BBC Sessions (Cocteau Twins album)

BBC Sessions is an album of BBC studio recordings by the band Cocteau Twins released in 1999 by Bella Union in the UK and Rykodisc in the US. The album spanned the band's career from the early 1980s through the 1990s. Much of the first disk was taken from a series of early 1980s Peel sessions. The second disk contained several tracks recorded during the group's performance on the 1980s Radio 1 series Saturday Live. The compilation peaked at No. 87[1] on the UK Albums Chart.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Austin Chronicle	[3]
The A.V. Club	(mixed)[4]
Pitchfork	(5.3/10)[5]
PopMatters	(8/10)[6]

BBC Sessions
Compilation album by Cocteau Twins
Released	12 October 1999
Recorded	15 July 1982 – 10 April 1996
Genre	Gothic rock, ethereal wave, dream pop
Length	103:01
Label	Bella Union Rykodisc
Cocteau Twins chronology
Milk & Kisses (1996) BBC Sessions (1999) Stars and Topsoil (2000)

Track listing

Disc one

John Peel Session, 15 July 1982

1. "Wax and Wane" – 3:50
2. "Garlands" – 4:19
3. "Alas Dies Laughing" – 3:29
4. "Feathers-Oar-Blades" – 2:19

John Peel Session, 31 January 1983

5. "Hearsay Please" – 4:23
6. "Dear Heart" – 3:37
7. "Blind Dumb Deaf" – 3:41
8. "Hazel" – 3:22

John Peel Session, 4 October 1983

9. "The Tinderbox (Of A Heart)" – 4:46
10. "Strange Fruit" (Billie Holiday cover written by Abel Meeropol) – 1:52
11. "Hitherto" – 3:57
12. "From the Flagstones" – 3:32

Kid Jensen Session, 10 October 1983

13. "Sugar Hiccup" – 3:41
14. "In Our Angelhood" – 3:56
15. "My Hue and Cry" – 3:02 (Previously unreleased)
16. "Musette and Drums" – 4:11

Disc two

Saturday Live, 3 December 1983

1. "Hitherto" – 3:56
2. "From the Flagstones" – 3:55
3. "Musette and Drums" – 3:33

John Peel Session, 5 September 1984

4. "Pepper-Tree" – 4:12
5. "Beatrix" – 4:06
6. "Ivo" – 3:03
7. "Otterley" – 3:34

Mark Radcliffe Session, 12 March 1996

8. "Serpentskirt" – 4:29
9. "Golden-Vein" – 3:46
10. "Half-Gifts" – 2:44
11. "Seekers Who Are Lovers" – 3:50

Robert Elms Session, 10 April 1996

12. "Calfskin Smack" – 4:23
13. "Fifty-Fifty Clown" – 4:27
14. "Violaine" – 3:15

Personnel

• Producer – Barry Anthony Andrews (tracks: 2-4 to 2-7), Dale Griffin (tracks: 1-5 to 1-8, 1-13 to 1-16), Jim Lahat (tracks: 2-12 to 2-14), John Owen Williams (tracks: 1-1 to 1-4), John Walters (tracks: 1-9 to 1-12), Lis Roberts (tracks: 2-8 to 2-11), Mark Radcliffe (tracks: 2-1 to 2-3), Suzanne Gilfilian (tracks: 2-12 to 2-14)
• Engineer – Dave Dade (tracks: 1-1 to 1-4), Harry Parker (tracks: 1-5 to 1-8), Lincoln Fong (tracks: 2-8 to 2-11), Mike Engles (tracks: 1-1 to 1-4, 1-13 to 1-16), Nick Gomm (tracks: 2-4 to 2-7), Paul Strudwick (tracks: 2-12 to 2-14)

References

1. "Chart Log UK: Chris C. - CZR". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
2. "BBC Sessions". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
3. Savlov, Marc (10 December 1999). "Cocteau Twins - BBC Sessions (Ryko/BBC)". The Austin Chronicle. Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
4. Stratton, Jeff (12 October 1999). "Cocteau Twins - BBC Sessions". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
5. Sage, Kirstin (1999). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Cocteau Twins: BBC Sessions". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2008-03-06.
6. Sepich, Scott. "Cocteau Twins: BBC Sessions". PopMatters. Retrieved 25 February 2013.