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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.


Eels
Egg
Alf Emil Eik
Ekseption
Elan
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Music AKA


Eels  (US)

Eels, 'Beautiful Freak'

Beautiful Freak  (1996,  43.59)  ***/T

Novocaine For the Soul
Susan's House
Rags to Rags
Beautiful Freak
Not Ready Yet
My Beloved Monster
Flower
Guest List
Mental
Spunky
Your Lucky Day in Hell
Manchild
Eels, 'Electro-Shock Blues'

Electro-Shock Blues  (1998,  48.18)  ***/T

Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor
Going to Your Funeral Part I
Cancer for the Cure
My Descent Into Madness
3 Speed
Hospital Food
Electro-Shock Blues
Efil's God
Going to Your Funeral Part II
Last Stop: This Town
Baby Genius
Climbing to the Moon
Ant Farm
Dead of Winter
The Medication is Wearing Off
P.S. You Rock My World
Eels, 'Daisies of the Galaxy'

Daisies of the Galaxy  (2000,  44.18)  ***/TTT

Grace Kelly Blues
Packing Blankets
The Sound of Fear
I Like Birds
Daises of the Galaxy
Flyswatter

It's a Motherf#&!@r
Estate Sale
Tiger in My Tank
A Daisy Through Concrete
Jeannie's Diary
Wooden Nickels
Something is Sacred
Selective Memory
Eels, 'Souljacker'

Souljacker  (2001,  40.34)  ***/TT

Dog Faced Boy
That's Not Really Funny
Fresh Feeling
Woman Driving, Man Sleeping
Souljacker Part I
Friendly Ghost
Teenage Witch

Bus Stop Boxer
Jungle Telegraph
World of Shit
Souljacker Part II
What is This Note?
Eels, 'Blinking Lights and Other Revelations'

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations  (2005,  93.43)  ***½/TT½

Theme From Blinking Lights
From Which I Came/A Magic World

Son of a Bitch
Blinking Lights (for Me)
Trouble With Dreams
Marie Floating Over the Backyard
Suicide Life
In the Yard, Behind the Church
Railroad Man
The Other Shoe
Last Time We Spoke
Mother Mary
Going Fetal
Understanding Salesmen
Theme for a Pretty Girl That
  Makes You Believe God Exists
Checkout Blues
Blinking Lights (for You)
Dust of Ages
Old Shit/New Shit
Bride of Theme From Blinking Lights
Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
I'm Going to Stop Pretending That
  I Didn't Break Your Heart
To Lick Your Boots
If You See Natalie
Sweet Li'l Thing
Dusk: a Peach in the Orchard
Whatever Happened to Soy Bomb
Ugly Love
God's Silence
Losing Streak
Last Days of My Bitter Heart
The Stars Shine in the Sky Tonight
Things the Grandchildren Should Know

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

I've got several friends who love The Eels to bits, and while their appeal has largely passed me by so far, I'm beginning to understand why their following is so fanatical. For those not in the know, the Eels, led by 'E', a.k.a. Mark Oliver Everett, specialise in short, bittersweet, Americana-tinged quirky pop, with a fine line in terribly depressing lyrics.

Their debut, Beautiful Freak, sets out their stall with aplomb, laying down the template for most of their future releases, particularly on the lyrical front. Its sole Chamberlin track, My Beloved Monster, is very typical, with a flute line played by the ubiquitous Jon Brion, and what sounds like 'Chamberlin noise', quite possibly produced by leaning on the keyboard on the strings patch, which is no bad thing. The track was used in Shrek, in case you think the title sounds familiar, but aren't sure why. Electro-Shock Blues is more of the same, essentially, although there's a little more experimentation musically, with the odd sampled rhythm (note: not 'beat') finding its way in here and there. Climbing To The Moon has an excellent little Chamby flute part from Brion again, but neither of these albums is actually worth it on the tape-replay front.

Third album in, Daisies of the Galaxy, is more of the same musically, but loads more 'Tron. They apparently used Chamberlin sounds on Mellotron tapes, and the 'Tron certainly sounds quite odd, so that would make sense. For example, the choirs on I Like Birds and the actually quite good Flyswatter definitely aren't standard Mellotron, but have 'that sound' about them, ditto the strings on the title track. The heavy flute use on Tiger In My Tank works really well, actually, key click to the fore, though I'm afraid I find the song a tad irritating. Jeannie's Diary mixes 'Tron flutes with real strings, and Something Is Sacred has more flutes. It's distinctly possible that some of the other tracks feature the Chamby/'Tron hybrid, but without a better knowledge of the Chamberlin sound library, it's hard for me to say for certain. By the way, there's an uncredited fifteenth track on the CD, which may also possibly contain 'Tron, but it's hard to say for certain.

No.4, 2001's Souljacker is a rather heavier proposition, while still retaining much of that Eels sound they've spent three albums refining. The only obvious 'Tron (this time clearly credited) is some flute parts on the three tracks noted above, with Souljacker Part II being almost entirely 'Tron and vocal, making it one of the band's best uses of the instrument yet. Once again, not really a Mellotron album, and less accessible than its predecessor.

After 2003's 'Tronless Shootenanny! (***), Blinking Lights and Other Revelations is indeed a revelation, as E's songs finally match his reputation (personal opinion, of course...). OK, it's a little overlong, but Everett practically redefines the word 'melancholy' on several tracks, most of which sound pretty much autobiographical. Mellotronically, opener Theme From Blinking Lights is the album's first 'Tron overload, being simply vocals and (real) strings over a lovely Mellotron flute part. More flutes on several other tracks on disc one, but nothing that matches up to the short instrumental Understanding Salesmen, effectively a 'Tron flute solo piece. No Mellotron strings until disc two, with Dust Of Ages, with the rest of the album's strings being real, but I'm not sure what's generating the female solo voices; a Chamberlin sound on Mellotron tapes? An Orchestron/Optigan? Something else entirely? Doesn't sound like a 'Tron, but you know how it is...

So; if you like the sound they make, I expect you've already got the Eels' back catalogue. As far as the Mellotron/Chamberlin/whatever's concerned, forget the first two, be wary of their fourth, but Daisies of the Galaxy and Blinking Lights are worth the effort.

Official site

Egg  (UK)

Egg, 'Egg'

Egg  (1970,  43.45/50.17)  ****/T

Bulb
While Growing My Hair
I Will Be Absorbed
Fugue in D Minor
They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano...
The Song of McGillicudie the Pusillanimous (or
  Don't Worry James, Your Socks Are Hanging
  in the Coal Cellar With Thomas)
Boilk
Symphony No.2
  Movement 1
  Movement 2
  Blane
  Movement 4

[Eclectic CD adds:
Symphony No.2, Movement 3 [before Movement 4]
Seven is a Jolly Good Time
You Are All Princes]
Egg, 'The Polite Force'

The Polite Force  (1970,  42.59)  ****/T

A Visit to Newport Hospital
Contrasong
Boilk
Long Piece No.3
  Part One
  Part Two
  Part Three
  Part Four

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

Egg were a marvellously bonkers psych/prog/jazz-rock/whatever trio who coalesced from an earlier band, Uriel, including the legendary Steve Hillage (later of Gong, of course), whose only recordings were later released under the name Arzachel for contractural reasons. Egg took the guitarless route, with keyboardist Dave Stewart (NOT the Eurythmics one, as if you didn't know) providing the bulk of the chordal and melodic work, mostly in unfathomable time signatures, with strange lyrics, when anyone (OK, bassist 'Mont' Campbell) actually bothered to sing at all.

Egg is a good little album, and quite unlike anything else you'll hear from the 'Canterbury' scene, such as it was. It's difficult to pick out highlights; suffice to say, there's no dead wood on the record, and later versions with both sides of their sole 45 added (including the fantastic Seven Is A Jolly Good Time) are worth picking up. There are a couple of classical adaptations, with some (credited) Bach on Fugue In D Minor and some (uncredited) Grieg on Symphony No.2 (Movement 1), although the band's sense of humour peers through the chinks in the arrangement, in case you were about to take them too seriously. Anyway, Stewart used the studio's Mark II Mellotron on the brief Boilk, but all you get is a few seconds of a dissonant string part and some bonkers left-hand manual rhythms, so don't go buying this for its 'Tron use.

Later that same year, the mischievously-named and frequently-mispronounced The Polite Force (ho ho) appeared, featuring rather more heavily than on their debut that 'Canterbury organ sound', also heard on various Caravan albums. The material is the equal of that on their debut, although it's probably slightly less eccentric, with no obvious classical adaptations this time. Again, 'Tron on one track, which is... Boilk. For some reason, the band elected to use the same title for another improvised piece, this time nine minutes long as against the one or so of their first attempt, and it's easily the most 'difficult' piece on the album, consisting largely of strange noises and studio experimentation, including some mangled 'Tron strings near the beginning.

After they split in '72, Stewart went off to form the 'Canterbury supergroup' Hatfield & the North, although Egg reformed for a one-off release in 74, The Civil Surface (ho ho again), although it's 'Tron-free. You're probably better off sticking to their two 'proper' albums, I suspect, both of which are more than worth a listen, though not especially for their Mellotron work.

Official Dave Stewart/Barbara Gaskin site

Alf Emil Eik  (Norway)

Alf Emil Eik, 'Joy & Breath of Eternity'

Joy & Breath of Eternity  (1979,  47.27)  **½/TT½

Morning Glory
Joy
To You
Crying
Care
Man of the Present Age

Breath of Eternity
March of Earth
Heart
After All/After the End

Current availability:

I'm not entirely certain, but I get the impression that Alf Emil Eik's Joy & Breath of Eternity is some sort of Christian concept album, although I could be mistaken. Whatever, it's something of a mixed bag, musically; Morning Glory is a gentle, string synth-led piece, immediately followed by the rather naff Joy, full of funky bass and fusionesque synth leads and piano. In fact, the bulk of the album appears to be rather more 'commercial' (I use the term loosely) than you might expect; certainly not particularly 'prog', anyway.

There's actually less of Eik's Mellotron on this than I'd expected, but it suddenly enters the picture on track 4, Crying, with male voices (?), strings and flutes all over the place, although the voice (it sounds solo) is quite possibly real. Care features a huge strings pitchbend, with the standard 8-choir on another funky effort, Man Of The Present Age. After another 'Tronless gap (and a rather better track in March Of Earth), there are some very symphonic 'Tron strings on Heart.

Anyway, while not the greatest album you'll ever hear, and certainly not worth the outrageous price some dealers want for it, Joy & Breath of Eternity does have its moments, and there's some fairly nice 'Tron work in places.

Ekseption  (Netherlands)

Ekseption, 'Ekseption'

Ekseption  (1969,  32.40)  ***/T

The 5th
Dharma
Little X Plus
Sabre Dance
Air
Ritual Firedance
Rhapsody in Blue
This Here
Dance Macabre Opus 40
Canvas
Ekseption, 'Beggar Julia's Time Trip'

Beggar Julia's Time Trip  (1970,  34.40)  ***½/T

Ouverture
Prologue
Julia
Flying Power
Adagio
Space I
Italian Concerto
Concerto
Space II
Pop Giant
Space III
Feelings
Epilogue
Finale
  (a) Music for Mind
  (b) Theme Julia
Ekseption, 'Ekseption 3'

Ekseption 3  (1971,  36.13)  ***½/½

Peace Planet
B 612
Morning Rose
Piece for Symphonic and Rock
  Group in A Minor
  a) Part one: Passacaglia
  b) Part two: Painting

The Lamplighter
Bottle Mind
On Sunday They Will Kill the World
Another History
Rondo
Ekseption, '00:04'

00:04  (1971,  37.07)  ****/T

Ave Maria
Body Party
Monlope

Monkey Dance
Choral
Partita No.2 in C Minor
Piccadilly Sweet
Ekseption, '5'

5  (1972,  43.17)  ***½/T

Introduction
Siciliano
Vivace
For Example/for Sure
Virginal
A la Turka
Midbar Session
Pie
My Son
Finale
Ekseption, 'Trinity'

Trinity  (1973,  40.45)  ***½/TT

Toccata
The Peruvian Flute
Dreams

Smile
Lonely Chase
Romance
Improvisation

Meddle
Flight of the Bumble Bee
Finale III
Ekseption, 'Ekseption '78'

Ekseption '78  (1978,  39.16)  ***/T

Again
Your Home
Wild Flower
Signal
Pearl
Thoughts
Summertime
Nocturne
Impromptu
The Cat
Jesu Joy
Faith

Current availability:

Mellotrons used:

Ekseption were one of the first progressive bands in Holland, although how 'progressive' you consider them to be probably depends on your tolerance for cheesy 'rock' versions of the classics, interspersed with jazz, blues and anything else they felt like throwing into the mix. They were led by über-keys man Rick van der Linden, later of the mighty Trace, who stamped his forceful personality all over their work before his surprise departure after their sixth album, 1973's Trinity (although he rejoined in 1978, after Trace's demise). In order to facilitate their classical attempts, the band, unusually for a rock outfit, sported a two-piece brass section, with the end result, initially at least, sounding slightly like an unholy cross between Procol Harum and James Last. It has to be said that their choices of classical material weren't exactly revolutionary, being largely the kind of mainstream fodder spat out these days by the UK's commercial classical station, Classic FM. No Bartók here, then.

On their 1969 debut, Ekseption, they tackle Beethoven, Bach (told you they were mainstream), Gershwin and, er, Jethro Tull, amongst others. Rick was apparently using the fairly unusual M300 'Tron on the album, initially confusing me into thinking there was no tape-replay input, but it seems he used it on two tracks, at least that I can hear; Air is, unsurprisingly, their take on Bach's 'Air on a G String' (which will forever be known amongst Brits of a certain age as 'the Hamlet cigar ad music'), with some lush strings, with rather less of the same on This Here. There's also a real orchestra on Dance Macabre Opus 40 and parts of opener The 5th (guess which Beethoven piece that might be?).

More M300 on their follow-up, an odd little concept piece called Beggar Julia's Time Trip, although not to any great extent. The music is an immediate improvement on their debut, far less cheesy, and more like a forerunner to Trace in places, proving how much of that band's sound came from reinterpreting Bach. The only particularly overt use is on (Bach's) Italian Concerto, with some MkII strings, and while I've highlighted three other tracks, it could be on more, or possibly less; apart from Italian Concerto, it's all very subdued.

Ekseption 3 starts with some beautiful (Hammond) organ work, which they rather spoil by giving the brass section free reign again. Actually, this is probably a good description of the album as a whole; excellent moments spoiled by cheesiness. I mean, a jazzed-up 'Hall of the Mountain King' (on Bottle Mind) isn't really necessary, is it? It's by no means a bad album, though, with highlights including Peace Planet (more Bach) and the cumbersomely-named Piece For Symphonic And Rock Group In A Minor. Very little Mellotron, again, with background work on two tracks, leading to the extremely low 'T' rating.

00:04 is a definite improvement, with lengthy closer Piccadilly Sweet being by far the most ambitious piece yet tackled by the band, mixing jazz and classical like they were both going out of fashion. Er... Despite the frequent, unwelcome and intrusive brass work, the album was quite clearly Ekseption's fairly successful attempt to up the musical ante and be taken a little more seriously. Van der Linden's 'Tron work is, once again, restricted to background pads by and large, making you wonder exactly why he bothered, but at least we're finally getting somewhere on the musical front.

For some strange reason, although every other instrument Rick plays on '72's 5 is credited, there's no mention of the 'Tron, but it's there all right. Musically, the album is the by-now typical Ekseption sound, 'covering' such obscure composers as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, not to mention Keith Emerson (who he?), who at least did, to his credit, play fairly unknown composers' works. Several Rick originals this time round, too, although Virginal sounds like one of those classical works you can't quite place, and his half of For Example/For Sure contains fairly pointless excerpts from Norwegian Wood and America (the West Side Story one). Very little Mellotron again, with background strings on Siciliano and a few string chords on the lengthy Midbar Session; why did he not use it more? Bizarre.

'73's Trinity opens with Ekseption's version of that old warhorse, Bach's Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, later reinterpreted by British almost-proggers Sky, before an overlong The Peruvian Flute, with Rick using an ARP 2600 to approximate said flute. The rest of the material does what Ekseption do (or did), without really advancing their cause any. Plenty of 'Tron, for a change (must've read to my last paragraph), with strings on every highlighted track above. Best bits are the volume-pedalled chords on Improvisation, at the end of the bass solo (stop squirming at the back) and the interjections on their version of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight Of The Bumble Bee (makes a change from the usual suspects, anyway), making this easily their most 'Tron-heavy release.

Ekseption made three albums after Rick's departure, the really rather good Bingo (****), the apparently excellent Mindmirror and the return-to-earlier-values Back to the Classics, before grinding to a halt. Their reformation album with Rick, having (sadly) got Trace out of his system, was Ekseption '78, sounding not unlike their earlier work, hardly surprisingly. The album doesn't succeed on all fronts, unfortunately, with several poor choices of material, not least an awkward Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, abbreviated to Jesu Joy, with the drum part riding roughshod over the piece, and a misplaced funky take on Gershwin's Summertime that sounds next to nothing like any other version you've heard. Nocturne (yup, Bach again) works very well, however, and closer Faith is a reworking of Doubts from the final Trace album, The White Ladies, but overall, we're treading over old ground here, to be honest. Very little Mellotron (yet again), with choirs on Again and Pearl (Bach and Händel respectively), although there's quite a bit of Yamaha's late-'70s mega-synth, the GX-1, too. Don't search too hard for this, although the pompous sleevenotes are almost worth a purchase on their own...

The last Ekseption album for some years was Dance Macabre in '81, which seems to be no more than re-recordings of tracks from previous albums (although I don't believe it's a compilation). If I get to hear any more of their catalogue, expect reviews forthwith. As far as their first six albums go, they essentially improve as they go along up until 00.04, then tread water for a couple, presumably prompting Rick's departure, with Ekseption '78 being so-so at best. If you don't mind your pseudo-classical prog on the cheesy side (hi, Nick), you may just go for these, though. Oh, and little 'Tron work of any import, either, other than on Trinity.

Incidentally, many thanks to Olof Lindh (the man who sold the mighty Änglagård their Mellotron, folks) for his information regarding Rick's 'Tron sounds. Olof notes that Ekseption and Earth & Fire both recorded at Phonogram studios in the Netherlands, achieving exactly the same 'Tron sounds, giving rise to speculation that the M300 was actually the in-house studio machine.

Official site

Elan  (Mexico)

Elan, 'Street Child'

Street Child  (2003,  57.43)  **½/T

Leave Me
Midnight
Sorry Baby
Hideaway
Jeremy
The Road
They Came From the City
Shy
Another Woman
Call Home
Time
Street Child
Perfect Life

Current availability:

Elan Sara DeFan is a Mexican singer-songwriter, hovering on the cusp between 'rootsy' and 'mainstream pop', at least going by her debut album, 2003's Street Child. She's apparently the first female Latin artist to write her own first album entirely in English, for what it's worth, as the lyrics sound like the usual run of platitudes; hardly anything groundbreaking. The music is less offensive than it might be, but largely mid-paced rock/pop numbers (think: a duller Bonnie Raitt) pall after a while, the end result being a dull, nothing kind of record which the discerning listener would do best to avoid.

Despite credits for two Mellotron players, Alan Weatherhead and Elan's guitarist brother, Jan Carlo DeFan, there's next to none actually to be heard, as in so many similar cases. In fact, the only obvious use is on the title track, with a half-second of ghostly choir at the beginning, heard as if on a radio, with a more upfront reprise towards the end of the song and cellos and possible flutes on the unlisted 'hidden' track Perfect Life. All in all, a worthy but dull release with little Mellotron. Next...

Official site

Electric Light Orchestra  (UK)

Electric Light Orchestra, 'Live at Winterland '76'

Live at Winterland '76  (1998,  60.34)  ***½/TTT½

Fire on High
Poker
Nightrider
Showdown
Eldorado Suite

Strange Magic
Medley:
  10538 Overture
  Do Ya
Evil Woman
Ma Ma Ma Belle
Roll Over Beethoven
Electric Light Orchestra, 'Live at Wembley '78'

Live at Wembley '78  (1998,  56.20)  ***/TT½

Intro - Tony Curtis
Standing in the Rain
Night in the City
Turn to Stone
Tightrope
Telephone Line
Rockaria!
Wild West Hero
Showdown
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Mr Blue Sky
Do Ya

Livin' Thing
Roll Over Beethoven

Current availability:

Mellotron used:

After the let-down of what are generally considered to be ELO's two 'Mellotron albums', A New World Record and Out of the Blue (reviewed here), it's gratifying to find that a live recording from the time, Live at Winterland '76, features the thing prominently. Going by the equipment lists on the aforementioned albums, they appear to list what the band used live rather than in the studio, which is an odd thing to put on a studio album, but there you go. I actually find this album far more palatable than the band's ultra-commercial late-'70s material, with opener Fire On High being an excellent proggy instrumental, and most of the other tracks falling into the 'non-offensive' category, which is a turn up for the books.

Richard Tandy seems to have had a fairly small rig at this point; all I can hear is piano, Rhodes, Moog and loads of Mellotron, clearly deputising for the massed voices Jeff Lynne favoured in the studio. So, obvious choirs (8-voice, by the sound of it) on Fire On High, Poker and Nightrider, with what sounds like 'Tron strings on Showdown, although I was under the impression that the ELO machine wasn't loaded with strings, due to the presence of real ones, and had separate male and female choirs. A different tape frame? Anyway, more choirs on the lengthy Eldorado Suite (including Can't Get It Out Of My Head), although that appears to be it, with the latter half of their set unsurprisingly concentrating on their rockier efforts, including Do Ya, Ma Ma Ma Belle and their inimitable take on Chuck Berry's Roll Over Beethoven, complete with 'Beethoven's Fifth' intro. It's possible there's a bit more 'Tron hidden away here and there - are those choirs buried in the mix on Ma Ma Ma Belle? - but it doesn't seem that likely.

Two years on, and ELO were a global phenomenon, as they say, after their two monstrous hit albums. Unsurprisingly, Live at Wembley '78 concentrates on material from A New World Record and Out of the Blue, making for a rather blander set than on Winterland. To my knowledge, this is no more than the soundtrack to the DVD (originally video) of the concert, and isn't exactly the highest of fi, with some odd, 'straight-from-desk' levels cropping up here and there. It appears to be from some sort of Royal Gala performance, with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in attendance (non-Brits, don't worry about this bit), with no less a personage than Tony Curtis introducing them as "The greatest rock band in the world", which seems to be stretching things a tad. This setlist reminds me why I never really liked ELO; this doesn't really cut it as intelligent pop, and it's rock that doesn't rock, neither of which float my boat. Particular non-faves: Telephone Line, Wild West Hero and Livin' Thing, although I just can't decide whether the ridiculous Mr Blue Sky is genius or idiocy. Probably both.

Tandy had expanded his rig by this time, the most notable addition being a polysynth (CS80?), used heavily on several tracks, not least Telephone Line, although his 'Tron choirs (sounds like the separate male and female voices by this time) get reasonable use on about half the album. However, I feel cheated: the one bit I was actually looking forward to hearing, the end section of Mr Blue Sky, is missing. What? You know, the male voice bit over the stomping piano, performed by some choir from Munich on the original. Nope, it gets to the end of the song's main section, then just grinds to a halt. What a swizz. Anyway, not exactly a major 'Tron album, despite fairly heavy use.

So; for ELO fans who want to hear what the band sounded like live, on the cusp of global success, Live at Winterland '76 is really quite essential. For the rest of us, there's loads of Mellotron choir to be heard, so this just might be worth picking up cheaply on that basis, along with some halfway decent material that knocks spots off their later pop stuff. Speaking of which, Live at Wembley '78 is vastly less essential, unless you're one of the multiple millions who actually like this stuff. Er...

Fan site

Electric Music (AKA)  (UK)

Electric Music AKA, 'The Resurrection Show'

The Resurrection Show  [as Electric Music AKA]  (2003,  40.09)  **/T

Panning Out
Something Up With the Stars
The Slapback Sound
The Resurrection Show
Some Bright Shining Future
Dumb Vertigo
Lose Yourself in the Crowd
No Darkness (to Blind My Eyes)
Becoming Imitation
All Comes Back to You

Current availability:

  • Sanctuary

Electric Music AKA were originally Electric Music, until ex-Kraftwerk man Karl Bartos threatened to sue. I'm not sure he needed to worry too much - turgid indie-schmindie by numbers shouldn't really be much of a threat to anyone, although it never stopped Oasis selling billions, did it? Time and place, I think. Electric Music AKA are never going to sell that quantity of records, or indeed, that many at all, I suspect. I dunno - I'm sure they're perfectly good at what they do on The Resurrection Show, but it sets my teeth on edge and makes me repeatedly stab at the 'next' button on my remote.

Mellotron on the title track only, with some strings from Steve Aungle that don't even sound that much like a 'Tron until near the end of the song, when they suddenly come lurching out of the mix in a fairly obvious way. There's supposed to be some 'Tron on the band's debut, 2000's North London Spiritualist Church, too; I shall report back should I find a copy cheaply enough. The band's official site no longer seems to exist, and it's been nearly four years since this album, so it may be safe to assume they've gone the way of all things. Anyway; very average indie, with next to no Mellotron. Just don't.

Incidentally, I found an early EP, Psychics F.O., which is far less offensive than this album, and also features 'Mellotron' on two tracks. The second of those is very clearly samples, so you'll find its review here. Of course, that has to put the veracity of the 'Tron on The Resurrection Show in some doubt, although I've no idea how I'd ever find out.


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