Vinyl Vault Entry #7: The Ethereal Beauty of Cocteau Twins' The Pink Opaque

On their 1986 compilation album, The Pink Opaque, Scottish band Cocteau Twins deliver an otherworldly sound combining elements of goth rock and ethereal wave. For the seventh entry in the vinyl vault, we spoke with our friend Molly "Mitch" Mitchell on the haunting beauty of this album, plus the importance of not dating people with shitty taste in music.

​Album: The Pink Opaque (1986)
Artist: Cocteau Twins
Label: 4AD
Genre(s): Ethereal, Goth Rock
Favorite song: "The Spangle Maker"
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Why did you choose this record?

The sentimental value, plus the fact that it’s an absolute banger all the way through.

Describe this record. What does it sound like?

The first time I ever listened to this record was the first time I had ever heard Cocteau Twins. And it literally just sounded like magic. As corny as that sounds, there’s no other way to describe it.
 
Talk about the significant history of this album.

Well, it was 4AD's first CD release, so that’s pretty cool. This compilation was also the first Cocteau Twins album to be released domestically in the USA.

When would you listen to this record?

I listen to this record pretty much all the time. I could never tire of it. There’s this moment in “The Spangle Maker” when Liz Frazer’s voice does this beautiful shriek and it literally gives me goosebumps every time. Sometimes it even makes me cry. Seriously, give it a listen. It’s so powerful.

What’s your relationship with this album / What’s the story behind you purchasing this album? 
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My mother was a straight up 80’s goth kid, so  I grew up on Bauhaus, The Cure, Joy Division, The Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, all that good shit. For whatever reason unbeknownst to me, I was somehow never exposed to Cocteau Twins. 

Back when I was working the music counter at Bookmans, I was just barely getting into record collecting, so my coworkers would always set aside records they thought I’d be into. One day I came in to work and found this album sitting in my cubby with the note “Thought you’d be stoked about this one.” So I spent $4 of trade credit on this piece of art, totally unaware that it would change my life forever. I got home, put it on my shitty starter turntable, and laid on the floor. I just remember hearing the tick of the needle reaching the end and being like “What just happened, am I in heaven?” Then starting it all over again. 
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What does this album pair well with? 

A nice doobie, warm lighting, a glass of wine, yoga, a bath (or a hot tub soak if you’re extremely fortunate). Basically anything that allows you to slow down, relax, and get lost in something beautiful.
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​Any significant memories associated with this album?
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Honestly, there’s no one specific memory I have associated with this album. But, Cocteau Twins are so special to me for so many reasons. Right before I moved to Texas, I remember drawing up a “non-negotiables” list with my friends. We were basically writing down what qualities we would want in our dream partner. My list was really, really long. “Must love Cocteau Twins” was one of my top non-negotiables and my friends all rolled their eyes at me and were like “yeah ok good luck.” Not even a year later, I found myself bonding over a mutual love of Cocteau Twins with my soon-to-be-husband. He even made me a Cocteau Twins-inspired woodcut for my birthday the first year that we were dating. Moral of the story: Never settle for someone with shitty taste in music. EVER. 

​What does record collecting mean to you? 

Having worked in record stores consistently throughout my early 20’s, my record collection is a vast melange of literally everything I like. I’ve never focused too much on collecting rare/valuable records. I’ve mostly only bought records because I loved the album or because I was curious enough to take a chance and purchase something I wasn’t previously familiar with. It’s been a really fun way to discover music whilst treating myself. Both of my parents are musicians and I think the expectation was always that I would follow suit. While the love of music has been ever-present throughout my life, the talent just flat out is not there. Collecting records is a tangible way for me to engage with my love for music.
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