In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me

by Simon Raymonde

As one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the '80s and '90s - music that continues to cast a spell over millions. This is the story of the band, in his words.

Beginning with Simon's remarkable childhood and exploring his relationship with his father, Ivor Raymonde (the legendary producer, musician and arranger for acts such as the Walker Brothers and songwriter for artists including Dusty Springfield), the book will journey through the musician's rise to prominence and his time with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.

It will also chart the successful career he has forged running his own label, Bella Union, for the past twenty-seven years, discovering and developing globally renowned artists like Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty and John Grant. And the narrative will lead us back to the present day, reflecting on Simon's most recent experiences in the music industry - all while going deaf in one ear.

A must-read for music fans, this is the incredible tale of Simon's life and legacy.

Genres: Music, Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Autobiography, 21st Century

384 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2024

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting memoir from Bella Union records supremo and former Cocteau Twins bassist. The audiobook is well narrated by the author and what emerges is a lot of hard earned wisdom and some great anecdotes. If you like the Cocteaus and/or Bella Union then this is like catnip.

4/5

As one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the '80s and '90s - music that continues to cast a spell over millions. This is the story of the band, in his words.

Beginning with Simon's remarkable childhood and exploring his relationship with his father, Ivor Raymonde (the legendary producer, musician and arranger for acts such as the Walker Brothers and songwriter for artists including Dusty Springfield), the book will journey through the musician's rise to prominence and his time with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.

It will also chart the successful career he has forged running his own label, Bella Union, for the past twenty-seven years, discovering and developing globally renowned artists like Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty and John Grant. And the narrative will lead us back to the present day, reflecting on Simon's most recent experiences in the music industry - all while going deaf in one ear.

A must-read for music fans, this is the incredible tale of Simon's life and legacy.

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the biggest thing I maybe took away from this is how incredibly likeable and down to earth Raymonde comes across in here. He appears only too happy to throw credit in the direction of so many others, and yet often reluctant to claim much for himself, in spite of his obvious talent and quality.

I remain a huge fan of the Cocteau Twins and I think that one of their enduring qualities is that so little tends to be revealed about the band and their lives etc - at least in comparison to many of their peers, and considering how incredibly influential they were and continue to be.

I learned lots of really interesting stuff in here and in particular about my fav Cocteau album "Heaven Or Las Vegas". I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in good writing or the man and his work - this is told with warmth, insight and humour, and Raymonde never seems to take himself too seriously, in spite of his many achievements within music over the years.

[Mandel]

I almost never read memoirs, but Cocteau Twins are my favorite band of all time, so of course I would read this. And knowing the band as I do, I knew not to expect salacious revelations or shit-talking: Liz Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde have always been private, self-effacing, and meek in the public eye. But such things don't interest me anyway: I came to this to hear the story of Cocteau Twins and, to a lesser degree, of the music label they created, Bella Union. At first, I was half-expecting to be bored by Simon's recounting of his early life, and by his long digression into the life story of his father, the jazz musician Ivor Raymonde. However, the warm, witty quality of Simon's authorial voice (and his literal one, since I read this as an audiobook) made these parts quite enjoyable.

Still, though, the highlights for me here were in the story of Cocteau Twins. As a kid in the 90s, I spent many hours scouring library microfiche for articles about and interviews with this notoriously reticent band, and so in many ways Simon's work here fulfills a childhood dream. Of course, when you're a music-obsessed kid, it's easy to idealize the band you love and think of their lives in quasi-epic terms. As an adult, though, I appreciated the story Simon told here: a story of three incredibly talented but ordinary people who happened to spark up something very special with one another, yet struggled as introverts in a business for extroverts, and whose ordinary lives (addictions, relationships, financial and other mishaps) were happening as they made musical magic.

As a longtime fan, I shed a tear at Simon's tribute to the late Leesa Beales, the superfan who organized CT fandom on the pre-social media internet of the 90s and 2000s, with whom I had many exchanges on email lists, discussion boards, and chatrooms. I learned a lot about CT's creative process, and of course about Simon's own perspective on it. Of course, I would love to have learned more about Liz Fraser's lyric-writing process, or about how Robin Guthrie achieved CT's lush, ethereal sound, but those aren't really Simon's stories to tell. So, I hope Liz and/or Robin decide to write memoirs of their own one day..

[Ian Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant, fantastically structured, engaging, entertaining & interesting. Everything you want from an autobiography; I learned so much detail about Simon’s time in the Cocteau’s and their working practices that shed so much light on their career trajectory. His natural and self effacing style made this a pleasure to read.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading the autobiography of Simon Raymonde, musician, record label owner, and passionate football fan, and it does not disappoint. Alongside Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie, Raymonde was a member of my favourite band, the peerless Cocteau Twins. He reminiscences fondly of his time with the band, chronicling its ups and downs and final demise in an honest and forthright manner. Being a fan of the band, I greatly enjoyed this part of the book. So too, are Raymonde’s recollections of his father, the musician and songwriter Ivor Raymonde, which are both charming and poignant. And it would appear his love of Tottenham Hotspur FC knows no bounds! The trials and tribulations of his record label Bella Union are no less compelling. My only sadness when reading the book was that it would appear that it is unlikely that Fraser, Guthrie, and Raymonde, will ever set foot on stage together again. In fact, getting the three of them in the same room would appear to be more than problematic! Perhaps they should be reminded of the good times. Musicians capable of producing three 4AD-released EPs of mind-numbing quality in the space of barely nine months back in 1985 (Aikea-Guinea, Tiny Dynamine, and Echoes in a Shallow Bay) are few and far between. I await to see if Fraser or Guthrie ever publish their reminiscences of their time in the band. If not, Simon Raymonde’s autobiography will more than suffice. All in all, a great read.

[Katrina Homer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a big Cocteau Twins fan and fell in love with their music in my early teens.
So when I found out Simon Raymonde was giving a book talk at the End of The Road music festival, it was a must go see on my list for the festival. I also got to meet him at the book signing.
This book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between.
A wonderful insight into his time with the Cocteau Twins, running Bella Union record label, and his discovery into his late fathers music career. A wonderful read. Thank you, Simon.

[Bob Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Raymonde’s memoir “In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me”
Cocteau Twins’ former bassist – who is also the founder of the record label Bella Union – has written one of the most rewarding music books you’ll ever read.
A review by Bob Rich

“I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I’d like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it.”

The above quote, from the classic 1994 movie “The Shawshank Redemption,” is from a powerful moment in the film, when the main character Andy Dufresne plays some music from Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro” over the loudspeakers in a prison. As the prisoners listen to a singing duet from the opera, they all briefly feel free, for a couple of precious minutes. For many music fans, this quote might describe how they feel about Elizabeth Fraser, the vocalist from the legendary Scottish music group Cocteau Twins, who were active from 1979 to 1997. Elizabeth’s lyrics might be mysterious, but the emotion and conviction in her singing are always clear. Elizabeth sings words from English and other languages, often to convey emotion through the sound of the words.

Elizabeth’s highly evocative vocals are supported by two outstanding musicians, to create Cocteau Twins’ transporting world of sound. Robin Guthrie performs on guitar and keyboards, with Simon Raymonde on bass and keyboards. Cocteau Twins pioneered a music style called dream pop. Just as a dream can best be understood by the one who dreams it, a Cocteau Twins song gets personalized by the listener, letting you find your own meaning, as you listen.

This book review is about the exciting new memoir by Cocteau Twins’ former bassist, Simon Raymonde. His memoir is entitled, “In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me.” Just after Cocteau Twins completed their career, Simon co-founded one of the most celebrated independent record labels ever, called Bella Union. Through this record label, Simon has championed some of the most distinguished musicians and bands from the last 25 years, including Fleet Foxes, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and Van Dyke Parks. Because Simon’s record label is independent, the bands are given plenty of freedom to experiment in their style and sound. Simon’s father, Ivor Raymonde, also had a wonderful career in music, as the memoir describes.

What is truly refreshing, is how Simon’s memoir is written in such a conversational and joyful way. He sounds awe-struck, as unpretentious as a long-lost friend you get to catch up with at a high school reunion – like a buddy you haven’t seen in 20 years who throws his arm over your shoulder and urges you to come sit with him at the bar, as he orders a round of drinks and starts reminiscing about great stories that he can’t wait to tell you about.

In many ways, Simon’s book is a highly enjoyable time-machine trip through the history of alternative rock music. “Alternative music” refers to music released from independent record labels. The first half of Simon’s book is focused on the history of his own band, Cocteau Twins, which he vibrantly brings to life. He begins with his earliest memories of Elizabeth Fraser. He describes her “cerulean, blue eyes,” and her childlike wonder combined with a “wisdom three times her age.” He remembers making Cocteau Twins’ first song. He talks about Ivo Watts-Russell, who founded the respected record label 4AD, which signed Cocteau Twins. He says Ivo would share all kinds of inspiring culture with his colleagues, like when he urged them all to see Andrei Tarkovsky’s experimental movie “Mirror” with him.

Cocteau Twins fans will find particular delight in Simon's elated discussions of the band's albums, from the boldness of “Treasure,” to his true enjoyment of “Victorialand” (which he describes in poetic detail even though he didn’t perform on that particular album), and the new confidence in Elizabeth’s vocals on their record “Blue Bell Knoll.” Simon gives special attention to the often-recognized Cocteau Twins’ album “Heaven or Las Vegas,” which is widely considered one of the finest dream pop albums ever. He narrates stories from the recording sessions for “Heaven or Las Vegas,” explaining why the song “Fifty-Fifty Clown” is a highlight. He even provides detail on how they made the album’s incandescent cover, which involved taking pictures of Christmas lights in creative ways. Their next record, called “Four Calendar Café,” he describes as music therapy for the band. In addition, he talks about making their brilliant EP’s – their “extended play” releases which are just as luminous as their albums.

Simon also speaks of Cocteau Twins’ encounters with other music artists, which sometimes includes working with them. When he talks about Cocteau Twins’ collaborative work with musician Harold Budd, on the album “The Moon and the Melodies,” he paints a fun picture of Harold casually having drinks with them, as they visit just outside a pub. Simon speaks of Cocteau Twins’ opportunities to work with Brian Eno and David Lynch – both of which they declined! He discusses The Who’s Pete Townshend, who helped them set up equipment at their recording studio September Sound.

Next, Simon brings us into his memories of Cocteau Twins’ last work together, and their last chats together as a band. Then, he speaks of the early days at his record label, Bella Union, which got started in 1997, the same year when Cocteau Twins disbanded. He describes what running a record label is really like, from the importance of kindness and teamwork, to developing lasting relationships with the bands you admire. When he talks about supporting talented bands like Midlake, Beach House, Mercury Rev, and The Flaming Lips, Simon’s passion is truly uplifting to hear. He gives us an inside look at his friendship with Robin Pecknold, frontman of the acclaimed band Fleet Foxes. He even reads a crucial letter to us, which he wrote to Robin with the hope of bringing the music of Fleet Foxes to Europe. This letter led to a fruitful partnership with Fleet Foxes that lasted for years.

One of the many things that makes this memoir a treat is Simon’s sincerely great sense of humor. Even the introduction, where he talks about a concerning medical situation, is graced by his wit. He soon discusses a very memorable occasion when Cocteau Twins perform in Japan, only to find themselves in a hilarious cultural misunderstanding – this story made me laugh out loud. He talks about how Cocteau Twins enjoyed watching funny movies in their tour bus, while traveling between concerts – how they would put on comedy movies starring Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, and Bill Murray. They even watched the absurdist ‘60s sci-fi TV series The Prisoner. He talks about playing the classic arcade game Asteroids, before recording sessions. Of special note, are his amusing stories surrounding his support of the band The Flaming Lips. When he meets The Flaming Lips’ charismatic lead singer, Wayne Coyne, they chat about how the band will soon be releasing a limited edition, seven-pound edible skull made of gummy bear material, containing a flash-drive that houses four new songs. Throughout this part of the memoir, Simon seems to be having a ball, as he reflects on The Flaming Lips’ brilliant live concerts, where audience members dress up as animals, astronauts, and superhero characters, while Wayne gets into a gigantic clear bubble which the crowd keeps lifted above their heads as Wayne surfs over the crowd, as he’s singing.

Simon’s buoyant, fan-like enthusiasm is what separates this memoir from other rock music books I‘ve read. He is genuinely happy, when he describes the up-and-coming musician John Grant finding success, and when he speaks of the young girl Nell Smith who joined The Flaming Lips to make a whole album where she sings covers of Nick Cave songs when she was only 13 years old. He tells us when he got a ride to his own concert from concert goers, and he talks glowingly about his pet dogs. He sounds just like his relatable persona on Facebook, where, for a decade and a half, he has shared about rising stars in music, with occasional dog pictures also posted.

Simon has been an excellent example on Facebook over the years, and I have followed his lead, since I too have found joy in sharing on social media about great musicians with a nice following who deserve even more attention – such as my friend Bill Majoros whose psychedelic rock music has made fans of luminaries like Robbie Robertson from The Band and legendary producer Daniel Lanois. The mini-novel I wrote with Bill, called Emily Blue & the Star on the Moon, released in 2018 with Bill‘s triple album “The Record Collector,” is a time-travel trip through music history – and I was excited to discover that my mini-novel and Simon’s memoir discuss the influential ‘70s band Television. Inspired by Simon, I’ve also shared on Facebook about additional hugely talented music artists, like singer Rebekah Del Rio who has sung in David Lynch productions like Twin Peaks and whose own albums like “Love Hurts Love Heals” are truly stunning, and singer / actress Synthia Hardy whose on-stage tribute to Billie Holiday is the greatest play I’ve ever seen.

On a personal note, what also was especially meaningful for me, as I listened to Simon’s memoir on audio-book, was when I heard his reflections on his father, Ivor Raymonde, and Ivor’s career in entertainment as a musician, songwriter, and arranger. From February 2024 through February 2025, I traveled for hours, nearly every day, to visit my dad at a care home where he lived during an extended illness. For a couple weeks in January 2025, I dedicated some time to listen to Simon’s entire memoir, during my daily bus rides to go see my dad. Simon’s father Ivor made terrific orchestral arrangements for pop singers Dusty Springfield and the Walker Brothers in the 1960s. Simon makes special moments with his dad understandable for us through sensory detail, like simply embracing his dad. Simon talks about his dad’s career as a jazz pianist, working with great singers and musicians, which reminded me of my own dad’s work in film and theatre. Simon also explains that he himself worked with Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers in a music project that was highly successful, carrying on Ivor’s heritage of collaborating with the Walkers. Simon tells us how a couple songs from Cocteau Twins’ album “Heaven or Las Vegas” – namely, “I Wear Your Ring” and “Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires” – are related to his dad. His description of how he contributed musically to “Midsummer Fires” is so vivid, I felt like I was there at the recording studio.

As I was visiting my dad for over eleven months, during his illness, the band I listened to most often, while traveling to and from my dad’s care residence, was Cocteau Twins. I had quite a nice moment, in January 2025, as I was listening to Cocteau Twins’ excellent EP called “Love’s Easy Tears,” when the song “Sigh’s Smell of Farewell” began to play through my earphones, as I was walking to visit my dad. There was a point, during that song, where Elizabeth’s consoling singing, and Simon and Robin’s masterful playing, completely lifted me, for just a few minutes, from the sadness I was so accustomed to, as I was caring for my dad. Music legend Bob Marley said, "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." That was definitely the case, when I heard “Sigh’s Smell of Farewell,” that January morning – where it felt to me like Elizabeth was singing in an advanced heavenly language, and her reassuring voice, along with the chiming, shimmering music, gave me vitality and hope. I think again of “The Shawshank Redemption,” when Andy Dufresne explains how music can remind us, during difficult times, that “there are places in this world that aren't made out of stone. That there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours.” Simon tells us in his memoir that he hopes his career has made life in this world a little less painful for others. Well, sir, through Cocteau Twins’ wonderfully durable music, and your work at Bella Union, and your excellent memoir, mission accomplished.

* * *

[Graham Catt · Rating 4 out of 5]

As founder/manager of Bella Union Records, and member of Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde has plenty of material from which to draw for this excellent autobiography. His easy, enjoyable tone is a pleasure, and his gentle, self-deprecating voice helps offset some of the more unhappy stories (financial, health, creative).

Simon also spends some time discussing his father Ivor Raymonde, a well-known producer of hits in the 50s and 60s. The writer's enthusiasm for his father's work is palpable.

It's an altogether fine autobiography. As a longstanding Cocteaus fan I was very pleased to read about the band's background/working methods. The band were notoriously media adverse in the 80s, so all this information is a treat.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are the memoirs of the man probably best known as the bassist for Cocteau Twins, but for nearly three decades after that he has run the record label Bella Union, plus his father was legendary orchestral arranger Ivor Raymonde. So, Simon Raymonde has had an eventful life in music and beyond, and this book was often interesting reading.

Memoirs from larger publishing houses might pressure the artist to focus on only the most well-known part of his or her career, and force the text to appeal to as general an audience as possible. This memoir, on the other hand, is a sprawling one that covers the whole span of Raymonde’s life, and editing-wise it is a bit rough around the edges. As a fan of Cocteau Twins and some of Bella Union’s releases, I actually found this a good thing. Raymonde assumes readers will have some familiarity with his former band or his record label already, so he can go straight into things without too much dull scene-setting. The memoirist is also brutally honest about his own faults, and quick to give credit to others. Even compared to memoirs from other nice-guy musicians, Raymonde seems remarkably free of ego.

All that said, I didn’t learn all that much new about the Cocteau Twins years that I didn’t already know. This is also one fairly dramatic bit of CT lore that Raymonde skips over entirely. Press coverage about the abortive reunion of the band to play the Coachella Festival in 2005, said that Raymonde’s share of the money could have helped to save his Bella Union label at a financially shaky time. Here, in spite of describing many of the travails of the label in its early years, there is no mention of the Coachella debacle. This could, however, be out of concern for his former bandmates, who he clearly doesn’t want to knock in spite of some airing of interpersonal conflicts elsewhere in the book.

And, because nobody’s memory is perfect, there are a few factual errors here that could have been caught by some test readers before publication: Scott Walker’s 1995 album Tilt is mistakenly called a release on the 4AD label, and Raymonde recounts his first meeting with Jeff Buckley when the latter was “still a young teenager”, very chronologically unlikely.

[Andy Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and honest. It has a slightly unusual structure in that the part about his arranger/composer father (Ivor Raymonde) appears in the middle of the memoir rather than opening it as a family history prologue or reason why Simon got into a similar line. It is not entirely without justification as a disconnect in their shared lifetimes between father and son meant that the father was not a strong inspiration for the son's pop career but an increasing interest in who his father was did inspire some elements of his publishing / record label career, particularly albums about him and a prom for Scott Walker who his father worked closely with among others including Billy Fury and Dusty Springfield. The other side of his label career has been finding original melodic but cutting edge new bands which is exactly what his own band was in their heyday. Lots of interesting anecdotes about that time in particular. Be prepared to dip into youtube along the way, particularly if like me you have got a little out of touch with the music scene since the 80s and 90s. Some really good material on his label is highlighted.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is an ok writer, but more importantly his heart is full of love… he truly loves music; and I always have a thing for music auteurs with skin in the game. He says Cocteau Twins are bigger now than ever, 30 years after they dissolved, I agree, great music is beyond time. I think the sub-title of the book should have been ‘Cocteau Twins, Belle Union, and me’. The Belle Union part was especially fascinating to me. Relistening to all these many records again they feel more 3 dimensional with Raymonde’s backstories.
Music is the best, the history of the world in incomplete without it. The author could easily write another book on music and that gut feeling he gets when he knows a band are truly seekers of the path and should be supported to the n’th degree. If you love music, read this.

[Anna Doble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon's book is fascinating, touching and often very funny. He humbly guides us through an incredible music career via some hilarious and jaw-dropping anecdotes (the hell of a Vegas casino, the heaven of a reunion with a long-lost guitar). Through Simon's storytelling we glimpse the lives of the two main players in Cocteau Twins (Robin Guthrie and Elizabeth Fraser) but he shies away from speaking for them, other than to pay tribute to their mad talent and especially Elizabeth's other-worldly vocals. But this is Simon's wonderful story of a life steeped in the *incredible* music of his own creation and then later the records made under his influence at his label, Bella Union, which has rarely put a foot wrong. It is a beautiful book.

[Lisastrawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Simon. What an absolutely beautiful and riveting story of your life! I feel so lucky to have met you ( twice!) at the famed September Sound, to have seen your show with The Autumns where you sang Garlands…and of course the 2 amazing Cocteau Twins shows… to have seen where you filmed the video for your amazing solo record…All this merely to hint at the huge impact your music has had on my life in myriad ways for so many years.
I savored every moment of your book, indeed every page of your journey and found your self deprecating humor tremendously enjoyable. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Long may you, Abbey, William, Stan and Bodhi flourish.❤️

[Alistair Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge Cocteau Twins fan and have long been an admirer of the record label, Bella Union. I’m not usually a fan of autobiographies as very few subjects can objectively distance themselves from the story they are telling of their lives, but Raymonde does a very good job. His style is easy to read and thankfully none of the ‘up your own arse’ pretentiousness that you find in many autobiographies written by musicians.

[Laurence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful and interesting read, especially for fans of Cocteau Twins. Simon comes across as a genuinely nice man, and he is very honest, if a little diplomatic. It was also great to find out more about his dad Ivor. Some anecdotes are very funny, like Simon's adventures in Las Vegas and Mexico. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the first to the last page.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love music biographies and this is one to cherish. SR not only covers his time in Cocteau Twins but (as the title states) his relationship with his Dad and his subsequent appreciation of Ivor's work. The trials and tribulations of his record label Bella Union are a real eye opener and shows Simon to be what he really is; a music lover. Highly recommended.

[Mark Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this , brilliantly written , so easy to read .Full of great stories about Simon's life , his Dad Ivor and his career , Cocteau Twins , Bella Union and a myriad of bands and artists. Highly recommended even if you only have a passing interest. Great stuff all round.

[Gabriel K · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite music memoir of the year!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just a fantastic book. And I got some much extra about all the other bands and artists I love.

Really engaging. Brilliantly written. And my love of Cocteau Twins has fully resurfaced.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Cocteau Twins. If you do too, this is a serviceable read. Prepare yourself though: for me, the stuff that’s unrelated to that (and there’s lots of it) dragged a bit.

[Tom Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting, humble, and very interesting.

[Chris Bookley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frou-frou.

[Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating tale of Simon Raymonde's life, as a Cocteau Twin and also running Bella Union. He also goes into detail on his Dad's life

[Kiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book!

[Matthew Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cocteau Twins have been my favorite band for decades (and I doubt anyone will ever unseat that distinction) so I gobbled this autobiography right up. As is always the case for me with these kind of books, I loved reading about how the rise to fame started, and the “behind-the-scenes” info about the creative process of composing and recording CT and This Mortal Coil albums was a real treat (I would’ve easily enjoyed twice as much of that, to be honest). But even after the covering of this time period is done, I still was fully engaged in his accounts of managing a label and his personal/family life.
I do have to say that reading about the financial struggles that Raymonde has had to endure DESPITE being a musician in one of the best bands of all time (IMHO) and then as a producer/record label owner was sad and frustrating; Raymonde and Fraser and Guthrie should all be millionaires ten times over for the music they have given us and left us with for all time.

[Mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

reassuring to know that it's possible to spend time in grangemouth and also hang out with father john misty