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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.
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Bevis Frond Bi Kyo Ran Big Star |
Bigelf Birdie Edwin Birdsong |
Birmingham Sunday Birthcontrol Black Bonzo |
Black Sabbath Blanc Blancmange |
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Son of Walter (1996, 72.22) ***½/T½ |
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| Plastic Elvis Beautiful Sister Red Hair You Saw Me Comming Barking or False Point Blues Forgiven All Hope is Gone With You Away Dead Man Sitting on a Train |
It's Not Like You Garden Aeroplane Trap Driven Away Raining on TV Requiem Winner's Way |
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I'm ashamed to admit that, prior to this, I've never actually heard a Bevis Frond album all the way through, even though I saw him/them live years ago. The Bevis Frond is essentially Walthamstow native and 'Countdown' regular Nick Saloman (don't worry about this stuff if you're not a native Brit), who writes, sings and plays guitar on everything, ploughing his own lonely psychedelic furrow through the murk of what is laughingly known as The Music Biz. In his own quiet way, he's a real star, refusing to bow to 'commercial reality' (a.k.a. 'The Man') while managing to keep his head above water far enough to carry on making his own unique brand of psychedelic guitar-driven rock. A whole slew of his albums used to be available on London-based Reckless Records' (legendary small second-hand chain) own imprint, but the rights seem to've long-reverted to his own label, Woronzow, which also seems to be linked to excellent obscuro fanzine the Ptolemaic Terrascope (with me so far?).
Son of Walter is something like Nick's 13th album in nine years (!), and it's a double (although I'm aware that several of his early releases consist of older material); believe me, this guy doesn't mess about, although his output has slowed of recent years. It covers several different bases, from the acoustic singer-songwriter fare of Winner's Way and Dead Man Sitting On A Train, through the grunge madness of Barking Or False Point Blues to the (short) side-long killer jam of Garden Aeroplane Trap. It's this last that interests us the most, as Nick (who plays everything, by the way) overdubs tons of 'Tron flutes and strings, although I've zero idea where he might've found a functioning Mellotron in 1996. In fact, there's so much on the 12-minute track that it actually gets a full T½ rating, despite not being heard anywhere else.
So; Nick Saloman needs and deserves your support, so buy this album. Only one 'Tron track, but it's a) good and b) long, so a borderline 'worth it for the 'Tron' one, I think.
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Parallax (1983, 38.29) ****/TTTSilent RunningPrediction Suite Ran Prologue: The Sky Distorting Too Much A Klaxon of Dr. Strange-Love Parallax Company Great Parallax Epilogue: Crimson Children |
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Kyobo Na Ongaku [a.k.a. A Violent Music] (1998, 53.18) ***½/TTA Violent CityFeet on the Ground A Violent Party A Violent Fort A Man of Hand to Mouth Creep Funk A Violent Nightmare |
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I've only heard one of noted Japanese King Crimson imitators Bi Kyo Ran's albums, although there seem to've been a whole slew of releases over the years, including several archive live things, many allegedly Mellotron-soaked. I believe Parallax is fairly typical, though I'm hoping to hear some more of their stuff at some point.
Silent Running isn't actually that great, starting off in arena rock mode, although it improves over its near-eight minute length, but Prediction is a lot better, operating in laid-back 'I Talk to the Wind' mode, with little Mellotronic interjections here and there. Side two's Suite Ran is definitely the album's highpoint, opening with 'Tron flutes before lurching into a Crimsonesque riff that sets the tone for the rest of the track. Mellotron strings in (I think) part 3, Great Parallax which pounds the listener into submission with a hypnotic cycling riff for seven or eight minutes, with flutes and (real) violin in the following gentle Epilogue: Crimson Children (are you sure?!). This is pretty fine stuff, actually, if rather lacking on the originality front, but since when was that necessarily a problem?
Well, in fifteen years, it seems that Bi Kyo Ran haven't changed noticeably, still sounding an awful lot like King Crimson. Kyobo Na Ongaku, or A Violent Music, is well-named, slightly resembling Crimso's Starless & Bible Black (album) in its relentlessness and angularity. It's difficult to pinpoint 'best tracks' on an album like this, as there's little stylistic difference between most of them; suffice to say, if you like their previous work, there's a good chance you'll like this. Mellotron strings on most tracks, from Noriyuki Kamiya, though never that much, and I'm not entirely convinced they're real. As so often, though, it's devilishly hard to tell, and certainly on opener A Violent City, it sound 'wobbly' enough to just possibly be real. Kamiya's 'Tron technique seems to consist of waiting until maybe 40% of the way into each song, then bringing in some nicely Crimsonesque, ever-so-slightly dissonant chords, which are played for about 30 seconds before he switches to another instrument, which he sticks to on every highlighted track above.
So; a good, if pretty derivative band. If you like Crimson, and don't mind someone else ripping off their sound wholesale, you may well go for this, unless you're dead set against imitators. These are both good albums, remarkably consistent, given the fifteen-year gap between them, both OK on the 'Tron front without being outstanding.
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#1 Record (1972, 37.09) ****½/T½ |
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| Feel The Ballad of El Goodo In the Street Thirteen Don't Lie to Me The India Song When My Baby's Beside Me My Life is Right |
Give Me Another Chance Try Again Watch the Sunrise ST 100/6 |
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Radio City (1973, 36.11) ****/T |
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| O My Soul Life is White Way Out West What's Going Ahn You Get What You Deserve Mod Lang Back of a Car Daisy Glaze |
She's a Mover September Gurls Morpha Too I'm in Love With a Girl |
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Sister Lovers: the Third Album (1978, 50.30/55.15) ***½/T |
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| Stroke it Noel Downs Femme Fatale Thank You Friends Holocaust Jesus Christ Blue Moon Dream Lover You Can't Have Me Big Black Car |
Kizza Me For You O Dana Nightime Whole Lotta Shakin' Going on Kanga Roo Take Care [CD adds: Nature Boy Till the End of the Day] |
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Big Star formed in Memphis when Alex Chilton (ex-Box Tops, of The Letter fame) joined Chris Bell, Andy Hummel and Jody Stephens in Ice Water, changing their name during their initial writing sessions. They played what was, for the early '70s, deeply unfashionable intelligent pop, with a soul influence from Chilton creeping in here and there, leading to the group being included in the infamous 'B's; Beatles, Beach Boys, Badfinger, Byrds... There honestly isn't a bad song on either #1 Record or Radio City, so yet another great band ignored during their lifetime have gone on to, if not fortune, at least posthumous fame.
#1 Record doesn't put a foot wrong, from the opening pure pop of Feel, through rockier numbers (Don't Lie To Me, When My Baby's Beside Me), or ballads (Give Me Another Chance, Try Again). Plenty of other writers have written about this album far more eloquently than I ever could, so I'll concentrate on my usual speciality. Bassist Andy Hummel's only solo composition on the album, India Song, is a beautiful acoustic number, with a richly original Mellotron flute part, played by him, making it one of the album's highlights (against stiff competition), while Give Me Another Chance has some rather unsubtle strings from friend/studio owner Terry Manning, although the end result is still well worth the effort.
By Radio City, Bell had left, producing demos that would appear as I am the Cosmos long after his death in a car crash in 1978. Big Star seemed to function just as well as a trio, at least in the studio, as live dates were apparently a disaster. The songwriting is still fabulous, with songs like Way Out West and You Get What You Deserve equalling those of their influences. Hummel's (if Hummel it is) Mellotron is only obviously heard on one track; opener O My Soul has some stabbed string chords, with some slurred pitchbend work at the end, and despite a couple of other 'possibles', it's the only definite 'Tron track here.
Hummel departed after the album's release, leaving the remaining duo to record another album with a new bassist, although The Third Album, sometimes known as Sister Lovers, wasn't released until 1979, long after the band's demise. It's a messy affair, to be honest, with every different release seemingly containing a different track selection, the one above being from the UK 1987 Dojo/Castle vinyl version, which claims to contain every track recorded at the sessions. It's unsurprisingly less focussed than their first two albums, but there are still many excellent tracks, if little of quite the same quality as before. The Mellotron on Kanga Roo could have been played by either Chilton or producer Jim Dickinson, opening with a wobbly flute melody, before some string chords in the verses; note the alternate sleeve above, with (reversed) 'Tron surprisingly in shot.
So; two great albums, one reasonable one, all in the 'intelligent pop' vein. Four Mellotron tracks spread over three albums; you decide.
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Closer to Doom (1997, 25.14/38.19) ****/TTTT |
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| Change Crazy Frustration Salvation In the Void Closer to Doom |
[Full-length version adds: Theme One I, the Jury Fight Baron Saturday (live)] |
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Money Machine (2000, 38.43) ***½/TTTT½Money MachineSellout Neuropsychopathic Eye Side Effects (Another) Nervous Breakdown Mindbender Ironheel Death Walks Behind You The Bitter End |
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Hex (2003, 60.49) ****/TTTT |
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| Madhatter Bats in the Belfry II Pain Killers Disappear Rock & Roll Contract Sunshine Suicide Falling Bombs Black Moth |
Carry the Load Burning Bridges Bats in the Belfry I Unlisted track |
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Bigelf are a West Coast quartet with a seriously 'retro' approach to their music-making; the front cover of Closer to Doom has pictured on the cover the most outrageous collection of vintage instruments; if you'll indulge me for a moment...
And probably a few other bits I've missed... All in all, a setup to rival Pink Floyd's on the rear sleeve of Ummagumma, if not to knock it into the proverbial cocked hat. So what do they do with all this stuff? Go straight back to the early '70s, of course; apart from the production, this could've been recorded in 1973. What's more, they're pretty good at it, too; heavy Hammond-driven stuff, nothing over six minutes, Mellotron on pretty much every track (mostly strings). Definitely one for retro hounds everywhere, but genuinely good songs, within the fairly restrictive guidelines they've set themselves. To really confuse the issue, Closer to Doom was released in two versions. The original 6-track CD EP has been succeeded by a 10-track full-length album (still only 38 minutes). Try to find the full-length version, as the bonus tracks are worth a listen, although as a mixture of covers and live stuff they give the overall disc a slightly disjointed feel. No matter, as at least they bring it up to (vaguely) full-LP length.
Three years on, their second album, Money Machine, is similar enough to their debut that if you liked one, you'll like the other, as their style hasn't noticeably changed in the interim. Hard to pick out particular highlights, as it's all pretty good, in a very retro kind of way, but there's an absolute shedload of 'Tron all over the album; mostly strings and choir, but the odd bit of flute and brass (particularly on closer The Bitter End), too, and was that 'Tron vibes I heard at one point? An absolute must for 'Tron fanatics, anyway.
Another three years, and Hex concentrates even more on their 'Black Sabbath with more Mellotron' sound, although without the complex song structures (Bats In The Belfry I excepted), although their actual songwriting has improved noticeably. Yet again, Damon Fox goes completely bonkers on the 'Tron, mostly strings, although distinctly 'Strawberry Fields'-style flute parts infiltrate Rock & Roll Contract and Bats In The Belfry I, and the odd bit of choir pops up, pretty much as on Money Machine, to be honest. For some reason, Bigelf have broken through in Scandinavia (Hex was even recorded in Sweden), and seem to divide their time between there and the US, so there doesn't seem much chance of seeing them in the good old UK, at least at the moment. Shame.
So; loads of 'Tron, and good, groove-driven early-'70s sounding stuff. Worth a flutter.
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Triple Echo (2001, 35.04) ***½/TT |
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| The Original Strand Such a Sound Rosie's Drugstore Sidewalk Poster Blue Eyed Son Silver Line Twin I Love You |
Monday Hammond Blue Eyed Son (Reprise) Coda |
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Birdie's second album, Triple Echo, apparently carries on in the same vein as their debut, Some Dusty, in a sort of French-easy-listening-via-'60s-film-score stylee, all played by Englishmen (and woman). Birdie's lounge lizardry walks the fine line between knowing irony and genuine homage, to the point where you wouldn't turn a hair if you heard these songs used in a retro/'60s film. Or a genuine one, for that matter, as the band's sound is firmly rooted in that decade, with no obvious modern instrumentation at all; the CD booklet even features lovingly-shot snaps of vintage amps, guitars, haircuts etc.
Singer Deborah ('Debsey') Wykes plays all the Wurly piano and Mellotron parts, with 'Tron on four tracks. Flutes on three, with extra cellos on Poster, leaving Blue Eyed Son (Reprise) as the odd man out, with something I can't readily identify, though it may be one of the MkII sax sounds, although Debsey's playing an M400, going by the cellos. So, while not a 'Tron album per se, their use is really nice, as is the music, to be honest, although this isn't exactly one for your prog obsessive. Buy according to taste.
p.s. Definitely an M400, specifically that belonging to r.m.i.'s Duncan Goddard, complete with its 8+ tape frames.
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Dance of Survival (1975, 35.35) ***½/TTDance of SurvivalPossessed (Take the Evil Spirits Away) Something Ain't Right (Gotta Go Home) What's Your Sign? Night of the Full Moon Your Smile Gave Birth to My Idea Astral Walk |
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Edwin Birdsong seems to be a slightly shadowy figure on the US '70s funk scene, releasing odd albums in a sporadic manner, though, of course, this makes him far more interesting than the usual run-of-the-mill funkster. Dance of Survival is a synth-led, post-psychedelic groove machine, getting even my terminally un-funky foot tapping, though those fat Moog lines help with my appreciation, I have to admit... Birdsong (is that really his name?), apart from his fantastic full-on blaxploitation vocals, plays all manner of keys, including the ubiquitous clavinet (What's Your Sign?), the fattest MiniMoog ever (Possessed (Take The Evil Spirits Away)) and, of course, Mellotron.
It's rather difficult to tell where the 'Tron appears for the first half of the album; I presume it provides the strings on the title track and Something Ain't Right (Gotta Go Home), although it sounds more like string synth. Side two's a different matter, though; Night Of The Full Moon and Your Smile Gave Birth To My Idea, are upfront 'Tron-a-go-go, with chordal string parts swamping the mix, almost drowning out the gospel-inflected backing vocalists, making this a little more of a 'Tron album than I'd at first thought.
So; you'll need to have a modicum of funk in your soul to enjoy this (rather surprising that I do, then), but there's some great keyboard work, and the songs aren't bad. Bit of a lost gem, actually, surely ripe for sampling, assuming it hasn't been already (like, how would I know?). Decent 'Tron on two tracks, but don't pay a fortune.
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A Message From Birmingham Sunday (1968, 26.59) ***½/TTTTEgocentrick SolitudeWondering What to Feel Prevalent Visionaries You're Out of Line Medieval Journey Mr. Waters (The Judge) Fate and the Magician Peter Pan Revisited Time to Land Don't Turn Around |
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Apparently only ever released as a test pressing, a handful of original copies of A Message From Birmingham Sunday are in existence, making the odd volume fluctuation on the reissues a smaller deal than they might otherwise have been. I don't know anything about the band at all; in fact, all I can tell you about this is that it's fairly typical West Coast harmony pop with male/female vocals, operating at the lighter end of the Jefferson Airplane. Oh, and the Mellotron. Or, given the time, the Chamberlin, which seems far more likely in California in 1968.
This album is absolutely smothered in Chamberlin strings; almost every track features a strong presence. I'm sure it was only used as a cheap string section substitute, with the unintended result that, nearly 40 years on, it can be regarded as a bona fide Chamby classic, even if it's a bit lightweight musically. So; a pleasant enough record (if a little bit wet), very much of its time, but shedloads of Chamby strings, often played quite innovatively, clearly in an attempt to emulate real strings rather than the usual 'block chord' organist's approach. If that's what you're after, buy.
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Rebirth (1973, 38.15) ***/T½She's Got Nothing on YouMister Hero Grandjeanville No Shade is Real M.P.C. Together Alone Tonight Back From Hell |
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Plastic People (1975, 43.39) ***½/TPlastic PeopleRockin' Rollin' Roller My Mind Tiny Flashlights Trial Trip This Song is Just for You |
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Birthcontrol (or Birth Control) were, at least going by their early material, one of those bands who seem to have ended up being labelled 'prog' without really being anything of the sort. Going by '73's Rebirth and the following year's double Live, they were more in the organ-driven hard rock vein, with some material stretching past the five-minute mark; think 'sort of a Teutonic Uriah Heep'. Their two guitar and keys lineup allowed for some interesting instrumental interplay on occasion; in fact, their keyboard player, Zeus B. Held (are you sure?!) went on to be a big-name producer in the eighties. It's interesting to hear that the man can actually play, with several ripping Hammond solos scattered throughout the album.
The actual material on offer here is quite ordinary fare, to be honest; several over-long boogie workouts that were probably more fun to record than they are to listen to, and an entirely unnecessary drum solo, complete with 'Moog drum' in album closer Back From Hell. It's not all bad news, though, with the beautiful 12-string guitar instrumental Grandjeanville, the instrumental ballad M.P.C. and the epic Together Alone Tonight. The latter two are the only Mellotron tracks here; M.P.C. has flutes and strings, and there's some more strings buried in the mix on Together Alone Tonight. Strangely, Herr Held is credited with, apart from 'Mellotrone' (sic), 'flute' on M.P.C. (straight quote). It's fairly obviously Mellotron; why make a point of mentioning it?
Two years on, however, Birthcontrol had discovered prog for real, making Plastic People a far better proposition. It still has its weak moments (unsurprisingly, Rockin' Rollin' Roller and This Song Is Just For You are among them), but overall, this is a band who've learnt how to write an intricate arrangement without sacrificing their ability to, er, 'rock'. No 'Tron until side two, with choirs from Held on Tiny Flashlights and brass, unusually, on Trial Trip.
Anyway, Rebirth is not bad, not great, although Plastic People is a noticeable improvement. The Mellotron use is OK, but not really worth buying either of them for.
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Black Bonzo [a.k.a. Lady of the Light] (2004, 58.28) ****/TTT |
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| Lady of the Light Brave Young Soldier These Are Days of Sorrow New Day Intermission Fantasy World Freedom Sirens |
Jailbait Leave Your Burdens Where the River Meets the Sea |
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Sound of the Apocalypse (2007, 54.03) ****½/TTTTThorns Upon a CrownGiant Games Yesterday's Friends The Well Intermission - Revelation Song Ageless Door Iscariot Sound of the Apocalypse |
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You think you've heard retro? You ain't heard nothing yet... Black Bonzo are a seriously authentic early-'70s sounding outfit from northern Sweden, apparently, and are, to all intents and purposes, indistinguishable from any lower-division heavy/progressive band from, say, 1972, with one important difference; they're excellent. Not to diss the likes of Gracious or Stray, say, but these guys don't let the quality slip, or meander off into soft-rock territory. Opener (and erstwhile title track) Lady Of The Light starts fairly generically, before suddenly mutating into Uriah Heep's Easy Livin' with added Mellotron, stretching the whole thing out to seven minutes, complete with piano interlude. One online reviewer has pointed out that this is probably the album's high point, but that isn't to say the rest of it isn't pretty good, too, just possibly not quite up there with the opener. Incidentally, they invoke the spirit of Heep again on New Day, which sounds like Stealin' this time.
Apart from the Hammond and synth (Moog?), Nicklas Åhlund gets a fair bit of 'Tron onto the album, with intermittent strings on Lady Of The Light and Brave Young Soldier, and a typical 'Strawberry Fields'-style flute part plus strings on Fantasy World. The other highlighted tracks all feature strings to one degree or another, with a beautifully lush part on Leave Your Burdens. Åhlund's work stands out for its restraint, with few of the relevant tracks having more than a few seconds of 'Tron here and there, fading in and out where necessary.
Their second effort, 2007's Sound of the Apocalypse, opens with a multi-overdubbed portamento-laden monosynth part worthy of Rick Wakeman's No Earthly Connection, with the essential difference that it's not the only thing on the album worth hearing. In fact, Black Bonzo have seriously raised their game here, making an album that sounds far more like themselves than Uriah Heep, or anyone else for that matter. This is seriously good stuff, from the two-minute Intermission - Revelation Song to the 13 minutes of the closing title track, with a proggier and more original feel than before, although their spiritual forbears are still the early '70s hard rock bands, rather than the progressive ones.
Mellotronically speaking, Thorns Upon A Crown features no 'Tron at all until a brief choir part right at the end of the song, although Giant Games ups the ante with a considerable string and flute presence. A flute melody duels with acoustic guitar on Yesterday's Friends, with more strings and choir on The Well. Now: confusion. Ageless Door has a 'stabbed' string part played in fifths that sounds both like and not like a Mellotron, with more of the same sound on Iscariot. Is this a different string sound? One of the new ones? No way of saying for certain, but it seems more likely to be a 'Tron than not.
So; two albums for retrohounds everywhere. Uriah Heep are probably Black Bonzo's chief influence, at least on their debut, but anyone who can't get enough of that turn-of-the-'70s Hammond-driven sound should buy both of these immediately. Decent 'Tron work, too. Buy.
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Vol.4 (1972, 43.23) ****½/TT |
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| Wheels of Confusion Tomorrow's Dream Changes FX Supernaut Snowblind Cornucopia Laguna Sunrise |
St. Vitus Dance Under the Sun |
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Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973, 42.33) ****½/T½Sabbath Bloody SabbathA National Acrobat Fluff Sabbra Cadabra Killing Yourself to Live Who Are You Looking for Today Spiral Architect |
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Sabotage (1975, 43.44) ****½/THole in the SkyDon't Start (Too Late) Symptom of the Universe Megalomania Thrill of it All Supertzar Am I Going Insane (Radio) The Writ |
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Technical Ecstasy (1976, 40.40) ***/TBack Street KidsYou Won't Change Me It's Alright Gypsy All Moving Parts (Stand Still) Rock'n'Roll Doctor She's Gone Dirty Women |
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Live Evil (1982, 80.03) ****/T |
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| E5150 Neon Knights N.I.B. Children of the Sea Voodoo Black Sabbath War Pigs Iron Man |
The Mob Rules Heaven and Hell The Sign of the Southern Cross/Heaven and Hell (continued) Paranoid Children of the Grave |
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Yep, even the original bad boys of rock, the band who define the term Heavy Metal, even Black Sabbath have used a Mellotron. What's more, their best-known use is on a lush piano ballad, as early as their fourth album, the cunningly-titled Volume 4. The story goes that it was going to be called 'Snowblind' after one of its central songs, but the cocaine reference was too overt for the times, so a fast rethink was in order. Stranger still is the fact that this was their second album out of four to which this had happened; Paranoid was going to be called 'War Pigs' until the unexpected hit single status of its eventual title track.
So; Changes. Some fans love it, some hate it. It's difficult to describe as anything other than a drippy ballad, with rather flowery piano accompaniment strangely uncredited on the sleeve (not very Metal, I suppose). Chances are, going by later efforts, that it was guitarist Tony Iommi, so he probably also played the Mellotron overdubs. Actually, the 'Tron is tastefully arranged in an orchestral fashion, rather like a low-budget John Paul Jones, and drifts in and out of the song quite agreeably. Whatever else it may be, it's a good example of (presumably) M400 strings in action. Oddly enough, after thinking I knew the album quite intimately after over twenty years' acquaintance, I recently discovered that what I'd always thought of as 'real' strings on Snowblind are quite obviously Mellotron. Well fancy that.
Sabbath managed a few more Mellotron bursts over subsequent albums; a genuinely beautiful passage in the middle of the sinister synth-led Who Are You on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, this time played by bassist Geezer Butler; some wonderfully ominous rising chords towards the end of Megalomania on Sabotage (once again uncredited) and finally, another extremely tasteful passage in the middle of the rather ridiculous It's Alright on Technical Ecstasy, a bizarre song inexplicably sung by drummer Bill Ward. Put it down to the drugs.
After Ozzy's final departure, following the Never Say Die tour, he was replaced by ex-Rainbow vocalist, diminutive American Ronnie James Dio. Their first Dio effort, 1980's Heaven and Hell (****) was not only extremely good, but surprisingly contemporary, although the following year's Mob Rules (**½) was largely crap. Their next project, after twelve years of existence, was to finally release an official live album (1980's Live at Last, recorded in 1972, was legal, but unsanctioned), Live Evil. Er, hadn't Miles Davis already used that palindrome? Anyway, I've recently become aware of the fact that Sabbath used a Mellotron live at the time (offstage, of course; keyboards still weren't very 'Metal'), played by Geoff Nicholls, and it can be heard on a handful of tracks here, along with the organ and occasional synth effect that seemed to be the sum of Nicholls' keyboard arsenal. So; church bell on Black Sabbath itself (I believe that all three selections on their tape frame featured this as their top note), strings and choir on Heaven and Hell, with extra choirs on Children Of The Grave. Quite effective, if a little far down in the mix.
Actually, thinking about it, offstage keys man for Black Sabbath must be one of the most unrewarding jobs in rock; the occasional chord or single note, buried in the mix, and nothing to do for most of the time. I'd imagine it's only enlivened by your roadies telling you that there's a fault with the earthing, and if you put both feet on the ground at once while playing, you'll get a full mains-voltage shock. And you believe them. Eh, Geoff?
Anyway, if you like Sabbath you'll own at least their first six albums, and if you don't I'm unlikely to persuade you to think again. There are some really nice Mellotron Moments on the albums mentioned above, but not enough to really make their purchase worthwhile to the non-fan.
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Le Long des Lignes (2005, 43.57) ***½/TT½ |
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| Les Aléas Tout se Dévoile Le Long des Lignes Si c'est Ici Se Perdre Je Respire Les Cimes Celui que tu Cherches |
Blâme Moi La Panne C'est là |
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Blanc seem to be a French indie outfit, although I know little about their history. Le Long des Lignes is an interesting effort, although I found some of it dragged a little, though not enough to really spoil the album. Several excellent tracks, though, including La Panne and the epic Je Respire, which has a wonderful cinematic feel to it. They recorded the album in Paris, then presumably sent the tapes (does anyone record on tape any more?) to Mattias "Änglagård" Olsson's Roth Händle studio in Stockholm for overdubs. As you do.
Doubtless amongst other things, Mattias added Mellotron to several tracks, with flutes on Les Aléas and various combinations of cellos and strings on the other highlighted tracks. Strangely, nothing on Je Respire, but most of his 'Tron work is typically upfront, with particularly fine strings on Celui Que Tu Cherches. It's perfectly possible that there's more 'Tron on there, considering some of the more unusual sounds in the Olsson collection, but this is all I can actually hear. So; good album, though not one for the progheads out there, with some nice 'Tron work from the ever-reliable Mattias.
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Happy Families (1982, 40.29) ***½/½ |
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| I Can't Explain Feel Me I've Seen the Word Wasted Living on the Ceiling Waves Kind Sad Day |
Cruel God's Kitchen |
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I have to admit to having a bit of a soft spot for the more inventive end of the early-'80s synth-pop scene; Soft Cell, OMD, even Blancmange. Remember Blancmange? Their biggest hit was the frankly bonkers Living On The Ceiling, which you probably know, even if you think you don't. They took a while to get themselves signed, missing the main synth-pop boat in the process. Their first release was an independent EP in 1979, Irene & Mavis, but it took them three years to sign to London and get anything else out, and then it wasn't until their third single that they actually started selling records in significant numbers. Their unique sound was a combination of vocalist/guitarist Neil Arthur's declamatory tones and Stephen Luscombe's exemplary synth work, initially still in analogue times.
Their debut album, Happy Families, featured a sleeve painting in the style of Louis Wain, whose anthropomorphic cats are another thing you'll know even if you think you don't. I mean, compare this to Spandau Ballet... The best synth-pop of the era can be seen as a kind of successor to art-rock, and tends to be beautifully crafted, as against, say, Spandau Ballet... Living On The Ceiling fits this description perfectly, and is merely the best example of their style on the album, with its bizarre chorus and iconic Coral Sitar line. If you really haven't heard them, imagine Kraftwerk filtered through a (new) romantic haze, with Bryan Ferry's evil twin on vocals, or a less arty Japan. Unlike, say, Spandau Ballet, the album even features a beautiful instrumental, Sad Day, which sounds unbelievably familiar, although from where I have no idea.
So what's this doing here, eh? Obvious answer, but howcum I found out? Stephen Luscombe wrote to me a little while back to let me know, so I felt the least I could do was pick up a copy of the album the next time I saw it going cheap. One 'Tron track only, in that wasteland decade for the instrument, with some almost unrecognisable heavily-effected choirs on the album's first single, God's Kitchen, which just goes to show what a futile undertaking this site can be sometimes.
So; unlike, say, Spandau Ballet, Blancmange were interesting, arty and fun, making Happy Families a worthwhile listen. Next to bugger-all Mellotron, but don't let that put you off.
