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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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Symphony (1973, 41.00) ****/TTTTT1st Movement2nd Movement |
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Forever Blowing Bubbles (1975, 36.15) ****/TTTChansonWithout Words Way Ergotrip Et Pendant ce Temps la Narcisse et Goldmund Jungle Bubbles |
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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.
See: Gong
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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 |
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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.
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Let's Get Naked (2002, 15.44) ***/TTLet's Get NakedCold Waters The Final Run |
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This Crumbling Garden (2003, 20.28) ***/T½Intro (St. Christopher)Our Crumbling Garden Lover's Lie Skull Tattoo Rum and Mother's Milk St. Christopher |
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Clockwork are (or maybe were, as the last 'news' on their site is over two years old at the time of writing) 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.
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Now I Understand (2006, 67.19) ***/TT |
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| Introduction Bass Beatbox Hungry Ghosts Quilty Vishnu Dub A Toy for a Boy Luminous Things What Would Cthulhu Do? |
Now I Understand And Shadow Saw the Gods Wetbones (extended) Vision of Kali Just Kiddin |
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Despite existing since the late '90s, 2006's Now I Understand is Club d'Elf's first studio album, its seven predecessors all being live. Huh? Seems it's a semi-improvisational ensemble with an ever-changing cast, helmed by bassist Mike Rivard (Paula Cole, Aimee Mann, Jon Brion), who has constructed this largely instrumental album over a period of some years, involving loads of musicians, not least Reeves Gabrels (Tin Machine), Mat Maneri, DJ Logic and the ubiquitous John Medeski. It's... well, er... OK, try 'North African trance-dub from Boston'; very rhythmic, very trancey, pretty experimental while remaining danceable, if that sounds like your bag.
Medeski plays Mellotron amongst other things, of course, with what sounds like a single Chamberlin male voice note on Introduction, although it could, of course, be a sample, or indeed, something else entirely. Bass Beatbox features a repeating high cello run (or is it Maneri's electric viola?) with a few seconds of strings at the end, low choir notes and heavily manipulated flutes on the fabulously-titled What Would Cthulhu Do? and pitchbent strings on the title track. This isn't going to appeal to everyone, by any means (or even everyone who reads this site, which is another matter entirely), but those who follow Medeski's career may find something here to interest them. Typical Medeski 'Tron work, but (as usual) it's not overdone. Interesting, but I shan't be returning here too soon.
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The Jarvis Cocker Record (2006, 49.25) ****/T |
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| The Loss Adjuster (Excerpt 1) Don't Let Him Waste Your Time Black Magic Heavy Weather I Will Kill Again Baby's Coming Back to Me Fat Children From Auschwitz to Ipswich |
Disney Time Tonite Big Julie The Loss Adjuster (Excerpt 2) Quantum Theory Running the World |
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Jarvis Cocker's first post-Pulp album has been eagerly awaited, coming, as it does, five years after his ex-band's last effort, the underrated We Love Life. Fans need not worry, although I suspect that most of them bought this when it came out, not three years later, as I review it. It's excellent, packed to the gills with (sorry, Jarvis) Pulp-like post-Britpop, doubtless partially due to guitarist Steve Mackey's involvement, overlaid by the man's beautifully wry observations. 'Best tracks' is a difficult one, when the lyrics are as important as the music, not to mention pretty much universally superb. Maybe Fat Children and I Will Kill Again, although nothing here disappoints.
Jarvis plays various aged keyboards (Solina, Roland SH1000, Memorymoog), plus specifically-credited Mellotron flutes on I Will Kill Again, with a part running right through the song. All in all, then, an extremely worthy effort, should you be into Jarvis' thang, although its tape-replay content is fairly minor. And what the hell is a 'parental guidance - explicit content' sticker doing on the CD case?
Incidentally, although it should now be considered heavily passé, there's a 25-minute gap between the last credited track, Quantum Theory and the last actual one, Running The World, with the silence omitted from the disc timing above. Also incidentally, given that this is being written just after Michael Jackson's untimely death, now might be a good time to remember Jarvis' fabulous intervention during the late Wacko's horrific performance of the hideous Earth Song, where the great man got up onto stage and waggled his arse at the cameras in protest. The media storm was a) inevitable, b) excessively tedious and c) excellent publicity. Also also incidentally, I lent a band some equipment during Jarvis' curatorship of the 2007 Meltdown Festival in London. The musician to whom I'd lent said vintage gear (no, not my Mellotron) was nowhere to be found after the gig, being too busy ligging backstage, leaving us to pack the gear up ourselves, but Mr. Cocker held a door open for us as we staggered out carrying heavy flightcases. Jarvis Cocker, you are a gentleman.
See: Pulp
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Respect Yourself (2002, 48.51/56.12) **½/½ |
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| 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)] |
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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.
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Treasure (1984, 41.20) ****/T |
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| Ivo Lorelei Beatrix Persephone Pandora Amelia Aloysius Cicely |
Otterley Donimo |
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Tiny Dynamine (EP) (1985, 16.32) ****/TPink Orange RedRibbed and Veined Plain Tiger Sultitan Itan |
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Echoes in a Shallow Bay (EP) (1985, 16.12) ****/TGreat Spangled FritillaryMelonella Pale Clouded White Eggs and Their Shells |
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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.
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Sounds of Passion (1986, 41.27) **½/TT½Sounds of PassionPrologue 1st Movement 2nd Movement 3rd Movement 4th Movement - 'Finale' Crazy Fool and Dreamer Defended |
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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.
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Soulbait (1996, 40.07) **/½ |
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| Soulbait That Was Then Love Glory Shake Me Me, Myself, & I Brightside Free |
Good Things Echo Soulbait - Superfly Remix |
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Code of Ethics apparently started as a more techno-based proposition than we hear on '96's Soulbait, best described a pop/rock with an electronica edge (spot the Star Trek computer sample in the punky Brightside). They're apparently Christians, but les overtly than many, although that could say a lot about how little I listen to lyrics, I suppose. It's all pretty tedious stuff, to be honest, chuntering along to no particular purpose, switching between bright'n'breezy pop (Good Things) and darker material (most of the rest), seemingly designed to appeal solely to mildly disaffected (Christian) Young People, most of whom have probably grown out of it, 13 years on. Well, let's hope, anyway.
Mellotron from Tedd T (no, really) on Echo, with a 'yeah, whatever' cello part that could, frankly, have been played on almost anything that sounds slightly like a cello. All in all, then, a waste of time and plastic, unless you were a certain age in the mid-'90s, in which case this may well still be your favourite album, proof that you need to listen to more music. Oh, and the sleeve's shit, too.
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The Sons of Intemperance Offering (1996, 64.44) ***½/0 |
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| House of Lust Running Halfway Blown Stages Solana Beach Song Hats Off (to the Big Queen City) All the Way My Lover Leads Soldiers The Loneliest Girl in the World |
Straight to Hell A Soft Reply Scream at the Blackbirds Tighten Up Simpatico Blvd. Unmarried Ladies |
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Phil Cody is the kind of artist that America seems to roll out on a production line: slightly Dylanesque, Americana-toting, heartfelt singer-songwriters whose combination of influences is unique to that country. I believe The Sons of Intemperance Offering (a title bewilderingly described as 'almost unpronounceable' by one website) is his debut, although hard and fast information about the man isn't easy to find, even on his own MySpace page. It's an appealing combination of, well, Dylan and alt.country, often in the same song, with best tracks including Scream At The Blackbirds and the lengthy, jammed-out Simpatico Blvd.
One of the newer breed of tape-replay enthusiast sessioneers, Rami Jaffee, plays Mellotron, although I'll be stuffed if I can work out where. I suppose there could be some flutes hidden away here and there, but you'll need sharper ears than mine (not difficult, frankly) to hear them. Anyway, a good album of its type with one standout track, but no obvious Mellotron. Cody's 2000 release, Big Slow Mover has Jaffee on Chamberlin, but until I get hold of a copy, I've no idea if it's any more audible than on here.
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Adam Cohen (1998, 50.38) **/T |
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| 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 |
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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.
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Museum of Dannys (1999, 70.44) ***/T½ |
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| Museum of Dannys Ranting in the Street Thin White Line New Mexico Basement Astral Rag Quiet Man Francis Blend Don't Remember In the Barrio |
Pentagram Eternal Night Los Angeles Justice Done The Desert Floozy I'm Not Me Rheeba's Canteena Suicide Judgement Day |
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Dannyland (2004, 48.25) ***/T |
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| 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 |
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We're All Gunna Die (2005, 57.54) ***½/½ |
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| As I Looked Down Among the Cows Pamela Rodgers Caffeine and Sunlight Film Noir Tongue Tied in Quicksand Magritte Cousin Guy |
Funeral in New Orleans Ghost Country Safari World of Holograms Serene Tanna Leaf Orgies (of the Living Dead) Coffee is Evil Mystery Man We're All Gunna Die |
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Shades of Dorian Gray (2007, 61.39) ***/T½ |
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| Prayer in the Black and White Avian Blues For George Bailey, LaPado and Bottom Vertigo Drawing in the Dark Devil Brat Cold Snap Conundrum Palm of My Hand |
The Prophecy Noah Blaine Confection of Bullshit The Fall Sunday in Richmond Death Waltz Rigormortis (on the Ridge) Beneath the Shroud |
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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, he's a tad eccentric, but when was that ever a problem? Actually, Waits is not only a reference point, but he and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, are mentioned on Dannyland's 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? Cohen's 'career' apparently kicked off as early as 1961 (!), but aside from an alleged handful of other artists' albums around the turn of the '70s, he did little publicly until he began releasing his own material in the late '90s.
His first album, 1999's Museum of Dannys, is an archival release, although I don't know over what period the tracks were recorded; there's certainly some variation in recording quality across the album's length and different supporting musicians are used. It's actually quite difficult to pigeonhole his material, which has to be a good thing. Low-fi? Weird folk? Acoustic Skip Spence-style psych? Hard to say. On the instrumental front, Cohen adds Mellotron flutes to Quiet Man and strings to Eternal Night, with more uncredited strings on closer Judgement Day, all sounding as real as you'd expect from such an artist.
It took Cohen another five years to release anything else, 2004's Dannyland being his first album of new material. It's almost as odd as its predecessor, to be honest; think: a cross between Waits and Daniel Johnston, and you won't be a million miles off. 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.
2005's We're All Gunna Die is, just maybe, slightly more 'normal', whatever you take that to mean. The arrangements are less eccentric and the material's actually better, which means either a) Cohen's work is moving infinitesimally nearer the mainstream, or b) I'm getting more used to it. Magritte is actually pretty good, in a low-fi, slightly bleak kind of way, and while it's all endearingly bonkers, it's in a good kind of way. Just one 'Tron track, with Dave Hurst adding faint strings to Magritte, almost to the point where I'm not sure why they bothered. Given that these albums are all pretty lengthy, I wonder if Cohen's still dipping into a decades-long reservoir of material? Anyway, 2007's Shades of Dorian Gray isn't dissimilar to its predecessor, veering between gloomy but relatively normal material and complete nutsville, albeit quietly. Hurst on 'Tron again, with slightly atonal strings on Noah Blaine and a more upfront (and 'trad') part on closer Beneath The Shroud.
Danny Cohen's music certainly is very odd, though those of you who like something a little left-field may well go for it. None of these are 'Tron classics, but Museum of Dannys and Shades of Dorian Gray are the most worthwhile on that front.
See: Tom Waits
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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 |
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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.
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Join the Parade (2007, 47.04) ***½/TT½ |
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| Listening to Levon The Calling (Ghost of Charlie Christian) Dance Back From the Grave If I Were an Angel Let Me Be Your Witness Live Out the String Giving Up the Ghost |
Join the Parade My Sanctuary Life Goes on |
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Imagine if Tom Waits sang 'normally', wasn't quite so obsessed with sounding like a 1920s steam band and resided slightly nearer the mainstream and you might be getting somewhere vaguely close to Marc Cohn. He's been around for a while, making his first album in his early thirties and his fourth, 2007's Join the Parade, some sixteen years later. It's a pretty downbeat kind of album, but in a good way, channelling that Waits vibe through music that doesn't require the listener to be in an advanced state of inebriation/illness/death, which should (theoretically) make him more popular, although I don't think it has.
Mellotron from David Barrett and Chamberlin from Patrick Warren, with what sounds like Mellotron cellos on If I Were An Angel, cellos and Chamby strings on The Calling (Ghost Of Charlie Christian) and Giving Up The Ghost, 'Tron flutes and Chamby strings on closer Life Goes On and more strings on My Sanctuary. I may've missed something, but it's fairly hard to tell... Overall, then, one for Waits fans looking for a bit of normality, or tape-replay obsessives looking for a late-nite drinking den fix.
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Astral Disaster (1999, 72.19) ***/TThe AvatarsThe Mothership & the Fatherland 2nd Sun Syndrome The Sea Priestess I Don't Want to Be the One MU-UR |
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Coil began as a Psychic TV offshoot in the early '80s, going on to influence various 'industrial' groups (most of whom weren't actually especially industrial) and becoming acid house innovators before shifting into a kind of neo-folk/drone crossover area. Astral Disaster was their seventh album, originally released as a limited-edition LP, later remixed and expanded into the CD version reviewed here. The album splits neatly into a three short/three long format, with both The Mothership & the Fatherland and MU-UR topping twenty minutes, the latter being the record's major drone-fest and probably one of its more listenable tracks for the uninitiated.
Spiritualized member and sometime Julian Cope collaborator Thighpaulsandra plays Hammond, Mellotron and synths on the album, with some particularly nice organ work in places. Two presumed 'Tron tracks, with some string notes on The Sea Priestess, although the choirs throughout the piece are either real or sampled, while the cellos on I Don't Want To Be The One are more likely to be Mellotron than real.
Tragically, co-founder John Balance died in 2004, effectively ending the band, although the other founding member, 'Sleazy' Peter Christopherson, continues to release various recordings made during Balance's lifetime. Astral Disaster is a pretty strange album, to be honest, although Coil fans probably find it a bit safe and mainstream. If you don't have a problem with lengthy drones, you may well go for this, but it isn't for everyone. Not that much 'Tron either, so not really worth it on that account.
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Parachutes (2000, 41.50) ***/T |
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| Don't Panic Shiver Spies Sparks Yellow Trouble Parachutes High Speed |
We Never Change Everything's Not Lost |
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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.
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Hellbent on Compromise (1990, 51.06) ***/½ |
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| Means to an End You Poor Deluded Fool It Might as Well Be You Take Care of Yourself Graciously Someone Else Besides My Girl Has Gone Now That it's Love |
Everything and More What's the Big Idea Time of the Preacher/Long Time Gone |
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Ex-leader of Orange Juice, Edwyn Collins' second solo album, 1990's Hellbent on Compromise, is apparently viewed as a poor relation in comparison to its rated predecessor, the previous year's Hope and Despair and its successor, '94's Gorgeous George, home to major hit A Girl Like You. In truth, the album's not bad, but the songwriting isn't outstanding and the arrangements seem a bit studio-heavy. Best track? For some reason, Someone Else Besides strikes a chord with me, as it's barely distinguishable from the rest of the album, although nothing here actually offends.
Collins plays Mellotron himself, in an unusually early 'second wind' setting, after its '80s pariah status, with something on Take Care Of Yourself; my guess is the otherwise uncredited vibes, but it's hard to tell. So; bit of an inbetweenie, really, neither one thing nor the other. Next to no 'Tron, either, assuming those vibes are what we're listening to. Buy the follow-up instead. Incidentally, best wishes to Collins on his long-term stroke recovery.
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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 |
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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.
See: Greenslade | Dave Greenslade
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A Few Small Repairs (1996, 54.39) ***/½ |
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| Sunny Came Home Get Out of This House The Facts About Jimmy You and the Mona Lisa Trouble I Want it Back If I Were Brave Wichita Skyline |
84,000 Different Delusions Suicide Alley What I Get Paid for New Thing Now Nothin' on Me |
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Shawn Colvin's a bit of a late starter, not releasing her first album until she was in her thirties, and around forty when she finally broke through with 1996's 'divorce album' A Few Small Repairs. It's pretty much as you'd expect from a big-selling mid-'90s female singer-songwriter effort, to be honest; good at what it does, but you've really got to be into this stuff to get much from it. She may be influenced by Joni Mitchell, but that's where the resemblance ends. I suppose I should listen to the lyrics more closely, but when the music's perfectly pleasant but unengaging, I sort of lose concentration...
Guest woodwind player Rick DePofi plays Mellotron, though not a lot, with only a faint flute line on You And The Mona Lisa being at all apparent. So; quite mainstream but perfectly respectable, A Few Small Repairs will appeal to a certain audience, although I can't honestly say that includes me. Next to no Mellotron, either.
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Conjure One (2002, 54.50) ***/½ |
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| Damascus Center of the Sun Tears From the Moon Tidal Pool Manic Star Redemption Years Make a Wish |
Pandora Sleep Premonition (Reprise) |
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Conjure One are an off/on so-called 'electronic' project from Rhys Fulber, better known for his membership of both Front Line Assembly and Delerium. I suppose their 2002 debut, Conjure One, is loosely 'electronic', in that it's based around programmed beats and the like; actually, it seems to be a straight mix of Fulber's other two bands, with the electronica from FLA and Delerium's 'world' stuff combining in a commercially potent brew. The Arabic-esque vocals from various mostly female guest vocalists (Sinéad O'Connor, Mel Garside, whom I used to know slightly, for my sins, even The Tea Party's Jeff Martin) work pretty well, I'll admit, but the album loses me when the rhythms kick in.
Rick Nowels (Melanie C, Dido, Ronan Keating) plays Chamberlin on Tears From The Moon, but given that the track also contains other keyboards and a violin, it's pretty hard to tell what it's doing; presumably the string pad in the background. If I hadn't known, I'd have said it was the blocky-sounding strings on Pandora, so what do I know? Anyway, mainstream stuff that won't trouble most of you; heard worse, but shan't be playing again for a while, if ever.
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Plateau (1977) ***½/TTPlateau of NaskaA Close Encounter Power of Giza The Battle of Gomorrah Journey The Oracle |
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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.
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Il Bianco Regno di Dooah (2003, 68.00) ****/TTT½ |
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| 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 |
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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.
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Billion Dollar Babies (1973, 41.05/98.58) ****/T½ (TTT) |
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| Hello Hooray Raped and Freezin' Elected Billion Dollar Babies Unfinished Sweet No More Mr Nice Guy Generation Landslide Sick Things Mary-Ann |
I Love the Dead [expanded ed. adds: Hello Hooray Billion Dollar Babies Elected Eighteen Raped and Freezin' No More Mr Nice Guy |
My Stars Unfinished Sweet Sick Things Dead Babies I Love the Dead Coal Black Model T Son of Billion Dollar Babies (Generation Landslide) Slick Black Limousine] |
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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 Elected, No More Mr Nice Guy and the title track. What's really noticeable, upon replaying the album, is how... Broadway it is. Not as much as the excellent (if campy) Welcome to My Nightmare (****), two years down the line, but Alice's brand of theatricality owed as much to Rogers & Hammerstein as, er, Roger Corman (he said, stretching an analogy beyond breaking point), with many of the arrangements having musical 'spaces' built into them for Alice's onstage theatrics. There's some great material here (other classics include Sick Things and the wonderfully depraved I Love The Dead), but it's got less rock credibility than Killer, and has actually lost half a star upon re-reviewal.
The 2001 remaster added a second disc to the album, containing a chunk of a live set from the era and a handful of outtakes. The live material's excellent, although it's noticeable that much of the new album was played in semi-medley form, with several tracks segueing into each other after a couple of verses. The three studio tracks tacked on the end are a New Musical Express (UK music rag) flexidisc track, Slick Black Limousine, a demo version of the same track, Coal Black Model T and an early version of the album's Generation Landslide, Son Of Billion Dollar Babies, all worth hearing, but slightly inessential.
On the Mellotron front, 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). Bob Dolin plays piano and Mellotron on the live tracks on the expanded version, with the string parts from Hello Hooray (though not the flutes) and Unfinished Sweet present and correct, plus string and cello parts on Sick Things and strings on I Love The Dead, both of which work really nicely. I'm not sure the original album's really worth it for the Mellotron fan, but the expanded version just might be.
