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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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Enuff Z'Nuff Epidaurus Epitaph |
Eroc Ertlif Gloria Estefan |
Ethos Eulenspygel |
Everyone Eyes of Blue |
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Strength (1991, 58.02) ***½/T½ | |
| Heaven or Hell Missing You Strength In Crowd Holly Wood Ya The World is a Gutter Goodbye Long Way to Go |
Mother's Eyes Baby Loves You Blue Island The Way Home/Coming Home Something for Free Time to Let You Go |
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Jim Rigberg's an Enuff Z'Nuff fan, and has sent me a far better review than I'd ever manage. Cheers, Jim!
Maybe if they hadn't looked like Poison, Enuff Z'Nuff would today still have some measure of fame. There was a level of melodic sophistication immediately evident in the band's first single, New Thing, that clearly was far beyond anything the late '80s bandanna-bedecked/Sunset Strip crowd was capable of conjuring up. These guys could write strong power pop tunes; unfortunately, their record label did not think that strong pop tunes were enough to sell records. As a result, Enuff Z'Nuff ended up looking like cheap whores complete with moronic band member names, e.g. bass player "Chip Z'Nuff" (Christ) and original drummer "Vikki" Fox. True - the marketing strategy initially didn't hurt - the band's self-titled debut (**½), on the strength of the heavy MTV-rotation videos for New Thing and follow-up single Fly High Michelle sold very well. Hell, Rolling Stone Magazine proclaimed Enuff Z'Nuff the best new band of 1989. Of course, when Nirvana hit, Enuff Z'Nuff - which, courtesy of the marketing strategy, got lumped in with the bands grunge had set out to kill - was relegated immediately to, at best, cult status. Unfortunately, to milk the nostalgia market, Enuff Z'Nuff has never been willing to shed entirely the faux-metal trappings their original label saddled on them (the bass player still goes by Chip Z'Nuff) which probably turns off many would-be listeners.
Strength was the band's second release. Many of the songs have the same 'metal-lite' production sheen that plagued the tunes on Enuff Z'Nuff - for example, guitarist Derek Frigo's unrelenting reliance on harmonic squeals and his vibrato bar. However, many of the songs (Holly Would Ya, Blue Island) feature gorgeous melodies that no amount of overproduction could squelch. Well, at least not squelch completely. The title track includes pulsing quarter-note 'Tron flutes during the verses enhancing an outstanding Beatles-esque track. There are some more 'Tron flutes in the all-too-short ballady first half of The Way Home - the second half of which gives way to a fairly decent period-piece pop-metal song. That's it on the 'Tron front.
If you like great power pop and/or melodic hard rock à la Cheap Trick, you should ignore the way these guys looked and check them out. I would recommend, however, that you begin with Enuff Z'Nuff's best work - 2000's Paraphernalia (****), then Strength (for the tunes, not the 'Tron), and then whatever else you can track down.
| Jim Rigberg |
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Earthly Paradise (1977, 32.28) ****½/TTTT½Actions and ReactionsSilas Marner Wings of the Dove Andas Mitternachtstraum |
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Mellotron used:
Wow, what a monster! Epidaurus' lone album (until a dodgy '90s reformation, anyway) is a classic of lush, symphonic prog. With two keyboard players (Günther Henne and Gerd Linke) both playing Hammond, Mellotron and Moog among others, they created a huge wall of sound. The album's mostly instrumental, with a little female English-language vocal on a couple of tracks. The Mellotron use on this album is FANTASTIC - great slabs of strings and choir all over the shop, with both players having a keen sense of how best to use it. What's more, the material is excellent; Earthly Paradise is one of those albums which sticks like glue after a few listens, unlike a few I could name by rather better-known outfits... About the only shortcoming of the album is its length; less than 33 minutes barely constitutes an album unless you're the Ramones, but I suppose better 33 great minutes than 45 iffy ones (or worse still, 70).
The excellent Garden of Delights label has made this available again, so do you need any more encouragement? Buy!
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Epitaph (1971, 36.40/57.07) ***/T |
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| Moving to the Country Visions Hopelessly Little Maggie Early Morning [CD adds: London Town Girl Visions (single version) |
I'm Trying Changing World] |
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Stop, Look & Listen (1973, 35.46/40.18) ***/0CrossroadsNightingale Uptight Fly Stop, Look and Listen [CD adds: Autumn 71] |
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Epitaph were one of those early-'70s German hard rock acts who often get lumped in with the prog bands of the day (see: Birthcontrol, Jane), whilst not actually being anything of the sort. Like many of their European contemporaries (Norway's Titanic and Germans Message and Lucifer's Friend spring to mind), Epitaph recruited an English-speaking singer, Cliff Jackson in this case, giving them a far more acceptable sound to British/American ears. Well, in theory, anyway; the actuality was that while those bands did well in their native markets, none really broke out properly into the international arena. I can't imagine how galling it must have been to see the all-German Scorpions break worldwide by the end of the decade...
Anyway, Epitaph is a perfectly competent album, very much of its time, which translates as 'rather dated'. Opener Moving To The Country is a good, upbeat boogie sort of thing, but the rest of the album shifts into mid-paced territory, with a few too many country-rock influences for its own good (Little Maggie is a particular offender in this area). Lengthy closer Early Morning has a nice jamming feel to it, but ultimately fails to excite, to be honest. There's only one track here containing the mighty 'Tron; Visions, the album's ballad, is swamped with lush strings played by bassist Bernd Kolbe, and is a pretty nice example of the genre without being particularly outstanding. The CD reissue has several bonus tracks, including a single edit of the track used as a b-side, which doesn't really enhance the album overall, but it's nice that Repertoire saw fit to include all the band's output from the period.
They followed up with Stop, Look and Listen which, again, finishes with the album's best track, the lengthy, jamming Stop, Look And Listen itself (is there a pattern forming here?). I can find very little to say about the rest of the record; it's so very much of its time that it should probably be sealed in one of those time capsules that were so popular a decade or two back. Preferably every copy. Kolbe is once again credited with 'Tron, but it's absolutely and completely inaudible, so who knows what that's all about?
The only other thing I've heard by the band is 1974's Outside the Law (***), which gained a wider release with a US version on the independent Billingsgate label (named after a London fish market, bizarrely), but by that time they'd moved completely into that 'competent hard rock without doing anything even slightly exciting with it' territory (er, how does that differ from the above?).
So; Epitaph's an OK album, of its time, nice 'Tron on one track. For students of the period, really.
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Zwei (1976, 48.44) ***/½ |
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| Nebelwelt Ein Unhöflicher Anfang Aktuelles Vorwort Der Traum vom Wald Lied von der Brücke Toni Geht Nach Boelerheide Geleerte Worte Bemep-Mope Kleine Freude |
Prof.Erwin Senkellfuss Sonnenfluch Herr von Schwabulahn Das Irrsinnslied Eine Erkenntnis Ich Bin Ein Lachen Sternenwelke Ein Höflicher Abgang |
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Mellotron used:
All students of German '70s prog will, of course, know Joachim "Eroc" Ehrig as Grobschnitt's drummer/resident nutter; well, chief nutter, anyway. On top of adding his unique brand of insane humour to most of his band's albums, he also saw fit to stick out several solo projects from the mid-'70s onwards, conveniently sequentially numbered (well, you never know...). For those of you with even less German than me, this is the second, and is basically an excuse to arse around superbly at Brain's expense while foisting the results on a (presumably) unsuspecting public.
The albums shifts from the drifting, kosmiche Nebelwelt through the mad synths of Ein Unhöflicher Anfang to the accordion of the lengthy Der Traum Vom Wald, and that's just in the first few tracks. Diversity's good, but Zwei veers from one style to another with lunatic abandon, with many of the shorter tracks being German-language sketches, which were probably extremely funny at the time. Ultimately, this rather overlong album probably has too much going on in it for its own good, though there are several worthwhile moments, not least the closing instrumental (upright) piano piece Ein Höflicher Abgang. I was pretty sure there wasn't a note of Mellotron to be heard here, until yet another play revealed a flute melody in the aforementioned Der Traum Vom Wald; it's possible that various sound effects and odd noises could be the Great White Beast too. Hard to tell.
Anyway, a very mixed bag, but probably worth hearing for hardcore Grobschnitt fans, although both Eroc and Eroc 3 are probably more satisfying listens, with the latter containing several band outtakes.
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Ertlif (1972, 40.38/47.52) **½/TT½Plastic Queen [added to CD]Try Making it Easy Train of Time You're Nothing at All There is Only Time to Die The Song High and Dry Walpurgis Classical Woman |
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Well, I gave Ertlif a good shot; seemingly the first Swiss progressive LP, it has a very formative sound, with a British blues singer who sounds rather out of place on the material. It's by no means bad, it just isn't that good either; the songs are OK, but nothing really grabs you and screams "PLAY ME AGAIN!". There's some reasonable Mellotron, but nothing startling; rather like the rest of the album, really. Plastic Queen was recorded a year later with a slightly different lineup, and some distant 'Tron brass.
The best thing about the CD reissue is the picture I've included here, of the band members twenty years apart, in the same pose; nice idea. Haven't they aged well? Er, not really, no. I really wouldn't bother with the album, unless early blues-based prog is your thing. Nothing special, I'm afraid.
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Unwrapped (2003, 63.14) ***/T½ |
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| A Little Push Te Amare Your Picture Wrapped Time Waits In the Meantime Dangerous Game Into You One Name |
I Will Always Need Your Love Say Goodbye I Wish You You Famous Te Amare (Spanish) Tu Fotografia Hoy Mientras Tanto |
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I had no idea Gloria Estefan had been around for so long; the Cuban-born songstress joined the Miami Sound Machine thirty years ago, admittedly while still in her teens, and has recorded in both English and Spanish throughout her career. After the Spanish-language Alma Caribeña in 2000, Unwrapped is Estefan's first English-language album in five years, although, admittedly, it's only her second in that time in any language. I'm not au fait with her earlier, poppier material, but Unwrapped consists largely of Latin-flavoured folkish tracks, and is actually perfectly listenable, although I wouldn't exactly recommend it to those who wish to journey away from the mainstream.
Ron Taylor plays Mellotron on the album, with flute parts on Wrapped, In The Meantime and Say Goodbye; none outstanding, though all pleasant. The last four tracks on the album are Spanish-language versions of tracks 2, 3, 4 and 6, with identical backing tracks, so it's a bit of a cheat saying there are five 'Tron tracks here, which is reflected in the 'T' rating.
So, perfectly pleasant Latin-flavoured folky pop, a few nice bits of 'Tron flute. That's it.
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Ethos (Ardour) (1976, 46.43) ****/TTTT½Intrepid TravellerSpace Brothers Everyman Atlanteans The Spirit of Music Longdancer The Dimension Man E'mocean |
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Open Up (1977, 39.33) ****/TTTTPimp CityStart Anew U.V. Melody Memories The Players (of the Game) Marathon II Sedona Close Your Eyes |
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Relics (2000, recorded 1973-75, 62.01) ****/TTTT |
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| Nightingale Elephant Man Placebo Identity Experimental War Troilus and Cressida Intrepid Traveler Doing Your Duty |
Perceptions Pimp City Dream [hidden track] |
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Mellotrons used:
Ethos were that rarest of things; an American progressive band who got a major label deal. Capitol signed the band around 1975, and let them release two albums before (presumably) pulling the plug. Of course, while in Britain it was punk that scuppered prog, in the States it was disco; unlike punk, a major-league cash cow for the record companies, without too much financial input. I say 'Ethos'; in fact, it's difficult to work out from this album whether they called themselves Ethos or Ethos (Ardour), but their recent retrospective set loses the '(Ardour)', so I shall too.
Despite being released as late as 1976, Ethos (Ardour)'s sleeve lays their, er, ethos out for all to see; a naked god-like being with star-shaped nipples (!) and long white hair holding a staff with a snake wrapped round it in one hand, and a strangely reversed globe in the other, against a backdrop of cosmic-looking clouds and ancient pyramids. The lyrics are mostly science-fictional stuff involving Atlantis, space etc., which can all be ignored given the quality of the music. This isn't top-notch prog, but it's still good stuff, with lashings of both Mellotron and Chamberlin on every track from L. Duncan Hammond and Michael Ponczek. Like all good prog bands they list all their equipment on the sleeve, and include a very fetching picture of singer/guitarist/main man Wil Sharpe with his Gibson twin-neck. Songs titles like Space Brothers, Atlanteans, and E'mocean (that's 'emotion' to you, OK?) defiantly fly in the face of all that was American in 1975, but since when have we had any argument with that? I hope I'm not sounding like I've got a downer on this album; the music is excellent, it's just the (even by then) outdated hippy-dippy stuff that will put some potential listeners off.
By their second outing, Open Up, Hammond had left, taking his Mellotron with him, leaving original keys man Ponczek covering all bases, including Chamberlin. On a first listen, the material is probably up to that of their debut, though, like all good prog, I expect it'll take a few listens to really appreciate. With Chamberlin on all tracks, it's difficult to pick out highlights, although the strings work on Pimp City and Marathon II are excellent. Brass on several tracks, too, with the occasional burst of flutes, including on the 32-second U.V. Melody.
In 2000, an archive set, cheekily entitled Relics appeared, containing what I presume are demos from 1973-75, including early versions of both Intrepid Traveler and Pimp City. The material isn't all as good as that on their two proper releases, but most of it's pretty much up to scratch, making this a welcome find. The hidden track at the end is a slightly pointless instrumental jam, but as with most of the other tracks, it's got loads of (L. Duncan) Hammond and Ponczek's 'Tron and Chamby work, the only obvious exception being Intrepid Traveler, replacing the later version's 'Tron with string synth. Tape replay highlights are the great strings pitchbend work on Placebo and a lengthy section of flute lead on Experimental War, but there's little to knock here, to be honest.
Anyway, you'll probably have trouble finding either of their original albums, but they're both worth the effort if you can, both for the music and the tape-replay. Relics should still be easy enough to find, and is a good introduction to the band's style, not to mention even more of that 'Tron/Chamby work.
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Ausschuss (1972, 45.50) ***½/TTAbfallMenschenmacher Teufelskreis Herzliches Beileid Der Fremde Untertanenfabrik |
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Eulenspygel started life as Royal Servants, with 1970's We being their sole release; confusingly, after their name and style change, Eulenspygel called their first album Eulenspygel 2 (apparently one of the first German-language rock albums), clearly considering the band a straight continuation of the original outfit. Their follow-up, Ausschuss (or Ausschuß), consists of a slightly unwieldy mixture of proto-krautrock, more straightforward proggy material and mainstream rock, with its highlight probably being the side-long four-part Abfall, which shifts seamlessly through the band's various styles, rather overshadowing the rest of the album in the process, although it picks up a little towards the end.
The album was recorded at London's Apple Studios, apparently, which explains the murky MkII-ish Mellotron parts on a few tracks; I wonder which Beatle's machine we're hearing? Anyway, the first sound on the record is the faint flutes and strings on the first part of Abfall, from guitarist James "Till" Thurow, with the strongest 'Tron use on the track's last part, with a rising string line surging up through the mix over the course of a couple of minutes, alongside the Hammond. Der Fremde has a minor strings part, with a stronger strings/flutes part on closer Untertanenfabrik, although not enough to make this a Mellotron Album per se.
Ausschuss probably isn't for your typical prog fan, with only a couple of tracks really falling into that category properly, but if you're feeling slightly (and really, only slightly) adventurous, you could do a lot worse than to grab a copy of Garden of Delights' bonus-tracked reissue, although it's probably not worth it for the relatively minor Mellotron use.
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Everyone (1971) ***/½Trouble at the MillSad Midnight Shift Don't Get Me Wrong Sitting on a Rock Too Much a Loser Radio Lady This Way Up |
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It seems there are two different versions of Everyone's sole eponymous album, with the Polydor issue shifting tracks around, losing a couple and adding their take on Neil Young's Cowgirl In The Sand. The original B & C issue is structured slightly oddly, alternating shorter, countryish tracks with longer, keyboard-driven proggier efforts (mostly written by organist Bob Sargeant), climaxing with the excellent This Way Up, making for a slightly unsatisfactory listen in places. Effectively, the even-numbered tracks are the ones to listen out for, with the likes of Trouble At The Mill and Midnight Shift being a bit of a waste of space.
Sargeant doubled on acoustic guitar and various keyboards, including a credited Mellotron, although, sadly, the only place it's at all obvious is a few seconds of faint strings at the end of the lengthy, proggish Sad, probably the album's other best track. Anyway, while I doubt that it's worth an awful lot, Everyone is obscure enough to be fairly hard to find, and while it has a few decent tracks, its Mellotronic input is absolutely minimal, should that influence your decision.
Incidentally, vocalist/guitarist Andy Roberts recorded a couple of albums featuring the 'Tron around the same time, 1970's Homegrown and the following year's With Everyone, with Sargeant playing on the latter, unsurprisingly. Strangely, there's some confusion over Roberts' solo discography, too, with something like three different issues of Homegrown. More news should I get to hear them.
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Crossroads of Time (1968, 42.56) ***½/TTT |
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| Crossroads of Time Never Care I'll Be Your Friend 7 + 7 is Prodigal Son Largo Love is the Law Yesterday |
I Wonder Why World of Emotion Inspiration for a New Day |
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In Fields of Ardath (1969, 39.10) ***½/TTT |
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| Merry Go Round The Light We See Souvenirs (Tribute to Django) Ardath Spanish Blues Door (The Child That is Born on the Sabbath Day) Little Bird |
After the War Extra Hour Chances |
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Welsh proto-progsters Eyes of Blue (with a Man connection) straddle the divide between late-psych and early prog with ease, though it certainly wouldn't have been seen that way at the time. Their debut, Crossroads of Time, is far too good to languish in the obscurity in which it finds itself; why isn't this album better known? Material of the quality of the title track and Largo should be far better known in psych fandom, although I'm not entirely sure the band should've covered either Love's 7 + 7 Is or the ubiquitous Yesterday, although they turn the latter into a blues/psych-fest of decent enough proportions, so all is forgiven.
Not entirely sure who plays the Mellotron, although Phil Ryan seems the most likely candidate, beginning with a few brief string notes at the end of the opening title track and a muffled flute part on Never Care. The album's real 'Tron monsters are Largo and Love Is The Law, both smothered in MkII strings, with even Yesterday getting flute and string parts in.
Their second and last album, In Fields of Ardath, opens with the most progressive track on the album, the nine-minute Merry Go Round, while the rest of the record steers a path through light guitar jazz (Souvenirs), acoustic balladry (Chances) and, er, blues (Spanish Blues), although a psych/prog crossover is their default setting. Merry Go Round doubles 'Tron strings (MkII) and organ, while Door has some upfront strings over the song's bridge. Little Bird has a fantastic 'Tron flute section, involving playing the instrument considerably faster than its design spec, adding a radical pitchbend at the end, on top of the brass earlier in the song, while the other two highlighted tracks have more 'standard' string parts.
So; two very good albums, all in all, with some very decent 'Tron work. No idea if they're still available, but they're both worth picking up, for both music and Mellotron.
