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album list
I Monster
ID
Ibio
Iceberg
Michael Iceberg
Idaho
Ideal Free Distribution
Ides of March
Idle Race
Andy If
Johanna Iivanainen & 1N


I Monster  (UK)

I Monster, 'A Sucker for Your Sound'

A Sucker for Your Sound  (2009,  22.15)  ***/TT½

A Sucker for Your Sound
A Sucker for Your Sound (remixed by Toddla T & Ross Orton)
A Sucker for Your Sound (remixed by Tim Bromhead)
A Sucker for Your Sound (remixed by Sawdust of Oak)
A Sucker for Your Sound (remixed by Putty Thumb)
A Sucker for Your Sound (remixed by Tansey's People)
I Monster, 'A Dense Swarm of Ancient Stars'

A Dense Swarm of Ancient Stars  (2009,  48.51)  ***½/TT (TT½)

The Circus of Deaf
A Sucker for Your Sound
Goodbye Sun

Cool Coconuts
Lust for a Vampyr
Mr. Mallard
She's Giving Me the I
Escape From New Yorkshire
Dear John
Inzects
Inzects 2 - The Mutations
Sickly Suite
  Part One: How Are You?
  Part Two: Out Of The Shadows
  Part Three: Gone

A Pod is Waiting
The Best
[bonus tracks on various eds. include:
You Won't Get Home
Only a Show
Wake Up Tony
Let's Swing]
I Monster, 'Swarf'

Swarf  (2013,  36.38)  ***½/TTT

Hey You Beautiful Land
Colourspill
Checkout Luv
Early Morning Robert
Food for the Sea
Magic Man
She Sucks

The Holy Man
The Priest's Tale
A New All Powerful Brain
I Monster, 'Bright Sparks'

Bright Sparks  (2016,  41.21)  ****½/TT

The Fantastic Tale of Dr. MOOG and the Birth of the Shimmering Beast
The Uncertain Contents of the BUCHLA Box
Alan R Pearlman and the ARPiological Exploration of the Cosmos
The Ballad of Harry CHAMBERLIN and the Surreptitious Window Cleaner
The Bradley Brothers Realise the Transmutation of the Chamberlin to the MELLOTRON

London 1969—The Wizards of Putney Deny Accusations of Unholy Enchantment at the Electronic Music Studios (EMS)
Electronic Dream Plant (EDP)—The Dirt in the Ointment
The Further Adventures of K. FREEMAN and His Incredible Machine of a Thousand Strings

Current availability:

Mellotrons used:

I've had a brave stab at describing I Monster in their Samples etc. review: to my ears, a sort-of electronica/lounge/pop crossover, although that nowhere near covers their broad range of influences. Never the fastest of workers, 2009's A Dense Swarm of Ancient Stars is only their third album in over a decade, so ridiculously diverse that anyone not attuned to their collective mindset may have trouble taking in everything that's going on. Stylistically, it veers between the fairground madness of opener The Circus Of Deaf, the pop/reggae of A Sucker For Your Sound and the pseudo-'70s pop (vocoder non-optional) of Goodbye Sun and that's just the first three tracks, which may give you some idea of its diversity.

I Monster's M400

Five of the album's tracks (counting all three parts of Sickly Suite as one) feature Jarrod Gosling's mighty Mellotron, bought from the defunct Add N to (X), who in turn bought it from the once-mighty Pallas, making it actually a rebadged Novatron. Anyway, they add strings to A Sucker For Your Sound, strings and flutes to Goodbye Sun, inaudible flutes to Lust For A Vampyr, inaudible choir to Escape From New Yorkshire (ho ho!), strings and flutes to Sickly Suite Part 1, choir and trombones to Part 2 and full-on strings (at last!) and flutes to Part 3, although I presume that means the flutes on Mr. Mallard are produced by something else entirely. In addition, of the bonus tracks on various versions of the album, You Won't Get Home (from the vinyl) has inaudible flutes and very nicely upfront strings (grinding to a halt at the end of the track), while an iTunes bonus, Let's Swing, adds strings and inaudible choirs.

Incidentally, A Sucker For Your Sound was released as a single in '08, a six-track promo version appearing early in '09, featuring the original track plus five remixes, largely (as you'd expect) barely recognisable, from the techno of Toddla T & Ross Orton's, Tim Bromhead's punky take on the track and Sawdust of Oak's balladic version. Two remixes feature new Mellotron parts from Jarrod, with Sawdust of Oak's mix adding not only the usual strings and flutes, but recorders and the harpsichord-like 12-string guitar, while Tansey's People's mix features the vibes prominently, alongside the strings, flutes and 12-string again.

2013's Swarf (named in honour of the tiny chips of material removed by planing, turning etc.) is an outtakes album, hence the title, although to compare anything here to discarded scrapings is self-deprecation taken to a ludicrous extreme. Top tracks include gorgeous Julia Dream-esque opener Hey You Beautiful Land, all too brief, the outrageously glam rock (first time round) Checkout Luv, the Kinks-go-electronic Food For The Sea and Pulp-esque closer A New All Powerful Brain. Jarrod plays Mellotron on most tracks, with flutes and cellos on Hey You Beautiful Land, choirs and strings on Colourspill, volume-pedalled choirs on A New All Powerful Brain and strings on all other highlighted tracks, assuming I haven't missed anything.

2016's Bright Sparks is a work of utterly twisted genius, an audiovisual project dedicated to eight of the greatest synths and weird keyboards of the '60s and '70s, including Moog, ARP, Buchla, EMS and, of course, the Chamberlin and Mellotron. Rather than the usual (as far as there is a 'usual') approach to such albums, viz. taking each device and recording an instrumental composition of limited originality with it, the I Monster boys have written completely potty songs around each of their subjects, complete with lyrics describing their history, failings and foibles. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is completely unique, like (he says, struggling for suitable comparisons) early '80s synthpop crossed with lounge music, more recent dance styles and something by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, all overseen by the quality control department at a synth manufacturer of your choice. Best tracks? I refuse to quote full titles, but the Moog (pronounced 'Mogue', of course), Chamberlin, EMS and EDP (you know, the Wasp) ones are particularly good, the last-named featuring cult synth hero John Foxx, other collaborators including Tara Busch and British humourist Stewart Lee.

Tape-replay? Of course! Only on the two relevant tracks, but that's probably enough on a project like this. The Ballad Of Harry CHAMBERLIN And The Surreptitious Window Cleaner features, alongside its crazed lyric and ultra-catchy tune, the M4 owned by the chaps at sample kings GForce, with brass, flutes, trombone, harpsichord, you name it, really, plus rhythms from a Rhythmate, while The Bradley Brothers Realise The Transmutation Of The Chamberlin To The MELLOTRON gives us flutes, strings and vibes from Jarrod's M400. This really is quite fucking splendid. Buy it now.

I'm not quite sure to whom I should be recommending I Monster, although what they do is undeniably worth hearing. With elements from prog, dance, lounge and a dozen other genres, this is for broad-minded individuals (with the emphasis on 'individual') only; almost the legendary, probably nonexistent 'something for everyone', then? Very British, although, contrarily, that could aid its popularity amongst Anglophiles worldwide, particularly those of a 'lounge revival' bent. Recommended, anyway. Incidentally, you'll also hear Jarrod's Mellotron on I Monster offshoots, Skywatchers and Regal Worm.

Official site

See: Samples etc. | Skywatchers | Regal Worm

I Was a King  (Norway)  see: Samples etc.

ID  (US)

ID, 'Where Are We Going'

Where Are We Going  (1976,  43.58)  ***/TTT½

Sunrise (a New Day)
(Part One) Where Are We Going
(Part Two) Where Are We Going
Solar Wind

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

ID were a quartet from Maryland who recorded just the one album, Where Are We Going, before imploding. It's basically an acid guitar freakout from beginning to end, showcasing the 'talents' of one Gary Oickle, who proves himself to be highly adept at wanking furiously on his chosen instrument, to little effect, as hoping for any remote hint of melody or invention from him is essentially equivalent to pissing in the wind. Don't get me wrong; the album has loads of energy, just a certain lack of... focus, maybe. While not entirely instrumental, vocal appearances are few and far between, as the band (or Oickle) are clearly far more interested in just letting rip.

The copious amounts of Mellotron strings on display here were played by David Oickle and engineer Bob Halsal; it's essentially used for chordal backdrops to the lead guitar work, although there are a few moments of near-solo playing, not least towards the end of the arse-about-face titled (Part One) Where Are We Going, which closes side one. And is that Mellotron brass on Solar Wind? Hard to tell, mainly due to the beyond-murky production, not to mention the fact that the Mellotron sits mainly in the upper registers, in a vain attempt to be heard over the ever-present guitar. So why haven't I given this a higher T rating, given how much Mellotron is actually present? Lack of originality, never mind listenability; there's an awful lot of Mellotron here, but you're so exhausted by the end of the first (and shortest) track that the album's end really came as some sort of relief. A random ninety-second burst of this stuff is exhilarating; forty-five minutes is mind-numbing.

I.E.M.  (UK)  see: Samples etc.

IQ  (UK)  see:

IQ

Ianva  (Italy)  see: Samples etc.

Ibio  (Spain)

Ibio, 'Cuevas de Altamira'

Cuevas de Altamira  (1978,  34.52)  ***/TT½

Cuevas de Altamira
Romance del Conde Lara
La Virulencia del Ferrocarril
Las Chicas de Laredo

A lo Alto y a lo Bajo
Pastor
La Baila de Ibio

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

Ibio made a pleasant enough sound on their sole LP, Cuevas de Altamira, although it's all a big unengaging, to be honest. Mid-paced, with little of 'that Spanish sound' that many of their countrymen employed (an honourable exception being Pastor) and vocals (when they were used) from a guy who sounds like he'd have been better off doing cabaret on the Costa del Sol. There's some nice folky stuff here and there, although comments like 'the Spanish Strawbs' aren't very helpful or accurate.

Despite using a string synth, Ibio also used their Mellotron for string sounds and make quite a nice job of it, although their Mellotron use is quite a long way from innovative. It lifts the album where it's used, however; best track is probably opener Cuevas De Altamira itself. So; not bad, not great. Don't pay full whack for it.

Ice Cream Hands  (Australia)  see: Samples etc.

Iceberg  (Spain)

Iceberg, 'Tutankhamon'

Tutankhamon  (1978,  36.52)  ****/TTTT

Tebas
Prólogo
Sacerdotes de Amon
Amarna

Lying on the Sand
Amenofis IV
Himno al Sol
La Muerte
Close to God
Too Young to Be a Pharaoh
Tebas (Reprise)

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

Iceberg are primarily known as a pure fusion band, but their debut, Tutankhamon (presumably a concept piece), is a masterpiece of prog/fusion crossover, with great material and fiery playing from all concerned. There is the occasional lapse, like the drum solo in Close To God (why does anyone record studio drum solos?) and the average balladry of the opening section of Too Young To Be A Pharaoh, but, overall, this is an excellent album that should appeal to both prog and fusion fans.

Josep Mas "Kitflus" slaps Mellotron all over the first four tracks, then, mysteriously, ignores it until near the end of the album. Tebas opens with a full-on symphonic section, Mellotron strings to the fore, with more of the same on the following three tracks and Too Young To Be A Pharaoh. There are (male voice?) choir parts on Sacerdotes De Amon and Tebas (Reprise) too, making this something of a distinct Mellotron Album. So; recommended on all fronts; I may even come back to this in a while and bump up its star rating. Excellent.

Michael Iceberg  (US)

Michael Iceberg, 'Iceberg Does it Live: 100th Week at Walt Disney World'

Iceberg Does it Live: 100th Week at Walt Disney World  (1978,  38.31)  ***/TTTT

Side One
Side Two

Current availability:

Chamberlins used:

Michael "Iceberg" Iseberg's Iceberg Does it Live: 100th Week at Walt Disney World (thanks for the name correction, Nick) is one of the odder albums you'll find on this site, up against some stiff competition. Basically, Iceberg spent many years playing a weekly set on his synth setup (the "Amazing Iceberg Machine") in a silver pyramid at Walt Disney World. As you do. So why isn't he deified in the world of EM? Because he was an entertainer, that's why. He played snippets of popular tunes (classical bits, film stuff, standards, lots of Disney, unsurprisingly, er, Boston's More Than A Feeling...), all while keeping a very non-techie crowd interested. I said he was an entertainer...

Michael Iceberg, from the album's rear sleeve

I've no idea how long his sets tended to be, but the album features a forty-minute segment of, as it says on the tin, his 100th week's performance. After ten minutes or so of playing, he goes into a demo section, where he tells his audience (and, by default, us) what's going on. Basically, he had around thirty instruments in his setup, controlled from just three keyboards, several years pre-MIDI, which is a pretty jaw-dropping technological feat by anyone's standards back in '78. The picture on the sleeve show a Polymoog and an Oberheim 4-voice, other obvious contenders being a Yamaha CP-70 piano and several Chamberlins. One of these was presumably a manual model, from where he could control (I believe) another three, any or all of which could have been keyboardless 'remote' models, a path down which the Mellotron was destined never to go.

Although there's loads of synth work (mono- and poly-) on the record (not to mention a snippet of Moog Taurus at one point - looks like he had a de-pedalled set in his rig, going by the pic to the right), the Chambys crop up all over the place, with a little flute melody on the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah segment (yes, I'm afraid so), followed by what sounds like Chamby banjo, percussion, brass, female voice, loads of sound FX (animals, jeers etc.)... And, of course, lots of strings, including a solo section on side two. You want Chamberlin? And analogue synths? You gottem.

The album has several downsides, not least Iceberg's unfortunate habit of singing along, rather tunelessly, to several of his ditties, while his choice of material is seriously cheeso, though it has to be said, what did you expect? Black Sabbath? I believe Iceberg sells CD-Rs of the album himself, although his website seems to've disappeared, so I don't know how you'd contact him. He still plays, but I rather doubt whether his beautiful setup from thirty-odd years ago is still functioning, or even extant. Wonder what happened to all that gear...? Anyway, a rather strange album, but worth hearing, if only for a laugh.

See: James Griffin & Co.

Lia Ices  (US)  see: Samples etc.

Icky Blossoms  (US)  see: Samples etc.

Idaho  (US)

Idaho, 'Three Sheets to the Wind'

Three Sheets to the Wind  (1996,  42.43)  **½/T

If You Dare
Catapult
Pomegranate Bleeding
Shame
Stare at the Sky
No One's Watching
Alive Again
A Sound Awake
Glass Bottom
Get You Back

Current availability:

Chamberlin used:

The only interesting thing about California's Idaho (huh?) seems to be their guitarists' use of four-string tenor guitars, although the end result is merely a low-end guitar sound, rather than anything really radical. Usually described as 'slowcore', Idaho continually hover on the brink of 'boring', at least to this listener. Shame just might be the album's best track, although it's hard to say why. Maybe I simply find it the most appealing? Duh.

Patrick Warren does his usual Chamberlin thing on just one track, with a string part on Glass Bottom that shows the instrument at its best, sounding almost real, if you ignore the lack of glissando between chords. Overall, this album sounds like Low, if they forgot how to write interesting slow material. Rather dull, I'm afraid, with one decent Chamby track.

Official site

Idaho Falls  (US)  see: Samples etc.

Ideal Free Distribution  (US)

Ideal Free Distribution, 'Ideal Free Distribution'

Ideal Free Distribution  (2007,  47.04)  ****/TTTT

Apples and Oranges
Saturday Drive
Tropic of Cancer
Someone's Gonna Die

The American Myth
Elegant Sunbeam
Mr. Wilson
Son of a Gun
Nine on a Side
New Madrid, 1811
All Over the World
Hit the North
All That Once Was Wonderful
Red Letter Days

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

Despite forming in 1997, it's taken Ideal Free Distribution a decade to produce their eponymous debut, which turns out to be a minor masterpiece of modern psychedelia, influenced yet not entrapped by the late-'60s. Obvious influences include The Beatles (of course) and The Zombies, but brief psych-period Kinks and the West Coast scene also play their part in defining the band's sound. It's difficult to pinpoint standout tracks on an initial listen; suffice to say, it's all good and the ten-year wait has clearly been worthwhile.

Although initially a trio, the band have now expanded to a loose seven-piece, including Marci Schneider on Mellotron and castanets (!) The Mellotron's all over the highlighted tracks above, with a triply-overdubbed part in Son Of A Gun, a flute melody overlaying a strings-and-cello backdrop, with plenty of (mainly) strings use on everything else. After something of a Mellotron dearth at the beginning of the album, once it kicks in properly, it doesn't let up for the rest of the record, in highly pleasing fashion. Is it real? Not entirely sure, but it sounds pretty good, but then, when played sympathetically, modern samples tend to. Anyway, a very nice little album, loads of (hopefully real) Mellotron. Worth the effort.

Ideamen  (US)  see: Samples etc.

Ides of March  (US)

Ides of March, 'World Woven'

World Woven  (1972,  38.14)  ***/TT

Mother America
Baby's Gonna Grow
Diamond Fire
Children

Mellow Your Soul
Landlady
Flip Side

Colorado Morrow
All Join Hands

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

The Ides of March, including Jim Peterik, later of the phenomenally successful Survivor, are primarily known for their major 1970 hit Vehicle. Their brass-rock sound bore comparison with Chicago or Al Kooper's Blood, Sweat & Tears, to the point where many confused Vehicle with that band, in the way that some people still think Focus' House Of The King is by Jethro Tull, but then, ignorance is endemic.

1972's World Woven was the band's original incarnation's third album of four. It's a kind of prog-lite effort, definitely an influence on Styx, Kansas and their ilk; in fact, the refrain from opener Mother America must've influenced Styx' Suite Madame Blue a few years later. Which, in turn, influenced Judas Priest's Beyond The Realms Of Death... And on it goes. It's actually a rather confused effort, switching between the pre-pomp of Mother America and Children to the rock'n'soul of Mellow Your Soul and All Join Hands, not to mention the folk-influenced Landlady... Then again, who said a band had to sound consistent throughout a whole album? That seems to be a recent conceit and, after all, this appeared in the latter stages of the only period of real freedom the industry's ever allowed...

I presume it's keys man Scott May on Mellotron, with a few string chords at the end of Diamond Fire, more of the same throughout Children (obvious 'real strings substitute' playing), flutes and strings on the balladic Landlady and strings on Flipside, the only track to feature any brass, with a slightly superfluous trumpet solo. I don't believe this is on CD, but if you're interested in the roots of American prog, it's worth a listen if you can track down a copy.

Official site

Idle Race  (UK)

Idle Race, 'The Birthday Party'

The Birthday Party  (1968,  28.48)  ****/TT½

The Skeleton and the Roundabout
Happy Birthday
The Birthday
I Like My Toys
Morning Sunshine

Follow Me Follow
Sitting in My Tree
On With the Show
Lucky Man
Mrs Ward

Pie in the Sky
The Lady Who Said She Could Fly
End of the Road

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

The Idle Race seem to have been consigned to a strange, forgotten corner of UK psych, which is doubly odd as they were not only a perfectly good band, but also the first recording home of future ELO man Jeff Lynne. Their debut effort, The Birthday Party, is a good little typical psych-pop album, with all the period detail you could ask for, married to an excellent selection of songs. The best-known of these is wonderful opener The Skeleton And The Roundabout, but The Birthday, I Like My Toys and Mrs Ward are all right up there, too.

There's a fair helping of Mellotron (almost certainly a studio instrument) on the album, played, I believe, by Barry Pritchard, although I can't find any reference to him, just rhythm guitarist Dave Pritchard. Anyway, The Skeleton And The Roundabout has what sounds like some form of muted brass (saxes?), while I Like My Toys has a classic Mellotron flute melody, as does Morning Sunshine. Lucky Man has more of those probable saxes (key click and all) and Mrs Ward has both strings and pitchbent flutes. The strings on End Of The Road are definitely real, but I think I'm correct in my Mellotronspotting on the other tracks.

They followed up with The Idle Race (***); not bad, but not really a patch on its predecessor, with no Mellotron. There was a third album, too, Time is (***), recorded after Lynne left to join The Move and subsequently ELO, but it's nothing to write home about. There were also several single-only tracks, including their other best-known number, Imposters Of Life's Magazine, but, sadly, no more Mellotron to be heard. The band's entire recorded output is available on a double CD set, Back to the Story (***½), almost certainly the easiest way to track this material down.

See: The Move | ELO

Idlewild  (UK)  see: Samples etc.

Billy Idol  (UK)  see: Samples etc.

Andy If  (US)

Andy If, 'Memories of Connecticut'

Memories of Connecticut  (2003,  38.10)  ***/T

Details
Memories of Connecticut
How Lucky
Wayward Heart
Thinking About You
Take Me Away
Please Don't Say Goodbye
Older and Wiser
Rock and Roll Song
Westport
Maybe You'll Come Back to Me

Current availability:

Mellotron/Chamberlin used:

Andy If? I've no idea, although it doesn't seem likely that's his real name. 2003's Memories of Connecticut (his only release?) has a cowpunk feel to its Americana, his voice a snarl, even on the more melodic numbers. Highlights? How Lucky, Take Me Away and Westport, as much for their lyrics as their music.

Producer Rami Jaffee plays Mellotron and Chamberlin, with Chamby solo male voice on Take Me Away and Chamby vibes on Please Don't Say Goodbye and Older And Wiser, although whatever Mellotron sound was allegedly utilised on How Lucky is entirely inaudible.

Johanna Iivanainen & 1N  (Finland)

Johanna Iivanainen & 1N, 'Outoja Maita'

Outoja Maita  (2008,  41.08)  ***/T½

Perillä
Pieneen Tilaan
Muukalaisia Tarvitaan
Se ei Suostu Katoamaan
Hullu
Ihon Ikävä

Ei Kukaan Pahaa Tarkoita
Outoja Maita
Mä Jäädyin Taas

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

Johanna Iivanainen (that's a 'double eye') is a Finnish folk/pop singer-songwriter, 2008's Outoja Maita being something like her tenth album in under a decade, a perfectly acceptable set of, well, folky pop songs, at their best on Se Ei Suostu Katoamaan, Ihon Ikävä and Mä Jäädyin Taas.

Esa Kotilainen plays his Mellotron, with background chordal flutes and strings on Pieneen Tilaan, occasional strings on Hullu and flutes and strings on Ihon Ikävä. Perhaps not the most exciting album you'll hear all year, but, at the very least, pleasant and inoffensive, which makes a nice change.

Official site


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