Available for the first time on vinyl, Stars And Topsoil is the first ever collection of the best of their 4AD years. Following their ascent from alternative novices to universally acclaimed artists, Stars and Topsoil is a true testament to one of the most original bands to emerge in the last two decades. Over a career at 4AD that spanned six albums and seven eps, Cocteau Twins retained an intriguing uniqueness of style that defied comparison.
Review
Stars and Topsoil collects some of the Cocteau Twins' better-known 4AD
material, which ends at 1990, before their departure to Fontana in the U.K. and
Capitol in the U.S. Outside of college radio support and some late-night MTV
rotation, the Cocteaus were basically invisible and unheard of in the U.S.; in
the U.K., they were a higher profile act, but they still remained more of a cult
band with a rabid following. As a barometer for the unfamiliar more than
anything else, the compilation will either lead to the purchase of the
group's entire catalog or nothing more, because those who are familiar tend to
fall into two distinct camps: There are those who find the group to be from the
gods, and there are those who are in firm belief that they were birthed from the
stinking pit of the precious art-fluff well. Though the Cocteaus never really
repeated themselves, they held a set of characteristics throughout their
discography that made them extremely unique – characteristics that launched a
legion of imitators. While the selection here is fairly representative, there
still isn't a definitive first place to go with the Cocteaus. An era spanning
seven LPs of studio material and nine singles is a good load to pick from, and
this particular track listing is just one of hundreds a fan could come up with.
The disc is just as quality as most other Cocteaus releases, though it obviously
misses the feel of a proper studio album. Since 4AD began reissuing those studio
works in 2003, devout fans will have little use for this overview. Andy
Kellman – AllMusic