|
|
|
|
||
|
 |
 |
Highlighting in album tracklistings denotes 'contains Mellotron'. On 'multi-part' tracks I've tried to indicate which parts contain 'Tron, although this isn't always possible.
Ratings:
The * rating (½-5) is my personal, entirely subjective and completely partisan rating of the music.
The 'T' ('Tron, of course...) rating (0-5) is an only slightly more objective indicator of an album's Mellotronness.
By the way, if you know of any Mellotron albums that aren't listed here, please look at my albums page first! Thanks.
 |
Time Out of Mind (2009, 77.14) ***½/TTT½The Valther TwinsExodus Time Out of Mind "Option C" |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
In early 2009, Holland's Free System Projekt duo teamed up with Britain's Brendan Pollard (Rogue Element) and Hashtronaut for a session at Pollard's Bedford-based studio, Radial Velocity. The end result is pretty much as you'd expect from four EM devotees: a full-length disc of Berlin School atmospherics and sequences, short on originality but long on magnificent analogue textures and improvisational skill. Despite its inordinate near-half hour length, the title track is probably the best thing here, with some vicious sequencer work (no, really) and a superior sense of dynamics, although there's nothing here to disappoint your typical EM fan.
Three of the album's four participants play one or both of Pollard's M400s, Pollard himself and both the FSP guys, Ruud Heij and Marcel Engels. We get strings, cellos, flutes and an unidentified woodwind on The Valther Twins and Exodus, with a major string section part and a belated appearance from the choirs in the title track, with more string overkill in "Option C" (surely a nod to The Tangs' Sequent C' from Phaedra?). After a slowish start, this turns into a very nice 'Tron album, with absolutely no doubts as to its veracity, for once.
I've no idea whether or not this combination of players will be repeated at any point, but it seems to work well, taking the pressure off the two solo acts involved. You're really only going to like this if Tangerine Dream and their ilk are your thang, but the collaboration does what it does well, with plenty of Mellotron work for the aficionado. Recommended.
Official Free System Projekt site
See: Brendan Pollard | Rogue Element
 |
7" (1968) ***½/TT½ Where Will You Be Tonight Trying to Get a Glimpse of You |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
The Freedom were formed by two ex-members of Procol Harum around 1968, but didn't release an album until 1970, by which time they'd apparently become a lower-division hard rock act. I haven't heard Where Will You Be Tonight, but its flip, Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You, is a great little slice of classic psych, about which I feel forced to use that appalling cliché, 'Mellotron-drenched'. There. I've said it. Anyway, chordal strings (from Mike Lease - thanks, Mike) overlaid with a flute melody make for a worthwhile 'Tron experience; why wasn't it the a-side?
Incidentally, I've been led to believe that there's some 'Tron input on their second album, 1971's Through the Years (***), but having given it a close listen, I can quite assure you that there isn't. The sobriquet 'lower-division' that I used above was spot-on, too; very ordinary.
 |
The Other Side (1994, 43.54) **½/TBeyond the SkyInside the Tower Ophelia My Time Has Come Lifting the Veil Golden Leaves The Last Time The Key |
 |
Destiny (2002, recorded 1993?-2002?, 63.43) ***/TT |
|
| Lifting the Veil Alone Lillie May Ophelia Golden Leaves Slips My Mind Beyond the Sky Call Another Doctor |
The Mist of Avalon Remember Me A Mermaid's Lament Inside the Tower The Key |
|
Current availability:
Mellotrons used:
Sally French recorded an album, The Other Side, in the early '90s at my old friend Dave Etheridge's studio, released on ill-fated Dutch neo-prog label S.I., six of its eight tracks turning up on 2002's Destiny compilation. The original album's material falls into a (very) vaguely Kate Bush-esque singer-songwriter/pop/prog-lite vein, all effectively vehicles for French's excellent voice, though rather lightweight musically. The strongest performance is probably Inside The Tower, while the two tracks missing from Destiny, My Time Has Come and The Last Time, are missing for a very good reason. Dave played the Mellotron (his M400 and possibly MkII) on opener Beyond The Sky, with string and choir parts that, sadly, don't make themselves too apparent.
Destiny jumbles the original album's tracklisting, throwing seven newer recordings in amongst the older, although the new running order seems to work well enough. Stylistically, there's little to choose between the two eras, most of the newer material sounding not unlike the older and French's voice remaining consistent (we'll quietly ignore the bits where she drifts out of tune), although anyone looking for full-on symphonic prog will probably be disappointed. Sally's husband, Peter Darley (ex-Dawnwatcher), plays Mellotron on the newer tracks, with a hefty helping of M400 (his old machine?) strings on Lillie May and strings from (apparently) Barclay James Harvest's old M300 on The Mist Of Avalon and A Mermaid's Lament.
To reiterate, these are not your typical prog albums, even from the early '90s, but fans of luminous female vocals may well wish to hear Ms French's work. Only one of the four 'Tron tracks on Destiny is 'classic', but that's one 'classic' more than most albums. Many thanks to Dave Etheridge for his help with these reviews.
See: Dawnwatcher
 |
7" (1968) ***/TT½ Piccolo Man Mythological Sunday |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Friends were the Flower Pot Men under another guise; amusing, since the band were a studio creation anyway. Piccolo Man is pretty awful, and was a deserved flop, but its flip, Mythological Sunday, is a fantastic, Mellotron-driven psych epic, well worth hearing. You'll be lucky to find an original, but both tracks are easily available on the Very Best of the Flowerpot Men CD, while the b-side turns up on The Flower Pot Men's The Peace album, belatedly released in 2000.
See: Flower Pot Men
 |
Wichita Lineman (2001, 37.37) ***/TT |
|
| Intro Overload Alternate Theme Main Theme In the Wire Incidental Tennessee Waltz Through the Whine |
Wichita Lineman For All Time |
|
 |
Under the Waves (2003, 44.52) ***/TTH-Hour Minus FiveAnd Love to Be the Master of Hate Time's Not Your Friend Indian Summer Under the Waves On the Shore Omaha Cahuenga |
Current availability:
Mellotron/Chamberlin used:
The Friends of Dean Martinez have been going since the mid-'90s, initially on Nirvana's original label, SubPop, and I suppose they loosely fit into the much-maligned 'post rock' category, although they claim to mix equal parts of lounge music and desert country, or somesuch. Wichita Lineman actually sounds not a million miles away from Unwound, with a laid-back, resigned sort of air about it, occasionally summoning up the energy to 'rock out' slightly, as on Overload, though more often they drift where the music takes them, however long that may take. Both the track titles and much of the music itself also have a 'soundtracky' feel to them, giving the impression of one of those 'soundtracks to an imaginary film' that crop up every now and again, exacerbated by the sound of a projector at the end of the last track. On the 'Tron front, Bill Elm adds chordal strings to Main Theme, In The Wire and the title track, although I'm not entirely convinced they're real.
2003's Under the Waves isn't dissimilar, albeit with less of a 'soundtrack' feel about it. Dave Lachance adds a Chamberlin string line to And Love To Be The Master Of Hate, then Mike Semple plays a chordal part on Indian Summer and a drifting (that word again) single-note string line on Cahuenga. These reviews replace my original one of 2003's double-disc On the Shore (right), a bizarre release, consisting of several tracks from Wichita Lineman, three live tracks (tape replay-free, unsurprisingly) and all of Under the Waves. Why? A 'sampler' (aargh! Don't mention samples! I did once, but I think I got away with it) for overseas markets? No idea, but you're better off with the separate releases, to be honest.
So; if you're looking for something laid-back but not totally undemanding, The Friends of Dean Martinez might be just the band you're looking for. Intelligent, well-written and played stuff, with just enough Mellotron/Chamberlin to tempt the enthusiast, although neither album's exactly a 'Tron classic. Incidentally, the following year's Random Harvest (****) is excellent, though the credited 'strings' don't appear to be 'Tron.
 |
Gravity (1980, 47.04) ***½/½ |
|
| The Boy Beats the Rams (Kluk Tluce Berany) Spring Any Day Now Don't Cry for Me The Hands of the Juggler Norrgården Nyvla Year of the Monkey What a Dilemma |
Crack in the Concrete Come Across Dancing in the Street My Enemy is a Bad Man Slap Dance A Career in Real Estate Dancing in Rockville, Maryland |
|
 |
 |
Speechless (1981, 44.12) ***½/½ |
|
| Kick the Can (part 1) Carnival on Wall Street Ahead in the Sand Laughing Matter/Esperanza Women Speak to Men; Men Speak to Women A Spit in the Ocean Navajo |
Balance Saving Grace Speechless Conversations With White Arc Domaine de Planousset Kick the Can (part 2) |
||
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Fred Frith came to prominence in the mid-'70s as guitarist with art-rock supremos Henry Cow, while concurrently releasing solo albums and working with the likes of Robert Wyatt and The Residents. The Henry Cow/Slapp Happy conglomerate had folded by the end of the decade, although the related Art Bears carried on for a few more years, leaving Frith free to pursue his varied musical interests, not that being a band member seemed to stop him before. These were the days before 'solo guitarist' inevitably meant fretboard wankery of the highest order, especially if one operated at the avant-garde end of the spectrum, and while Frith isn't exactly what you'd call a superstar, he has critical acclaim a-plenty and a devoted hardcore of admirers who buy anything with his name on it.
1980's Gravity was his second solo release, with Frith backed on side one by Samla Mammas Manna and on the flip by the Muffins. He actually promoted it as a 'dance' album, in the truest sense of the word and as an antidote to the then-prevailing dumbed-down disco ethos, by incorporating all kinds of what are now described as 'world' musics. The end result is an entertaining smögåsbord of influences, many of them Central/Eastern European, some of it sounding quite Henry Cow-like, much of it sounding pretty much like nothing else you've heard. Frith plays a smattering of Mellotron, with flutes on Come Across, though that would appear to be your lot.
He followed up with 1981's Speechless, which, true to form, is full of weird, dissonant cut-up pieces like Laughing Matter/Esperanza and A Spit In The Ocean, some recorded live, or adapted from live pieces. It's pretty obvious, listening to this, that Frith has influenced a good many people, not least Cardiacs, who were shifting up a gear around this time. Frith plays Mellotron on one track, with a few seconds of strings on Ahead In The Sand, but it's not exactly what you'd call major use, so unless you're particularly into what he's doing...
So; not albums for someone whose answer to "What music do you like?" is "Oh, anything really". These are albums for the strangest person you know, although probably also the most interesting. They aren't albums for Mellotron lovers, either, but that's all a bit irrelevant, I suppose.
 |
Zombi 2 (1979, 28.12) ***/T |
|
| The Boat Introduction Zombie Eyeball Escape From the Flesh Eaters The Cab Ride Menard's Duty Matool Ann & Peter |
Voodoo Rising Matool 2 Escape From the Flesh Eaters 2 Maggots |
|
 |
The Beyond [a.k.a. L'Aldilà] (1981, 39.58) ***/TT |
|
| Verso Lignoto Voci dal Nulla Suono Aperto Sequenza Coro e Orchestra Oltre la Soglia Voci dal Nulla Suono Aperto Voci dal Nulla |
Giro di Blues Verso Lignoto Sequenza Ritmica e Tema |
|
 |
Sette Note in Nero [a.k.a. The Psychic, as Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera] (2006, recorded 1977, 53.27) ***/T |
||
| Sucidio (Prologo) With You (Titoli) Tunnels Strane Visioni Allucinazioni Abbatimento del Muro 7 Note (film version) Tracce Sul Muro (film version) |
Concerto alla Radio Ritrovamento del Cadavere Fuga 7 Note (film version #2) Fuga Seconda Il Ritorno di Francesco Conversazione La Lettera |
Aggressione Murata Viva e Salvataggio (Epilogo) Sette Note in Nero (Finale) With You (instrumental unused) 7 Note (single version) Tracce Sul Muro (single version) |
|
Current availability:
Mellotrons used:
While never actually being a member of Goblin, Fabio Frizzi has worked with them (notably on the Il Reale Impero Britannico project in 1976) and, like them, is best known for his work on Italian slasher flick soundtracks. His first solo effort (to my knowledge) was for Lucio Fulci's gore-fest Zombi 2, a.k.a. Zombie, a.k.a. Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island, Zombie Flesh Eaters and Woodoo, available in a multitude of versions, all cut differently, but all basically copping ideas from Giorgio Romero's Night of the Living Dead something rotten. However, I'm not here to review the film, which I've no interest in seeing anyway. The soundtrack (unsurprisingly) is reminiscent of some of Goblin's work, although Frizzi has his own voice, particularly on the 'ethnic' bits.
As with the film itself, the soundtrack seems to've been released in a multitude of formats, so I'm not even sure the above tracklisting is correct or complete, but it seems to cover the various themes used without repetition, so it's going to have to do. Well, it's a perfectly competent horror soundtrack, its best bits probably being the main theme, Eyeball (a notorious scene, apparently) and the synth-heavy The Cab Ride. Mellotron on one track only, but at least it's one with high visibility, Zombie itself (the main theme), with unmistakable brooding male voices on a suitably doomy piece.
Frizzi produced another two soundtracks in 1980, Contraband and City of the Living Dead, at least one of which is apparently no more or less than remixed versions of Zombie material. His next definitely all-new work was '81's The Beyond, a.k.a. ...E Tu Vivrai Nel Terrore! L'Aldilà (inspiring the Black Widow label's album of almost the same name), showcasing quite a different feel to Zombi 2, with a bigger budget, with real orchestra and choir alongside the keyboards. Best tracks? Verso Lignoto (presumably the main theme), the various versions of Voci Dal Nulla and the first version of Suono Aperto, or the first three tracks, basically. More 'Tron this time round, with flutes and more of those marvellous voices on Verso Lignoto, double-tracked male voices and background strings on Voci Dal Nulla, background choir doubling the real one on the second version of Voci Dal Nulla, while the third version is strongly reminiscent of the first and the second version of Verso Lignoto repeats the parts from earlier.
2006 brought the long-awaited full release of 1977's Sette Note in Nero [a.k.a. Seven Notes In Black, a.k.a. The Psychic], originally credited to Frizzi's mid-'70s soundtrack-writing trio, Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera, with Franco Bixio and Vince Tempera. While dark, it's not quite as creepy as Zombi 2 or The Beyond, but then, that would be going it some... Mellotron choirs (presumably from Frizzi) on a handful of tracks, although most of them are minor variations on 7 Note, plus minor use on Concerto Alla Radio and Aggressione, to rather ordinary effect, to be honest.
The first two of these are probably pretty essential if you're into horror film soundtracks or Goblin, although the best bits of both these albums would fit onto an EP, to be honest. Despite Zombi 2 only having one 'Tron track, it's a good'un, although The Beyond gets rather more in. Both worth hearing, then, though not necessarily for the 'Tron.
See: Goblin
 |
Turn Heads (2008, 48.42) **½/T½ |
|
| Blissful She is Becoming Her Mother Again Slipping Under the Radar Just Behind a Brickwall Take It Easy (We're Birds of the Air and the Sky Is Wide Open) Landing You Are Someone I Can Believe in |
Tomorrow Miles to Go Delicate Dance of Ghosts Turn Heads Grace (live) |
|
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Tobias Fröberg is a Swedish singer-songwriter of the 'modern, quite drippy' variety (n.b. I believe this is known as 'heartfelt' or similar by fans of the genre). 2008's Turn Heads is his third album and while it has a couple of more uptempo tracks, the bulk of it is the kind of wet and watery stuff peddled by any number of 'sensitive' male singers, albeit nowhere near as bad as the likes of James Blunt or (God help us) Daniel Powter.
Fröberg plays the Mellotron himself, with flutes and strings on Just Behind A Brickwall, clearly real, as the final chord wobbles to a conclusion, with more wobbly strings and cellos on You Are Someone I Can Believe In. Two decent 'Tron tracks, then, but a rather dreary album, I'm afraid. Nice to hear an (ostensibly) real machine used for once, though.
 |
Aqua (1974, 45.57) ****/TT½AquaPanorphelia NGC 891 Upland |
 |
Epsilon in Malaysian Pale (1975, 34.15) *****/TTTTEpsilon in Malaysian PaleMaroubra Bay |
 |
Macula Transfer (1976, 35.50) *****/TTTTTOS-452AF-765 PA-701 QUANTAS-611 IF-810 |
 |
Ages (1978, 83.18) ***/TT½MetropolisEra of the Slaves Tropic of Capricorn Nights of Automatic Women Icarus Childrens Deeper Study Ode to Granny A. Pizarro and Atahuallpa Golgatha and the Circle Closes |
Current availability:
Mellotrons used:
While I like the Tangs' Edgar Froese's solo output, I can't pretend to understand it in the way that aficionados do, so Dave Dewdney has kindly reviewed all the relevant releases for me:
Edgar Froese's debut solo album Aqua is counted as one of his best. Here Edgar fuses running water sounds with synthetic bubbling sounds courtesy of his VCS3 synthesizer. Aqua the title track contains no Mellotron at all, quite odd for a man who honed his skill on the Mellotron on the TD album Atem. But here on this track you have effects, deep washes of organs and strange synth noises. Panorphelia, the next track, is awash with a white noise rhythmic pulse and a Mellotron, however Edgar just tends to repeat the main melody over and over again until it fades away before the boredom sets in. The other two tracks, NGC-891 and Upland, follow much the same styles, NGC-891 has the Moog by Chris Franke on it, and Upland is just Edgar improvising with his organs and some backwards tape effects. A must-have album.
Edgar's next album Epsilon in Malaysian Pale is a much better affair, I mean absolutely packed to the gunnels with Mellotrons, a Mark-V with tapes specially recorded by the BBC for him. The title track Epsilon kicks off with monkeys/birds in a sweaty tropical jungle (Inspired by TD's tour of Australia in 1975) and then in comes the constant swells and lulls of Edgar's Mellotrons, using just strings and flute, actually giving his 8-voice choirs a miss on the whole album. Here he shows just what you can do with such a marvellous instrument. He also uses a Moog synthesizer on this track for the small 4-minute rhythmic part, and ends the track with another smattering of Mellotrons. Maroubra Bay the second track begins with the Mellotron strings/brass, with Edgar playing major/minor keys to give it a more sinister feel, then adding washes of white noise from his VCS3 synth into which a tumbling Moog rhythmic pulse sets up the rest of the track. In fact, Maroubra Bay is actually the masterpiece of this album. Now, if Chris Franke and Peter Baumann had been on this track, it would have become another milestone in TD's recording history.
Froese's third solo album Macula Transfer is somewhat of a sought-after rarity since it was only made available in Germany on the Brain/Metronome Label. However, 22 years later it was re-released by Manikin Records to the disgust of Froese himself who ordered it to be stopped because he wanted to release a new version of it himself. The tracks on this album all refer to flight numbers while TD was touring in 1975 and 1976. This album was recorded in June 1976; Edgar recorded this album just for fun? Now it's highly prized amongst collectors and aficionados. Edgar again puts the Mellotrons to good use on this album. The album opens with OS-452 which is a mixture of Edgar's guitar work and Mellotron techniques. AF-765 is a bit weird with backwards effects and a ping-pong Moog rhythm sequence continuously pounding away, he adds electric guitar, his voice fed through his VCS3, sinister staccato stabs on his Mellotrons, the track then just gets faster and faster till it ends very strangely. PA-701 starts with Edgar feeding his Mellotron through his VCS3 inputs, and is probably the best track on this album, using a mixture of choirs and strings for some lovely melodies and also introduces the gorgeous Mellotron flute on which the track ends. QUANTAS-611 is five minutes of very sinister Mellotrons all the way from beginning to end. IF-810, the last track, begins with a heavy Moog rhythm-pulse once again unto which Edgar sets up the main melody and puts in some nice Mellotron strings here and there. If you don't have this album, I suggest you try and locate a copy, any Mellotron enthusiast cannot do without this one to their collection.
Ages was Edgar Froese's fourth album recorded during 1977 which was a very turbulent time, with Peter Baumann having left TD, and Edgar having to cancel concerts in America and Europe. So with the time left he recorded Ages, but having recorded so much material it ended up being a double album. People have mixed feelings about this album. Ages is okay in parts, the rest is just either repetitive and nauseating where the boredom sets in quite quickly. The album kicks off with Metropolis where Edgar adds synths and Mellotrons (strings and brass) and Klaus Kreiger just bangs away repetitively away on his drums. Era Of Slaves is much better where there is a good measure of 'Tron flutes and strings nicely in the mix on this track. The big track Tropic Of Capricorn has very little 'Tron on it all, more piano, synth and drums. The rest of the tracks are just more banal and silly, and except for Pizzaro And Atahualpa there is a good dose of 'Tron throughout the rest of the tracks. Incidentally if you get the CD re-release by Virgin you will notice that Golgatha And The Circle Closes is missing; they couldn't fit the track on the CD and left it off. Most collectors will buy this to add to their collection, but is sometimes best avoided playing altogether. If you like this album - enjoy it, it's just a matter of personal taste.
Edgar's next album Stuntman 1979 was a purely digital affair utilising the new digital synthesis technology, although he added analogue synths and a grand piano to it, but left out the Mellotron altogether (put away only to come out briefly on TD's Tangram album at the end of part-two just using the choirs). After that it was just a digital affair. A sad end to Edgar's and TD's musical instrument history.
| Dave Dewdney |
See: Tangerine Dream
 |
Creatures (2003, 53.14) ****/TTTAll This TimeCreatures The Celestial Metal Can (In Memory of Charles Ives) Gagutz Waterfall Carnival |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Frogg Café apparently started life as Zappa tribute act Lumpy Gravy, releasing their first album of original material, Frogg Café, in 2001. I haven't heard that, but Creatures is, despite some of its European influences, a very 'American' progressive album, with lengthy vocal sections, reminding me of various current US outfits. Aside from Zappa, I can hear bits of Gentle Giant, quite a bit of jazz (much marimba work) and, maybe surprisingly, a hint of psychedelia in places. Actually, The Celestial Metal Can (In Memory Of Charles Ives) is full-on weirdness, as you might expect, given its title, but the rest of the album is pretty musically cohesive.
Nick Lieto sticks Mellotron all over the place, with strings and/or choirs on four out of five tracks, although he rarely overuses it. There's a heavy string presence on All This Time, but even the 20-minute+ Waterfall Carnival doesn't overdo it, with choir parts drifting pleasantly in and out of the piece. So; good album, though slightly unfocussed in places, and decent 'Tron use, so that's a recommendation, then.
 |
Dopamine (1998, 31.43) ***½/½ |
|
| Tastes Good The Bunny Kitsum Dopamine Watery Eyes Monkey Mind Noodletown Wave |
I'd Better Not Permanent Midnight Overcast Fruta Prohibida |
|
Current availability:
Chamberlin used:
Mitchell Froom's career goes right back to the late '70s, and he moved into production in the '80s, with high-profile clients including Crowded House, Richard Thompson and his (then) wife, Suzanne Vega. He apparently released his first solo album in the mid-'80s, waiting until 1998 to follow it with Dopamine. Of course, Froom is known for his dedication to old and/or weird keyboards, particularly the Chamberlin, so it comes as a slight surprise that it's featured so little here. The album is basically a set of little musical vignettes, with loads of Froom's famous friends appearing (Jerry Marotta, Sheryl Crow, Ron Sexsmith etc.). Every track is different to every other, covering a broad base of musical styles, with loads of odd stuff thrown in. Froom plays (amongst others) a Marxophone, Indian harmonium, Claviola, Optigan and Orchestron... I think you get the picture.
Froom's one Chamberlin track (fear of becoming typecast?) is Monkey Mind. It's actually rather hard to tell what he's using it for: flutes? Although there's a polyphonic part, a flautist is credited. Jazzy acoustic guitar? Probably depends on which model Chamby is being used. It's almost certainly one of the above, but used so little that a half 'T' is all I really feel I can give. So; will you like this album? If you like Froom's productions in general, you may very well do, but it's an awfully long way from Crowded House's streamlined, intelligent pop. You have been warned.
See: American Music Club | Tasmin Archer | Tracy Bonham | Elvis Costello | Crowded House | Ditty Bops | Neil Finn | Los Lobos | Daniel Powter | Bonnie Raitt | Vonda Shepard | Richard Thompson | Suzanne Vega | Stay Awake
 |
All Will Be Changed (1970, 41.56/48.47) ***/½ |
|
| Life Without Pain Rosalie, part 1 Otium Rosalie, part 2 Indian Rope Man Morning Floating, part 1 Baroque |
Floating, part 2 [CD adds: Roadriding Time Makes Wise] |
|
 |
Frumpy 2 (1971, 38.59) ***½/TGood WindsHow the Gipsy Was Born Take Care of Illusion Duty |
Current availability:
Mellotrons used:
Frumpy's first album, All Will Be Changed, is one of those 'very much of its time' records, featuring loads of Hammond, quite a bit of studio jamming and (God help us) a drum solo, a sure sign of a dearth of ideas. It's by no means all bad, although repetitive opener Life Without Pain makes one lose the will to live after a few minutes, and the aforementioned drum solo (on Floating, Part 1) is deeply unnecessary. Many tracks segue into each other, with possibly the best thing here, Baroque, being sandwiched between the two parts of Floating. Next to no Mellotron from Jean Jacques Kravetz, with a few odd-sounding string chords in Baroque, but nothing you absolutely have to have, to say the least.
Their follow-up, Frumpy 2, is their most progressive album, and I have to say, particularly in comparison to its predecessor, it's really rather good. Quite a bit of Uriah Heep in their sound by this point, and when you think that Heep were yet to produce their classic Demons and Wizards in '71, Frumpy could have given them a good run for their money, had they not been stuck in a non-UK/US market. The music is full-on progressive hard rock, with shedloads of well-played Hammond, and great guitar work, with English vocals, although I don't believe it (or any of their albums) was released outside Germany. On top of his extensive organ work, Kravetz played Mellotron on a couple of tracks, although I've had trouble working out exactly what he's using, although the strings have that 'keyed' sound to them. My best guess is an M300, and the strings are neither a Mark II nor an M400, unless it's a particularly unusual strings set in the latter. Anyway, this unusual string sound crops up on 'Take Care of Illusion' and 'Duty', with the latter having some on a short classical section which I should be able to name, but can't (Bach?).
So, their debut is decidedly average, while their sophomore effort is a damn' good album, progressive without being 'symphonic', but well worth hearing. The 'Tron use is odd, to be honest, so don't go out of your way for it on those grounds alone.
 |
Shadows Collide With People (2003, 62.23) ***½/TTT |
|
| Carvel Omission Regret Ricky Second Walk Every Person -00Ghost27 Wednesday's Song This Cold |
Failure33 Object Song to Sing When I'm Lonely Time Goes Back In Relief Water Cut-Out Chances 23 Go in to End The Slaughter |
|
 |
Curtains (2005, 33.38) ***/T½ |
|
| The Past Recedes Lever Pulled Anne The Real A Name Control Your Warning Hope |
Ascension Time Tonight Leap Your Bar |
|
Current availability:
Chamberlin/Mellotron used:
John Frusciante is best-known, of course, for being the on-off guitarist in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, although, drug problems seemingly overcome, he now seems like a fairly permanent fixture in the lineup. Shadows Collide With People is his fifth solo album, and falls loosely into the same category as the current Chilis, although he allows himself more sonic variety, not least with the various strangely-named tracks here (-00Ghost27, Failure33 Object etc.), all experiments in noise and effects.
I've just discovered that Frusciante plays Mellotron samples, along with almost everything else, it seems, with his mate John Klinghoffer adding more sampled 'Tron, but REAL Chamberlin, although I've no idea who played what where, so I'm going to have to leave all the above tracks highlighted, at least for the present. Carvel has a powerful strings opening section, with flutes later in the track, with some nice choir chords on Omission, and a filthy choir part on -00Ghost27, buried under layers of distortion and noise. Fainter choirs on Wednesday's Song, cellos on In Relief, a beautiful flute part on 23 Go In To End and finally, what has to be something weird from the Chamberlin on closer The Slaughter. I think Regret's strings are real, and several other tracks feature Mellotronish sounds (Time Goes Back, Cut-Out), though without further information, I don't think mere conjecture is enough to nail anything as definite. There seem to be quite a few other analogue keyboards used, with some 'late period' polysynth work cropping up here and there, but they rarely clash with the 'Tron/Chamby work, and can't be mistaken for them.
Shadows Collide With People was the first of a series of six Frusciante solo albums released within the space of a year; the acoustic Curtains is the last. Like so many acoustic records, it probably takes more time to appreciate than I can realistically give it, although it's by no means a bad album, just one that doesn't grab this listener on early impressions. Given that the Mellotron on Shadows... is sampled, it's hard to know what's being used here (played by Frusciante), although nothing tips over the magic eight-second limit. I can only quote two definite tracks, with flutes on Lever Pulled and strings and flutes on Ascension, although the sustained notes on closer Leap Your Bar could be 'Tron or guitar.
So; Shadows... is an inventive and relatively original album from the young Mr. Frusciante, covering a variety of styles and feels, my only real criticism being the weak vocals, though I hear they're his best yet. This is actually worth buying on the tape-replay front, too, as long as you don't pay too much for it, with several excellent 'Tron tracks in evidence. Curtains is probably rather lesser all round, although it's bound to appeal to some sections of his audience more than others.
 |
IV (2000, 38.32) ****/T |
|
| What's a Little Reign? Espirit de Corpse Policenauts NWOBHM-2 Lamplighter Thor is Like Immortal C'Mon Smash the Quotile These Glyphs Are Dusty |
I Love the Spirit World and I Love Your Father Vangelis Again Lost Extra Man |
|
 |
V (2002, 38.25) ***½/T |
|
| Never Enough Neck Part 1 Never Enough Neck Part 2 Children Perceive the Hoax Cluster I am the Album Cover Nebula Ball Rests in a Fantasy Claw The Virtues of Cruising Aliens of Gold Air on a G-String |
Hats Off to Music Major Airbro's Landing Policenauts 2000 Crummy Lovers Die in the Grave Part Three Happy Segovia Chorale Motherfucker |
|
 |
VI (2007, 42.35) ***½/T½ |
|
| The Loge Abide With Me Spring Break Fozzy Goes to Africa Insomnia A Forgotten Chapter in the History of Ideas That Crystal Behind You? (Are You Channeling) |
Play on Words Champs Fanfare Earthen Sculptor Dolores Park Column of Heads |
|
Current availability:
Mellotrons used:
Around 1997, The Champs became C4AM95 (work it out), before changing again, to The Fucking Champs, allegedly as a response to their fans' nickname for them, which has apparently now become 'The Fuckin' Fucking Champs', proving that you really can't win. Their schtick is frequently drumless, mostly instrumental progressive metal that sounds nothing like any other progressive metal band (thankfully). Given their 'song' titles, are they just one big joke? If so, it's a long-running and successful one; maybe they're poking fun yet serious simultaneously? It's not unheard of; look at Kiss. Er...
A first hearing of IV is a quite startling experience; at times I'm reminded of long-lost keyboardless Brit-proggers AFT (a.k.a. Automatic Fine Tuning), with their twin-guitar approach, although I'm sure that's just coincidental. Their actual influences are more likely to be '80s and '90s metal bands; NWOBHM-2 sounds less like the actual NWOBHM than Queensrÿche gone instrumental, while the fantastically-named Thor Is Like Immortal is Queen on mogadons. The band's massed guitar harmonies are very Brian May-ish, actually. Yeah, Brian May plays Queensrÿche. Tim Soete plays Mellotron on one track (real? Who knows?); Lamplighter is a 'Tron flute and acoustic guitar duet, the quietest piece on the album along with Lost, which precedes the only vocal track, Extra Man. Why sing, chaps? It only serves to spoil the mood.
The originally-titled V is not quite a carbon copy of its predecessor, but certainly follows the same path, although a musically-correct guitar version of Bach's Air On A G-String is hilariously accurate, both genius and stupidity in one fell swoop. Spïnal Tap, anyone? Is the joke on us? Probably. The only thing stopping the album (best track: apart from the Bach, probably either Never Enough Neck Part 2 or another nutzoid harmony piece, Chorale Motherfucker) from getting the same rating as its predecessor is that it just seems to repeat its trick, doubtless quite deliberately. One 'Tron track, again: Part Three features the flutes quite heavily, probably from Soete.
Five years and one personnel change later, VI finally saw the light of day in 2007. And... it's more of the same. It's a good trick, but it seems to be the only one they've got. Opener The Loge is great, A Forgotten Chapter In The History Of Ideas sounds like an instrumental Maiden/Sabbath cross, but the repeating intro riff to Earthen Sculptor has to be the album's finest moment, while Abide With Me is exactly what you think: budget Brian May. A quick thought: why do May's massed harmonies sound so much better than anyone else's? His undeniable knowledge of, er, harmony? Or because he probably put down thirty parts to everyone else's five? Or was it sixty? Anyway, on the Mellotron front (I just can't tell if the bloody thing's real or not), there's a minor flute part on That Crystal Behind You? (Are You Channeling), with a more major one, plus strings, on Dolores Park and strings on closer Column Of Heads.
The Fucking Champs are slightly predictable, but, er, fucking cool all the same. How can it have taken me so long to discover them? And if it hadn't been for the Mellotron connection... All three albums here are worth hearing, although IV probably has the edge on the others, or is it simply that I heard it first? A few decent 'Tron tracks, too, assuming it's real. If not, a few decent sampled 'Tron tracks. incidentally, the Champs have also collaborated with Trans Am, twice, once as TransChamps and once, beautifully, as The Fucking Am.
See: Trans Am | TransChamps
 |
Ammerland (1978, 38.20) ****½/TTAmmerlandGentle Breeze Dance of the Leaves Street Dance Sarabande Circles of Live Every Land Tells a Story Ammernoon |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Gerd Führs (keys) and Heinz Fröhling (guitars) recorded Ammerland together while still members of SFF, or Schicke Führs Fröhling, but their partnership endured beyond the breakup of the trio. Ammerland is one of those absolutely wonderful albums you encounter every now and again, then wonder how you'd done without it for so long. It's an almost unique mixture of classical guitar and monosynths, with the odd other keyboard, and a plethora of superb tunes, at least one dating back to SFF's pre-deal days, going by bootleg evidence. Influences are the usual suspects, including Romantic era classical composers, but the CP70 piano work on the thirteen-minute Every Land Tells A Story is heavily redolent of Genesis' Tony Banks, which shouldn't come as any major surprise.
There isn't that much Mellotron to be heard, actually, but the album is bookended by superb 'Tron tracks in the really quite beautiful title track and Ammernoon, with its ethereal choirs (Mellotron cliché no.5. Go to the bottom of the class, Thompson). More choir, faintly, in Circles Of Live, but sadly, that's it. So; a superb album that anyone interested in progressive rock should hear. Was that unequivocal enough for you? BUY!
 |
Introducing Jun Fukamachi (1975, 32.14) ***/TEvening StarNoah's Ark Perfidy Bamboo Bong La Fille Aux Chevaux de Lin |
 |
Rokuyu (1975, 40.50) ***½/TMeikyūHateruma Shin-Kū Rokuyu |
 |
On the Move (1978, 46.00) **½/½On the MoveYou're Sorry Letter to N.Y. Departure in the Dark Dance of Paranoia Op.2 When I Got Your Wave "Pathetique" Early Evening Lullaby Departure in the Dark - Again |
Current availability:
Mellotrons used:
Born in 1946, Jun Fukamachi was (and probably still is) a Japanese fusion musician of high repute, who often spat out two albums or more a year during his '70s solo career. The first one I know of after 1972's Hello! is '75's Introducing Jun Fukamachi, which pretty much does what it says on the tin. Unfortunately, the bulk of the album fits more into the 'funk/jazz' than 'rock/jazz' camp, although the Clavinet-driven Perfidy clips along nicely enough. The album's longest track, Bamboo Bong, is also the only one with Fukamachi's Mellotron, with a short (male?) choir part that doesn't really add that much to the album's appeal.
The same year's Rokuyu starts off in a similar vein, getting rockier as it goes along, with some fiery playing on Shin-Kū and an almost prog feel to some of the side-long title track. As with its predecessor, only one 'Tron track, with similar choirs on Rokuyu itself, though again, to no great effect. Fukamachi played 'Tron on Carmen Maki & Oz' first album the same year, although it's doubtful that he equalled even that limited use again.
I've only heard one of his interim albums, '77's 'Tron-free The Sea of Dirac (presumably referencing noted physicist Paul Dirac), and the credited part on the following year's On the Move turns out to be a damp squib as, indeed, does most of the album. Fukamachi had slipped into a full-blown smooth jazz/fusion crossover by this point, apart from guitar-heavy closer Departure In The Dark - Again, just about the only listenable thing here. There's a little phased 'Tron choir on the earlier Departure In The Dark, but that seems to be your lot.
So; as I've commented elsewhere (possibly in my Passport reviews), jazz being America's one true, home-grown music, it tends to sound pretty much the same wherever and by whomever it's played, unlike, say, progressive rock, which proudly assimilates local musical characteristics. As a result, Japanese fusion sounds pretty much like German fusion sounds pretty much like American fusion, so is there anything to recommend Fukamachi over other, better-known artists? You'd have to ask a jazzer, I'm afraid; it's all enormously competent, but is that enough? Next to no Mellotron, either, so don't come here expecting to find another Release Music Orchestra.
 |
The Men in the Moon (1978, 39.34) ***/T½The Great WallThey Don't Know Where They're Going (Until They Get There) Walking the Streets at Night My Blue Roots Love Me Down I'm Telling You (It's All Been Said Before) Let's All Dream Together Ooo La La Come on Home |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
A Full Moon Consort were apparently one of the mid-'70s' biggest bands in the St. Louis area, although listening to their sole album, The Men in the Moon, with the benefit of thirty years' hindsight, it's difficult to understand why, to be honest. I've seen overgenerous comparisons to Steely Dan, as little of that band's wit, soulfulness and all-round talent is in evidence here and yes, I spotted the Do It Again cop on Walking The Streets At Night. This isn't to say this is actually a bad album, it's just all rather ordinary, and suffers in comparison with other, better-known acts.
Joseph Marshall and Joe Truttman both add Mellotron to the proceedings, although it has to be said that if it wasn't credited, I'd be in two minds as to whether the album's string sounds actually had any tape-replay connection at all. We're talking typical 'string section replacement' stuff here (hang on; wasn't that the instrument's original purpose?), with light and occasional use on a mere three tracks, with only closer Come On Home sounding at all Mellotronic (flutes near the end, too), though clearly mixed with real strings. As you can see from the pic on the right, though, they certainly owned one, just didn't overuse it here. Incidentally, that's vocalist Chuck Sabatino playing it; Chuck went on to write songs for other artists, notably Head East and the Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald, an early member of A Full Moon Consort, before dying prematurely in 1996.
So, The Men in the Moon isn't the most exciting album you'll ever hear, though fans of mid-'70s soft rock might feel their heart quicken, even if only for a moment. Not much 'Tron, either, despite two players, so don't go too far out of your way. There's a story that a St. Louis second-hand shop had so many copies of this a few years back, they were GIVING them away. Bizarre.
 |
Whoa, Nelly! (2001, 49.14) **/T |
|
| Hey, Man! Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days) Baby Girl Legend I'm Like a Bird Turn Off the Light Trynna Finda Way Party |
Well, Well My Love Grows Deeper (part 1) I Will Make U Cry Scared of You |
|
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Canadian, but of Portuguese descent, Nelly Furtado's debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, has to be one of the most irritating records I've heard in several years. It's not just the sampled drums - that's only to be expected - but the infuriating production tricks with percussion and synth bleeps, combined with Ms. Furtado's whiny voice that make me want to reduce the thing to very small shards of broken plastic and high-grade aluminium foil. The 'songs' are rarely more than a piss-poor melody laid over one of these interchangeable backing tracks, although Nelly's lyrics occasionally seem to have some depth to them; Party doesn't actually appear to be about having a good time, being more about what such occasions can really be like.
Although it's completely uncredited, in a CD booklet with what appears to be full instrumental credits, I'm assured that the Mellotron on major hit I'm Like A Bird is not only real, but is actually a new MkVI machine, which is pretty specific. The track isn't loaded with it, but what you get is a nice enough part, if (as so often) slightly inessential. Despite its irritating overall vibe, I've still given this two stars, mainly for not falling into the trap of being R&B-by-numbers, although I'll be happy if I never have to hear this again. One OK 'Tron track, but that's it.
 |
Fuse (1968, 38.08) ****/T½Across the SkiesPermanent Resident Show Me To Your Health In a Window 4/4 3/4 Mystery Ship Sad Day |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
The otherwise utterly obscure Fuse are known solely these days for being the first recording band of Rick Nielsen and Tom Peters(s)on, later of the mighty Cheap Trick. Their lone, self-titled album (released in '68 or 9) is actually a monster psychedelic heavy blues record with some killer playing and excellent songs, which will almost certainly colonise my CD player if I give it half a chance (sadly, I don't have the time to do this...). It has a couple of weaker spots, but overall is very good indeed, deserving of being far better-known than it is.
Rick plays both guitar and keyboards (at which he's actually very good), with plenty of decent Hammond work. The story goes, Rick's dad owned a music shop, and imported one of the first (MkII, of course) Mellotrons into the States, which Rick lost no time in borrowing. There are several points on the album which might be 'Tron, but given the complete over-the-topness of the string work on To Your Health, I doubt if any of the suspected parts actually are at all. I mean, have you ever heard a Mellotron almost distort before? OK, apart from on the second Gracious! album...
So; good album, fabby 'Tron on one track. Worth the proverbial flutter. There are apparently two bonus tracks on the recent CD version, from a single, but they're supposed to be not worth hearing.
See: Mellodrama
 |
Minorisa (1975) ****/TTTTEbusasMinorisa Llaves del Subconsciente Part I: Mente Part II: Cerebro |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Minorisa was Fusioon's third album, and probably their most eclectic; every online review I've read comments on its schizophrenic nature, lurching from one style to another with abandon, although this shouldn't be regarded as a problem, should it? The album is held together by its inherent jazziness, although that's not to say it's a fusion (ho ho) album; definitely 'prog', whatever you take that to mean. The joker in the pack is the two-part Llaves Del Subconsciente, which is more about synth exploration than the offbeat prog of the rest of the album, especially part two. It's not a bad track, just a little out of place; maybe they were short of material.
On the Mellotron front, played by Manuel Camp, Ebusas is loaded with strings, choirs and flutes, including brief choir and flute solo parts in the middle. He takes a similar approach in the title track, along with what sounds to my ears like 'Tron FX church bells, though I'm willing to be proven wrong. Llaves Del Subconsciente has an upfront string part in part one, but part two is entirely composed of analogue sequencer blips and drones, rather precluding anything more organic.
Saying that, this is absolutely excellent, and must be one of the best Spanish progressive albums I've heard. The Mellotron work is also fantastic, so an all-round hearty recommendation from yours truly. Buy.
 |
Future Shock (1977, 42.53) ***/TT½ |
|
| The Ouverture Tides Are Turning Boogie Love Theme Cup-a-Love Rent-a-Family Spanish Dream Where We Came in |
Forever and a Day Love Theme Well, Well Stand Back Temporary True Believer Fruity We're Together |
|
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
As far as I can work out, Future Shock was a touring stageshow, utilising Cirkus (of One fame) as the production's band, with the songs being released under the show's name. Future Shock is a most peculiar album, to be honest; it lulls the listener into a false sense of security, beginning in a far more symphonic vein than the Cirkus album, before Tides Are Turning ends with the sound of the needle being dragged across the groove, while a voice remarks 'They can't write music like they used to in the sixties', and the band break into a by-numbers boogie, er, Boogie. There are other spoken-word interludes, some sillier than others, and a general overall feel of writers (none actually in the band, for what it's worth) who had ingested far too much Monty Python and bad drugs, and felt duty-bound (sadly) to foist their sense of humour on the public at large (see: their Roxy Music pastiche on Fruity).
As for the Mellotron (presumably played by Cirkus' Derek G. Miller), Tides Are Turning has a single-note string line that merges into a guitar lead, with discordant choir later in the song. Love Theme only has a few seconds of strings at the beginning, and Where We Came In has some quiet string chords dotted throughout the song, with more of the same on Forever And A Day. Love Theme features a distinctive strings part behind a more serious spoken-word piece about life and love, an' all that, while a few choir chords on Temporary True Believer round up the album's 'Tron content.
Hmmm. Future Shock has its moments, but I'm afraid it hasn't aged very well, and unlike the Cirkus album, it doesn't even especially define its times, which is probably why it's never been reissued. OK 'Tron, but don't pay a fortune for it, rare or not.
See: Cirkus
 |
Fuzz Face EP (1996, 15.28) ***½/TTTMr DoomsdayThe Great and Unknown Prosperity is Like the Tide For Tomorrow |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Fuzz Face (named for the distortion pedal, of course) seem to've been a one-off project from Midnight Oil guitar/keys man Jim Moginie and a couple of mates, with Moginie doing the lion's share of the playing. Fuzz Face is all too brief; four tracks of good, aggressive guitar-driven stuff, very little like his alma mater, but also destined to sell diddly-squat to Oils fans.
Moginie also played Mellotron on the Oils' 1993 release, Earth and Sun and Moon, although there's no specific credit on the sleeve. Whether he's ever actually owned one is unknown, but assuming it's genuine, there's 'Tron flutes here in between the loud bits on Mr Doomsday, with more of the same on all the other tracks, with strings on For Tomorrow. Some of the playing is pretty unusual, too, notably on Prosperity Is Like The Tide, bumping the album's 'T' rating up a notch.
Well, I found this in a Melbourne second-hand shop for a whole Aussie dollar, and consider it money well spent. If slightly off-kilter songs with a heavy Mellotron presence sounds like your thing, you could do a lot worse than to pick up a copy of this EP.
See: Midnight Oil
 |
Fynn McCool (1970, 40.50) ***/T |
|
| U.S. Thumb-Style Hoeless Prescription Hey Ho! Diamond Lil Great Change Coming on The Road to Wisdom The Only Way to Feel Faith of Clay |
Shattered Part 1 Part 2 |
|
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Until recently, information about Fynn McCool's sole 1970 album has been incredibly hard to find, with the only source for ages being a Polish site that listed various song titles, some more accurate than others. Thankfully, the situation has changed, with enough 'Net info now available for me to be able to tell you that the band metamorphosed out of a Rhodesian outfit called The Shake Spears (ho ho), who moved first to Belgium (!), then the UK via Australia. Confused yet? They became McCool in 1968, releasing their sole, eponymous album in 1970.
Like so many one-shot progressives from the era, Fynn McCool contains something of a mish-mash of styles, with the organ-led proto-prog of The Only Way To Feel, Faith Of Clay or the lengthy two-part Shattered contrasting sharply with the boogie of U.S. Thumb-Style, the singalong Hey Ho! or the country/folk of Diamond Lil. The Road To Wisdom is the sole 'Tron track (played by Mick Fowler), described on the aforementioned Polish site as, "choć ozdobiony brzmieniem melotronu", which apparently translates directly as 'although patterned tone Mellotron'. Which is useful. It actually features a rather perfunctory string part in an ordinary, slightly countryish song, although it might've worked better on a couple of their proggier efforts.
This isn't on CD, but can now be found as a download, so given that you're not going to have to pay for it or anything, it's worth grabbing for its better tracks, which don't really include the Mellotron one.
