Out of print in the U.S., the Scottish alternative trio's1986 album for 4AD. Nine tracks, including 'Oomingmac' and 'Lazy Calm'.
CD Reviews
Quite simply, one of the greatest albums ever
jkilmarti@aol.com | Connecticut | 06/22/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yes, this is the Cocteau Twins I know and love. Otherworldly music with a quality that transcends everyday life. It's not every album that is capable of providing the listener with a spiritual experience, but the Cocteau Twins do that with ease. On this album and Treasure, and to a lesser extent on Blue Bell Knoll and Heaven or Las Vegas, they have created a rich musical tapestry, full of magic, wonder, and awe. Raw emotion expressed with music. Or is it something bigger than emotion? Whatever it is that the Cocteau Twins do to me, no other band can do it, and for that I am most grateful to them. I would still probably recommend that new listeners start with Heaven or Las Vegas or Blue Bell Knoll, but this is their finest moment."
This CD is beautiful!
cre8orjvs | 10/31/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What I like about this CD is the innocency of each melody. Some of the other Cocteau Twins's releases are quite brooding (though still very well composed). Victorialand leaves me with a kind of ethereal, otherworldly attitude that helps a sullen heart not take life so seriously."
Nothing else compares
cre8orjvs | washington, d.c. | 06/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"immerse yourself in this CD, the cocteau twins' finest hour. its emotional range, lush instrumentation and vocals not of this earth still mesmerize, relax and inspire me 14 years later.feeling introspective, romantic, solitary, meditative...or wish you were? liz, robin and simon have your soundtrack ready. worth the money, without a doubt."
OPERA D'ARTE
Justin E. Jacobson | 08/28/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...I THINK I'VE NEVER HEARD MUSIC THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT MUCH A WORK OF ART BEFORE !"
Soft and bright and otherworldly and familiar.
Justin E. Jacobson | Fort Walton Beach, FL United States | 06/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you're already a Cocteau Twins fan, then you're aware of their distinctive style and the range of musical sounds that it's made of. If you're Cocteau-curious and looking for an album to start with, Victorialand is that album. The first track alone, "Lazy Calm," is an example of why as it starts with distant, relaxing woodwind tones and rises to a burst of joyous vocal sounds that can easily be imagined heralding a spring sunrise or Venus rising from the waves before drawing back to the woodwind tones. Then the chiming guitars of "Fluffy Tufts" sound, accompanied by Liz Fraser's fluttering, multilayered vocals to produce a welcoming, upbeat yet soft song that distills all that seems to distill all that is warm and bright and good in the world into sound. Victorialand goes on in this fashion for seven more tracks, and stands out in the Cocteau catalog for it's toned-down instrumentation that focuses attention on Fraser's distinctive otherworldly-yet-familiar vocals. It is one of the Cocteau Twins albums that sounds as if it's always been present, playing in the back of my imagination and providing the soundtrack to all that is joyous and wonderful and calm and comforting. If you're new to the Cocteau Twins and want a good album to start with, this is as fine an introduction to their sound as one could imagine. If you're an existing fan looking to expand your collection, Victorialand is a fine example of the Cocteau Twins (relatively) later sound, closer to "milk and kisses" or "treasure" in vocal stylings and with instrumentation that sets it apart from all other Cocteau albums."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1