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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.


American Gypsy
American Music Club
American Tears
Amon Düül II
Tori Amos

Carleen Anderson
Ian Anderson

Jon Anderson
Ange


American Gypsy  (US)

American Gypsy, 'American Gypsy'

American Gypsy  (1975,  40.20)  ***½/0

Inside Out
10,000 Miles
Ooh Why Not
Golden Ring
Lady Eleanor
Angel Eyes
While it's Cold Outside
Stuck on You
Let Your Life Lead By Love
Tribute to American Gypsy

Current availability:

The multi-racial American Gypsy appear to have been a US band based in the Netherlands, for some reason; their stock-in-trade was soul/funk, and to my untrained ear they seem to do it pretty well, although I'd be the first to admit that this really doesn't float my boat that much. Opening with an orchestral flourish, American Gypsy features quite unusual songwriting for the genre, with most un-dancelike changes in tempo and some interesting guitar work; maybe I'm just judging it by modern standards, and not the more 'progressive' ones of the day. Their cover of Lindisfarne's Lady Eleanor is particularly interesting, showing what can be done with source material from another genre, and the African percussion on Angel Eyes combines surprisingly well with the period string arrangement. Most interesting of all, however, is Tribute To American Gypsy, with a synth part and chord changes straight out of contemporaneous Genesis; I'd put money on American Gypsy using the same synth, an ARP Pro-Soloist.

However... Joe Skeete's credited Mellotron use is basically inaudible. There are several parts scattered throughout the album which may be 'Tron, especially in Tribute To American Gypsy, but with a regular orchestra and brass section in attendance, it's almost impossible to tell. So; if mid-'70s soul is your bag, this is a good album, with more 'oomph' than much of the period's music. If you're after an unusual Mellotron experience, or indeed, any at all, forget it.

American Music Club  (US)

American Music Club, 'Mercury'

Mercury  (1993,  49.43)  ****/TT

Gratitude Walks
If I Had a Hammer
Challenger
I've Been a Mess
Hollywood 4-5-92
What Godzilla Said to God When His
  Name Wasn't Found in the Book of Life
Keep Me Around
Dallas, Airports, Bodybags
Apology for an Accident
Over and Done
Johnny Mathis' Feet
The Hopes and Dreams of Heaven's 10,000 Whores
More Hopes and Dreams
Will You Find Me?
American Music Club, 'Love Songs for Patriots'

Love Songs for Patriots  (2004,  61.09)  ****/T½

Ladies and Gentlemen
Another Morning
Patriot's Heart
Love is
Job to Do
Only Love Can Set You Free
Mantovani the Mind Reader
Home
Myopic Books
America Loves the Minstrel Show
The Horseshoe Wreath in Bloom
Song of the Rats Leaving the Sinking Ship
The Devil Needs You

Current availability:

Mercury is one of those albums that crops up every now and again, when a meddling record company tries to find out why the goose lays the golden eggs; they don't say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" for nothing, and, at least to an extent, this album proves it. Virgin decided to bring in über-producer Mitchell Froom, of recent Crowded House production fame, in the mistaken belief that getting in a 'name' would make superstars of their reluctant signings. What actually happened was that Froom grossly over-produced the record, making a nightmare of the procedure for all involved, not least main man Mark Eitzel. It has to be said that, as someone new to them, it doesn't actually sound that bad, but I'm told that most of their subtlety is lost, to the point where it barely sounds like the same band.

One thing is certain, though; without Froom's involvement, I wouldn't be reviewing this at all. His fascination with the Chamberlin was probably around its peak in the early '90s, although as is so often the case with the instrument (as against the Mellotron), it's difficult to spot when it's being used here, so apologies for any mistakes in the above listing. I think I can hear flutes on I've Been A Mess, but the strings on Johnny Mathis' Feet and Will You Find Me? are quite overt, making me wonder why I couldn't identify them on my initial hearing, a few years ago. So; fans will tell you the songs are great, but the album sounds awful. I find it quite difficult to comment, as I found it a good listen, with a couple of nice Chamby tracks, but that's rather irrelevant to the album's actual quality, of course.

After a final album for Virgin, '94's San Francisco, American Music Club split up, only reforming in 2003, releasing Love Songs for Patriots the following year. Highlights include the wonderfully sardonic Patriot's Heart, mournful acoustic ballad Song Of The Rats Leaving The Sinking Ship and epic closer The Devil Needs You, but there isn't a bad track here, to be honest. One notable musical change in the intervening decade has been the rise in popularity of tape-replay instruments again, so it's not entirely surprising that Marc Capelle plays Mellotron and Chamberlin on the album, not to mention both Optigan and Orchestron, although there's surprisingly little (obvious) tape-replay on show. Quite a major ('Tron?) string part on Patriot's Heart, with a more background one on Home, but unless the rhythms on Mantovani The Mind Reader are Chamby (I suspect one of the optical devices myself), that would appear to be it.

So; two good, albeit rather different albums, with the latter possibly improving on the former, at least from an outsider's perspective. Passable 'Tron/Chamby on both albums, but not really worth buying either on that account.

Official site

American Tears  (US)

American Tears, 'Branded Bad'

Branded Bad  (1974,  45.27)  ***½/T

Sweet Changes
Doctor Abreaction
Low Down, Need You Badly
Crooked is Quicker
Pauline
Lock and Chain
Take Me Lord
Louie (I've Been Arrested)
Pennywall
Slidin' Home
American Tears, 'Tear Gas'

Tear Gas  (1975,  40.37/53.01)  ****/TTT½

Back Like Me
  Part 1
  Part 2

Charon
Serious Blue Boy (Sail on)
Tear Gas
I Saw a Soldier

The War Lover
Franki and the Midget
[CD adds:
My Mama Didn't Raise No Fool
Leroy Diminished]

Current availability:

Isn't it funny how the same names keep cropping up time and time again? Keyboard player/vocalist Mark Mangold is familiar to me from Touch (not the '60s outfit), his very late-'70s AOR band who, like New England, were probably actually too good for mass acceptance, and after their demise, he formed Drive, She Said, who still appear to be around in one form or another. It appears that his first 'pro' band were American Tears, a guitarless pomp trio who made three 'cult' albums in the mid-'70s, eventually metamorphosing into Touch after the addition of guitarist Craig Brooks for their third album, Powerhouse (***).

Their debut, Branded Bad, is quite an odd album, with its keyboard-led guitar-free material, treading a fine line between (sort of) hard rock and proto-AOR. The material isn't bad, but few of the tracks really leap out at you, to be honest. There's very little audible Mellotron on the album, despite all Mangold's keyboard work, although it's possible that there's some buried in the mix on a couple of tracks. Anyway, all I can hear is a distant blend of M400 strings and brass at the beginning of Lock And Chain, and some upfront strings at the end of Pennywall.

They followed up a year later with Tear Gas, really hitting musical paydirt with a full-on seven-track pomp release. Of side one's three tracks, the two-part Back Like Me and Serious Blue Boy (Sail On) both top the seven-minute mark, while the rest of the album keeps up the pop-prog pressure admirably. After a relatively slow start, Mangold sticks 'Tron onto almost every track this time round, sometimes using a strings/Hammond combination that occasionally deceives the ear, although there's some standout string use on I Saw A Soldier, in particular. All in all, a massive improvement, making the sheer averageness of their last album all the more disappointing. Incidentally, the bonus tracks on the CD sound like they're by a different band, and both have guitar on them. Ignore.

So; Branded Bad is all rather ordinary, but Tear Gas is decidedly worth the effort. I don't think these CDs sold very well, so they're cropping up all over the place at knock-down prices at the moment, so you could do worse than invest in a slice of rather unusual American pomp.

Amon Düül II  (Germany)

Amon Düül II, 'Pyragony X'

Pyragony X  (1976,  38.29)  ***/TT

Flower of the Orient
Merlin
Crystal Hexagram

Lost in Space
Sally the Seducer
Telly Vision
The Only Thing
Cappucino

Current availability:

Pyragony, or Pyragony X, was Amon Düül II's tenth album, and with a large '10th' on the sleeve, but no 'X', you could quite feasibly leave the Roman numeral off the title, I suspect. They'd come a long way since their groundbreaking classic 'kraut' albums of the late '60s/early '70s, but not in a direction now considered fashionable, having become a lightweight prog band with boogie tendencies (yes, I'm afraid so). The album opens well enough with the eastern-flavoured Flower Of The Orient, but quickly descends into rock'n'roll hell with, surprisingly, something called Merlin. Nothing else plumbs those particular depths (which aren't really that deep, if truth be told), but there's nothing here that could be considered exceptional, or anywhere near, to be honest.

New keys man Stefan Zauner played Mellotron on the album, unlike earlier Amon mistaken identity cases, with choirs (mixed?) on Merlin and Crystal Hexagram, male voices on Telly Vision, and flutes on Cappucino, although all strings appear to be string synth, as so often with late-'70s albums. So you can hold a note for more than eight seconds. And? Anyway, a passable album, though not one you're likely to be desperate to find, although some of the 'Tron work isn't bad. More rumoured 'Tron on the following year's live Almost Alive; more news should I find a copy.

Fan site

Tori Amos  (US)

Tori Amos, 'Silent All These Years'

Silent All These Years  (1992 EP)  ***/T

Silent All These Years
Upside Down
Me and a Gun
Thoughts
Tori Amos, 'Under the Pink'

Under the Pink  (1994,  56.52)  ***/½

Pretty Good Year
God
Bells for Her
Past the Mission
Baker Baker
The Wrong Band
The Waitress
Cornflake Girl
Icicle
Cloud on My Tongue
Space Dog
Yes, Anastasia

Current availability:

The trouble with Tori Amos is that her voice sounds so much like Kate Bush's that it's difficult to take her own material seriously; however, she seems to have a sizeable, mainly female following who couldn't give a toss that she sounds like someone else far more talented. Sorry, but there really isn't much comparison on the songwriting front, although I'm sure there are many who would disagree. Anyway, the first Mellotron use on any of her recordings is an interesting flute part on Upside Down, found on the European Silent All These Years EP, played by John Philip Shenale. I believe the track is also available on her Winter EP.

Under the Pink was her second 'proper' album, excluding the '80s nightmare of Y Kant Tori Read, which is apparently best forgotten. It's typical of her piano-driven singer-songwriter style, as far as I can make out, which means you're either going to love it or be really quite disinterested, I suspect. Most of it's pretty laid-back, with the occasional more energetic track to wake you up, but it's more for bedsits than cramped, sweaty gigs. John Philip Shenale 'arranges' both 'strings' and Chamberlin on Cloud On My Tongue, so it's only my assumption that he actually plays the thing, too. There are definitely real strings on the track, but I'll be damned if I can tell where the Chamby comes in, although some of the strings may emanate from it, though I'm not entirely sure why they bothered.

Tori credits 'Mellotron' on '98's From the Choirgirl Hotel (reviewed here), but admitted in an interview that it was actually samples, so I'm not entirely sure we can trust the tape-replay examples reviewed above, either. Anyway, two exceedingly average 'Tron/Chamby tracks, but perfectly good musically, assuming you like Tori's style.

Official site

Carleen Anderson  (US)

Carleen Anderson, 'True Spirit'

True Spirit  (1994,  50.03)  ***/T

True Spirit
Morning Loving
Mama Said
Ain't Givin' Up on You
Only One for Me
Nervous Breakdown
Secrets
Let it Last
Feet Wet Up
Welcome to Changes
Ian Green's Groove Conclusion

Current availability:

Carleen Anderson, daughter of soulstress Vicki Anderson and stepdaughter of James Brown sideman Bobby Byrd, is American, but currently based in the UK. She has a strong Paul Weller connection, having sung backing on both Stanley Road and Heavy Soul, as well as working with the Brand New Heavies. Are you thinking, "I'm probably not going to like her music?" Well, if you're one of this site's regular readers, you're almost certainly right. Her first solo album, the sumptiously-packaged True Spirit, is a decent enough soul/r'n'b effort, as far as I can ascertain, being seriously (and deliberately) unfamiliar with the genre. It does break out of the mould in places, with the dancefloor-pounding James Brown-esque Nervous Breakdown having more of a rock/funk groove about it, although most of the material fits the standard pattern of soul ballads mixed with more uptempo stuff.

And what's it doing here...? Mark Nevin plays 'Mellotron and guitars' on Let It Last, with a string part beginning a couple of minutes into the song. Weller's M400? Seems likely, but no way of knowing. This barely earns the album a full 'T', but a half seems churlish, given that it's a) fully audible and b) not just a few-second part.

From everything she says and does, you get the feeling that Anderson is a thoroughly honest performer; her website unflinchingly owns up to her turning fifty in 2007, and she seems to be as bullshit-free as many of her contemporaries... aren't. She does have a slight built-in advantage from being a genuine Southern soul singer living in a country largely bereft of such things, although that's not to denigrate her talent in any way. True Spirit seems to be a good album of its type, although (possibly Nervous Breakdown aside) I wouldn't actually go as far as to say I enjoyed it, but that's my problem, not hers. Very little Mellotron, too, though more than some efforts I've heard. Good at what it does.

Official site

Ian Anderson  (UK)

Ian Anderson, 'Rupi's Dance'

Rupi's Dance  (2003,  55.52)  ****/0

Calliandra Shade (The Cappuccino Song)
Rupi's Dance
Lost in Crowds
A Raft of Penguins
A Week of Moments
A Hand of Thumbs
Eurology
Old Black Cat
Photo Shop
Pigeon Flying Over Berlin Zoo
Griminelli's Lament
Not Ralitsa Vassileva
Two Short Planks
Birthday Card at Christmas

Current availability:

Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull mainman, as if you needed to ask) has had a rather sporadic solo career over the last twenty years or so, though some might claim that Tull's entire career is synonymous with that of Anderson. 1983's Walk Into Light (***½) is the missing link between Tull's Broadsword and the Beast and the synth-heavy Under Wraps, but it took Anderson another twelve years to come up with the excellent Divinities: Twelve Dances With God (****). 2000's The Secret Language of Birds and Rupi's Dance from three years later are exactly what you'd expect of Ian Anderson solo albums, though neither are quite as good as their predecessor.

Both like and unlike Jethro Tull, it's instantly recognisable as being by The Man, but without Martin Barre's signature guitar work, it clearly isn't the band, and a few other things might sound out of place on a group LP, not least some of the lyrical content. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't see a song as unashamedly sentimental as Old Black Cat finding its way onto a Tull album; then again... So, who knows why Ian chose to put these songs onto a solo album rather than one by the band? His solo live performances always contain Tull material along with his own, and the band sometimes perform his solo pieces, so I think we have to say that Ian and Tull are so inextricably intertwined, that they are (almost) effectively one.

The album was recorded in Germany, and seems to feature several musicians linked to Munich's Park Studios, including the expat Hungarian team of Leslie Mandoki and Laszlo Bencker. Until I researched Bencker on the Net, seeing that he played Hammond and Mellotron, I assumed that it was a misspelling of Omega's László Benkő, a.k.a. Benkő László, but it would seem not. In fact, although I've no doubt that if you listened to the mastertape track by track you'd hear some 'Tron, it's completely inaudible on the finished product, despite a credit on A Hand Of Thumbs. So; good album, although hardly a walk on the wild side for Anderson, but absolutely not worth it on the 'Tron front. Buy anyway.

Official Jethro Tull site

Jon Anderson  (UK)

Jon Anderson, 'Olias of Sunhillow'

Olias of Sunhillow  (1976,  44.08)  ****½/T½

Ocean Song
Meeting (Garden of Geda)
Sound Out the Galleon
Dance of Ranyart
Olias (to Build the Moorglade)
Qoquag ën Transic
Naon
Transic Tö
Flight of the Moorglade
Solid Space
Moon Ra
Chords
Song of Search
To the Runner

Current availability:

  • Elektra

You know, it's really, really easy to take the piss out of ubiquitous Yes vocalist Jon Anderson. Everyone's favourite prog pixie, spaced-out old hippy, off with the fairies... See? Easy peasy. What isn't quite so easy is to say, "Um, actually, he's an extremely talented chap, and Olias of Sunhillow is one of the most original albums to come out of the entire progressive era". I can quite honestly say that this album sounds like nothing else you'll have ever heard, including Yes, although there are points of reference, the chief one being, of course, Jon's unique voice, not to mention his harp work, and I don't mean a bloody harmonica. Anderson admitted that he was 'pretty much a non-musician' when he recorded this album, which makes it all the more astonishing, as it's clearly been put together by someone who knows exactly what they're doing. Jon is the only credited musician, meaning he'd gained some technique on various instruments over the previous few years, although it's fair to say that none of this was that hard to play, as if it mattered.

Describing the material isn't easy, due to its complete uniqueness; think (if you will) of the more 'drifting' parts of the Yes canon, but with multiple Jons, backed by acoustic guitar, harp, occasional drums (though not in a drum kit kind of way) and plenty of monosynth parts, with an almost (sorry) 'tribal' feel in places. The concept (you knew there had to be one, didn't you?) concerns the Olias of the title, who builds a flying ship to leave his doomed world. Hippy nonsense? Yep, and we love it. I mean, the story printed inside the lavish gatefold sleeve is complete drivel, to be brutally honest, especially in 1976, but in JonAndersonWorld I'm sure it makes complete sense, and the music is quite ethereally beautiful, so all is forgiven. Anyway, anything other than a complete fantasy wouldn't fit the music, particularly Jon's later experiments with cheesy love lyrics, which he now seems doomed to repeat for the rest of his career.

Now, I'm taking a bit of a leap of faith by including this, as I'm still not entirely convinced that the choir work on the album is actually Mellotron at all, which is why I've had this down as a 'query' for so long. While some of the voices are clearly Jon multi-overdubbed, some of the others, principally the ones on Meeting (Garden of Geda) sound like Mellotron male voices, and there's even a rumour going round that Jon put his own voice onto a tape frame (thanks, Mark), which would explain their unusual sound, assuming it's true. The choirs on the other three highlighted tracks are less distinct, and it is possible that I'm just making the whole thing up, but I've finally decided to include this until/if I should find out otherwise.

So; if you have any interest in progressive rock whatsoever, and have shied away from this album in the past, buy it immediately. Unfortunately, the CD packaging is crap, with only half the lyrics printed (why?), and a cruelly cut-down version of the original's magnificent artwork, but it's the music that matters (as the sadly-missed Tommy Vance used to say), and this is an entirely unique and wonderful album. As for the Mellotron (assuming it's there at all), it's completely inessential, but that isn't why you're already ordering this online. Buy now.

Official site

Ange  (France)

Ange, 'Le Cimetière des Arlequins'

Le Cimetière des Arlequins  (1973,  35.50)  ***½/T

Ces Gens-là
Aujourd'hui c'est la Fête Chez l'Apprenti Sorcier
Bivouac (1re Partie)
L'Espionne Lesbienne
Bivouac (Final)
De Temps en Temps
La Route aux Cyprês
Le Cimetière des Arlequins
Ange, 'Par les Fils de Mandrin'

Par les Fils de Mandrin  (1976,  40.49)  ***½/T½

Par les Fils de Mandrin
Au Café du Calibri
Ainsi s'en Ira la Pluie
Autour du Feu
Saltimbanques
Des Yeux Couleur d'Enfants
Atlantis
Hymne à la Vie
  Cantique

  Procession
  Hymne
Ange, 'Tome VI'

Tome VI  (1977,  67.01)  ****/T

Fils de Lumière
Les Longues Nuits d'Isaac
Ballade Pour une Orgie
Ode à Emile
Dignité
Le Chien, la Poubelle et la Rose
Sur la Trace des Fées
Hymne à la Vie
  Cantique

  Procession
  Hymne

Ces Gens-là
Ange, 'Guet-Apens'

Guet-Apens  (1978,  40.44)  ****/TTTT

A Colin Maillard
Dans les Poches du Berger
Un Trou dans la Case
Virgule

Réveille-Toi
Capitaine Couer de Miel
Ange, 'En Concert - Par les Fils de Mandrin Milléssimé 77'

En Concert - Par les Fils de Mandrin Milléssimé 77  (2003,  69.06)  ****/TTT

Par les Fils de Mandrin
Au Café du Colibri
Ainsi s'en Ira la Pluie
Autour du Feu
Saltimbanques
Des Yeux Couleur d'Enfant
Atlantis
Hymne à la Vie
  Cantique

  Procession
  Hymne

Exode
Le Vieux de la Montagne

Current availability:

  • Le Cimetière des Arlequins: Mercury
  • Par les Fils de Mandrin: Polygram
  • Tome VI/Guet-Apens/En Concert...: Musea (France)

Mellotron used:

  • Band's own M400

Ange are French. Now, I don't want to be accused of statin' the bleedin' obvious, but they're really French, to the point where as a (pretty much) non-French speaker, it's difficult to work out where they're coming from at all. I've read any number of times 'the Genesis-influenced Ange'. Er, sorry? To my ears, the only influence is in the most general terms, i.e. they play symphonic progressive rock, and belong to the 'first wave' of bands, forming around 1970. Their work is deeply rooted in French culture, with many French folk influences seeping through, and a reliance on Gallic themes in their writing; fair enough, it made them stars in France, and they're still afforded a great deal of respect there. However, Christian Décamps' rather tortured vocals can be rather hard going, and when his narrative flow relies upon your knowing his language, you may find you have a problem with Ange. While the other romance languages (Italian, Spanish etc.) are fairly easy on the ear, musically speaking, for some odd reason, French frequently isn't, with the end result that many French progressive vocalists can sound rather harsh and gutteral to the English-speaking ear (so to speak).

Le Cimetière des Arlequins was their second album, notable for its Jacques Brel cover, Ces Gens-là. It followed the previous year's Caricatures (***½), and has a similar sort of sound; murky guitar- and organ-driven prog, overlaid with Décamps' declamatory vocal style, with him talking (or shouting) as much as singing. My French isn't good enough to even have a stab at what he's on about, but he seems to mean it, so fair enough. The mood only lightens occasionally, as on the acoustic La Route Aux Cyprês, with the rest of the album having a dense sound, more late-'60s than 1973, to be honest. Francis Décamps' Mellotron use is extremely difficult to spot, as they appeared to be using heavily effected strings, which don't sound that dissimilar to some of the organ patches. Actually, this is a recurring problem with French bands, for some bizarre reason; see: Arachnoid. Anyway, the only 'Tron I can hear is on De Temps En Temps, but I could be completely wrong, or it may be all over the album. By the way, my LP goes into a locked groove at the end; wonder how they dealt with that on the CD?

Things get confusing at this point. The next Ange album, '74's Au-Delà du Délire (****) was a far more progressive effort, and has something that sounds an awful lot like a Mellotron on it, although the detailed equipment list fails to mention one, so maybe it's the Viscount organ. Who knows. There's none credited on Emile Jacotey (1975, ***½), either, but at least this time it doesn't sound like it. Par les Fils de Mandrin ('By the Sons of Mandrin') has more in common with its immediate predecessor, with much folk-influenced material, although side two picks up a bit with the first of the two Mellotron tracks, Des Yeux Couleur d'Enfants' (which seems to translate as 'the eye colour of children'. Huh?). The rest of the album carries on pretty much as before, with some more 'Tron strings on the first part of Hymne À La Vie, mostly without returning to the more symphonic sound of Au-Delà du Délire. Incidentally, an English-language version of the title track is available on the Vagabondages compilation, which (I believe) is the only time the band have recorded in a language other than French.

Tome VI is a double live album, fairly neatly summing up Ange's career to that point, with one new track, and reworkings of others, including doubling the length of a Caricatures song, Dignité. Good versions all round, especially Fils De Lumière from Au-Delà du Délire, showcasing their eclectic, theatrical style; I believe there's a video available from this period, which would definitely be worth seeing. Their Mellotron's clearly visible in a couple of the sleeve pics, but once again, almost inaudible to the naked ear; I'm beginning to wonder if they had some really odd tapes in it that I'm not recognising or something. Maybe they considered it was worth hauling along for just a track or two, or maybe they used it more on the stuff that didn't make the album. Who knows. Anyway, the only place I can actually hear it is in the reprise of Par les Fils de Mandrin's Hymne À La Vie (Cantique). Buy, but not for the 'Tron.

Their next studio album was their last real progressive release, and, weirdly enough, is the only one to feature any decent amount of Mellotron; instead of their usual trick of burying it under layers of production, it's right at the front of the mix, and used extensively. The songs on Guet-Apens are some of the best I've heard by the band. too; Dans Les Poches Du Berger has a repeating 'Tron strings chord sequence to die for, and Capitaine Couer De Miel is an excellent full-on prog epic. Francis Décamps' Mellotron use centres largely around great swathes of strings, though Un Trou Dans La Case and Capitaine Couer De Miel feature male voice choir, along with string melodies. He also uses what sounds like string synth and the same odd organ sound he'd used on previous albums, but the 'Tron is pretty much his main keyboard on the album, making you wonder why he didn't use it that way before.

And that was it until... 2003. Don't get all excited; it's an archive release, but an excellent one, titled En Concert - Par les Fils de Mandrin Milléssimé 77, with the band playing the whole of Par les Fils de Mandrin, in sequence, with a couple of extra tracks stuck on the end. It's a very worthy purchase, with Ange giving it their all, and far more Mellotron than on the studio version. Apart from reprising the studio parts (but louder) on Des Yeux Couleur D'Enfant and Hymne À La Vie, Décamps adds very audible choirs on Par Les Fils De Mandrin, while the first several minutes of Ainsi S'en Ira La Pluie are almost entirely strings, with a major choir part at the end. Fantastic!

So; a bit of a mixed bag, really. For symphonic progressiveness, get Au-Delà du Délire, Tome VI, Guet-Apens and maybe a later release, '89's more modern-sounding Seve qui Peut (***½), but for Mellotron, just Guet-Apens and En Concert.... For an overview of their early career, get Tome VI or Vagabondages, but if you like their style, get all the above, although quality does vary a little. I believe everything from 1980's Vu d'un Chien is worth avoiding, with the honourable exception of Seve qui Peut; 1981's Moteur! is certainly pretty awful. Both Décamps brothers have released solo albums; Francis' Histoire de Fou (1979) is supposed to contain Mellotron.

Official site


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