Soul Martini  (1992,  47.10)  ***½/T½
	Love Grenade Here Comes Rosie Sonny Day As You Were Boy in a Plastic Bubble You're Put Away (Folderol) Sorrow (Boots of Pain) III	Murder On for the Ride Tarzan and His Arrowheads Circus Song

Current availability:

• Capitol

Soul Martini was the Cavedogs' second and last album; a shame, as their rocky take on the whole powerpop thing is a joy to hear, like a less full-on Superdrag, maybe. Best tracks? Hard to say, but You're Put Away (Folderol) and Murder particularly caught my ear. Interestingly, after their dissolution, bassist Brian Stevens worked with the wondrous Aimee Mann, playing on '93's excellent Whatever and in her live band.

There's no mention of Mellotrons or anything other than 'keyboards' in the CD booklet, which are credited to two of the band (Stevens and drummer Mark Rivers), along with producer Michael Beinhorn. Beinhorn? Yup, the late-'80s/early-'90s champion of the Chamberlin, although his last known tape-replay work was back in '94, and he seems to have been supplanted by the likes of Jon Brion and Patrick Warren. Anyway, it's quite clearly Chamby on a few tracks: As You Were has a harmonium part morphing into Chamby flutes, while On For The Ride opens with what amounts to a Chamberlin demonstration tape, with squeaky brass and sound FX, not to mention a rhythm track that could well be from the left-hand manual of an older model. More brass later in the song, with more of the same on Tarzan And His Arrowheads; two or three other songs have things going on in the background that could be tape-replay, but, as so often with the Chamberlin, it's almost impossible to tell.

So; a good album of its type, assuming you're into Beatlesesque melodies in a noo wave-ish setting. Couple of decent Chamberlin bits, but not a classic on that front.

Celeste  (Italy)

Principe di un Giorno  (1976, recorded 1974,  37.08)  *****/TTTT½ Principe di un Giorno Favole Antiche Eftus Giochi Nella Notte La Grande Isola La Danza del Fato L'Imbroglio

		Celeste II  [a.k.a. Second Plus]  (1991, recorded 1977,  46.15/71.43)  **½/T
		Il Giardino Armonico Bassa Marea Un Mazzo di Ortiche Settottavi All'Ombra di un Fungo La Danza del Mare - parte I/II Slancio dell'Immaginazione Un'Anima nell'Universo	Nodissea Ala del Pensiero Lontano Profondo Il Giardino Armonico - Ripresa

Current availability:

• Principe di un Giorno: VM 2000 (Italy)
• Second Plus: Mellow (Italy)

Mellotron used:

• Both titles: band's own M400?

Celeste's first album, Principe di un Giorno, although recorded in 1974, appeared quite late in the day for Italian prog, but succeeds in being an absolute masterpiece of gentle, pastoral progressive rock, with both classical and folk influences, to the point where the word 'rock' seems slightly redundant. With practically no drums to be heard, and almost every instrument acoustic (with one obvious exception), this is superbly laid-back without being anywhere near laid-out. The very first sound to be heard on the album is a mournful 'Tron strings melody slowly fading in before the title track kicks off properly (as much as anything here could be described as kicking off...). Acoustic guitars, flute, piano, sax, percussion... Mellotron, the odd ARP synth line and the occasional note from an electric bass seem to be just about the only electric instruments here, making a change from the busy style of so many Italian bands.

The material's excellent, too, although surely they realised that the 'Tron string line on Favole Antiche was ripped straight off The Court Of The Crimson King? It's difficult to pinpoint areas of Mellotronic excellence (played, incidentally, by Leonardo Lagorio and Ciro Perrino); basically, any of the first five tracks feature rather gorgeous use of strings. It's really quite difficult to go wrong with Principe di un Giorno; it shouldn't even offend your prog-hating spouse, being entirely devoid of the 'fiddly bits' so many non-prog fans hate. So; a classic. Buy now. Many other bands (PFM spring to mind) do that 'pastoral' thing extremely well, but few of them made it their entire raison d'être. Truly marvellous.

In 1991, over a decade after the band's demise, an LP appeared called Celeste II, made up of unreleased tracks recorded after Principe di un Giorno; Augusto Croce from the excellent Italian Prog site assures me that the unhighlighted tracks above are the original LP tracklisting. I'll admit I don't know very much about the provenance of the tracks, only that they are a decidedly mixed bunch, most of which bear little relation to their illustrious predecessors. Three of them (Un Mazzo Di Ortiche, Settottavi and La Danza Del Mare) are over ten minutes long, and are all uninspired sax-led jams, to be honest, as are several of the other tracks, with rather uninteresting string synth providing the keyboard backing.

In all honesty, this is a pretty poor release, with few tracks actually worth listening to more than once. Just for the record, Il Giardino Armonico (and its reprise), Bassa Marea and the lovely Lontano Profondo are the only tracks the average progressive fan is likely to actually enjoy. As for Ciro Perrino's Mellotron use, although both parts of Il Giardino Armonico are soaked in strings, I heavily suspect that they date from '91 rather than '77, sounding more like time-stretched string samples than 'Tron, especially on the deeper notes. This technique has been used on at least one other reissue to my knowledge, Easter Island's excellent NowAndThen, which, like this album, is bookended by two contemporary tracks recorded on modern equipment. This leaves the one genuine Mellotron track here as Bassa Marea, with a heavy strings and choir presence over a doomy, medieval-sounding instrumental backing. Excellent, but hardly worth buying the album for, and even here, the long sustained chord at the end sounds slightly bogus; maybe they used an overdubbing trick (been there...).

It's highly unusual to give two albums by the same band such wildly contrasting ratings, but their first posthumous release really is pretty uninteresting. There is another album released long after the event, apparently also dating from '74, titled I Suoni in Una Sfera; I believe it's some sort of soundtrack, but I really know very little about it. Anyway, proper review when I get to hear it. In the meantime, their debut is an absolute classic, and its follow-up... isn't. If you don't already own a copy, buy Principe di un Giorno immediately.

Celestine  (Sweden)

	Between Bedtime and Sunrise  (2005,  51.37)  ****/TTTT
	Someone Between Bedtime and Sunrise City of Lights Sunflower A Part of a Change The Lost Sun Different Types of Liquid Nothing	Premonition of Death Masterpiece Peaceful Playstation Boy Under Our Blanket

Current availability:

• Exergy (Sweden)

Mellotron used:

• Mattias' M400

Celestine are a new Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, AK-Momo etc.etc.) production, although he isn't a band member this time round. As usual with anything in which Mattias is involved (with the honourable exception of Pineforest Crunch), they're a pretty melancholy sounding bunch, although they heavy it up occasionally, presumably for the sake of contrast. Comparisons? Other Mattias involvements such as Reminder or Nanook of the North, with very good material that is sure to worm its way into my brain after not so many listens. A find, Mattias...

Mattias' Mellotron work covers the usual ground, with strings, cellos and flutes abounding, although some unusually restrained church organ can be heard on The Lost Sun, a particularly powerful string part on the excellent Nothing and very upfront 8-choir on Peaceful. Mattias also informs me that I'd missed the viola and cellos (and, apparently, regular though inaudible strings) on opener Someone, the vibes on A Part Of A Change and the oboe and clarinets on Masterpiece. Oops. Anyway, this is one of those albums where it could've been used on every track (damn' near was, to be fair), but their restraint is admirable; yes, it is possible to overuse a Mellotron... All in all, excellent album, plenty of 'Tron. Recommended.

Official site

Celluloid  (US)

Mercury  (1982,  34.39)  ***½/TTT Part I   Formation of Space, Land and Sea   The Melting of Stars   The Arrival of Man Part II   The Civilization of Planets

	Neptune  (1983,  30.33)  ***½/TTTTT
	Part I   Central Courtyard   Throne Room   Pavilions of Forestlife   A Crown in a Glass Case   Cascade Through a Room   Tarot Cards   Zodiac Wheel   Palace   Cirkus Maximus   Monsters From the Depths of the Sea	Part II   Attack and Fall of the Titans   The Marshes of Primitive Realm   The Ascent of Poseidon   Earthquake

Current availability:

• dodgy CD-R 2-on-1 (no label)

Mellotron used:

• Both titles: Minuto's M400

Difficult to know how to describe Celluloid, really; sort of progressive electronic (electronic progressive?). Whatever. I originally wrote:

Well, thanks to US reader Tom O'Neill, I can give you considerably more information. It seems that 'Celluloid' was the nom-de-plume of one Charles (Chuck) Minuto, who was still in his teens when he recorded these strange albums. Chuck recorded an electronic piece called Murmadon's Log at Tom's place, prior to the albums, which is easier on the ear than his later projects. The 'computer' he lists on the Mercury sleeve was, in fact, a rented Synclavier, which must've eaten up a fair chunk of his limited budget, but explains why the non-'Tron sounds are so good for the time. He had a more limited budget for Neptune, which presumably explains a) the lack of any Synclavier, and b) the poor pressing quality. It's unknown whether Minuto still holds the mastertapes of these albums or, indeed, whether he's even still alive.

Anyway, the composition on Mercury is of the dark'n'doomy variety, befitting its rather grand subject matter, and has a really quite relentless air about it; despite being effectively rhythmless, this isn't 'lie back and enjoy it' music by any stretch of the imagination. The three pieces on side one are instrumental, but side two's Part II: The Civilization Of Planets surprises by Mr. Celluloid's rather portentous singing, though I'm not sure it adds much to the proceedings. There's a good bit of Mellotron use, although he only had one tape frame at this stage, with strings, brass and male choir. The Melting Of Stars features a fanfareish brass part, but the other two sounds (unsurprisingly) comprise most of the 'Tron work on the album. The music certainly isn't 'standard' electronic stuff, but for those who prefer the darker end of the spectrum, laced with a fair amount of Mellotron, this is probably worth a listen.

Neptune went the whole hog, and was recorded entirely on the Mellotron. It's a good deal odder than his debut, with much use made of Mellotron FX tapes; laughter, applause, church bells, smashing glass - you name it, it's here. Much of it sounds as if it was recorded 'live' in the studio, possibly on two (very) defective M400s, with considerable tape-wobble, and switching between sounds on the fly. The overall effect is less 'musical' than 'ambient', though that gives the wrong impression; suffice to say, it's very different to Mercury, with much repetition of the FX, and no real 'structure' to the pieces at all. Apart from the sounds used on Mercury, I think I can hear church organ, timps, flutes, some unidentified woodwind (?) and maybe cellos, so I suspect he used a couple of machines, and overdubbed some of the parts later. Anyway, you're unlikely to find this on vinyl, so if you buy the CD, you've got it anyway.

These albums are rare as rocking-horse shit, and were mostly circulating on tape copies until 2002, when an 'official' 2-on-1 release was announced. Beware; it's an overpriced CD-R with minimal packaging, looking like something someone could've knocked up on their home PC (see sleeve, right). It's also been mastered from vinyl; the sound quality's reasonable, but I can hear crackles here and there (particularly on Neptune), with no obvious attempt made to de-click it, and it sounds like the original tapes were fucked anyway. I've just paid new shop price for this, and feel somewhat ripped-off, although the music is worth it. A third title, Jupiter is rumoured, though no-one I've spoken to has ever seen or heard a copy, so I rather doubt that it exists. [Note: Minuto mentioned it to O'Neill, but probably never found the money to record it].

Huge thanks are due, by the way, to Daniel Miso for the sleeve images above. He owns both of these...

Chac Mool  (Mexico)

	Nadie en Especial  (1980,  43.35/72.50)  ***/T
	Un Mundo Feliz En Visitante Aymara Nadie en Especial Salamandra El Dia en que Murio el Rey Camaleon Bienvenidos al Fin del Mundo	[CD adds: Nadi en Especial (live) Que Buera Razon (live) En Rey del Rock (live) Cuadros para una Exhibicion (live) Brillo de Luna (live) Bienvenidos al Fin del Mondo (live)]

Current availability:

• Polygram

Chac Mool are, to date, the only Mexican band on this site; to be honest, I was quite certain that their debut, 1980's Nadie en Especial, would be entirely Mellotron-free, which just goes to show how much I know. Musically, it's not great, just scraping that third full star; think: third-rate wannabes, pre-'80s neo-prog, but with the same overall vibe. Simplistic and unoriginal, this isn't an album to which I can see myself returning on anything like a regular basis, or probably at all, to be brutally honest. It has its moments, not least the flute-playing throughout and the riff in the title track, but what on earth made them spoil it by ripping off Floyd's Welcome To The Machine? Mystifying.

Carlos Alvarado (and possibly guitarist Jorge Reyes) played the 'Strawberry Fields'-style 'Tron flutes on El Dia En Que Murio El Rey Camaleon, to no particular effect. I didn't know there were any Mellotrons in Mexico, thus my previously-mentioned disbelief, so given that they had one, or at least access to one, one might wonder why they didn't use it a little more, as against the ubiquitous string synth? As usual, we'll never know, but their minimal use doesn't help to lift this album above the average.

Chairmen of the Board  (US)

Skin I'm in  (1974,  39.17)  ***½/TT Everybody Party All Night Skin I'm in Morning Glory/Life and Death, Part 1/White Rose (Freedom Flower)/Life And Death, Part 2 Let's Have Some Fun Love at First Sight Only Love Can Break a Heart Live With Me, Love With Me Finder's Keepers

Current availability:

• 2-on-1 with Bittersweet: Sequel, also on Finder's Keeper's - The Invictus Anthology: Castle

I believe the Chairmen of the Board's earlier albums (this was their fourth, and last) are more straightforward early-'70s soul/funk, but Skin I'm in took a serious left-turn into P-Funk territory, with Funkadelic's Eddie Hazel guesting, among others. Is this the ultimate progressive funk album? This is better even than Edwin Birdsong's startling Dance of Survival from a couple of years later. The Chairmen's mainman, Norman "General" Johnson apparently dismissed Skin I'm in as "Just some old tapes that the company had stored away", but I suspect the world of '70s black music would be poorer without it. This album had even a dyed-in-the-wool whiter-than-white proghead like myself tapping my foot. Impressive, despite some slightly lesser material on side two.

Also impressive is the fact that an unknown keyboard player sticks some Mellotron on side one's Morning Glory/Life And Death medley, with a 'Tron flute opening, before some extremely full-on strings scattered across the first half of the lengthy segue. More slightly wobbly strings on Love At First Sight, although the strings on the schmaltzy Only Love Can Break A Heart and the rather better Live With Me, Love With Me are real. So; probably not for proggers, but a (generally) fine album, with some great playing and arrangements, not to mention a nice bit of 'Tron.

Chalice  (Australia)

	Overflow  (1975)  **½/T½
	Writings on the Wall In My World Mums and Dads Beginning to Feel the Pain Sail on Sailor Got to Be Serious (About it) Lightning We Can Make Love	Living's Easy Standing on a Mountain Top On the Road You Turn Me Around

Current availability:

• Not on CD

Mellotron used:

• Sebastian Hardie's M400?

From its cover, you'd think that Chalice's sole album, Overflow, was a prime slice of Aussie glam-rock, but it's actually middling pop-rock with the occasional country influence, notably the banjo and pedal steel-driven Mums And Dads. Apparently, the band were British ex-pats, so Christ knows what persuaded them that moving to Australia was a good idea; maybe the overcrowded scene back home? Competent but unexciting, the album consists of a mix of homegrown efforts and covers, including the Beach Boys' sublime Sail On Sailor from the previous year.

Although guitarist/keyboard player George Bunea is credited with Mellotron, the track-by-track credits only mention Sebastian Hardie's Toiv(o) Pilt; Sebastian Hardie were on the same label (Polydor Australia), and released their own debut album the same year. He only plays it on three tracks, with strings on In My World and Beginning To Feel The Pain, and strings and cello on the closing ballad You Turn Me Around. All in all, this is pretty average fare with fairly weak songwriting; I'm not especially surprised Polydor didn't release a follow-up, assuming that was the course of events. OK 'Tron parts, but nothing you haven't heard before, and better. Incidentally, not sure what's with the deliberately badly-played 'A Bicycle Made For Two' on the organ at the end of the album... In-jokes should, by and large, be kept out of the public gaze.

Harris Chalkitis  (Greece)

	Harris Chalkitis  (1975,  31.59)  ½/½
	Marita Funny She Loves Me Right on Moving Always on My Mind Without You Introduction Moog Glory of a Love Song Morning Sunshine	New York City With a Smile Let Me Go My Way

Current availability:

• I hope not

Be afraid... be very afraid... Sad to say, this is without doubt the worst album I've had to sit through while researching this site, and believe me, I've sat through a few howlers... The lengthy sleeve notes tell us that Chalkitis played with and wrote for Demis Roussos, which should have warned me not to buy the album; they also say that he played with Roussos in Aphrodites Child - indeed, he guests on their rather fab 666 album. Well, I can't say any of it rubbed off. This is the worst kind of bland, MOR-inspired mid-'70s tosh you can imagine; one minute bright'n'breezy, the next rather maudlin love songs. Truly horrible. Sorry, 'cos I'm sure loads of work went into it, and the playing's fine, but even a track called Introduction Moog can't rescue the album from utter mediocrity. Its only saving grace is its brevity.

So what about the Mellotron? Oh yeah - I'd forgotten... There's a little bit of 'Tron flute on Always On My Mind (not the Elvis one), played by Chalkitis, and that appears to be it. Well, I paid £2.00 for it, and it was almost worth it for the laugh. Almost.

Chamberlain  (US)

	The Moon My Saddle  (1998,  51.16)  **/½
	Try for Thunder Crush You World Don't Want Us Stars in the Streetlight Mountain of a Heart Racing Cincinnati Manhattan's Iron Horses (the Last   Train Out)	Lonesome Song Good Enough Until the Day Burns Down Last to Know

Current availability:

• Doghouse (US)

How ironic that I should finally review a band called Chamberl(a)in, yet they use a Mellotron... Going by their second, and last 'proper' album, The Moon My Saddle, Chamberlain were an ex-hardcore band who moved into the realms of mainstream, 'rootsy' pop/rock in a Counting Crows vein. The only keyboards used are Hammond, piano and Mellotron, and a slightly alt.country air to the proceedings makes comparisons with the Crows, The Hooters et al. unavoidable. Outstanding tracks, or even slightly above average ones? Good Enough and Until The Day Burns Down up the energy levels for a few moments, although the latter's about three minutes too long, but that's hardly a recommendation. Mellotron? Not a lot, no. A background cello (?) part on Stars In The Streetlight, and a slightly more audible one on closer Last To Know, from Jonathan Cohen, neither of which sounds much like a Mellotron.

Essentially, this is a stupendously dull album; I couldn't find a single thing about it that grabbed my attention in any way. Chamberlain sounded just like a thousand other American bands, with their 'heartfelt' vocals and faux-'authentic' instrumentation, so it's not particularly surprising they came up against a brick wall eventually; as is well known, there's only room for so many artists of any one type in the industry. I really wouldn't recommend you buy this on any grounds, 'Tron use included.

Tracy Chapman  (US)

	Telling Stories  (2000,  42.08)  ***/½
	Telling Stories Less Than Strangers Speak the Word It's OK Wedding Song Unsung Psalm Nothing Yet Paper and Ink	Devotion Only One First Try

Current availability:

• Elektra

Telling Stories seems to be regarded as Tracy Chapman's best work in years, featuring some particularly personal songwriting, even by her standards (notably Unsung Psalm). I don't really feel competent to pass judgement on the songs, as they're not really to my taste (although First Try struck a bit of a chord with me), but, unlike so many current artists, I can see why people rate her, and this seems to be a perfectly good album of its type.

Like so many recent albums, much of the instrumental backing is of the 'retro' type, although drum loops are also in evidence, along with the Hammond. Patrick Warren (that man again!) plays Chamberlin, amongst other keyboards, with faint strings on Wedding Song; other tracks feature sounds that could be produced by it, but probably aren't - not at all uncommon with the Chamberlin.

I'm sure this album is far better than I'm giving it credit for, but it's difficult when the music simply doesn't appeal. Very little Chamby, too, so one for Tracy Chapman fans only, I think.

Official site

Char-El  (US)

Worlds Without End  (1996, recorded 1986-96,  65.07)  ****/TTT Rebirth Earth Orbit Aurora Worlds Without End Nebula The Ascending Light The Miracle On the Rim Heart Light

	Heaven and Earth  (2000,  138.55)  ****/TTT
	Into the Infinite Timestream Release Higher Realms The Secret Grotto Heaven Forgiveness Solar Wind Ecstasy	Lightworlds Beyond the Farthest Star Full Circle Earth (All One Tribe) Mysterious Valley Vision in the Skies Skyspirit Visitors Molecular Dance	Southwest Winds Seasons Will Change Destiny The Gift Santa Fe On the Wings of the Eagle Breaking Free Age of Light Requiem for Planet 3

Current availability:

• Both titles: from the official website, although Worlds Without End is currently CD-R only

Mellotron used:

• Charles' M400

Char-El, a.k.a. Charles Thaxton, is an Ohio-based musician who describes himself as a prog/new age mix, which is probably a pretty fair description. 1996's Worlds Without End is actually comprised of recordings made over the preceding decade, and reminds me more than anything of a sort of occidental Kitaro. The material is pleasantly melodic, and drifts along in an agreeable kind of way without ever really impinging itself on your consciousness, but then I think that's probably the point. There's some sampled Mellotron here and there, but of the four tracks containing the real thing, The Miracle's imposing choirs and Heart Light's flutes are the most impressive.

There are an awful lot more samples on Heaven and Earth, but the tracks noted above, according to Charles, are the ones containing genuine 'Tron. Despite the lack of real 'Tron (Charles sold his a few years ago), the Heaven half of the two-disc set has more very relaxing synth stuff (more Kitaro comparisons here and there), with some excellent 'Tron choir samples on the title track. The Earth half is more prog than new age, with Thaxton backed by a full band, although the material that works best (to my ears, anyway) is the slower, more reflective stuff that's nearer the sound of the first disc. The emphasis is on melody throughout, with much piano, and impressive guitar work from Larry Clark.

There's a fair bit of real 'Tron to be heard here, often mixed in with samples. Ethereal choir on Visitors, powerful strings and choir on Destiny, overlaid with a searing MiniMoog lead. Age Of Light and Requiem For Planet 3 probably have the best Mellotron use on the album, though, with the choirs on Age Of Light bursting through the mix like the proverbial hot knife through butter. Even the samples sound good, particularly on Santa Fe; it's a shame that there isn't more of the 'real thing', but Thaxton makes good use of the tools available to him.

So; more for the new age crowd than the proggers, although there are definitely more than a few prog moments on Earth. Worlds Without End is currently only available as a CD-R, but both albums are available from the Char-El website.

Official site

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