bassist Simon Raymonde, vocalist Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist/producer Robin Guthrie opted for a subtler sound on the album.

<i>Peppermint Pig</i> 1983 song, single and EP by the Cocteau Twins

"Peppermint Pig" is a song by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was released as both a single and 12" EP on 4 April 1983 by record label 4AD. Musically, the material was similar to their previous release, the 1982 EP Lullabies. It was the last release to feature original bassist Will Heggie.

<i>Aikea-Guinea</i> 1985 EP by Cocteau Twins

Aikea-Guinea is a March 1985 7" single and 12" EP by Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD. The 7" featured two non-album tracks, while the EP added two more.

<i>Tiny Dynamine</i> 1985 EP by Cocteau Twins

Tiny Dynamine is an EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD Records. The EP featured four non-album tracks. It was issued on 15 November 1985, two weeks prior to another EP, Echoes in a Shallow Bay. The two EP sets, which featured complementary artwork, were also released as a combined double EP in a gatefold cover and as an eight-track CD. The EP was later included in its entirety on the 1991 compilation The Box Set and the 2005 singles/EP collection Lullabies to Violaine.

<i>Blue Bell Knoll</i> 1988 studio album by Cocteau Twins

Blue Bell Knoll is the fifth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 19 September 1988 by 4AD. This was the band's first album to receive major-label distribution in the United States, as it was originally licensed by Capitol Records from 4AD for North American release. After a period of being out of print while 4AD reclaimed the American distribution rights for their back catalogue, the album was remastered by guitarist Robin Guthrie and reissued in 2003. Vocalist Elizabeth Fraser named the album after a peak in southern Utah called Bluebell Knoll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceblink Luck</span> 1990 single by the Cocteau Twins

"Iceblink Luck" is a single by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released by 4AD Records in August 1990. It was the first single from the Heaven or Las Vegas album and the band's first single to be released in the United States. It was the band's second single to reach the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 38. The single also received considerable success in Europe, debuting at No. 43 on the European Airplay Chart as well as at No. 91 on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.

<i>Twinlights</i> 1995 EP by Cocteau Twins

Twinlights is a 1995 EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released in September 1995 by Fontana Records. It was issued along with the EP Otherness as a teaser for the album Milk & Kisses. It is a mainly acoustic recording, with AllMusic referring to it as "being as close to an "unplugged" effort as the Twins ever got". The EP was originally released on CD as well as a 2x7" vinyl set.

<i>Otherness</i> (EP) 1995 EP by Cocteau Twins

Otherness is a 1995 EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released in October 1995 by Fontana Records. It was issued along with Twinlights as a teaser for the full-length album Milk & Kisses. It was the group's final EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluebeard (song)</span> 1994 single by Cocteau Twins

"Bluebeard" is a single by the Cocteau Twins. It was released by Fontana Records in February 1994 as the second single to be released from the Four-Calendar Café album. All three members of the band – Fraser, Guthrie and Raymonde – are credited as songwriters as well as producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tishbite (song)</span> 1996 single by the Cocteau Twins

"Tishbite" is a single by Scottish band Cocteau Twins. It was released by Fontana Records in March 1996. It was the first single to be released from the UK top-20 album Milk & Kisses, the eighth and final long-play release from the band. The title of the song is an epithet of the prophet Elijah.

<i>Fuzao</i> 1996 studio album by Faye Wong

Fuzao is the fourth Mandarin-language studio album by Chinese singer Faye Wong. It was released on June 3, 1996, through Cinepoly. Wong took more artistic risks with her work as she approached the end of her record contract, resulting in the experimental nature of Fuzao. The album was positively received by critics, with The Straits Times considering the album as Wong's boldest and most artistically coherent effort to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven or Las Vegas (song)</span> 1990 single by the Cocteau Twins

"Heaven or Las Vegas" is a song by Scottish band Cocteau Twins. It was released by Capitol Records in October 1990 as the second single from the Heaven or Las Vegas album. The song has been described as dream pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violaine</span> 1996 single by Cocteau Twins

"Violaine" is a single by Cocteau Twins. It was released by Fontana Records in July 1996. It was the second single to be released from the Milk & Kisses album, and their last single to be released from a non-compilation album. It reached No. 56 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolyn's Fingers</span> 1988 single by Cocteau Twins

"Carolyn's Fingers" is a single by Scottish alternative rock and dreampop band the Cocteau Twins, released in 1988 from their album Blue Bell Knoll. The song was released through the 4AD record label and credits all three members of the group – Fraser, Guthrie and Raymonde as songwriters and well as producers.

References

  1. ↑ "Ad Focus" (PDF). Music Week : 24. 13 April 1996 – via World Radio History.
  2. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Treasure". www.cocteautwins.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 1999. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  3. ↑ McInnis, Aubrey (8 March 2007). "Stars still shining brightly for The Lotus Galaxy: Brit-poppers reunite after decade-long hiatus". Fast Forward Weekly . Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  4. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "Cocteau Twins Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Milk & Kisses". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  6. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Milk & Kisses". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Milk & Kisses". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Brooks, Daphne (2005). Grace. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 107. ISBN   9780826416353 . Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "Cocteau Twins - Milk & Kisses (CD, Album)". Discogs . 3 April 1996. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  10. ↑ "Cocteau Twins' Milk & Kisses Turns 25". 15 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Milk & Kisses". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  12. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Milk & Kisses - Cocteau Twins". AllMusic . Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  13. ↑ Masuo, Sandy (12 May 1996). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Morrison, Philip (January 1996). "Cocteau Twins Chronique de l'album Milk And Kisses". Magic . Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  15. ↑ Martin Charles Strong (2006). "The Essential Rock Discography". The Essential Rock Discography - Volume 1. Canongate: 222. ISBN   9781841958606.
  16. ↑ Bush, Calvin (April 1996). "Cocteau Twins: Milk And Kisses" (PDF). Muzik . No. 11. p. 103. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  17. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Milk and Kisses: Pitchfork Review". Archived from the original on 5 August 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Dorris, Jesse (19 October 2018). "Cocteau Twins: Milk & Kisses". Pitchfork . Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Cocteau Twins' Milk & Kisses Turns 25". 15 March 2021.
  20. ↑ "Milk & Kisses - Cocteau Twins | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  21. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  22. ↑ "ultratop.be - Cocteau Twins" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  23. ↑ "Item 1919 - Library and Archives Canada". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  24. ↑ "milk & kisses - full official Chart History - Official Charts Company". OCC). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  25. ↑ "milk & kisses - full official Chart History - Official Charts Company". OCC). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  26. ↑ "Cocteau Twins Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.