Heaven or Las Vegas
Heaven or Las Vegas is the sixth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 17 September 1990 by 4AD. Despite 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell proclaiming it one of the best-ever releases on his label, he released the group from their contract at the end of 1990 because his relationship with the band had soured.
For the song, see Heaven or Las Vegas (song).Heaven or Las Vegas
Heaven or Las Vegas peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and number 99 on the US Billboard 200,[3][4] becoming the band's most commercially successful release. It eventually sold 235,000 copies by 1996, according to Billboard.[5] The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die,[6] and was voted number 218 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[7] In 2020, Rolling Stone listed it at No. 245 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[8]
The album was voted 18th of Scotland’s 100 Best Rock and Pop Albums in 2003 and was the focus of a BBC Scotland programme, Classic Scottish Albums in 2007.[9]
Background and development[edit]
Cocteau Twins released their fifth album, Blue Bell Knoll, in 1988. Despite signing a major label deal with Capitol Records, the band declined to promote it extensively but nevertheless shot a video for "Carolyn's Fingers" which was issued as a single only in the US. The album was not supported by a tour.[10] The band brought on a manager for the first time as they had run into tax trouble previously. Watts-Russell, 4AD president at the time, reportedly "didn't care" for the new manager and his relationship with the band began to sour.[11]
The band took on new familial responsibilities as bassist Simon Raymonde married his first wife, Karen, and vocalist Elizabeth Fraser was expecting her first child with guitarist and co-founder Robin Guthrie.[12] The latter's cocaine habit previously "escalated" during the recording process for Blue Bell Knoll;[13] Fraser and Raymonde believed that the new baby would prove a diversion from Guthrie's dependency and allow the pair to "play happy families."[12] Their wishes did not pan out, with Guthrie relying heavily on drugs as the band developed Heaven or Las Vegas, causing him to experience "deep" paranoia and mood swings.[13][10] His relationship with Fraser grew increasingly strained as a result.[14]
In September 1989, Fraser and Guthrie's child, Lucy Belle was born;[10] Heaven or Las Vegas was released on her first birthday.[15] Of her pregnancy, Fraser said that she gained clarity about what mattered to her most: "Suddenly I had confidence which I'd never ever had in my life, which I consequently lost after I had the baby, because it's such a frightening experience you lose it again and you have to start over again. But it does change you."[16] Raymonde's father, Ivor Raymonde, died shortly after Lucy Belle's birth, as the band were in the middle of recording. He recounted: "I was only 27, I was still quite young and he was a very influential guy for me so that was a big blow but, looking back on it, having a major life event happening probably helped the record have that edge to it."[12]
Artwork and release[edit]
The band wanted a visual representation that would capture "the ethereal", according to Guthrie.[19] Paul West, of the design studio Form, previously worked with Cocteau Twins on the cover for Blue Bell Knoll. West recruited photographer Andy Rumball, and the pair experimented with various materials to generate a "textural and otherworldly" effect.[19] The final artwork is a long exposure of Christmas tree lights against a colour backdrop, with its typography produced by hand on an acetate overlay. Much of the original artwork was later destroyed in a flood.[19]
Heaven or Las Vegas was released on 17 September 1990 by 4AD in the United Kingdom, and in conjunction with Capitol Records in the United States. 4AD later reacquired American distribution rights for much of its back catalogue, resulting in a 2003 reissue solely on 4AD, which was remastered by Guthrie.[20] A vinyl edition of the reissue was released in July 2014,[3] which was repressed on 180g in 2020, remastered from high definition audio files.[21]
The album was voted "Album of the Week" by German radio broadcaster Südwestrundfunk, and in France by radio broadcasters RMC and Radio Nantes.[22]
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