|
|
|
|
||
|
 |
 |
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.
|
Clearlight Climax Blues Band Clockwork Joe Cocker |
Cocteau Twins Coda Adam Cohen Danny Cohen |
Leonard Cohen Coldplay Colosseum |
Robert Connolly Consorzio Acqua Potabile (CAP) Alice Cooper |
 |
Symphony (1973, 41.00) ****/TTTTT1st Movement2nd Movement |
 |
Forever Blowing Bubbles (1975, 36.15) ****/TTTChansonWithout Words Way Ergotrip Et Pendant ce Temps la Narcisse et Goldmund Jungle Bubbles |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Clearlight (NOT 'Clearlight Symphony') were the brainchild of French keyboard player and Gong co-conspirator Cyrille Verdeaux; in fact, side two of his/their debut album, Symphony, features three of Gong's then current line-up as Verdeaux's backing band, including the inimitable Steve Hillage. The album is absolutely excellent, with definite musical similarities to Gong (they even shared their UK label, Virgin), with trippy jamming stuff going on throughout, along with some seriously fiery playing from all concerned. Verdeaux's Mellotron work is absolutely beyond reproach, too, with bloody great slabs of strings and choir all over the place, with cellos added for colouring. 2nd Movement (a.k.a. side two) probably has marginally less 'Tron than side one, but I can't give this album anything less than the full five Ts. Magnificent!
They followed up two years later with Forever Blowing Bubbles, producing another great album with some fantastic playing, particularly Jean-Claude d'Agostini's Hillage-like guitar work. It's difficult to pinpoint a standout track, but the heavy jamming of Chanson works well and in direct contrast, Narcisse Et Goldmund is a beautiful ballad, underpinned at the end with some 'Tron choirs. Other Mellotron work on the album includes Without Words, with some background string chords, while Way features the choirs quite heavily, but Et Pendant Ce Temps La is the album's standout 'Tron track, with an upfront melodic strings part to die for.
So, both albums are definitely recommended on the musical front, though the chief 'Tron one is quite clearly Symphony. Both recommended musically, though. Buy.
 |
Plays On (1969, 43.51) ***½/TFlightHey Baby Everything's Gonna Be Alright Yeh Yeh Yeh Cubano Chant Little Girl Mum's the Word Twenty Past Two Temptation Rag So Many Roads City Ways Crazy 'Bout My Baby |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
The Climax Blues Band, still sporting their 'Chicago' addition at this point, played a form of progressive blues that had more than a little in common with contemporaneous Fleetwood Mac, though with less guitar and added sax. Plays On was their second album, and captures the essence of the era's blues/rock scene admirably, with fiery playing and the ability to step outside the 12-bar format, without slipping into the AOR stylings that would make them such a success in the States in the following decade.
There's probably as many non-standard as standard blues tracks on the album, but the most 'out there' is side two's opener, Mum's The Word, a weird, keyboard-led instrumental, not actually blues at all, featuring bassist Derek Holt on Mellotron strings. My heat-damaged copy of the album has obviously had a hot coffee cup placed on it at some point (!), and the first two tracks on each side won't play properly, but you can still hear that this is a bit of a departure for the band, and an area to which they wouldn't return after success hit. Probably not worth buying for this track alone, but Plays On is a good example of the genre, far better than their later, blander material. I believe Holt plays 'Tron on their self-titled debut, too; more news when I get to hear a copy.
 |
Let's Get Naked (2002, 15.44) ***/TTLet's Get NakedCold Waters The Final Run |
|
This Crumbling Garden (2003, 20.28) ***/T½Intro (St. Christopher)Our Crumbling Garden Lover's Lie Skull Tattoo Rum and Mother's Milk St. Christopher |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Clockwork are (or were, as the last 'news' on their site is over two years old) another Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, AK-Momo etc.) production, at his rather wondrous Roth-Händle studio, on the outskirts of Stockholm. Regular readers of this site will probably have clocked (ho ho) by now that this means they play a particular kind of skewed, melancholy pop, although Clockwork are a bit raunchier than the average, and I'm afraid to say, a little less appealing to moi, but you know what they say about opinions...
As far as I know, their Let's Get Naked demo is their first recorded work, although I could be wildly wrong, of course. It has decent enough indie cred, and more than a hint of the expected melancholy, skewed etc., but unlike, say, Kit Le Fever, I felt unable to engage with what they're doing, which is probably more my fault than theirs. Anyway, Mellotron on the first two of its three tracks, probably played by Mattias, with flutes on the title track and oboes, cellos and strings on Cold Waters.
Their next effort, 2003's This Crumbling Garden sounds more cohesive to my ears, and a bit less typically 'indie', which has to be a good thing, although I'm not sure if I'm any keener on its material, to be honest. It opens wonderfully with Intro (St. Christopher), consisting solely of some beautiful (real) harmonium, with a 'Tron flute melody writhing over the top, although nothing else on the EP reaches the same heady heights. Otherwise, on the Mellotron front (Mattias again?), Our Crumbling Garden features a more overt string part than anything on their previous demo, although, unless I'm missing something in the rather dense mixes, that would appear to be it.
Unlike several of Mattias' productions, pretty much all of the above are downloadable from the band's website, although I don't see a link for the best track here, Intro (St. Christopher). Anyway, not bad, but didn't really float my boat, couple of nice bits of Mellotron.
 |
Respect Yourself (2002, 48.51/56.12) **½/½ |
|
| You Can't Have My Heart Love Not War You Took it So Hard Never Tear Us Apart This is Your Life Respect Yourself I'm Listening Now Leave a Light on |
It's Only Love Every Time it Rains Midnight Without You [bonus tracks: You Are So Beautiful (live) You Can Leave Your Hat on (live)] |
|
Current availability:
Nearly forty years on, Joe Cocker is still best-known for his excellent deconstruction of the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, and his performance of such at Woodstock, although some may remember his 1983 duet with Jennifer Warnes (who she, anyway?) with the vile Up Where We Belong, all of which negates his great white soul/blues voice. Sadly, it seems said voice is usually persuaded to sing dreck, and while most of Respect Yourself doesn't fall into that category, it's still a bland soul/AOR album for his middle-aged fans. Other reviewers seem to like the brass-driven title track, but I can't personally find any highlights at all. This is not an exciting album.
The inimitable Patrick Warren plays Chamberlin on three tracks, with background strings on You Took It So Hard, then nothing obvious on either Never Tear Us Apart or Leave A Light On, although the strings on closer Midnight Without You sound more 'Chamby' than anything else on the album (Warren is credited with simply 'keyboards' on the song).
So; uninteresting, and little tape-replay. You know what to do.
 |
Treasure (1984, 41.20) ****/T |
|
| Ivo Lorelei Beatrix Persephone Pandora Amelia Aloysius Cicely |
Otterley Donimo |
|
 |
Tiny Dynamine (EP) (1985, 16.32) ****/TPink Orange RedRibbed and Veined Plain Tiger Sultitan Itan |
 |
Echoes in a Shallow Bay (EP) (1985, 16.12) ****/TGreat Spangled FritillaryMelonella Pale Clouded White Eggs and Their Shells |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Treasure, The Cocteau Twins' third album, refined their strange, proto-ambient music, complete with Liz Fraser's wordless lyrics that always sound like she's actually singing something, even when you know she isn't. In hindsight, maybe they should've got a real drummer in, as the mid-'80s drum machine sounds horrendously passé now, as does the DX7 'bells' patch on the first couple of tracks, but those aside, the overall album has an unearthly beauty, defining the '4AD Sound'. Much imitated, never bettered, this is music in which to lose yourself. Most of the keyboard work consists of then-modern synths, and a little piano, but the M400 the band owned comes to prominence on album closer Donimo (NOT 'Domino'!), with choirs (not mixed - maybe male voice) and some rather wobbly cellos and regular strings for good measure. It's possible there's some more 'Tron on the album, but if so, it's buried so far in the mix as to be inaudible.
The Cocteaus followed Treasure with a pair of EPs, now compiled onto one CD, with the style most definitely remaining the same. Tiny Dynamine (NOT 'Dynamite'!) has some ethereal (of course) 'Tron choirs on Pink Orange Red, but I suspect the 'string' sound on Sultitan Itan is overdubbed sustained guitar, possibly played with an E-Bow. Echoes in a Shallow Bay is more rhythmic than its immediate predecessors, sounding strangely upbeat for such a laid-back band. More 'Tron choirs (male voice?), more overt this time, on Pale Clouded White, though once again, that would appear to be it.
There's rumoured to be Mellotron on the Cocteaus' previous release, the Spangle Maker 12", but once again, the reverb-soaked production hides specific instrumental sounds in the overall mix, so the jury's going to have to remain out on that one for a while. However, both this and Treasure are wonderfully atmospheric records, worthy of anyone's time, although don't expect an awful lot on the 'Tron front.
 |
Sounds of Passion (1986, 41.27) **½/TT½Sounds of PassionPrologue 1st Movement 2nd Movement 3rd Movement 4th Movement - 'Finale' Crazy Fool and Dreamer Defended |
Current availability:
Hmmm. Coda were a Dutch outfit from the '80s on the SI label. Now, if that doesn't start ringing warning bells, you're in trouble. To be fair, they were a lot better than many of that label's output, and this doesn't fall 100% into the 'neo-prog' category. Obvious reference points are Genesis/Steve Hackett, Marillion, and the occasional Emerson-ism from project mainman Erik de Vroomen on the keys. Thankfully, the 29-minute title track is mostly instrumental; the vocals on the last two pieces are appalling - badly-accented English, half-spoken, half-sung. There are far too many digital synths on the album, assuming the band were aiming for a warm, '70s-type sound. Thankfully, some real Hammond, the odd bit of analogue mono and a little Mellotron saves the album from Digital Hell.
So; the music: Very melodic but frequently rather insipid, it has some nice moments, not all of which are the ones containing Mellotron. The spoken intro to the album is completely ludicrous, and rather spoils the first few minutes of the piece proper, as you're still smirking from its idiocy. 'Oh, feelings, feelings... feelings... I can hardly describe it...' I can, but I won't. If you find a copy of this cheap, get it for bits of parts 2-5 of the ineptly-named title track (Je t'aime, anyone?) and the surprisingly powerful Crazy Fool And Dreamer, and ignore the rest.
 |
Adam Cohen (1998, 50.38) **/T |
|
| Tell Me Everything Cry Ophelia Don't Mean Anything This Pain Quarterback Sister Beautiful as You How The Mighty Have Fallen |
Opposites Attract Down She Goes Amazing It's Alright |
|
Current availability:
I've seen Adam 'son of Leonard' and ex-Mommyhead Cohen's debut, eponymous album described as 'adult contemporary'. Now, if the thought of that makes your blood run cold, you're absolutely right; I'm afraid to say that this is one of the dreariest set of songs it's been my misfortune to hear in a while, no matter who his dad is. Admittedly, there are some decent lyrics hidden away here and there, but the appallingly 'contemporary' production sheen (now, of course, sounding horrendously out of date) is physically painful to listen to, with absolutely none of his dad's OTT melancholy, not to mention sense of humour.
Mellotron on two tracks from Steve Lindsey, with regular strings on opener Tell Me Everything, and phased ones on Cry Ophelia, but we're not exactly talking essential listening here. Sadly, the same can be said for Adam Cohen as a whole; I do hope he's subsequently decided to produce something a little less 'of the moment'; nothing dates as quickly as the present day.
 |
Dannyland (2004, 48.25) ***/T |
|
| The Devil and Danny Cohen Realm of Fantasy Motel Sex Enlightened Despondency (E.D.) El Niño Still Alive Lucy Lucifer Chinatown |
Sweltering Alamo Line Siberia False Spring Eye of the Beholder |
|
Current availability:
Danny Cohen, brother of Tom Waits' bassist Greg, is all too often described as an 'outsider' artist, i.e. a loony, which is both insulting and inaccurate. OK, going by the music on his first 'proper' album, Dannyland, he's a tad eccentric, but when was that ever a problem? Waits is not only a reference point, but he and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, are mentioned on his thanks list as 'Tom and Kathleen'; one online enthusiast reckons Cohen's early, self-produced cassette releases probably influenced Waits, rather than vice versa. Who knows? His music certainly is very odd, though those of you who like something a little left-field may well go for it.
Mellotron on two tracks, with a wonky string part on opener The Devil And Danny Cohen from Cohen himself, and flutes from Dave Hurst on Still Alive, with its musical Beatles references, and while I don't think the uncredited cello on closer Eye Of The Beholder is 'Tron, nothing that could produce that sound is actually credited at all. So; odd, but not unpleasant. There's supposed to be more 'Tron on Cohen's 1999 debut, a compilation of archive tracks across three decades, Museum of Dannys, and his latest, 2005's We're All Gunna Die; more news if I get to hear either of them.
 |
The Future (1992, 59.41) ***½/½The FutureWaiting for the Miracle Be for Real Closing Time Anthem Democracy Light as the Breeze Always Has Always Will Tacoma Trailer |
Current availability:
The Future was Leonard Cohen's only new album of the '90s, and is regarded by many as being over-produced, although the sheer quality of his writing shines through the excess instrumentation. Those of you who've only heard his early material will probably be shocked, but it's far less offensive than the concurrent work of many of his contemporaries, and the production should only really intrude for the most die-hard old-school Cohen watcher. His voice is even croakier than the last time you heard it; I mean, the man barely sings, more... intones. His lyrics are as devastatingly spot-on as ever, though, and give me this over Dylan any day, thanks.
Credited but almost inaudible Mellotron strings from Steve Lindsey on Be For Real, barely making for half a 'T', to be honest. So; unless you absolutely insist on nowt but acoustic guitar and voice, I can recommend this to the more open-minded of you, although it does slightly outstay its welcome. However, don't bother for its minimal 'Tron input.
 |
Parachutes (2000, 41.50) ***/TDon't PanicShiver Spies Sparks Yellow Trouble Parachutes High Speed We Never Change Everything's Not Lost |
Current availability:
I've seen Coldplay described as 'Radiohead-lite', although the comparison could be seen as insulting; it's not that Coldplay are actively offensive, just terribly, terribly bland, a criticism I hope you'd have trouble levelling at Radiohead. Parachutes rarely picks up speed at all, being mainly a collection of dull, mid-paced ballads with a faint 'indie' feel about them. There's nothing wrong with slow material - Low are marvellous, for example, but to my ears this album all sounds much of a muchness. There's Mellotron on one track, although I've no idea who plays it; Yellow has cellos, flutes and strings dotted about, though more as background colouring than anything else. Definitely not worth it on those grounds.
2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head is supposed to have some 'Tron on it too, but I'll be buggered if I can hear it, although major hit In My Place has some cello-like sound, but it could be just about anything. Incidentally, although I wouldn't go as far as to say I liked the track, when I kept hearing In My Place on the radio in the late summer of that year, it was the first thing I'd heard like that in a long time that actually grabbed my attention; great melody, but just far too wussy.
 |
The Grass is Greener (1970, 38.59) ***½/TJumping Off the SunLost Angeles Elegy Butty's Blues Rope Ladder to the Moon Bolero The Machine Demands a Sacrifice The Grass is Greener |
Current availability:
Colosseum's The Grass is Greener is an odd, US-only compilation of odds'n'sods, replicating their best-known work, The Valentyne Suite's sleeve design, for no apparently good reason. Record company laziness, I expect. It actually works quite nicely as a sort of overview of their style, and although the unavailable-elsewhere tracks are apparently now included on the band's official albums as bonuses, this is worth hearing in its own right. There isn't a bad track on the album, but highlights are probably opener Jumping Off The Sun, their version of Ravel's Bolero (probably the earliest rock adaptation) and, after a slow start, the cataclysmic closing title track, with some seriously ripping Hendrix/Blackmore-esque guitar work.
Keys man Dave Greenslade, who tended to stick with organ and piano at this stage in his career, plays Mellotron on the band's version of Jack Bruce's Rope Ladder To The Moon, with some fairly ordinary string chords on a MkII, more audible towards the end of the song. That appears to be it for Colosseum's Mellotron use; it's possibly more surprising that they used one at all than that they didn't use it more, as it probably wouldn't have fitted their soulful style that well. So; think of this as a decent compilation including some hard-to-find tracks, and it works pretty well, but you really shouldn't include it on your 'Mellotron must-haves' list.
 |
Plateau (1977) ***½/TTPlateau of NaskaA Close Encounter Power of Giza The Battle of Gomorrah Journey The Oracle |
Current availability:
I don't know an awful lot about Robert Connolly, but assuming he's the same guy mentioned on a site dedicated to strange human remains in Peru, he's a bit of an expert in the prehistory of the area. Plateau opens with a rather cheesy spoken-word part explaining something about the Plains of Nazca and aliens, but I'm afraid my attention had already wandered by then. Connolly gets in a female vocalist for A Close Encounter, before more intoned nonsense on Power Of Giza and Journey, although he sings on the latter, too. The music is reasonable late-'70s progressive, with a noticeably American sound, despite his actually being Canadian. Plenty of good Hammond and synth work, although many of the melodies are rather lightweight, making it a bit of a non-essential purchase, especially considering its rarity.
As far as the Mellotron's concerned (played by Connolly), there are a few string chords on Plateau Of Naska, and the lengthy Journey has a more overt strings part plus largish helpings of choir, but that appears to be it, though as I'm reviewing this from a tape copy, I may be wrong. So; an OK album, a bit of 'Tron, but nothing outstanding in either department, to be honest.
 |
Il Bianco Regno di Dooah (2003, 68.00) ****/TTT½ |
|
| Intro Opener L'Attesa L'Illusione della Sfera Luna Impigliata Tra i Rami La Danza Ginevra: Regina Senza Regno Grande Ombra Gentile |
Pastelli Il Regno Nello Spazio di Una Notte per Magia Trova Quel Vento Che... Si Dice Ai Delfini Sussurri ...Alla Marcia del Sole Tra Piccole Storie di Lune Impigliate ...Dietro Cristalli di Lune Impigliate Cosa Rimane di Quei Giorni ...Nel Tempo di Dooah |
|
Current availability:
Around the time I started this site, at the fag end of the last century (OK, let's make it sound even longer ago than it already is), I noted that CAP, or Consorzio Acqua Potabile, were reported to be using a Mellotron on their new album. I was never able to trace a 1999/2000 release, so I rather gave up on the whole business, until, that is, hearing their last album to date, 2003's Il Bianco Regno di Dooah. OK, so it was delayed a bit. But first, a quick bit of history: reports vary, but CAP formed some time in the '70s, possibly as early as '71, but never managed to get an album out. Given how many obscure Italian bands did, that was actually some feat, it seems. Anyway, a reformed CAP appeared in the early '90s, alongside re-recorded versions of some of their old material, '92's Nei Gorghi del Tempo, and a genuine archive release the following year, Sala Borsa Live '77. Robin delle Stelle followed in '98, then the album in question after another five years. At this rate, the next one will be due in 2008, though I wouldn't hold your breath.
So, "What's it like?", I hear you cry? Well, they seem to have a proper understanding of Italian prog as it was, as against the horrible, dumbed-down neo- rubbish that most Italian 'progressive' bands were spewing out in the early '90s. Given the band's age, this could be seen as unsurprising, but it didn't work for Il Balletto di Bronzo's reformation, to name but one. I've seen one real pasting for this album, which completely ignored the sense of excitement the band can conjure up at their best, not to mention their feel for their country's illustrious progressive past. About the only real criticism I can level at them is their relative (note: only relative) lack of originality; Ginevra: Regina Senza Regno manages to cop bits of Spock's Beard, Rush and Kansas all in the same song, although I can't say I noticed any other howling rip-offs.
It's hard to tell just how genuine the vintage-sounding keyboards here are, although everything sounds fairly authentic (isn't that a Roland JX-3P in Il Regno?). There's a MiniMoog pictured in the booklet, but as for the Hammond and Mellotron, who knows? No specific credits, but both Romolo Bollea and Maurizio Venegoni play keys. Anyway, assuming it's real, CAP stick some 'Tron onto nearly every track (Luna Impigliata Tra I Rami is an acoustic guitar piece), with almost nothing but choirs for the first few, in true '80s prog style; ironic, given that that's the one decade of the last four in which the band haven't recorded... Just when you thought they weren't going to use the strings, however, in they come on La Danza, and are then used on and off throughout the rest of the record. It sounds like real flute (from Silvia Carpo) on Intro, but the last seconds of the 22-minute Il Regno definitely have the Mellotronic version, and it may crop up elsewhere, too.
All in all, this is a fine album from a band whose name rarely seems to crop up when good modern prog is mentioned; it may not be the most original work ever, but it beats the crap out of most of the competition. Decent 'Tron work, too, although its authenticity is in minor doubt. Assuming you can find this, buy. Incidentally, CAP also crop up on Mellow Records' Harbour of Joy Camel tribute, with what sounds like sampled 'Tron.
 |
Billion Dollar Babies (1973, 40.51) ****½/TTHello HoorayRaped and Freezin' Elected Billion Dollar Babies Unfinished Sweet No More Mister Nice Guy Generation Landslide Sick Things Mary-Ann I Love the Dead |
Current availability:
Mellotron used:
Alice Cooper, king of shock rock, enemy of society, crown prince of darkness (1973 version) blah blah blah... Alice, née Vince Furnier, was always a nice boy really, and has ended up one of 'rock's elder statesmen' (horrible phrase!) whose opinion always seems to be sought on those TV programmes about 'heavy metal' or 'glam rock' or whatever, mainly because he can a) always be relied upon to be intelligent and witty at the drop of a hat and b) still be alive. It was not always thus... In 1973, Alice was in the throes of a serious alcohol problem, with the so-called moral majority coming down on him like a ton of bricks wherever he went, seemingly due to their lack of understanding of the (major) theatrical element in what he was doing.
Billion Dollar Babies was his (or their, depending on exactly whom you consider 'Alice' to be) sixth album proper, but only the fourth of any real lasting value. Love it to Death (1970, ****), Killer (1971, ****½) and the overrated School's Out (1972, ***) are all good, particularly Killer, but Billion Dollar Babies took the whole 'Alice' concept to another place, with several of its tracks still being performed live to this day, notably No More Mr Nice Guy and the title track.
Producer Bob Ezrin (a bit of a Mellotron fan on the quiet) got a bit of 'Tron in on a couple of tracks, with strings and a bit of flute on opener Hello Hooray, and some strings and choir on Unfinished Sweet (ha ha). Both good songs, and some really nice 'Tron work, but I'm not sure the album's really worth it for the Mellotron fan. Damn' good record, whatever.
