Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
1990
Album Summary
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. Heaven or Las Vegas peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and number 99 on the US Billboard 200, becoming the band's most commercially successful release. It eventually sold 235,000 copies by 1996, according to Billboard. The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and was voted number 218 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. In 2020, Rolling Stone listed it at No. 245 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
WikipediaThe 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.
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.
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.
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.
Oh my God. Who let this be such utter perfection? This was really really really good. Wow. The atmosphere. The vocals. 10/10.
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
hypnotic, psychedelic, and poetic. complex rhythms and melodies paired with beautiful tones and reflective lyrics. fav songs = all
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.
All the songs sound the same. Very winy (as most dream pop goes) and lyrics often abandon recognizable language
What’s that you’re saying??? Sorry. Can’t hear your words. Is that French? I literally don’t know.
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”.
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".
This is the sound track to my dreams, the nice dreams though, not the dirty ones I wake up from erect.
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.
I was most familiar with Elizabeth Fraser on vocals for Massive Attack’s Teardrop and discovered Cocteau Twins (and this album) from there.
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 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.
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
Pretty good. Kinda blends together like most Cocteau Twins albums. 7/10
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.
Erm... lovely shoegaze soundscape, but genuinely unintelligible lyrics. Enunciate, woman.
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.
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.
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.
Headphones on. Sit down in a nice chair. Dream away. Absolutely brilliant and beautiful.
Now we're talking! Har lyssnat på albumet några gånger nu, så det säger allt. Känns som en korsning mellan typ The Cranberries, Highasakite, och lite annat smått o gott.
First song was sampled on the morning by The Weeknd. Old rock easy listening
i'm just a sucker for dreamy, ethereal guitars and vocals to match. this was great.
Lovely album, very 80's synth pop feel but also beautifully arranged vocals and mixture of sounds. Very enjoyable album
I got introduced to this album about a year ago, and at first it was kind of hard for me to entirely grasp it. Still I fell in love with the first and last tracks so I gave it a couple of tries more and now I think it is just lovely.
I liked this album a lot. It reminds me of MGMT and I’m glad to have found this.
Stone cold classic album. You can hear the influence in so many other albums. I'm a huge sucker for dream pop and this is just one of the titans of the genre.
This music just always makes me feel so dreamy. Her voice is perfect for dream pop . One of the best albums of this genre
Its a 5 star from me! Loved this album for a while now. Its fun and different from anything else I know really.
I love this album, have always loved it, will always love it. Blast to listen to today!
Vilkey galet sammanträffande att de bara e album som ja ha lyssna förr som förtjänar femmor!!!!
Hi- Cherry-Coloured Funk, Fifty-Fifty Clown, I Wear Your Ring, Fotzepolitic, Wolf In The Breast Cocteau Twins have been at the forefront of the genre of lazy, sweeping and melodic guitars, the shrill, angelic voices, and the swirling, echoey tapestry of bright synth melodies of "Shoegaze" or "Dream Pop". Heaven or Las Vegas (both the album and the song) is the poster child of the genre, and if Cherry-Coloured Funk is your introduction to the style, it would probably leave you wanting more. I would say this album's peak is Fifty-Fifty Clown, A track that starts off and builds on a smooth and steady synthwave bass serves as the heartbeat for the entire track, and goes off the rails weaving bright synth and layers of Elizabeth Fraser's lilting soprano before returning to the heartbeat, a rush that's all too brief. The titular track neatly ties up the first act, but the show isn't over here, as the b-sides are just as delicious as the a-sides, each track is brilliant, unconstrained, but relaxed and never rushed. This album might be a showcase, but its followups (Four-Calendar Cafe & Milk & Kisses) are just as gorgeous and absolutely worthwhile, as are their contemporary acts such as Lush, Slowdive, Ivy, The Dandy Warhols, and even Venus Hum...It's a shame the wonder of Shoegaze/Dream Pop has fallen by the wayside in recent years, its charm is endlessly adorable and still holds up today.
Cherry-coloured funk is one of the most important songs in the history of dream pop and it feels like the final tunnel scene in the Perks of Being A Wallflower I really like Pitch the Baby A humongous fan of Iceblink Luck Not to mention how excellent the DRUMS AND GUITARS ARE I love the title track I am biased but my most listened-to songs have to be fotzepolitic I barely skip any of the songs on the album which is a key thing for me The essence of vertigo and not knowing where you are is what I love the most, I also really enjoy the fact that it's blurry and Elizabeth's vocals are not really easy to hear. Top 100 albums of all time for sure
I needed that his morning. Cocteau Twins are such talented artist. Album is really interressing, I migth listen to it one more time just to feel the atmosphere.
Wonderful, marvelous, magnificient, sensational, outstanding! Really had a great time with this one, I must listen to them more often!
Ovaj album sam znao dosta slušati u zimi da me ugrije, jer su melodije bile takve, poput pokrivača. Iako je to već meme dosta godina, kurca ih razumijem, al taj glas u potpunosti nadopunjuje glazbu i to je taj pogodak. Ovaj album je must-listen dream pop album, iako ima šačicu shoegazea kako po kojoj pjesmi. Jače je od četvorke, pošto vamo ne mogu dati ono što želim kao i većinu puta, bit će ovaj puta ovako kako ga sad dadnem. Lijep pozdrav.
Osjećam se glupo jer nisam nikad čula za njih i ovaj album. Ta prva pjesma mi je skoro dovoljna za peticu ali pomaže i to što je ostatak albuma jako dobar.
I'd never heard of this band before and really liked it. Looking into it after listening, I found I was familiar with a lot of other artists on the 4AD label which explains why I really vibed with it. Very dream pop and will 100% be going through the other albums from this band.
LOVE THIS ALBUM from beginning to end, the dreamy atmosphere that is maintained throughout is just my favourite thing ever. Easy 5 for me
holy shit, this is like if Abba made shoegaze only thing I hate about this album is how fucking short it is, jesus christ I had to replay this like six god damn times in a row it’s so good too good for the five star scale
Couldn’t understand any of the words but overall feel was dreamy. Favourite song was wolf on my breast or the last one, frou frou
Loveeeee Will probably buy on vinyl Would love to learn the lyrics Sad spotify doesn’t have the lyrics for this album Definitely a night album NIGHT DRIVE album So valid