HAROLD BUDD & COCTEAU TWINS: THE MOON AND THE MELODIES

Not presented or promoted as a Budd/Cocteau Twins collaboration, but don't let that fool you: The Moon and the Melodies is basically a Cocteau Twins EP and a Harold Budd ambient EP used at the hip. Where Elizabeth Frasher's vocals are present, it sounds like a fairly second-tier Cocteau Twins matter; where they are absent, it more resembles a series of ambient pieces with great production and with the Cocteau Twins backing Budd up. Not the best release by any of the participants concerned, but it's an interesting release which fans of the Cocteaus will probably want to take a listen to eventually.

The Cocteau Twins (guitarist Robin Guthrie, vocalist Elizabeth Frazier, and bassist Simon Raymonde) collaborating with renowned ambient pianist, Harold Budd. An aspect of this union would be re-born in the 2000s as Robin Guthrie (post-Cocteau Twins and post-Violet Indiana) would collaborate with Harold on six albums over the space of ten years.

1. "Sea, Swallow Me" (3:09) beautiful Treasure-like song with Elizabeth performing her vocal acrobatics to mesmerizing stupefaction. (9.5/10)

2. "Memory Gongs" (7:28) Robin takes a back seat, provides the cushy fabric, over which Harold's heavily treated electric piano plays. (12.75/15)

3. "Why Do You Love Me?" (4:52) a Harold Budd-Robin Guthrie duet, electric piano and infinity guitar. Amazingly pacifying. (9.75/10)

4. "Eyes Are Mosaics" (4:10) spacious electric piano chords are soon joined by a full-on Cocteau Twins song--albeit, in a lighter, more spacious form (which puts no limitations or restraints on Elizabeth--as evidenced by her multiple vocal tracks, sometimes working their amazing magic all at once.) Portends of things to come (i.e. 1988's Blue Bell Knoll). (9/10)

5. "She Will Destroy You" (4:18) another CT piece of perfection left over from their 84-86 run of stellar recordings, Treasure, Echoes in a Shallow Bay, Tiny Dynamine, Aikea-Guinea, and Victorialand. Excellent use of saxophone at the end. (10/10)

6. "The Ghost Has No Name" (7:36) Harold Budd low key piano (quite similar to the gentle, lower octave play of Plateuax of Mirror's "Fading Light") with heavily reverbed saxophone, bass, and electric guitar gently adding to the ambient instrumental palette. Beautiful and relaxing. (13.25/15)

7. "Bloody and Blunt" (2:13) what sounds like a gorgeous little ambient lullaby is highlighted by the surprise fade in of CT "drums" at the very end. (5/5)

8. "Ooze Out and Away, Onehow" (3:39) very ethereal floating guitar echo-notes are accompanied by Elizabeth's sultry whispers for the ambient yet-tension laden first two minutes but then at 2:33 the drums, bass, and electric piano kick in and we end with a very powerful, very Elizabethan multi-voiced masterpiece. (10/10)

I know that most prog lovers like the Cocteau Twins but do not consider them to be truly among the "progressive rock" fold. I do include them--especially since the experimental and "progressive" sound and studio experiments that Robin Guthrie was doing created such huge ripples in the music world. I would argue that both the prog, ambient, Goth, trip hop, and, of course, Shoegaze movements would have all failed to gain the momentum they did without the 1984 to 1987 output of this band and its members (and the 4 A.D./Beggars Banquet labels). Also, I'd like to add props to DIF JUZ saxophonist Richard Thomas to some invaluable touches to several of the songs.

A/five stars; a masterpiece of unique and innovative sound collaboration and an essential contribution to the progress and catalogue of progressive rock music.