Heaven Or Las Vegas

I can't believe I get to listen to this album. The vibes are immaculate, just perfection. It's like floating along warm summer air. Everything feels so purposeful in it's placing, with every sound, word, and visual just lifting the album above levels I didn't know could exist. My only complaint is that it gets a little same-y here and there, but man I can forgive that with how beautiful it all is. Perfection.

Oh my God. Who let this be such utter perfection? This was really really really good. Wow. The atmosphere. The vocals. 10/10.

I can not tell what language this is

The mystery of the lost great Cocteau Twins album: What was it on the other side of the recording studio glass that so distracted them when they made this, and what would they have produced if they'd been paying attention? We may never know. I will never care.

A truly unique dream pop album that doesn't have one lackluster song. Fraser's vocals are the highlight of this album, purring with energy and life. Some of her vocals are unintelligible, but that doesn't take away from the ethereal sound. The guitar work and drums are amazing as well, complementing the vocals perfectly and coalescing to provide the unique soundscape. The band complements each other so well yet you get the impression of improv. Not to say it isn't focused, which it is, with songwriting about childbirth and also death. Favorite tracks: Cherry-Coloured Funk, Iceblink Luck, Fifty-Fifty Clown, Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires

It's not exactly BAD but it sure is super boring. There's nothing–literally nothing–about this album that stands out except for the fact that the vocals are utterly indescipherable which takes the album from a "meh" 3 stars to a "nope" 2 stars.

Beautiful ephemeral pop that I could listen to on loop forever.

Great atmospheric album. Definitely worth the listen.

I'm not sure I'll ever fully understand people who do not love the Cocteau Twins. I'm sure there are some very nice people, we are just different on a fundamental level. This album is like an old jumper you have had forever that you put on when you get sick, a comfort blanket. The Cocteaus at the poppiest they got, and probably the most fully formed. One listen to Fotzepolitic and I could take on the world. Bliss.

Can you believe we wrote this beauty off as “their commercial album” when it cam out? Lush, sensual, prickly in spots and featuring some Elizabeth Fraser’s most aggressive, full-bodied singing and toothsome lyrics. Only the Twins could make this kind of music while “selling out”.

Cool and dreamy - good drum machine work and the bass in quintessential 80s. Probably the lyrics and vocals are the most memorable. Got me on a shoegaze kick after and I listened to My Bloody Valentine for awhile.

hypnotic, psychedelic, and poetic. complex rhythms and melodies paired with beautiful tones and reflective lyrics. fav songs = all

like ABBA on acid.

Ethereal but grounded. Incomprehensible but clear in their messages. The Cocteau Twins are one of the most antithetical bands I've come across, and this may just be their masterpiece. Elizabeth Fraser is such a unique talent.

5.0 + It's hard to pinpoint why this album makes me feel like soaking in a hot bath. There's some kind of strange alchemy between the shimmery guitar and vocals that's mesmerizing. It's a gentle swirl of arpeggiated synth lines, thumping bass and soothing vocal wisps. At times, my mind gets lost in the background sounds and I'm put in a smiling trance.

What’s that you’re saying??? Sorry. Can’t hear your words. Is that French? I literally don’t know.

This is my go-to sleep album along with "Souvlaki" by Slowdive. It makes me feel like I'm levitating. Absolute ethereal perfection. Once the last part of "I Wear Your Ring" hits, I'm instantly teleported into the eighth dimension. Ten out of ten, you already know it.

If there was a zero I would pick that

The dream pop group of all time, its not even my favorite album by them but good god is it good.

#112. While listening to this album you might find yourself wondering who or what is this for. Well let me paint a picture for you. You have begrudgingly agreed to go to a dinner party at one of your wife's coworker's house. You know the one. The one with the combover and the crooked moustache. The one that always touches your arm when he talks to you. With the crack skinny wife in the wispy dress that doesn't speak loud enough to understand what she's saying ever. Every wall in their house is the same shade of off-white and every room has like one or two pieces of furniture, and maybe some stabby brutalist "art." You keep looking over at your wife to see if you can leave yet, because every minute being here is a minute closer to your insanity. And... this is the music that's playing in the background the whole time. Oh, and the brisket they served was dry. 2/5: please don't make me listen anymore

All the songs sound the same. Very winy (as most dream pop goes) and lyrics often abandon recognizable language

I really like this album. I listen to quite often as background, it's nearly perfect for writing or creating. The songs just drift together with those soft mumbled vocals. I think Treasure is a but better but happy to see this on the list.

I was most familiar with Elizabeth Fraser on vocals for Massive Attack’s Teardrop and discovered Cocteau Twins (and this album) from there.

Was this album in English? Maybe it was French. The lack of clarity of the vocals did add to the dreamy soundscapes of a kind of relaxing, warm fog. In my mind, this should create some sort of timeless feel, but it still sounds like the 90s. I don't know that if that is a good or a bad thing. It's just an observation. Good day.

Perfectly listenable but doesn't thrill me. Another "won't turn it off but won't turn it up" album.

terrible, absolutely terrible

cat ham cat

Headphones on. Sit down in a nice chair. Dream away. Absolutely brilliant and beautiful.

I still get butterflies within seconds of hearing this album. Lush and dreamy perfection.

i'm just a sucker for dreamy, ethereal guitars and vocals to match. this was great.

This sure as hell sent me to Heaven rather than Las Vegas.

Fairly unique, might come back to it

Dreamy indie.... what’s not to love? Nothing!

What a vibe. Couldn't understand a single word she said but agreed with every one.

I love that dreamy sound, and this album absolutely drips with it. Hell, they practically invented it. I just wish there were a few more standout tracks, but overall a great album.

Really good gothy dream pop. It lays on the 90s sound a little thick, which is probably because the group pioneered the sound to some extent. Still a bit dated in that regard.

I was on the cusp of giving this a 4, Cherry-Coloured Funk has been a favourite for as long as I care to remember with its haunting synth and contrasting range of vocals, some of which are Kate-Bush-like in nature but ultimately all gel together brilliantly as a song that doesn't go on too long (unlike this sentence). And the rest of the album is, well, alright. But always found myself wishing I was listening to the first track again.

Listened. Shite. Can't tell what she's saying.

Sucked. Can I give 0 stars? Guess we will see what happens. Turns out you cant give zero stars. You have to click at least one to activate the vote button. Consider yourselves lucky Cocteau Twins.

Droll background music.

I didn't know what to expect going into this, but I was delightfully surprised. I don't mind that I can't understand a word they're saying, the vibes are immaculate and I even went back to replay a few of them. Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsommer Fires is a really impactful closing track.

I must say, I knew this album, front to back, fully expected to see it in this list. This is truly an all time great album, colorful, extremely tight and always interesting. It feels like a band at the height of their powers, owning their sound. It is very much experimental and froward thinking, the writing especially is interesting, it is all about the sounds, all about how words fit and ring in your hear, creating a poem in a very surrealist way. It creates a kaleidoscope of very "them" sounds and everything feels dreamy. I think this album is a lot more influential than people give it credit for, I often hear it in productions of today. It has waves, places to go in a self containing world, ambition and heart, it is quite simply, one of the best album I ever heard.

If aliens ever come to Earth, this is the album we should play them. It's already in their language.

Ah, Heaven or Las Vegas. I wouldn't say that I know this album like the back of my hand, but I've listened to it before, and I love it. I randomly came across Cocteau Twins on Spotify several years ago. "Iceblink Luck" popped up on shuffle, and I fell in love with it and immediately listened to this album. I haven't listened to all of this in a while, but only because I've been waiting for it to come up for me on the generator. And finally, at 933 albums, I'm getting to review this. I can't wait to slip into the dreamy sound of Cocteau Twins today! Man, this album is somehow even better than I remembered. Every song is a pillow wrapped in a dream, and yet, the sound and moods of every song are so unique. The fact that Cocteau Twins did all of this with guitar pedals and effects completely blows my mind. To achieve something so otherworldly without keyboards or synthesizers is beyond amazing. I’ve noticed lately that bass playing has been really standing out to me on the albums I’m reviewing, and that held true on this album as well. As great as the guitars and effects were, the bass did a great job of giving a sense of solid substance to the overall dreamy sound. This album is a complete masterpiece from start to finish. Some notes on individual songs: “Iceblink Luck” is still my favorite song on the album. I think I’ll always have a soft spot for it, since it’s the first Cocteau Twins song I heard. I love how that opening guitar note leads you into the song, and the drum machines are perfect. The vocals feel like another instrument on their own, and the bass adds a fantastic contrast to the shimmering lead guitar. This is one of those songs that I don’t want to end while I’m listening to it, because I will never get tired of that main melody. Even though it’s only about twenty seconds long, that instrumental bridge is incredible. I really loved the main melody of “Fifty-fifty Clown.” It’s another example of how incredible it is that this album didn’t use keyboards or synthesizers. The title track is fantastic. I love the drum machines a lot on this one, and there’s more excellent guitar work. The vocals are really great here too. I love the way Elizabeth Fraser sings “am I in heaven or Las Vegas?” Her pacing on the vocal delivery of that line is perfection. This song just gets better and better as it goes on. “I Wear Your Ring” is fantastic too. It’s still dreamy, but a different kind of dreamy. It’s like a dream where you’re walking through the mist of a forest, and you can’t really see well, so each sound feels new and novel. “Fotzepolitic” had a renaissance faire sound to it that I really enjoyed, both in the higher register sounds and in the pacing of the melodies. Yet another example of how many different sounds the band was able to create on this album. Heaven or Las Vegas is more than dream pop bliss; it’s a pop album that pulls the listener in with beautiful melodies and fantastic drum machines. This is an album that always a treat to listen to, and I fell even deeper in love with it today.

A nice mix of "is this the most 80s thing I've ever heard" and "this could have been made today." But really more 80s. It's also a little bit like babby's first shoegaze: we got the full-on sound, the Cure-like guitar, but it's all dialed back from 11. I guess dat's dream pop! Anyway, I like it but don't love it because it leaves me wanting something heavier. Personal taste that doesn't take anything from an accomplished piece here. There was really something in the water in Scotland besides industrial run-off because some of those folks can bang out an album.

Oh man, my excitement when this record popped up. Never listened to this album or the Cocteau Twins before, but knew a little bit about them. Dream pop, shoegaze before shoegaze became a thing. The second her vocals popped up in Cherry-coloured Funk, I knew this was going to be an easy five. It's got a strong ethereal vibe without sacrificing a driving force. I feel like a lot of dream pop (and shoegaze) can get lost in it's own vibes a lot and meander, but this album is laser focused with purpose. But yeah, her vocals are the high point in an album that is nothing but high points. Strong, confident, ethereal. Add in half the time I can't tell if she's singing English, let alone any language at all and it gives a beautiful, detached, alien feel that puts the dream in dream pop. Love the goth rock/post-punk elements too. The bass feels straight out of New Order or The Cure, and I love it. Overall, extremely easy five stars. Knew basically the second I put the record on and the first couple notes hit. Incredible.

Один из самых красивых пост-панк альбомов, которых я когда-либо слушал. Волшебный и мелодичный вокал успокаивает и вводит в некое состояние сна, выходит за границы языкового барьера и передаёт сущность песен не через тексты, а через пение, ну и просто звучит замечательно. А гитары вписываются не менее гармонично - тонущие в тоннах реверба, они тоже создают некий колыбельный эффект, погружающий в умиротворённое состояние, из которого не хочется выходить никогда. (9 - 9.5)

Lovely. No words. A new world.

Музыка: 8/10 Разнообразие: 7/10 Тематика и вайб: 8/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 8/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 8/10 Итог: 7.8

Very interesting this little one. It feels like a slightly too upbeat version of any of the bands who play in the road house in season 3 of twin peaks the return. Its too happy even though I would be shocked if it was happy lyrically.i didn't end up saving any tracks but I for sure need to listen to this again

Cool 80s vibes, with echoey synths and floaty riffs. There's a good amount of reverb on the vocals, it seems, and I don't know if it's that, but I find the woman incomprehensible. I wondered at several points if she was singing in French. I still don't know. Highlight was the title track, 5, Heaven Or Las Vegas. Also, 8, Wolf In The Breast. Vocals on Cherry-Coloured Funk remind me of Shakespeare's Sister. This album is from 1990. I don't know how I didn't come across it before. I may have seen Cocteau Twins on "Now That's" compilations, but I don't think they would have clicked. I'm not blown away by this. It's good, interesting, but would I listen to it regularly or repeatedly, probably not. Three stars seems harsh, four too generous...

Spot the fake Cocteau Twins track name is the quiz round we never knew we needed... a) Iceblink Luck b) Fifty-Fifty Clown c) Socketface Grapefruit d) Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires Some albums just scream 80s at me from the first few seconds and I immediately fear the worst (despite being released in 1990). In fairness, it has some hooks and the overall sound is richer and less cheesy for the most part than I was worried it could be. I find myself quite enjoying the shoegazy production and her vocals somehow both irritate and intrigue me, at times I swear she's singing in a strange foreign language. Spotify doesn't have the lyrics so I never bothered finding out.

Gorgeous synth washes over ethereal vocal melodies. With singing this gorgeous, who cares if you can't undersand the words?

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4. Gotta tell you – not used to an album without proper lyrics. I just don’t know that I could personally give a 5 to an album with vocals, but without lyrics, simply because I’m a sucker for storytelling… but I think a 4 means the album was pretty damn good regardless. And this was pretty damn good. Sometimes, soundscapes do make an album, and even though this is a 1990 album, it’s very much the dying gasp of the 1980s in full effect – everything here is a sort of pastiche on every 80s trope and style you could think of musically, and it comes together really well. Vocally, I think she’s got a mesmerizing tone to her voice that usually meshes pretty well with the instrumentals, but occasionally, I think the production blends them together too harshly on some tracks where it just kinda negates the positives of both. That’s not to say there’s any bad tracks here, just some suspect mixing – this is even more of a car album than the last one was, but it’s honestly more of a dreaming album to me (I guess that’s why it’s “dream pop”). I could easily see myself falling asleep to these, or even dreaming up something close to these – good soundscapes with lyrics just out of reach, but the occasionally clear word or two to keep you a little grounded to reality. I just had fun with it – I can’t wax too much about it because the extent of my criticism is “that sounded really good, but sometimes it didn’t,” and that’s kindergarten-level criticism. It’s a very nice listen; it sounds great, it’s relaxing as hell, and while it does go a little bit too long, I think it doesn’t overstay its welcome long enough to be actively annoying. I’m fine with bumping it up to a 4.

Shimmering, dreamy musical confections. Gorgeous arrangements elevated by Elizabeth Fraser's ethereal vocals and expressionistic lyrical style. Listening to this album is the musical equivalent of floating on a cloud. At its best, this is some of the loveliest music you'll ever hear. The quality of the individual songs is a little uneven, but it's overall still a joy to listen to. Launches me straight back to my sophomore year in college. Fave Songs: Cherry-Coloured Funk, Iceblink Luck, Heaven or Las Vegas, Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires, Pitch the Baby, Wolf in the Breast

True to the mission of this project I am glad this record came up on my list. Although this may already belong to my own personal canon of soul-defining albums thankfully this might have been a backup contingency plan. This made an enormous impact on me decades ago. There was nothing else like it, the world was different after I first heard the Cocteau Twins, and still nothing else compares. This record felt like it was an opening and a big break into a wider audience. It also felt like further slipping from an ideal after Treasure that diluted down the drain awash with new age pathos and intelligible lyrics instead of a cosmic brain transplantation. I only wish I could find a giant poster again of the album cover to pin up on my wall as I improvise the lyrics to Pitch The Baby.

This is the sound track to my dreams, the nice dreams though, not the dirty ones I wake up from erect.

Lush, gorgeous. Like a giant blanket. Seems like a great album to get high to. Reminds me of MBV. Favorite tracks are "Pitch the Baby" and "Frou frou Foxes in Midsumner Fires".

Reminds me of Röyksopp.

Well made background music

Not my bag at this time. Some songs are fun but the sound is very dated. Not feeling the gibberish.

Wow, another Cocteau Twins album in my first 130. I had never heard of them before and I continue to be pleasantly surprised. Their ethereal sound and fun harmonies sets it apart. The 80s textures aren’t my favorite, but their creativity overshadows it.

Very synthetic, but in the wrong way for me. The instrumentation feels too sharp and brittle. I preferred “Treasure” over this one, which has a bit more meat to its sound, but Heaven or Las Vegas is not a bad record overall.

Pretty good. Kinda blends together like most Cocteau Twins albums. 7/10

I was very taken with the Cocteau Twins early albums from the start of the 1980s. They had a certain otherworldly charm that was quite unlike anything else in the charts at the time. However, by the time this album came out in 1990 I think that they’d lost something. I mean, she even sings in English at some points! The production also had that 90s plasticky, digital feel losing the analogue warmth of the earlier recordings. I guess that they were pre-cursors of shoe gaze but by this point, there were other bands who were shoe-ier and gaze-ier.

Booring

This whole exercise is so frustrating because I would swear up & down that I like fuzzy dream pop (Beach House, Bat for Lashes, Washed Out, Warpaint, Mazzy Star, etc.) But between these guys and mbv, I'm feeling totally gaslit. Like, this is just...not great. Maybe if the choruses were in English? It all just kind of blends together into a droning nothingburger of a sound landscape that NEVER catches your attention. I guess it's good if you're on a fentanyl bender, but not great if you're actually trying to enjoy what you're listening to. Maybe a low 3 / high 2 kind of scenario - but I'm going with 2 for the fact that this list makes me doubt my own perceptions.

This was ok. I have been meaning to listen to Cocteau Twins. i have now i guess

I could not stay interested in this at all. 2 stars or D+.

Cool ideas, but very one note for every song. Hooks repeat constantly and there always feels like a lack of emotion. The song settle in on one vibe, but what that vibe means is utterly incomprehensible.

Erm... lovely shoegaze soundscape, but genuinely unintelligible lyrics. Enunciate, woman.

Terrible

Not just boring music, but almost painful because of the singer's voice and pronounciation. Not my cup of tea, obviously, but this time I have a really hard time getting how anyone else could stand this let alone consider it a classic.

I'm not sure how this album ended up on this list. I'm pretty sure I could find a better album not on this list in any used record store in the world. Maybe there's political or historical information I'm lacking that would help change my opinion, but I'm not going to waste any more time on it.

"The album was voted 18th of Scotland’s 100 Best Rock and Pop Albums in 2003" My heart breaks for Scotland.

So dreary and uninspiring. Tuneless lift muzak at best. Awful production, tinny with weak drums. With the music being so much of absolutely nothing, at least the lyrics could have been profound, interesting, etc., but no.. might as well be sung in Greek. The inability to pronounce English words correctly is apparently intentional, but just makes the songs frustrating and bizarre to listen to. If I never hear this album again before I die, I will die happy.

Unlistenable

It's good, I just never loved Radiohead

8/10 - не слушал, это ахуенно.

Solid.

10/10 I was surprised, really good album

Absolutely iconic. One of my favorite records of all time.

I love it. The criticism of the unintelligible vocals doesn't work for me, I think they add so much mystery. What they're saying is less meaningful than the atmosphere created

Stop honking! I am trying to understand the cocteau twins

"Heaven or Las Vegas" is the sixth studio album by Scottish band Cocteau Twins. Dreamy pop and ambient pop are the Wiki-listed genres. The music is described as blending dream and ambient pop with elements of psychedelia, experimental and electronic textures. The bandmembers include Elizabeth Fraser (vocals), Robin Guthrie (guitar, drum machine) and Simon Raymonde (bass, keyboards). The album was recorded right after Fraser and Guthrie's baby was born and during the death of Raymonde's Father. Commercially, it was the band's most successful album reaching #7 in the UK and #99 on the US Billboard 200. It was critically well-received and recognized as one of their most influential works. "Cherry-Coloured Funk" opens the album with a slower beat and a wavering guitar. The music is anchored by the bass. Fraser initially with a deeper voice that is overlayed with a falsetto. Feelings of warmth and longing. An icy, shivering guitar begins "Iceblink Luck. A melodic bass. Fraser sort of yodeling with harrowing vocals coming in. Guthrie gets his guitar sounding like a grinding saw. Guthrie keeps it going with chiming, guitar rings in the self-titled "Heaven or Las Vegas." Fraser beautifully layers her vocals. I imagine this about is about a contrast between the beautiful and excess. Guthrie's guitar sounding like the Eno-jet guitar in his two solos. A fantastic song and one of the best songs of the 90's. The second half of this album features more synthesizers. "Fotzepolitic" has a synth open. A swirling guitar and guitar solo. The song evokes a holiday vibe. "Road, River and Rail" has a darker guitar and a wind blowing sound. Fraser's vocals are soulful and the most straight-forward pop sounding. The album closes with "Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer." Piano keys, percussion ticks and a droning sound with echoing falsetto vocals. The drums kick in and the song picks up. Fraser once again with wonderful crisscross vocals in a song of grief, loss and probably other things. When I first heard the Cocteau Twins in the 80's, I was like Wow! those twin sister voices do sound a lot like each other. And that right there is one of the highlights of this outstanding album; the layering of Elizabeth Fraser's vocals is exquisite being emotional and really instruments of themselves. I can't really understand what she's singing about. That's no mater as they alone create a textured dreamy atmosphere. As previously mentioned, the music is anchored by Raymonde's bass. Guthrie's swirling, ringing and echoing guitar sounds perfectly match the vocals. Everything I've heard from the Cocteau Twins is worth a listen and this album may be their best.

Wow no les conocía, me gustó! Me gustó bastante!

right up my alley and i'm going to give it 5 stars because i can see this going into my rotation. i think they're influential to a lot of other bands i like

Quite a surprise find.

holy sshit

YEYSYSYSSS I love the sound and her voice, it’s so magical. The synths and bass sound so good. My favorite tracks are probably Pitch the Baby and Heaven on Las Vegas.

i want to listen to it twice!!

I'm sick of this.

amazing dreamy everything no skips

I LOVE THIS ALBUM IT'S so heavenly like a perfume.

Yay

I LOVE COCETU TWINS

Very good kind of like abba in another language and whimsical in a different way

literal angels

haters that don’t have a heart will be giving this 1 star

Already listened and love it