Yes, and love it or hate it, Emma and Miki are firmly on record as saying yes, of course Spooky sounded like Cocteau Twins, they brought in Robin to make sure that it came out that way. Again, love the record or hate it (I personally love it), the way that people have bagged on this record as being "hijacked" by Robin is absolutely incorrect.
_"It's almost distractingly Cocteau Twins"_ Well, yes. _Spooky_ was produced by Cocteau guitarist Robin Guthrie for Cocteaus' label. A 4AD product, it was intended as an adjunct Cocteaus work, bringing Lush to their wider audience. The key takeaway with Lush is Miki & Emma's compositional proficiency & superior guitar work, which was more complex & imaginatively melodic than their peers. _Spooky_ is a great album & was much loved back in the day - but it's with _Split_ that the band pulled it all into focus. And "Stereolab" is a reach. Apples & pears.
I read that Guthrie said at the beginning of the recordings that he wanted to make the album sound like a really expensive album. He ended up achieving this, according to Miki, by making it a really expensive album.
1. This same album contains two of my favourite Lush songs - Monochrome, which is like a more harmonically mournful take on an '80s power-ballad, and Tiny Smiles, which would be easily dismissible as a cutesy song about babysitting if its passing-chords weren't absolutely magical. 2. You probably know that late in career they shifted styles dramatically towards punk-tinged Britpop, and, give 'em credit, they did it really well - witness Heavenly Nobodies, Tinkerbell or their cover of the Sounds oldie Demystifcation
Although I have a soft spot for Spooky nowadays, I remember being really disappointed with it when it was first released. Guthrie pretty much smothered every track in the same Cocteau Twins sound and to me it was over produced and lost much of the bands individual identity, especially compared to their live sound and the early EP's. It's a shame because it's a pretty good set of songs but on the first few listens they all kind of sound the same. I don't think any producer really did them justice in their early shoegaze phase but Tim Friese-Greene came closet on Sweetness & Light.
It's basically impossible to use any of those niche genres to describe a lot of music that was happening at that time. For us, they were shoegaze. Most people didn't use Dream Pop back then to describe anything, madchester was really only used for actual madchester bands, not bands that had a drumbeat that felt vaguely like it fit. So many bands used the James Brown Funky Drummer beat back then it wasn't funny, there was an obsession with it in modern music at that time. It's insane to try to throw 3 genres at a band that fits into one genre pretty well.
the video is very cringe with miki & emma's faces pushed together but my god what a solid track. emma's recent solo record still lives in this lovely era.
Absolutely not my favorite Lush song. On that album my favorites are Laura, Ocean and Take. On Split, try Desire Lines, a dreampop/prog song. Also Undertow, When I Die, and a few more.
Produced by Robin Guthrie, which accounts for the Cocteau vibe. Solid album start to finish.
Yes, and love it or hate it, Emma and Miki are firmly on record as saying yes, of course Spooky sounded like Cocteau Twins, they brought in Robin to make sure that it came out that way. Again, love the record or hate it (I personally love it), the way that people have bagged on this record as being "hijacked" by Robin is absolutely incorrect.
_"It's almost distractingly Cocteau Twins"_
Well, yes. _Spooky_ was produced by Cocteau guitarist Robin Guthrie for Cocteaus' label. A 4AD product, it was intended as an adjunct Cocteaus work, bringing Lush to their wider audience. The key takeaway with Lush is Miki & Emma's compositional proficiency & superior guitar work, which was more complex & imaginatively melodic than their peers. _Spooky_ is a great album & was much loved back in the day - but it's with _Split_ that the band pulled it all into focus.
And "Stereolab" is a reach. Apples & pears.
And they harmonize so beautifully. ♥️ I remember seeing them as the openers on the second Lollapalooza tour in '92. They looked and sounded great. 🤘
I read that Guthrie said at the beginning of the recordings that he wanted to make the album sound like a really expensive album. He ended up achieving this, according to Miki, by making it a really expensive album.
This album kicks so much ass!
1. This same album contains two of my favourite Lush songs - Monochrome, which is like a more harmonically mournful take on an '80s power-ballad, and Tiny Smiles, which would be easily dismissible as a cutesy song about babysitting if its passing-chords weren't absolutely magical.
2. You probably know that late in career they shifted styles dramatically towards punk-tinged Britpop, and, give 'em credit, they did it really well - witness Heavenly Nobodies, Tinkerbell or their cover of the Sounds oldie Demystifcation
Robin Guthrie produced a bunch of Lush stuff.
Although I have a soft spot for Spooky nowadays, I remember being really disappointed with it when it was first released. Guthrie pretty much smothered every track in the same Cocteau Twins sound and to me it was over produced and lost much of the bands individual identity, especially compared to their live sound and the early EP's. It's a shame because it's a pretty good set of songs but on the first few listens they all kind of sound the same. I don't think any producer really did them justice in their early shoegaze phase but Tim Friese-Greene came closet on Sweetness & Light.
agree with Cocteau Twins reference! nice melodic number.
You really need to listen to the song Deluxe.
Still one of my favourite albums, despite being a big Cocteaus fan never made the connection. I'll get my coat.
My favorite Lush song. Good choice.
I hear The Missíon a little. This is one of my personal favorites ❤️ The rest of yhe album is phenomenal
It's basically impossible to use any of those niche genres to describe a lot of music that was happening at that time. For us, they were shoegaze. Most people didn't use Dream Pop back then to describe anything, madchester was really only used for actual madchester bands, not bands that had a drumbeat that felt vaguely like it fit. So many bands used the James Brown Funky Drummer beat back then it wasn't funny, there was an obsession with it in modern music at that time. It's insane to try to throw 3 genres at a band that fits into one genre pretty well.
You might like the song “astronaut” a B-side of this album. Perhaps his most Dream pop side 😇
Solid album!
"Untogether" is probably my fave oft this album
Whoop Whoop!!!
the video is very cringe with miki & emma's faces pushed together but my god what a solid track. emma's recent solo record still lives in this lovely era.
Ok track, rest of the album is much better
Hypocrite from Split please. It's Epic!!!💯💯💯
Absolutely not my favorite Lush song. On that album my favorites are Laura, Ocean and Take.
On Split, try Desire Lines, a dreampop/prog song. Also Undertow, When I Die, and a few more.
My favs are Ladykiller and For Love, but Desire Lines, When I Die and Undertow are bangers.