|
|
|
|
||
|
 |
 |
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.
|
Angel Angel Provocateur Adam Ant |
Aphélandra Aphrodite's Child Fiona Apple |
April Wine Dan Ar Bras |
Arachnoid Arena |
 |
Angel (1975, 37.47) ****/TTT½TowerLong Time Rock & Rollers Broken Dreams Mariner Sunday Morning On & on Angel (Theme) |
 |
Helluva Band (1976, 44.18) ***½/TFeelin' RightThe Fortune Anyway You Want it Dr. Ice Mirrors Feelings Pressure Point Chicken Soup Angel Theme |
 |
On Earth as it is in Heaven (1977, 42.21) **/T½ |
|
| Can You Feel it She's a Mover Big Boy (Let's do it Again) Telephone Exchange White Lightning On the Rocks You're Not Fooling Me That Magic Touch |
Cast the First Stone Just a Dream |
|
 |
White Hot (1977, 37.53) *½/T½ |
|
| Don't Leave Me Lonely Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore Hold Me, Squeeze Me Over and Over Under Suspicion Got Love if You Want it Stick Like Glue Flying With Broken Wings (Without You) |
You Could Lose Me The Winter Song |
|
 |
Sinful (1979, 33.52) *½/T½ |
|
| Don't take Your Love L.A. Lady Just Can't Take it You Can't Buy Love Bad Time Waited a Long Time I'll Bring the Whole World to Your Door I'll Never Fall in Love Again |
Wild and Hot Lovers Live on |
|
 |
Live Without a Net (1980, 81.26) **½/T |
|
| Tower Can You Feel it Don't Leave Me Lonely Telephone Exchange I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore Over and Over Anyway You Want it On the Rocks |
Wild and Hot All the Young Dudes Rock & Rollers White Lightning Hold Me, Squeeze Me Got Love if You Want it Feelin' Right 20th Century Foxes |
|
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
To look at the sleeve of the first Angel album, you'd have no idea that they'd go on to develop one of the silliest images ever, despite stiff competition. On the inner sleeve they look like just about any other mid-'70s American rock band, although, as you can see, by the time their second album came out they'd gone for the full satin jacket (and trousers, and, well, everything really). Their ludicrous preening 'angelic' image was obviously conjured up by a desperate marketing exec looking for a hook on which to hang the band; they were signed to the same label as Kiss, Casablanca, and presumably there was meant to be some sort of 'darkness/light' thing between the two outfits ('Knights In Satan's Service' anyone?!!). Their stage show included various sleight-of-hand appearing/vanishing tricks, similar to that used by funksters Earth, Wind & Fire a few years later. This attempt at a smokescreen for the music, was, at least in this stage of their career, entirely unnecessary; Angel were one of the prime exponents of the style dubbed Pomp that America ever produced. Best described as 'accessible hard rock with progressive stylings', the US specialised in bands partly or fully fitting this description: Styx, Kansas, Saga (OK, so they're Canadian) and, of course, Angel.
Angel is, in fact, one of the finest Mellotron albums to come out of the US in the '70s, or indeed, any decade. The album opens with the near-seven minutes of Tower; all swooping synths and roaring Hammond, this track lays out the band's (original) manifesto with a vengeance. Helium-fuelled vocals from Frank DiMino, Punky Meadows' ripping guitar (the infamous subject of Frank Zappa's Punky's Whips, named after, well, never mind) and, of course, the outrageously-bouffanted Gregg Giuffria (far right on the Sinful sleeve)'s epic keyboards. As the lengthy intro shifts into the first verse the 'Tron strings are right to the fore, and keep their presence up throughout the song. Track two, Long Time, is another Mellotron-fest, with Giuffria using it as his chief instrument; the massive swell of the strings at the song's climax are positively orgasmic. Well, almost. Even a fairly straightforward rocker like Rock & Rollers still opens with a burst of 'Tron choir. Giuffria keeps up the pressure on almost every track; Mariner is particularly heavy on the Mellotron front, as is album closer Angel (Theme). To sum up; buy this album. The music is possibly an acquired taste; the Mellotron use isn't.
By the following year's Helluva Band the cracks were already starting to show. An uneasy compromise between the full-on pomp of their debut and the bland commercialisation of their later efforts, the only 'Tron track on the album is the eight-minute rewrite of Tower, The Fortune. Essentially a four-minute song with a four-minute keyboard intro (!), it defines the genre by being completely ridiculous and, well, utterly wonderful, actually. Sadly, it wasn't to last; On Earth as it is in Heaven only managed one half-hearted effort at pomp, and White Hot and Sinful are average pop-rock fare, although Giuffria's Mellotron turns up every now and again throughout all three albums.
Their double live swansong, Live Without a Net, serves only to point up the dichotomy between Angel's earlier and later work. Opening with the fabulous pomp of Tower, most of the rest of the album consists of lightweight drivel from their last three records, particular horrors including Don't Leave Me Lonely, Wild And Hot and White Lightning, although most of it's pretty awful. Also, is that crowd real? Some of it must be, as they respond to DiMino's terrible stadium rock banter, but much of it sounds dubbed on. There are a few better moments here and there, including, of course, Tower and Giuffra's solo (no 'Tron, though) at the beginning of On The Rocks, but they're few and far between, to be honest. Giuffra's Mellotron work seems to be restricted to a handful of tracks, although there are some unidentified sounds in a couple of tracks that just might be, although there's a polysynth in there, too. What 'Tron there is sounds muffled and grungy, and I'm not even sure if the intro to Rock & Rollers is actually the choir from the studio version or not.
So; it's fairly obvious from the above that I consider Angel to be fairly essential, Helluva Band has its moments, though next to no 'Tron, and everything else is a waste of time. Incidentally, an amusing, if slightly distasteful note: Apart from the events surrounding Zappa's 'tribute', Punky was once heard to declaim something along the lines of "I'd like to have a c*** fitted to the back of my guitar so I can fuck it while I'm playing". Thank you for that, Mr Meadows...
 |
Stars Below (2000, 42.40) ****/TTT |
|
| Ether Silver Garden Stars Below Angelhaze Angelwaves Light Chant Glassy Halls |
Je Suis Partie Pour ne Pas Revenir Siren Angel's End |
|
 |
Cloud Street (2003, 38.59) ***½/TT½ |
|
| Miracle Alley In the Tall Grass Pipes of Pan Stalactites Rapunzel Her Window Somewhere Faraway Castle Walls |
Strumming Magnetic Shadow Chant Magnetic Curtain She Was Here |
|
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Angel Provocateur are part of the Ventricle Records interlinked group of darkwave outfits, along with the better-known (relatively speaking) Mauve Sideshow, concentrating on 'ethereal female vocals', not to mention a goodly helping of the mighty 'Tron. Their second release, Stars Below, is most certainly ethereal, with no discernable rhythms, and the only credited instruments being 'voice, Mellotron and electronics'. Dusty Lee's Mellotron takes a while to come in, but after the title track's faint cellos, Angelhaze consists almost entirely of voice and 'Tron strings, heavily reverbed, setting the pattern for the rest of the album's Mellotron use, although there's also a short burst of flutes on Je Suis Partie Pour Ne Pas Revenir. I have to say this is, while largely formless, quite beautiful in places; I expect it's meant to be listened to by candlelight, and that sounds like the best listening environment for this drifting, almost elegiac music.
Three years on, its follow-up, Cloud Street, is effectively more of the same, although I found it just marginally less engaging, although I've no idea why. Maybe because I'm beginning to feel I've heard it all before? There's little obvious difference between these two albums, and you feel Ventricle could go on churning these out until the sun goes cold, although I suppose that's a little uncharitable. Anyway, although there's a touche of background 'Tron strings (from Dusty Lee again, of course) on In The Tall Grass, the first major use occurs in Rapunzel, with full-on strings and flutes, right at the front of the mix, with more strings on Her Window. However, the album's real 'Tron track is also its longest, the eight minutes-plus Castle Walls, with stacks of strings and flutes; very nice.
So; if slightly experimental stuff's your bag, Angel Provocateur shouldn't disappoint, although they're considerably less 'out there' than Mauve Sideshow. Nice 'Tron, too, on both albums. Buy.
 |
Wonderful (1995, 46.53) **½/T |
|
| Won't Take That Talk Beautiful Dream Wonderful 1969 Again Yin & Yang Image of Yourself Alien Gotta Be a Sin |
Vampires Angel Very Long Ride |
|
Current availability:
By 1995, Stuart "Adam Ant" Goddard was over a decade out of teeny stardom, if not yet the tragic figure of a decade on, after his court appearance on firearms charges. I'm not sure if Wonderful was designed to kickstart his career again, or was merely made for the hell of it, but despite featuring his old sparring partner, Marco Pirroni, on guitar, it (thankfully) has nothing in common with his early-'80s hits, being more of a singer-songwriter's album. While a little over-produced, it quite clearly wasn't made in the Decade From Hell, so at least we're spared sampled everything and gated reverb all round, although the odd '90s production trick turns up here and there (spot the occasional percussion loop).
To be brutally honest, the material contained here is a little second-rate, although a few songs manage to be quite affecting (Won't Take That Talk, Image Of Yourself, Angel). The Caribbean-flavoured Beautiful Dream should've been drowned at birth, but otherwise, everything is just about acceptable, though nothing really stands out. Bruce Witkin's Mellotron is actually the only keyboard instrument (ostensibly) used on the entire album, and it crops up here and there, with some background strings on the title track, only really audible on the final chord, with more of the same on Vampires. There are other points on the album that could be 'Tron (the middle eight of Angel, for example), but are more likely to be sustained guitar or somesuch.
Wonderful is Ant's last album of new material to date, and after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, we can only speculate on whether he'll produce anything else in the future. I'd be lying if I said I actually thought it was good, though it does have its moments. Beats Robbie bloody Williams, anyway.
 |
Aphélandra (2001, recorded 1976, 34.36) ****/T½AirsBelladonne Pat Aphélandra Corinthe |
Current availability:
Aphélandra's sole, eponymous album is one of those 'lost tapes' affairs, recorded in 1976, but not released until 2001. Unlike many similar, it's actually deserving of release, being a decent French symphonic progressive effort, with some excellent piano work from Philippe Grancher, who released a solo album the same year, 3000 Miles Away. Actually, the more I listen to this, the more of a shame it seems that it wasn't released at the time, although then it would've been an utter obscurity ripe for a Musea reissue, rather than an unreleased utter obscurity that appeared 25 years after the event. Opener Airs, which would've been a side long had this ever appeared on vinyl, is probably the album's best track, with notable interplay between Grancher's piano and guest Didier Lockwood's ripping violin. Cyrille Verdeaux from Clearlight also guests, although the band do a pretty good job on their own. The album's chief flaw is its stylistic inconsistency, with the title track being a bit of a waste of time, although there's enough good material here to make the whole worthwhile. There are (French-language) vocals, though most of the album's instrumental, so foreign-language phobics shouldn't have too much trouble.
The oddest thing about the record is Grancher's Mellotron use; he's credited with it, but it's difficult to work out exactly where it's used. Most of the album's massed vocal work appears to be real, although it could be 'Tron on 'side two', and the only obvious strings are a background part towards the end of Airs. This leaves the album's main Mellotron work being the church organ in Pat, with the tapes slipping authentically at one point, although there's nothing else obvious, accounting for the low T rating.
So; Aphélandra's release is, generally speaking, a good thing, and while it doesn't hang together quite as well as it might, it's worth hearing, though not for the 'Tron.
 |
End of the World (1968, 35.13) ***½/TT½End of the WorldDon't Try to Catch a River Mister Thomas Rain and Tears The Grass is No Green Valley of Sadness You Always Stand in My Way The Shepherd and the Moon Day of the Fool |
 |
It's Five o'Clock (1969, 34.00) **½/TIt's Five o'ClockWake Up Take Your Time Anabella Let Me Love, Let Me Live Funky Mary Good Time So Fine Marie Jolie Such a Funny Night |
Current availability:
Aphrodite's Child were, of course, the launching pad for both Demis Roussos and the rather more sublime Vangelis (Evangelos Papathanassiou), who left Greece, heading for England, but found themselves waylaid in Paris, where they recorded their debut, End of the World. It's decent enough psych-pop, if rarely that adventurous, but they reached their apogee on their last album and meisterwerk, 1972's double 666, for which they're chiefly remembered.
End of the World is actually pretty good, if not quite the equal of the leading UK/US bands, and it spawned a huge hit across Europe with the rather wimpy Rain And Tears, but we'll forgive them for that. Best tracks are probably the last two, The Shepherd And The Moon and Day Of The Fool, with the latter stretching out into a creepy ethereal Hammond-fest, paving the way for the band's later progressive adventures. Now, a lot has been made of Vangelis' dislike of Mellotrons, consistently refusing to use one on his symphonic electronic late '70s albums (although I believe his additional live keyboard players were issued with them, interestingly). However, anyone who tells me there's no Mellotron on End of the World has no idea what they sound like, to be honest; either a MkII or an early M300 are all over the thing, although seemingly not on the track I was initially told had some, Rain And Tears. Anyway, the album's Mellotronic highlights are You Always Stand In My Way, loaded with what sound like MkII strings and brass, and the string-heavy (M300?) Day Of The Fool, very clearly a 'Tron, plus what sounds like various Mellotronic woodwinds on Don't Try To Catch A River.
Their second album, It's Five o'Clock, starts off in a similar vein to its predecessor, but by its conclusion it's shifted heavily into Zorba the Greek territory; it's hardly surprising old Demis ended up as he did. In comparison to the albums on either side of it, this is a bit of a dud, to be honest. The first couple of tracks are OK, but they seem unable to sustain the momentum, and Vangelis also cuts back drastically on his Mellotron use. Background strings on the opening title track and more upfront flutes on Anabella are all you're going to get, so it's a resounding 'no' on all fronts, then.
End of the World is no classic, but it's an album that original psych-pop fans should enjoy, with the added bonus of a handful of good 'Tron tracks. Forget about the follow-up and buy 666 instead.
 |
Tidal (1996, 51.38) ***/TTTT½ |
|
| Sleep to Dream Sullen Girl Shadowboxer Criminal Slow Like Honey The First Taste Never is a Promise The Child is Gone |
Pale September Carrion |
|
 |
When the Pawn (1999, 42.43) ***/TTT |
|
| On the Bound To Your Love Limp Love Ridden Paper Bag A Mistake Fast as You Can The Way Things Are |
Get Gone I Know |
|
Current availability:
Fiona Apple is one of those Lilith Fair types, like a more acoustic version of Alanis Morissette, but with a worse voice (?!), aiming fairly and squarely at a female audience. You know, "Sometimes it's hard to be a woman"; er, didn't somebody else write that? She's far from prolific, with only two releases in over six years, but there are advantages to not flooding the market with substandard work, although it may just be that she writes very slowly.
I can't really say I'm into this stuff very much, to be honest, but there's shitloads of Patrick Warren and Jon Brion (the usual suspects again)'s Chamberlin to be heard, particularly on Tidal. Unsurprisingly, more strings than anything else, though I'm sure I caught some brass on Sleep To Dream and there are cellos all over the place. Actually, this is something of a classic Chamberlin album, whatever I might think of the music. Particular highlights are The Child Is Gone and Carrion, but with Chamby on all but one track, it's practically a demonstration record for the instrument.
Ms Apple's second album sports the unfeasibly lengthy and pretentious title When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth is the Greatest of Heights and if You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and if You Fall it Won't Matter, 'Cuz You'll Know That You're Right (Guinness Book of Records, anyone?), commonly (and unsurprisingly) known as When the Pawn. Patrick Warren is credited with Chamberlin on four tracks, but producer Jon Brion presumably plays one on opener On The Bound, too. Warren's use is as good as on Tidal; it's just a shame it's not on more tracks; again, mostly strings, but there may be bits of cello and brass in there, too. Like Never Is A Promise from Tidal, several tracks have real strings on them, so maybe she's heading more in that general direction, which would be a bit of a pity, as what tape replay there is here is excellent.
So; can't say I'm overkeen on the music, but Tidal is a killer Chamberlin record, and When the Pawn isn't too bad on that front, either. Probably worth it for the Chamberlin alone. Startling.
 |
The Whole World's Goin' Crazy (1976) ***/TGimme LoveChild's Garden Rock'n'Roll Woman Wings of Love Marjorie So Bad Shotdown Like a Lover, Like a Song Kick Willy Rd. The Whole World's Goin' Crazy |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Amazingly, for a band who only picked up any sort of recognition outside Canada with 1979's Harder, Faster, 1976's The Whole World's Goin' Crazy was already their fifth studio album, while their lineup only contained one original member, although they had originally formed as early as 1969. To be blunt, going by this album, you can see why it took them so long to break out of their home country, although it was available abroad (there's definitely a UK version). It's... boring. OK, that's probably a little harsh, but it's completely run-of-the-mill US-style hard rock of the period, with nothing to really differentiate it from a thousand other bands; in fact, they did pretty well, all things considered.
It starts OK, although Gimme Love is never going to be on anyone's list of all-time favourites (is it?), and Wings Of Love isn't bad, but tracks like the clichéd Rock'n'Roll Woman, or the tedious rock'n'roll of the title track, complete with 'helium' backing vocals are just plain bad. The album's sole 'Tron track is the balladic Like A Lover, Like A Song, with much of the track's instrumentation (all the piano and Mellotron) provided by 'Serge Locas', almost certainly a.k.a. Serge Locat of Harmonium, another Montreal-based band (although April Wine actually hail from the unlikely environs of Halifax, Nova Scotia). It's a pretty typical mid-'70s piano ballad, to be honest, although Locat's initially background 'Tron strings rise up to the front of the mix towards the end of the song.
So; not that exciting, really, and only one so-so 'Tron track. Maybe not.
 |
Allez Dire à la Ville (1978, 43.05) ***/TT |
|
| Allez Dire à la Ville Suite Ecossaise L'Amour Kerne Les Oiseaux et les Electrons de Brenilis Dimanche Apres-Midi Toi Fils de Roi Fils de Rien (Tu Lis Ton Ascendance) Farewell Bob Brown |
Requiem pour le Jet Les Saisons L'Amour le Nucleaire et le Crepuscule Plainte de Yann Vari Perrot |
|
Current availability:
Breton Dan Ar Bras (born Le Bras, later Ar Braz) started his career in Alan Stivell's band, going on to solo success, culminating in the 1990s, with his vast group of Celtic musicians (including Stivell), L'Héritage des Celtes. Allez Dire à la Ville was his fourth solo album, following a brief (and unrecorded) stint in a struggling Fairport Convention in 1976, and is probably best described as mainstream Celtic folk/rock, not a million miles away from what Scotland's Runrig would do a decade later. As a result, traditional tunes such as Farewell Bob Brown and Suite Ecossaise, enhanced by Ar Bras' electric guitar, rub shoulders with acoustic balladry (Les Saisons) and straightforward rock tunes (Requiem Pour Le Jet and the title track), which haven't aged well, but probably helped to sell the record at the time.
Unusually for a European album, Allez Dire à la Ville features a Chamberlin (maybe the same one that graces Magma's Attahk, recorded the same year), played variously by Benoit Widemann and Patrick Audoin. Three credited tracks, with a clear, orchestral-style string part in L'Amour Kerne and subtler parts in Toi Fils De Roi Fils De Rien (Tu Lis Ton Ascendance) and Plainte De Yann Vari Perrot, all of which sound like they could easily have been played by real strings; maybe they couldn't afford them?
As an entrée to Ar Bras' work, I wouldn't have thought Allez Dire à la Ville was your first port of call, although having not actually heard any of his other work, I couldn't say what would be. It's not a bad album as such, just a little bitty and dated in places, with the synth in, say, L'Amour Le Nucleaire Et Le Crepuscule sounding rather out of context next to its folkier tracks. As far as the Chamberlin goes, you've got three tracks of real strings-substitutes, but they sound pretty good anyway. Not bad, but don't pay too much.
 |
Arachnoid (1979, 46.09/66.33) ***½/T½ |
|
| Le Chamadère Piano Caveau In the Screen Side of Your Eyes Toutes ces Images La Guêpe L'adieu au Pierrot Final |
[CD adds: L'Hiver (live) Le Pierrot (live) L'Adieu (live) Piano Caveau (instrumental)] |
|
Current availability:
Interesting one, this. Arachnoid are quite difficult to categorise, to be honest; a bit Genesis, a lot Crimson, definitely some Ange, maybe a bit jazzy... French-language vocals, but less 'harsh' than Ange, with two keyboard players. Although I think I can hear Mellotron on four of the album's tracks, the 'Tron player, François Faugieres also plays 'modified Farfisa organ', so like Ange, what sounds like 'Tron may not be, and vice versa... There's actually very little Mellotron, even on the highlighted tracks, so although it's a good album, I couldn't wholeheartedly recommend it for 'Tron fans.
 |
Songs From the Lions Cage (1995, 58.26) ***/TTOut of the WildernessCrying for Help I Valley of the Kings Crying for Help II Jericho Crying for Help III Midas Vision Crying for Help IV Solomon |
 |
Pride (1996, 55.27) ***/TTWelcome to the Cage...Crying for Help V Empire of a Thousand Days Crying for Help VI Medusa Crying for Help VII Fool's Gold Crying for Help VIII Sirens |
 |
The Visitor (1998, 61.45) ***/TT½ |
|
| A Crack in the Ice Pins and Needles Double Vision Elea The Hanging Tree A State of Grace Blood Red Room In the Blink of an Eye |
(Don't Forget to) Breathe Serenity Tears in the Rain Enemy Without Running From Damascus The Visitor |
|
 |
Immortal? (2000, 55.20) ***/TTTChosenWaiting for the Flood The Butterfly Man Ghost in the Firewall Climbing the Net Moviedrome Friday's Dream |
 |
Contagion (2003, 58.50) ***/T½ |
|
| Witch Hunt An Angel Falls Painted Man This Way Madness Lies Spectre at the Feast Never Ending Night Skin Game Salamander |
On the Box Tsunami Fallow Ground The City of Lanterns Riding the Tide Mea Culpa Cutting the Cards Ascension |
|
 |
Pepper's Ghost (2005, 52.36) **½/TBedlam FayreSmoke and Mirrors The Shattered Room The Eyes of Lara Moon Tantalus Purgatory Road Opera Fanatica |
Current availability:
Mellotrons used:
Arena are a neo-prog supergroup, if there can be such a thing in such a relatively small scene. Mick Pointer, Marillion's original drummer was persuaded to emerge from retirement by the lunatics at Silhobbit 'fanzine', a thoroughly scurrilous but excellent and extremely funny read, with several entirely non-sequentially numbered issues appearing sporadically throughout the early '90s. Once Mick realised that there were people out there who actually wanted to hear him play again (why?), he teamed up with erstwhile Pendragon keyboardist Clive Nolan and an ever-changing cast of sidemen to play full-on prog, with all the pomp and circumstance you'd expect from such a venture. Their success in mainland Europe, particularly Germany, has been considerable, apparently rivalling that of Pendragon themselves.
I quite liked Songs From the Lions Cage (sic) when it came out, but I'm afraid to say that with hindsight, it sounds extremely formulaic and clichéd, particularly in the lyric department. I mean, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do". Oh, come ON! Even with quotes round it in the lyric booklet that's never going to win prizes for originality... The whole 'Biblical' theme of the album grates a little, too, although thankfully there doesn't seem to be any religious agenda going on. The four parts of Crying For Help are also quite unnecessary, and have more than a whiff of 'filler' about them; without them the album would still have topped 40 minutes. The rest of the songs (mostly of an obligatory lengthy, er, length) have more than a little of an 'updated early Marillion' feel to them; heavier guitar and digital keyboards, but the same approach to songwriting, complete with irritating 'Fishisms' on the vocal front.
I actually approached reviewing this album with an open mind (what, you mean I don't always?), but on hearing it again for the first time in a while, I'm pretty disappointed, sad to say. Although Clive Nolan apparently has no hand in writing Pendragon's material, the same 'prog by numbers' feel infuses this record; suffice to say, you don't feel that they're doing it for the sheer joy of making music. Oh yeah - Mellotron: Nolan borrowed (then) Pallas keyboard man Mike Stobbie's machine for the recording, and actually uses it a passable amount on the album, particularly on closer Solomon; mostly choirs, but a touch of strings here and there. Not bad use, but again, no prizes for originality.
The following year, they followed up with Pride, which is basically more of the same, right down to another four Crying For Helps, surrounded by five 'regular' tracks. Opener Welcome To The Cage... is pretty rough, being typical neo-prog fare, but the rest of the album compares favourably to their debut. Make of that what you will... Although there's no specific mention of Mellotrons, given another 'special thanks' to Mike Stobbie, I suspect the same machine was used again. About the best use is the unaccompanied string chords on Empire Of A Thousand Days and Sirens, with the bulk of the rest being choirs, somewhat buried in the mix.
Now, in what looks from where I'm standing to be an incredibly cynical move, the eight Crying For Helps, some re-recorded, were subsequently compiled with two extra tracks as The Cry (**½), although I don't hear any Mellotron (as you can see, there's none on the originals). In fact, I have to say that there appears to be a good deal of cynicism surrounding the band's entire modus operandi, with members being hired and fired on a regular basis, and are all the songs really written by 'Pointer/Nolan'? I feel we should be told.
The Visitor was Arena's first concept piece 'proper', although I'm not quite sure what the concept actually is; the lyrics are the same old clichéd rubbish, so although I know there's meant to be a story here, I'll be fucked if I can tell you anything about it. No change on the music front, either, unless it's a slight (and unwelcome) shift towards AOR on the odd track. Round about this point, Nolan bought IQ's Martin Orford's old 'Tron, which was apparently in a rather parlous state by this time; there's a 'special thanks' to 'Martin Smith and John S. Bradley at Streetly Electronics for restoring the Mellotron', so at least we know it's real. The 'Tron on most of the marked tracks is (again) well-buried in the mix, although the choir and especially, strings on Enemy Without and the title track are really quite upfront. An improvement, if only on the Mellotron front.
Immortal? is the best Arena album so far, although that isn't saying an awful, lot, to be honest. The first few tracks all have their moments, with unexpected subtlety in places, and it really wasn't going too badly until Climbing The Net, which is total Marillion-by-numbers, and is completely horrible. It doesn't recover, but then, it wasn't actually that good in the first place. Mucho Taurus pedals on the album, which is good, and even more Mellotron, which is better. Strings on Chosen, a solo flute section at the end of Waiting For The Flood, more strings and choir spread across the first five tracks, although the album's 'epic', Moviedrome, seems to be all sampled choirs. Better, but not that much.
Contagion is something of a backwards step for Arena, being more like their earlier work; the usual bombastic, pretentious, by-numbers nonsense we've come to expect. Thinking about it, I suppose a great many prog fans think that's what prog IS, having been completely seduced by the 'Marillion model' of style over substance, ignoring the genre's rich history. What can you do? Like so many things in this life, you can only tell people your version of the truth... Much less Mellotron than on Immortal? and I'm not totally convinced about a couple of the highlighted tracks above. Strings and choir on some early tracks, but most of the album's choir parts are clearly modern samples, and I'm not so sure about the strings.
The best thing about Pepper's Ghost is the lavish hardbound CD booklet, with a cartoon-style running story of the album's 'plot', such as it is, with sympathetically-portrayed band members popping up here and there. The music is just the same old same old - I mean, why do they bother/ It probably isn't noticeably worse than its five predecessors, but after sitting through several Arena albums in a fairly short space of time, it's 'Purgatory Road' indeed. I'm in pain. Anyway, the Mellotron seems to be quite thin on the ground again here, with a brief string part on Bedlam Fayre and some opening choir chords on Opera Fanatica, with real opera singers warbling over the top, and I'm not even certain about that last one.
So; Arena's entire oeuvre: only for neo-proggers who like a bit of crunch to their guitars, and don't mind the fact that there isn't a shred of originality anywhere to be heard on these albums. Some OK 'Tron, but nothing to write home about bar Immortal?
