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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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Thud (1995, 49.50) *****/TT |
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| When You Give Your Love to Me Goodness Gracious Joytown Waiting Tea for One Shadow Self The Tears of Audrey Shrug (Because of Me and You) |
All Fall Down Song for a Dead Friend |
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Jim Rigberg again, folks.
The music business, like life, is brutally unfair. 'Stars' are manufactured, their crappy music - and, more importantly for sales, their attractive images - are pumped into the ears and eyes of our impressionable youngsters, and genuine talent is ignored, routinely. Kevin Gilbert got the royal shaft from the music business. By all accounts, a musical prodigy - capable of playing any song he heard on any instrument handed to him - Gilbert possessed an impeccable sense of melody and a biting, cynical wit. He found some measure of success, to be sure - he was in big demand as an engineer, and worked (undoubtedly, much to his personal distaste) with Michael Jackson, Madonna, and other '80s luminaries. However, he had little luck getting much attention for his own work which, in addition to his two releases, included the excellent Toy Matinee (*****), released in 1990. Gilbert dated Sheryl Crow; he and his buddies were responsible for writing much of the music on her multi-platinum debut. However, once that album took off, Crow dumped him and never looked back. Of course, to add insult to injury, Gilbert then had to go and accidentally kill himself. Life really sucks sometimes.
Anyway, Thud is a somewhat 'lost' masterpiece (like many others before him, Gilbert, ironically, developed a following after he died that he couldn't swing while alive). Each song is expertly written, arranged, played, and produced. The stand-out, both from an overall and a 'Tron point of view (for me, anyway) is Shadow Self, a mini-prog epic about the devil inside us all. The chorus of this song includes the most sinister sounding 'Tron choirs under equally sinister chanting. Sublime. The 'Tron on both Goodness Gracious and Shrug is almost as good; both tracks have perfectly thought-out flute melodies that are repeated throughout. The former track also ends in some great polyphonic 'Tron flute-meandering, much like the reprise of Strawberry Fields Forever. Shrug scatters some interesting spooky block string chords here and there, as well.
Though I can't positively identify it as 'Tron, the 'organ' in Waiting sounds suspiciously like it's being generated via tape; it is the most unstable sounding organ I've ever heard. However, given the presence of strings, flute, and choir on the remainder of the album, I admit it seems unlikely that Gilbert had another frame with organ on it. On the other hand, he was a vintage keys freak, so I guess it's not out the question. There may also be 'Tron brass mixed with real brass in All Fall Down.
Overall, this is prog-pop heaven and should be purchased immediately. It also happens to include three amazing 'Tron tracks. If you like this, you must also get Gilbert's posthumously-released The Shaming of the True (*****), his ode to the fucked-up music business.
| Jim Rigberg |
See: Toy Matinee
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The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp (1968, 40.52/59.33) ***½/TT |
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| Northmeadow Newly-Weds One in a Million Call Tomorrow Digging My Lawn Little Children The Crukster Thursday Morning |
How Do They Know Elephant Song The Sun is Shining Suite No.1 Erudite Eyes [CD adds: She is Loaded Under the Sky |
One in a Million (mono single version) Newly-Weds (mono single version) Thursday Morning (mono single version) Thursday Morning (stereo single version)] |
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I expect these names are familiar to most of you; two-thirds of the initial King Crimson lineup, with the other Giles playing on their second album. Cheerful Insanity... is a very odd record; very much of its time, it works its way through all the usual psych bits without ever really transcending the genre. Saying that, Suite No.1 is an interesting little piece, with some excellent guitar work by the young Mr. Fripp (one of his surprisingly rare writing contributions here). Unfortunately, most of the songs tend towards the whimsical, with the end result being a less than totally essential addition to the psych fan's collection. One of the album's better features is/are the little spoken-work vignettes between some of the songs, collectively entitled The Saga Of Rodney Toady, although the humour hasn't really dated that well.
There are a few bits of Mellotron on the album, apparently played by Fripp, particularly on the slightly cheesy One In A Million, but like many of its contemporaries, Cheerful Insanity... isn't exactly awash with the thing. Buy if you see it cheap, or you're a mad Crimson collector. Nice, but inessential. Incidentally, thanks to Jochen for extra information.
See: King Crimson
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Liejacker (2008, 53.50) ***½/½ |
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| Old Soul Black Letter Dance in New York Rosie Roll on Icarus Wind Wrong Side Slow Journey |
And You Shall Know No Other God When I Get Back to Shore Breathe Lower Road You Spin Me Round |
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Thea Gilmore is one of those artists who is invariably lumped in with 'folk', due to her acousticity, but who would be better described as a singer-songwriter who just happens to play acoustic guitar (see: Joni Mitchell, a million others). 2008's Liejacker (a lie hijacker, basically) is her eighth album in a decade, and her first full independent release (albeit distributed by Universal). It's a searingly honest collection of songs of the quality of opener Old Soul, Icarus Wind and Breathe, fully justifying Gilmore's increasing success, the occasional subtle use of sampled rhythms enhancing rather than detracting from the music, which makes a pleasant change.
Gilmore's husband and musical collaborator Nigel Stonier plays Mellotron, though not a lot, with naught but faint flutes on opener Old Soul, by the sound of it. This is one of those records that will almost certainly grow on me with time; amusingly, one of its highlights is the 'bonus' (can you buy a disc without it?) acoustic version of Dead or Alive's You Spin Me Round (Like A Record), proving the quality of the original songwriting. All in all, a very good album, but not one for Mellotron enthusiasts.
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A Girl Called Eddy (2004, 50.38) **½/T |
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| Tears All Over Town Kathleen Girls Can Really Tear You Up Inside Long Goodbye Somebody Hurt You People Used to Dream About the Future Heartache Life Thru the Same Lens |
Did You See the Moon Tonight? Little Bird Golden |
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Erin "A Girl Called Eddy" Moran is an ex-pat American living in the UK, with a slightly surprising Francis Dunnery connection. Her debut (and to date, only) eponymous solo album is a rather unappealing mixture of soul and pop, chock full of weepy, string-laden ballads like Kathleen and Heartache. I'm sure this is all terribly heartfelt, but it's all pretty drippy, too.
Co-producer Colin Elliot (with supposed Sheffieldian hero Richard Hawley) is credited with Mellotron, but the only places it's even vaguely audible are the strings on opener Tears All Over Town and the flutes on closer Golden, two of the album's more listenable tracks, particularly the latter, in a sort-of rocky way. Overall, then, a bit late-nite, a bit noir, a bit, well, boring actually.
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Lookin' for a Smile (1973, 34.40) **½/T½ |
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| Natural Inclination Texas Sparrow Let Someone's Smile Get Away Long Way Home Dixie Woman Got to Be You, Got to Be Me Songbird Love, Love, Love |
Lookin' for a Smile Here Comes That Feelin' |
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Gladstone were the duo of vocalist H.L. Voelker and vocalist/guitarist Doug Rhone, both currently residing in the 'Where Are They Now?' file. Following their eponymous debut, Lookin' for a Smile was seemingly their last stab at fame and fortune, consisting of ten tracks of largely soft rock like Dixie Woman or Texas Sparrow, with, sadly, nothing to distinguish them from hundreds of similar sub-Eagles efforts. This isn't to say that their material was awful, only that there isn't one single feature that makes them stand out from the pack. No, not even the Mellotron.
Keys man Randy Fouts played the expected piano and organ, plus ARP synth (model unknown) and Mellotron, though on one track only, with flutes on Natural Inclination, although Lynn Groom plays 'Tron strings (very nicely) on Songbird, too. I can't really say they lift the song out of the doldrums of countryish ballad territory, although it's better than its successor, the very dull Love, Love, Love. So; this doesn't go for an awful lot, despite being unavailable on CD, for the very good reason that it's entirely average in every possible respect. I found it for a couple of quid, and I'm glad I didn't pay any more; perfectly respectable, completely inoffensive, but essentially dull, with little Mellotron. Don't bother.
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No Stranger to the Skies (2000, recorded 1973-78, 100.53) ****/TTTT |
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| No Stranger to the Skies Give the Man a Hand Domino The Myopic Stream For Ursula Major and Sirus the Dog Star Broken Oars Awakening Realization Fear |
Childhood's Reflection Final Realization Acceptance Changer Home Patrice Mersault's Dream |
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Illuminations (2005, 62.57) ****/TT |
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| Overture The Secret Life of Aqua J. Long Astral Transascension Isle of Dyslexia Medicine Man Electronic Synaesthesia The Hidden Room Crossing My Tantric Gatito |
Alchemy of the Word Eclipse Wanderlust Eternity Reprise Delirium Falling Slightly Behind All the Time Gaia |
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Live at Progman Cometh (2007, recorded 2002-3, 66.23) ****/TT |
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| Set One - Dedicated to Mike (But We Can't Find Him) Give the Man a Hand Dedicated to Mike Astral The Border Crossing Miles, Monk, Elton and Mom |
Set Two - The Catch The Catch Patrice Mersault's Dream The War Song For Ursula Major and Sirus the Dog Star Big Sur 9-14-2000 No Stranger to the Skies |
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You can add Northwest trio Glass to the lengthy list of US '70s progressive acts who recorded enough material for an album (or more), but were never able to release it, or who only managed one local, independently-released LP. Not only have pressing costs plummeted in the CD age, however, but there are far more labels willing to take a chance on a long-forgotten outfit, as their potential losses are nowadays within acceptable limits. Glass actually formed way back in 1970, battering their collective heads against the impregnable wall of opportunity for a decade, before finally throwing in the towel. Thankfully, they'd managed to record some pro-quality tapes in 1975, plus several other demos, finally presented to us as No Stranger to the Skies by those lovely people at Musea.
The first disc would have made a great studio album at the time, being high-quality, slightly jazzy instrumental progressive rock, with brothers Greg (keys) and Jeff (bass) Sherman complemented by two different drummers over the recordings. Actually, Jeff doubled on keys, principally Fender Rhodes, giving the band an interesting two keys/bass/drums sound at points. The albums opens with its quite excellent title track, rarely letting up the quality, although what appears to be the band's favourite, For Ursula Major And Sirus [sic] The Dog Star, doesn't, to my ears, match No Stranger To The Skies itself.
Disc 2 is subtitled 'The 'Live' Recordings', but it turns out this refers to their being played live in the studio, as against on stage, although if they hadn't told us they weren't 'proper' recordings, we wouldn't know. The musicianship on display here is formidable, especially when you consider that on one piece the brothers rehearsed just once with their new drummer before recording. Jeff plays acoustic guitar on a couple of the tracks, expanding the band's palette, but most of the time there's enough keyboards to cover any gaps in the sound, and the lack of electric guitar isn't even an issue.
Greg's Mellotron work throughout is considerable, with (as you can see) only one complete track bereft of their machine, where he uses an Elka string synth instead. Interestingly, on several tracks (notably Changer), he waits until near the end of the piece to bring the 'Tron in, making its eventual appearance more climactic than it might otherwise have been. Most of his use is strings, although flutes (Childhood's Reflection) and cellos (Home) crop up in places, too. Without playing the 100-minute album several times straight off, it's difficult to remember exactly what was played where; suffice to say, there's some great 'Tron work here, along side the more standard string parts.
Well, would'ja believe it? Following the release of No Stranger to the Skies, Glass have reformed with their original lineup, with drummer Jerry Cook, releasing Illuminations, in 2005. Would'ja also believe it? It's basically in the same vein as their '70s material, with no compromises whatsoever, not to mention guest appearances from various Canterbury alumni, including Hugh Hopper, Phil Miller and Richard Sinclair. The material leaves plenty of room for the musicians to stretch out, while managing not to forget melody while they're at it. And it's still instrumental. And Greg plays what appears to be a black MkVI Mellotron... Overture leads you to think this is going to be a classic 'Tron album, though it's actually the album's main 'Tron shot, swathed in strings, making for a killer five minutes. The detailed instrumental credits list it on two other tracks, with choirs on part one of The Secret Life Of Aqua J. Long, Astral Transascension, and strings and overdubbed flutes on the short part three of Alchemy Of The Word, Eternity.
Next up is Live at Progman Cometh, a lesser-known Seattle-based prog festival organised by drummer Jerry Cook that ran for a couple of years, with Glass playing at both. The lineup, at least for the 2002 effort, was heavily Canterbury-orientated, with several of that movement's luminaries guesting with the band on various tracks. Saxophonist Elton Dean (now sadly departed) rasps tastefully all over tracks 1-3, from 2002, with Pete Pendras on guitar on track one and some of noted US proggers Kopecky on track three. Track four is from the 2003 festival, and features Hugh Hopper on ridiculous bass, plus Richard Sinclair and a couple of other guys. The overall effect of the various guests is, thankfully, to enhance Glass' style rather than to swamp it, and to fill out the three-piece's live sound without making them sound like anything other than Glass. So; another Glass album, slightly jazzier this time round, but not to its detriment should you not be much of a jazzer, or even a Canterbury fan. Recommended.
Without doing some serious detective work involving the two studio albums, it's difficult for me to work out which sections of the two multi-part tracks are which. Suffice to say, Greg gets some 'Tron strings in at around the four-minute mark on Set One, then flutes at around eight minutes (black MkVI - you can see it in the booklet), so I'll guess at parts one and two. Nine minutes into Set Two, the strings surge up through the actually-pretty-good fake Hammond, probably in the Patrice Mersault's Dream segment, followed by a choir and bass pedal (sadly not Taurus) section, with more strings and flutes on Big Sur 9-14-2000, from the following year's festival. The disc's 'bonus track' is No Stranger To The Skies from their 2002 BajaProg appearance, with more of those strings, and yes, they took the MkVI down to Mexico, as you can see in the pics from the festival on their website.
So, er, buy these albums! You're not all going to like 'em, but most of you with a progressive bent aren't going to have any trouble with any of these records. OK, CD. The Mellotron work's excellent on No Stranger to the Skies, and fair on Illuminations and Progman, making these good all-rounders.
p.s. It's not often that American prog bands play the UK, so it was with some surprise that I learnt that Glass were to play a small venue on the outskirts of London in late 2007, with Sphere³ supporting. Result! Well, it might've been had the number of paying punters reached double figures... Shame on the rest of you. It was great to meet the band, and I'd like to say publicly that they're far nicer and more down to earth than a certain other US prog band I could name but won't. After seven tickets sold, however, I can't see them coming back any time soon... Let's hope the rest of the tour goes better.
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Gloriana (2009, 47.17) *½/0 |
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| How Far Do You Wanna Go? Wild at Heart The Way It Goes Lead Me On If You're Leavin' You Said Cry on Command Over Me Now? |
Come and Save Me Even If I Wanted To All the Things That Mean the Most Change Your Mind Time to Let Me Go |
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Calling a band Gloriana gives the impression (to me, at least) that they're a Destiny's Child-style girly trio, big on image and thin on interesting music. As it happens, they're a country/pop outfit, big on image and thin on... I say country, but what I actually mean is a kind of teen-pop/AOR/'70s West Coast hybrid, adding the odd country motif (pedal steel, fiddle) to just about slot into the genre. I blame Garth Brooks (hey, remember the 'don't buy used CDs' fiasco?), but then, why blame anyone? This kind of schlock stands alone as some of the least tasteful music ever, combining the worst of several genres into a multi million-selling stew of slick, crass commercialism. I didn't like their debut, 2009's Gloriana very much, in case you were wondering.
The ever-ubiquitous Patrick Warren is credited with Chamberlin on the album, but as so often, without specific credits, there's absolutely no way of telling where it might be used. Actually, even with specific credits, it's frequently a non-starter... This will sell shitloads (with the emphasis on the shit), but hopefully, not to your good self. In fairness, I have actually heard worse, the occasional swamp-guitar run giving me hope for a moment or two, before the song in question lurches into the usual drivel. So; no Chamby to speak of, nor listenable music. Avoid with prejudice.
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Testimony (2002, 58.17) **/T |
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| Rain Thinking Over Almost Had it All Cherish A Reason Maybe Make it Real River of Love |
Falling Into Love The Way (Radio Song) Testimony ['UK bonus tracks': Sing to Me It is You (I Have Loved)] |
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Dana Glover seems to be one of those artists who manages to be in the right place at the right time, leapfrogging their way to some sort of success ahead of many more worthy contenders. Saying that, who wouldn't, in that situation? After working with Peter Cetera (Chicago) and Robbie Robertson, she got herself onto a couple of film soundtracks, including the massively successful Shrek, recording her sole album to date, Testimony, soon after. I spent its first few tracks trying to work out who she sounded like, before I decided she's a combination of Joan Osborne (the slidey blue notes) and Alanis Morissette (the slick, mainstream blandness). Almost every track features a credit for 'programming', and her voice is just the right combination of black and white to appeal across the board; the 'soulful' singer it's acceptable for white, middle-class girls to like.
Patrick Warren does his usual thing, and sticks some Chamberlin flutes and strings onto Falling Into Love, which do nothing to rescue the song from Blandness Hell. Warren also plays on Make It Real, but I don't think it has any Chamby input, although the first of the 'UK bonus tracks', Sing To Me, has what sounds like a few flute notes at the end. Y'know, this really is mainstream drivel; there really isn't any excuse for anything this faceless, although I'm sure her label's accountancy department would take issue with me over that statement. I know perfectly well you're not going to go out and buy this, even if you see it cheap. Are you?
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Basement Apes (2002, 38.54) ***½/TT |
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| Reversed Brutus Losing End Easy Living Little Man Not Enough for You Round and Round Black Book Lodge |
It Won't Be Shotgun Seat Powertools and Piss I Saw the Stones Move |
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Automatic Thrill (2004, 36.12) ***½/½ |
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| Automatic Thrill Take it Car Full of Stash Here Come the Pigs Dingdong Thing A Call From the Other Side Shaking So Bad Freeride |
Put Me on a Plate Dr. Doktor The Good Times Used to Kill Me |
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How come a Norwegian band pun so well in English? Says more about the excellence of Continental language teaching than I ever could, I suspect. Gluecifer (ouch) were an unreconstructed rock'n'roll band from Oslo, whose singer had the balls to call himself Biff Malibu. Biff Mailibu! Utterly, stupendously, fucking brilliant! Almost as good as the much-lamented Peter Cook's outrageous suggestions to Equity when they demanded he change his professional name, including 'Xavier Blancmange', 'Sting Thunderpants' and possibly the best of the lot, 'Wardrobe Gruber'. Er, moving swiftly on...
Gluecifer's fourth album, 2002's Basement Apes (Oi! I warned you about those puns!) is a good, rocking album in the grand tradition, irony-free and all the better for it (remember The Darkness? No? Good), with balls-to-the-wall numbers like Brutus, Easy Living and Not Enough For You, with the occasional slower one chucked in for good measure. Mellotron from (according to source) either Kåre Chr.(istoffer) Vestrheim and/or Soundtrack of Our Lives' Martin Hederos, with strings on all four highlighted tracks above, with possible additional flutes on closer I Saw The Stones Move. Best performance? Undoubtedly the upfront part on Little Man, which reminds me that I'm not entirely convinced that the 'Tron on the SoOL albums is actually real.
Although 2004's Automatic Thrill was the band's swansong, it's almost as good as its predecessor, albeit marginally less energetic. Cato Salsa plays Mellotron, but only just, with a background string part on Take It that wouldn't especially be missed if it wasn't there. So; the last of the true rock'n'roll bands? No, The Strokes are not rock'n'roll. There's actually enough Mellotron on Basement Apes to make it worth picking up if you see it cheap enough, although I'm not at all convinced of its veracity. Two good albums, anyway, assuming you like the rawer side of things.
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Clodhopper (1997, 42.46) **½/T |
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| Pistons See Saw Man Endless Mrs. Petrie Clodhopper Stack it Let All Hear Fresh Pigs |
Dragonfly Titan Ia The Country Song |
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Glueleg were a rather irritating funkyish indie outfit from Toronto, with a vocalist (Ruben Huizenga) who insisted on doing that semi-rapping thing that always sounds so crap when done by white indie bands. What am I saying? That always sounds so crap, period. It seems Clodhopper was their second and last album, which at least means I won't have to listen to anything else by them, which is a bonus. OK, it's not all bad, with the spoken-word stuff on Fresh Pigs being mildly amusing, but their diluted metal sound really grates after a while, and the vocals are too high in the mix throughout, which would be just about acceptable were they any good.
I've already had it confirmed that a real Chamberlin was involved in the recording (no Chamberlins were hurt during the making of this record...), but this is possibly the first time I can remember seeing a credit for 'Chamberlin M-1' (spelt correctly, note), which makes a nice change. After exceedingly minimalist string parts on the first three tracks from sax/keys man Andrew Wyse, Mrs. Petrie sees a full-on flutes intro with some nicely audible strings under the verses, with some more background strings on closer The Country Song, although I wouldn't absolutely swear that any of it except Mrs. Petrie is the real deal.
So; one for indieheads; the rest of us should avoid like the plague. One decent Chamby track, which is nowhere near enough to make it worth buying, unless it's in the 10p/¢ bin.
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God Bless the Go-Go's (2001, 45.14) ***/T½ |
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| La La Land Unforgiven Apology Stuck in My Car Vision of Nowness Here You Are Automatic Rainy Day Kissing Asphalt |
Insincere Sonic Superslide Throw Me a Curve Talking Myself Down Daisy Chain |
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It's a pretty sad state of affairs when the Go-Go's (dodgy punctuation, ladies) are fêted for being the first US chart-topping all-female band who not only played their own instruments, but wrote their own songs. Shocker, eh? On the offchance you've got the wrong end of the stick, I'm not having a go at the band, but at the industry that surrounds them, not to mention the society that allows (encourages?) this situation. Whatever you may think of their music (perfectly respectable powerpop, as it turns out), Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin et al. are due kudos for battling their way through the problems women face in a male-dominated industry/world.
They only actually released three albums in the original lifetime, and God Bless the Go-Go's is the first, and to date, only, album produced by the reformed 'classic' lineup. They wear their influences on their collective sleeves, not least The Byrds' guitar jangle, the Shangri-Las' vocal harmonies and The Buzzcocks' energy - oh, and Blondie, of course. I personally prefer many other less 'commercial' powerpop acts, but they do a decent enough job of producing an album of hook-laden melodic pop/rock, although it may not necessarily appeal to those brought up on their early-'80s material.
Various tape-replay instruments from two different musicians, with Mellotron and Chamberlin on the balladic Here You Are from Rami Jaffee, with flutes from one of them, although the other's use remains a mystery, as the cellos are clearly real. Roger Manning plays Mellotron on closer Daisy Chain, with an inventive cello part plus flutes later on, making for a fairly typical minor-use album with one standout 'Tron track.
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Change it All (2005, 61.55) **/½ |
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| Intro Change it All First Love Love Me Right 4 AM Different Crushed Out Fly Away |
Find a Way If We Knew You Good Love Battle of the Heart Darker Side of the Moon Closer |
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Goapele Mohlabane joins the ever-growing list of female performers known by their first name alone, probably, in her case, as she (correctly) ascertained that people wouldn't be able to pronounce her surname. You could say the same for Madonna too, I suppose... Change it All is Goapele's second album proper, following Even Closer, an expanded version of her first release, Closer. She sits firmly in the 'R&B' camp to my ears, although I've seen her described as 'neo soul' (yer wot?), trip hop and even jazz. Basically, melodic soul vocals over largely dull, repetitive backing tracks, although in this case, at least most of it's actually played. I'm sure the young lady is totally sincere; she's known for her human rights work, and Find A Way features a great 'phone tap' intro, where some dude calmly tells a prison worker that he wants people to be 'more rebellious', but most of this album is so... safe, it almost defies description.
Surprisingly, it does actually feature occasional moments of musical innovation, notably the unusual all-played-on-the-low-B bass notes on 4 AM and the portamento synth on Fly Away, but they're pretty few and far between. Not as few and far between as the album's Mellotron moments, played by producer Linda Perry, ex- of the horrible 4 Non Blondes, with a background string part on Darker Side Of The Moon, only properly audible right at the end of the song. There's not even really any point in my slagging this off; it's an R&B record, therefore I hate it, but Goapele has a social conscience and platform from which to exercise it, which is difficult to dismiss lightly. Tell you what, support her work, but don't bother with her records. Good compromise?
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Suspiria (1977, 33.28/41.32) ****½/TTT |
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| Suspiria Witch Opening to the Sighs Sighs Markos Black Forest Blind Concert Death Walzer |
[CD adds: Suspiria (celesta and bells) Suspiria (narration) Suspiria (intro) Markos (alternate version)] |
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Zombi (1978, 32.39/51.56) ***½/TT (TT½) |
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| L'Alba Dei Morti Viventi Zombi Safari Torte in Faccia Ai Margini Della Follia Zaratozom La Caccia Tirassegno Oblio |
Risveglio [CD adds: L'Alba Dei Morti Viventi (alternate take) Ai Margini Della Follia (alternate take) Zombi (Sexy) Ai Margini Della Follia (alternate take) Zombi (Supermarket) L'Alba Dei Morti Viventi (intro - alternate take) Zombi (the living dead's voices!)] |
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7" ( 1978) ***½/T½ Yell .....E Suono Rock |
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Il Fantastico Viaggio del "Bagarozzo" Mark (1978, 37.23) ****/½Mark il BagarozzoLe Cascate di Viridiana Terra di Goblin Un Ragazzo d'Argento La Danza Opera Magnifica Notte ...... E Suono Rock |
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La Via Della Droga (1978, 35.17) **½/T |
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| Sequence 1 (Main Titles) Sequence 2 Sequence 3 Sequence 4 Sequence 5 Sequence 6 Sequence 7 Sequence 8 |
Sequence 9 Sequence 10 Sequence 11 Sequence 12 Sequence 13 (Finale) |
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Contamination (1980, 31.32/48.15) ***/T |
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| Connexion Withy Bikini Island Flood Pillage The Carver Rush Fright Time is on |
Ogre Quiet Drops [CD adds: Withy (alternate) Contamination (Suite 1) The Carver (alternate) Fright (alternate) Contamination (Suite 2)] |
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Solamente Nero (1995, recorded 1978, 39.27) ***/T |
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| Incubi Ricorrenti (Opening Titles) Incubi Ricorrenti 2 Incubi Ricorrenti 3 Incubi Ricorrenti 4 Incubi Ricorrenti 5 Incubi Ricorrenti 6 Incubi Ricorrenti 7 Incubi Ricorrenti 8 Il Giovane Professore |
Incubi Ricorrenti 9 L'Ospite Di Campagna Incubi Ricorrenti 10 L'Ossessione Incubi Ricorrenti 11 Incubi Ricorrenti 12 La Dolce Sandra Assassinio (Incubi Ricorrenti 13) L'Ossessione 2 |
L'Ossessione 3 L'Ossessione 4 La Dolce Sandra 2 La Dolce Sandra 3 L'Ossessione 5 La Dolce Sandra 4 L'Ossessione 6 La Dolce Sandra 5 L'Ossessione 7 |
L'Ossessione 8 L'Ossessione 9 Lettere L'Ossessione 10 L'Ossessione 11 La Fatucchiera Gli Inganni Incubi Ricorrenti (End Titles) |
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The Fantastic Journey in the Best of Goblin Vol.1 (2000, disc 2: 45.49) ***½/T½ |
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| Profondo Rosso Death Dies Mad Puppet Profondo Rosso (remix) Suspiria Sighs Witch Markos |
Tenebre Flashing Waiting Death Tenebre (reprise) Phenomena Sleepwalking The Wind |
Aquaman Snip Snap Profondo Rosso Mark il Bagarozzo Notte Opera Magnifica Le Cascate di Viridiana Un Ragazzo d'Argento |
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Goblin are a bit of an odd one; a progressive band whose main work was as soundtrack composers/performers for Italian horror maestro Dario Argento. They grew out of prog one-offs Cherry Five, whose sole album appeared in 1975, releasing their first album as Goblin, the soundtrack to Profundo Rosso, the same year. After their first (of two) non-soundtrack work, Roller ('76, ****½), they began what has to be one of the most prolific soundtrack careers in the business, producing more than a dozen over the next few years, some of which only spawned a single of the main theme or are yet to be released in any form.
Suspiria is their third album and second soundtrack, and stands up well on its own without its accompanying visuals. Claudio Simonetti's Mellotron had strings/choir/church organ tapes, and they use all the sounds to good effect, though only on three of the original album's eight tracks. According to the CD reissue sleevenotes, the original Italian release added two tracks from its predecessor, the non-soundtrack Roller, but the Canadian version I have only has the eight tracks listed above. The music is pretty much what you'd expect from a '70s horror film; dark, creepy and extremely atmospheric, with some excellent playing and a main theme to die for, played on the celeste, an instrument you'll know from the Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies from The Nutcracker Suite. The bonus tracks on the CD make it well worth purchasing; two more versions of the title track, a short Mellotron choir-soaked instrumental, and an alternate version of Markos with even more 'Tron than the standard version.
Their next horror soundtrack was Zombi, also known as 'Dawn of the Dead'. Far more obviously 'soundtracky' than Suspiria, Zombi is less likely to appeal to the average progressive fan, although it's still a good album. It's hard to tell just how much Mellotron has been used here; Oblio has some very obvious strings, and I'm pretty sure that's choir on L'Alba Dei Morti Viventi and Zombi itself, although I could be wrong. The bonus 56-second version of L'Alba Dei Morti Viventi has the choirs right up in the front of the mix, although they're more in the background on the regular alternate take. Hard to tell. A single from the period, Yell, features the choirs, too, played by Antonio Marangolo this time round. Il Fantastico Viaggio del "Bagarozzo" Mark, or 'The fantastic journey of the beetle Mark' (!), their second non-soundtrack work, appears to be a concept album about, er, the fantastic journey of a beetle. Called Mark. No, I don't know why either, but after initial misgivings, despite its resolutely late-'70s sound, it's actually a pretty good record. Don't expect anything like its predecessors (there are vocals, for a start), but take it for what it is, which is a good, innovative progressive release, although watch for the Cinema Show cop on Opera Magnifica. Very little 'Tron, to the point where I'm not 100% sure it's there, but the strings on Le Cascate Di Viridiana sound like a Mellotron/string synth mix, and that would appear to be it.
Although Goblin's Mellotron use is mainly confined to their horror soundtracks, there's a smidgeon on 1978's La Via Della Droga (literally The Street Of Drugs). The album's more self-consciously soundtracky, with an overall preponderance towards 'soundtrack funk', that peculiar stylistic crossover you don't hear anywhere else (Sequence 13 (Finale) is possibly the worst offender). This really isn't very prog at all, to be honest, or no more so than many other soundtracks of the era, putting it rather further down the Goblin novice's 'must-have' list. Mellotron on one track, with male voices on Sequence 2, but nothing you won't hear better somewhere else. 1980's Contamination has Mellotron on one track, to my surprise. The soundtrack itself is pretty good, within the confines of the genre, with most of its tracks having at least a proggish bent, although some of that funk creeps in here and there. There's considerable crossover with the previous year's Buio Omega, strangely, although I've no idea if the films are even about similar subjects. 'Tronwise, there are choirs all over Connexion, with more of the same, briefly, on one of the CD's bonus tracks, Withy (Alternate Version), though again, nothing too essential.
Solamente Nero (which appears to be a collaboration with Stelvio Cipriani; Cipriani writes, Goblin play) was recorded in '78, but not released until 1995; thankfully, it's vastly better than Squadra Antigangsters from the following year, one of the crummiest soundtracks it's been my displeasure to sit through. OK, so it's a cop movie from the late '70s, but was wall-to-wall disco really necessary? Anyway, Solamente Nero is nothing of the sort, although a few funk basslines creep in here and there. Most of its 35 tracks are under (some well under) a minute long, meaning the whole album's under forty minutes in total, giving the disc a slightly disjointed feel, although I suppose it at least mirrors how the music works with the film. No especial musical highlights, but nothing that offends, making this a less-essential but far from unlistenable effort from the era. Not much Mellotron, with 'regular' choirs on L'Ossessione 5 and Lettere and discordant ones under the orchestral strings on La Fatucchiera and Gli Inganni.
At the end of the '90s, Cinevox compiled a couple of collections of the band's work, discovering a forgotten live tape from 1979 in the process. The Fantastic Journey in the Best of Goblin Vol.1 consists of one disc of previously-heard material, with the live stuff on the second disc, starting with Aquaman. Possibly unsurprisingly, seven of the eight tracks are from their two non-soundtrack albums released up to that point, a couple from Roller and several from the recent Il Fantastico Viaggio del "Bagarozzo" Mark, leaving the older Profondo Rosso from the soundtrack of the same name. The material comes across well live, despite the slightly ropey sound quality, proving that the band weren't a mere studio creation, although it's interesting that they stuck mainly to the more 'prog' end of their repertoire. Simonetti's Mellotron work is odd, as the choirs don't really sound very like 'Tron choirs, although you can hear that they're being keyed on Opera Magnifica. I don't believe the church organ on Profondo Rosso is 'Tron, which leaves faint choirs on Aquaman and Mark Il Bagarozzo and strings (as against string synth) on Un Ragazzo d'Argento, although nothing on Le Cascate Di Viridiana, which has 'Tron on the studio version. So, while the album's worth hearing, its 'Tron use is slightly inessential.
As far as I can ascertain, there's no Mellotron use on any other Goblin soundtrack (including singles), but there may well be a handful I haven't heard; hard and fast information isn't easy to find, even in their official discography. Original Goblin albums are deservedly sought-after by progressive fans, and Cinevox have to be applauded for finally making some of them more widely available. All their early work is pretty much essential, with Suspiria being one of the best. Zombi's less essential, but pick it up if you see the recent CD version, while Il Fantastico Viaggio... is good, though not for the 'Tron.
See: Cherry Five | Il Reale Impero Britannico | Libra | Mellodrama
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God Help the Girl (2009, 44.29) ***/½ |
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| Act of the Apostle God Help the Girl Pretty Eve in the Tub A Unified Theory Hiding Neath My Umbrella Funny Little Frog If You Could Speak Musician, Please Take Heed |
Perfection as a Hipster Come Monday Night The Music Room Window I Just Want Your Jeans I'll Have to Dance With Cassie A Down and Dusky Blonde |
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God Help the Girl is Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch's side-project, apparently due to be filmed in 2010, although the soundtrack appeared the previous year. Strange... Unsurprisingly, the album's full of faux-pre-psych '60s, mostly female-vocalled material, giving next to no musical hints that it actually hails from 45 years later, making it an ideal listen for those captivated by the era of Burt Bacharach and orchestral pop. As for the rest of us... Hiding Neath My Umbrella is possibly the album's best track, bringing The Hollies' sublime Graham Gouldman-penned Bus Stop to mind, at least lyrically.
Murdoch himself plays Mellotron on one track, with a high flute part on I Just Want Your Jeans, making a welcome change from the otherwise ubiquitous orchestra. It isn't, however, anything like enough to persuade anyone not already enchanted by the project's sound to splash out the readies. Good at what it does, as long as you like what it does.
See: Belle & Sebastian
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Fall of Hyperion (1974, 41.33) ***½/TTTThe RavenMountains Water Song Isault The Daemon of the World The Arrival of the Phoenix Across the Abyss The Daemon The Wanderer Ihs Tuba Mirum |
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You want overblown? You've got it! By 1974, Robert John Godfrey was some years out of Barclay James Harvest (not that he was ever a full member, but you know what I mean), and just about to form The Enid. He's also rumoured to've been the brains behind 1972's Don Bradsham Leather opus, but I can't confirm that one way or the other. Fall of Hyperion was a solo effort he recorded for Charisma, effectively laying out his ground rules for The Enid on a major(-ish) label budget. All the elements were already in place; all he needed was a band to realise them properly. Instead, he recorded this rather odd album which was probably never really going to appeal to the record-buying public, with its operatic vocals and drumless symphonic epics. The lyrics are, frankly, ludicrous, and although Christopher Lewis is the featured vocalist, he sounds almost exactly like Robert. Hmmm.
So, you get five tracks of slightly indigestible, vaguely operatic prog (a term Robert loathes, incidentally), with a fair bit of Mellotron, mostly strings. Nothing outstanding on the 'Tron front, but better than many. Tracks two and three actually ended up (in reversed order) on an Enid fan club LP retitled 'Hyperion', which is all that most Enid fans have heard of this hard-to-find album. I believe there was a Japanese CD issue, but I've no idea whether or not the master tapes came within several thousand miles of it or not, so you're probably better off tracking down an original, if you can find one. Good, but not great.
See: Barclay James Harvest | The Enid
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Genesis (1968, 37.44/48.54) ***½/TT |
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| Towards the Skies Candles Getting Shorter You're My Life Looking Glass Misleading Colours Radio Show Plastic Horizon Farthing Man |
I Never Know Time and Eternity [CD adds: Baby's Rich Somewhere in the Street Hey Bulldog Real Love Guaranteed] |
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To Samuel a Son (1970, 43.39/47.37) ***/TT |
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| To Samuel a Son Eight o'Clock in the Morning He's Growing Sticking Wings on Flies Lady Lady Penny Dear Long Time, Sad Time, Bad Time Five to Three |
Autumn Yes I Cry Groozy Momma I Need Candlelight Lovely Anita [CD adds: Maria] |
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The Gods (bet that name caused some upset in the '60s) can be seen as a precursor to Uriah Heep, although that band actually metamorphosed from the earlier Spice, and their first lineup contained only one musician even briefly associated with The Gods (bassist Paul Newton). For all that, Genesis sounds like an earlier version of Heep, largely due to Ken Hensley's already distinctive-sounding Hammond, and drummer Lee Kerslake's falsetto backing vocals, although he didn't join Heep until their fourth album. The album also features later Carmen and Jethro Tull bassist John Glascock, tragically to die of a congenital heart defect before the age of thirty. Being recorded in '68, it naturally sounds more like a late-period heavy psych album than a proto-hard rock one, although it's almost a primer for seeing how one style morphed into the other, with rockier efforts like opener Towards The Skies and You're My Life reminding the listener of first three album-Deep Purple. Hensley doubled on Mellotron on a handful of tracks, with nice upfront flutes and strings on Candles Getting Shorter and beautiful strings on I Never Know, with lesser use on You're My Life and Plastic Horizon. The Repertoire CD adds both sides of their second and third singles (no 'Tron), the first obviously being deemed too atypical of their style. Either that, or someone's lost the tapes.
Their second and last album was released in early 1970, by which time the band was no more, having essentially turned into Toe Fat. Hensley jumped ship from them soon after, joining Heep, replacing Colin Wood. To Samuel a Son seems to be a concept effort, based around the life of, er, Samuel's son. Remind you of anything? The Pretty Things' groundbreaking '68 classic SF Sorrow, maybe? While The Gods' debut sounds quite forward-looking for 1968, To Samuel a Son is curiously dated, although clearly recorded only the year after. You can see why the band fell apart and most of the members moved on to pastures new, the exception being guitarist Joe Konas, who, post-Toe Fat, retired from full-time music. On the Mellotron front, Hensley adds a few string chords to the opening title track, with some rather clunky trombone on Penny Dear, although the album's standout 'Tron track is Autumn, opening with a flute part, reiterating throughout the song, with some fairly full-on strings on the chorus. More strings and possibly brass on Yes I Cry and minor flute and string use again on Momma I Need, but that's yer lot.
So; Genesis is clearly the better of these two albums, with slightly better Mellotron work, but To Samuel a Son has its moments, not least Mellotronically. For Heep fans who want everything connected to the band (hell of a task, that), or students of the late '60s.
See: Uriah Heep
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(1993, 39.51) ***/T |
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| Ersatz Bad Bad Implication Little Bit About Single Everything You Give Me Breaks Wigram Forgotten Night Lie Down Forever |
The Brightest Star Had the Time of My Life Stranger Days Gone By Something Unplanned Every Now & Again |
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Sleeper was Aussie powerpop/punk outfit Godstar's stylistically diverse debut album (of two), veering schizophrenically from frenzied under-a-minute opener Ersatz to the acoustic Forgotten Night or the pure powerpop of Single. It's a reasonably appealing effort, although some of the songs lack the kind of memorability you'd expect from an album of this type and, maybe surprisingly, at all of forty minutes, it's probably a couple of tracks too long.
One of the band's two consistent members, Nic Dalton, plays Mellotron flutes on Wigram, with a rather skronky part running right through the song, which I take to be real, given the recording date. So; a decent enough powerpop-pop/punk crossover album, which may grow on me given the time I don't have, with one passable 'Tron track.
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Golden Earring [a.k.a. Wall of Dolls] (1970, 38.55) ***½/TYellow and BlueThe Loner This is the Time of the Year Big Tree, Blue Sea The Wall of Dolls Back Home See See I'm Going to Send My Pigeons to the Sky As Long as the Wind Blows |
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Golden Earring have a long and honourable history, kicking off in the pre-beat era as The Golden Earrings. Two of their four members (guitarist George Kooymans and bassist/keyboard player Rinus Gerritsen) have been there ever since, while newcomers Barry Hay (vocals/flute) and Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums) joined in 1967 and 1970 respectively. Wonder what the Dutch is for 'new boy'? The band's chief strength has always been their ability to roll with the punches, their style shifting from album to album, never entirely either fashionable or unfashionable, always popular in their home country, with the occasional worldwide hit to keep their name current. Depending on your age, you may know them for Eight Miles High (1969), Twilight Zone (1982), or their deathless glam-rock era classic, 1973's Radar Love, but chances are you'll know them, which is more than you can say for most Dutch groups.
Their eponymous 1970 album, often known as 'Wall of Dolls' after the track of the same name and its cover design, was their sixth release, following 1969's successful Eight Miles High, featuring their side-long version of The Byrds' song. It's a bit of a mixture, best described as folky proggish bluesy hard rock (!), with the very Jethro Tull-ish Big Tree, Blue Sea, the straightforward 'good time' rock of Back Home, the folk/prog of Yellow And Blue and a credible blues in closer As Long As The Wind Blows. This could be seen as diversity or lack of focus (speaking of Dutch groups), depending on your viewpoint, but it gives the album the advantage that you're probably going to like something on it, although you'll probably dislike something as well. Best track? Always a matter for individual taste, particularly with The Earring, but the clumsily-lyric'd hard rock of I'm Going To Send My Pigeons To The Sky takes my personal vote. Anyway, as on so many of their records, Rinus Gerritsen sticks mainly with bass, adding keys where necessary, with organ on a couple of tracks and Mellotron on a couple of others, helped out by Cees Schrama (from Casey & the Pressure Group). Nothing to get too excited about, sadly, with a few string chords (Hilversum's Phonogram Studios' infamous M300, maybe?) on opener Yellow And Blue and See See, barely tipping the album into one full T status.
Rumoured (though uncredited) Mellotron on their follow-up, Seven Tears, but the reason it's uncredited is that it isn't there; I suspect someone got a bit over-excited upon hearing Hays' double-tracked flute. Ditto 1968's Miracle Mirror, which sounds like a regular string part. As far as Golden Earring goes, it's a decent enough album, although probably not as good as its successor, with very little Mellotron. Your choice.
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Down By the Old Mainstream (1995, 49.44) ***½/T |
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| V Ill Fated Pecan Pie Yesterday Cried Glad and Sorry Won't Be Coming Home He's a Dick Walk Where He Walked |
Nowhere Bound Friend She Don't Have to See You Red Headed Stepchild Williamton Angel Radio King |
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Weird Tales (1997, 54.55) ***½/T |
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| To Call My Own Looking Forward to Seeing You Until You Came Along Lost Love If I Only Had a Car Jane Keys I Can't Keep From Talking |
Reflections on Me Making Waves White Shell Road Please Tell My Brother Fear of Falling All The Same to Me Jennifer Save Me |
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Another Fine Day (2006, 63.57) ***½/½ |
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| You Make it Easy Another Fine Day 5-22-02 Long Time Ago Corvette Beautiful Mind Listen Joe Cure For This |
Hurricane Strangers Frying Pan Eyes Gone Never Felt Before I Can Think About Yourself |
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Blood on the Slacks (2007, 24.53) ***/TCan't Even Tie Your Own ShoesStarman Look at You Now Scotch on Ice Magician Without a Struggle Tarpit Insecure |
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Golden Smog (an obscure Flintstones reference) are, essentially, a pick-up alt.country supergroup, featuring, at different times, members of The Replacements, The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Wilco, et al. They began in the late '80s as a covers band side-project for a group of like-minded individuals, only becoming a 'proper' band with the release of their debut album, 1995's punning Down By the Old Mainstream. As is the way with such bands, personnel come and go, sometimes due to outside commitments, sometimes not, but the lineup on the album includes The Jayhawks' Gary Louris and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, amongst others, all credited under pseudonyms for contractural reasons. It's a fine album in its genre, although at fifty minutes, it slightly outstays its welcome. Best tracks? Opener V, classic Americana, Won't Be Coming Home and the rocky Red Headed Stepchild, maybe. 'Jarret Decatur' (Jayhawks' Kraig Johnson) plays Chamberlin, with a Mellotron-soundalike string part on Yesterday Cried and less of the same on closer Radio King, to reasonable effect.
Their second album, Weird Tales, featured Louris, Tweedy and Jody Stephens of Big Star. The CD is beautifully packaged to look like a '50s pulp SF mag, complete with bad fantasy art framing the credits and adverts of the 'Charles Atlas' variety disguising the lyrics, echoing Hawkwind's Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music from two decades earlier. The album features a mixture of country-related styles, without ever sinking into mawkish Nashvilleisms; putting the 'alt.' into 'alt.country' is akin to putting the boot into the Grand Ole Opry, I'm glad to say. Strongest tracks? Hard to say, but both If I Only Had A Car and White Shell Road stand out on initial listens. Mellotron on three tracks, with cellos on Jane from Louris, and flutes on Reflections On Me from Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, although nothing audible on Fear Of Falling, despite Murphy's credit.
After an eight-year break, Golden Smog returned with 2006's Another Fine Day, with Tweedy only appearing in a guest role. It's immediately obvious that they've shifted away from 'pure' alt.country, towards a slightly psychedelic Americana, for want of a better description, with late-'60s Kinks-ish opener You Make It Easy, pseudo-glam (Corvette), hard rock (Hurricane) and various other previously-unheard-on-a-Golden-Smog-album styles. Mellotron from Louris on closer Think About Yourself, although you'd be hard-pushed to spot what he actually does with it. My guess is the vague, background strings that waft in and out of the track, but really, who knows?
It's been pointed out that, by releasing albums in consecutive years, the band are in danger of losing their 'side-project' status. 2007's Blood on the Slacks (ho ho) is actually a mini-album, including two covers amongst its eight tracks, Bowie's Starman and Dinosaur Jr's Tarpit, nestled in between another six tracks of psychedelic Americana. Of their own material, the quirky instrumental Magician is probably the best example, some of the rest not quite coming up to previous standards, which isn't to say it's a bad release. Louris' Mellotron rears its ugly head on Starman (a string part similar to the real one on the original), although that seems to be it on the 'Tron front.
Down By the Old Mainstream and Weird Tales seem to be two of alt.country's linchpin releases, and Another Fine Day's up to the same standard, if different stylistically, although none of them are probably the best place to go for any Hot Tape-Replay Action.
See: The Jayhawks | Soul Asylum | Wilco | Big Star
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Orion Awakes (1973, 43.51) ***½/½Orion AwakesStellar Launch Godhead Dance Signal Noise Rebirth Jupiter and Beyond The Returning |
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Golem's Orion Awakes is full-on krautrock, though in a rather more tuneful way than, say, the quite bonkers Floh de Cologne, being more an album of trippy, jammed-out psych than a wildly experimental journey of exploration into the inner reaches of the psyche. Or something. Actually, much of this record out-Hawkwinds Hawkwind, particularly the manic, driving, three-part Godhead Dance, if you can imagine the Hawks as a more controlled, instrumental ensemble, with synths exchanged for organ. The whole is probably better experienced at crushing volume in a sweaty club than in the cold light of day, but the fact that it stands up pretty well in that environment 35 years later is a testament to this record's power.
Manfred Hof plays Mellotron on the album, though not a lot, with naught but echoed flutes on Stellar Launch to prove his credentials. I can heartily recommend Orion Awakes to freak flag-flyers of all dispositions, but Mellotron nuts looking for a new fix should probably go elsewhere.
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Lord Krishna von Goloka (1973, 42.45) ***½/TTDer ReigenDie Weisse Alm Die Hoch Zeit |
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Sergius Golowin, a Swiss-German esoteric writer, was drawn into the orbit of Cosmic Jokers mainman Rolf Ulrich Kaiser after the latter's Tarot project with Walter Wegmüller. Like Wegmüller, he released just the one album, Lord Krishna von Goloka, revered today as a classic example of the acid folk/krautrock crossover, featuring all the usual suspects; Witthüser and Westrupp, Klaus Schulze, and Jürgen Dollase from the more mainstream Wallenstein, the latter two on Mellotron, amongst other things. It's one of those records that was made under the influence of psychedelics, and should probably be listened to in the same way, so for me to review it accurately isn't really an option. From a clear-headed viewpoint, it's an intriguing mix of ethereal, reverbed acoustic guitars, keyboards and Golowin's hushed, spoken German-language lyrics; a great deal, in fact, like Tarot from the year before, right down to the nationality of its chief instigator.
It's impossible to know whether it's Schulze or Dollase on the Mellotron at any given point, but within two minutes of the album's opening shots, distant 'Tron choirs echo across the soundscapes of Der Reigen (The Roundelay), although the track doesn't feature them a great deal more. Shortest track Die Weisse Alm (The White Pasture?), on the other hand, is all plucked acoustic, Golowin's narrative and (sorry) ethereal choirs throughout its length. Side two's Die Hoch Zeit (The Wedding) adds strings to the everpresent choirs, although apart from on Die Weisse Alm, it would be fair to say that the Mellotron is one of the album's lesser components.
So; if you like krautrock, there's a good chance you know this album already. I personally found it slightly less engaging than Wegmüller's Tarot, but it's a perfectly good record of its type, and essential listening for those discovering the early '70s krautrock scene. Mellotronically speaking, it's not bad, but inessential, with so many more 'Tron-heavy releases out there.
See: Cosmic Jokers | Witthüser and Westrupp | Klaus Schulze | Wallenstein
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Liquid Skin (1999, 55.35) ***/T |
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| Hangover Revolutionary Kind Bring it on Blue Moon Rising Las Vegas Dealer We Haven't Turned Around Fill My Cup Rhythm & Blues Alibi |
Rosalita California Devil Will Ride |
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Machismo (2000, 26.50) ***/T½MachismoDo's and Don'ts Touchin' Up Waster The Dajon Song |
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Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline (2000, 49.42) ***/T½ |
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| Shitbag 9 Bring Your Lovin' Back Here Emergency Surgery Hit on the Head Flavors 78 Stone Shuffle We Haven't Turned Around (X-Ray) |
Buena Vista Shitbag Steve McCroski Wharf Me High on Liquid Skin Rosemary The Cowboy Song Getting Better |
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Gomez hail from the environs of Southport, near Liverpool, and have the distinction of being the only successful British band of the last few decades to play authentic swamp-blues, albeit with contemporary influences. Confused? So are they, I suspect. Their career took off after winning the prestigious (it says here) Mercury Music Prize for their debut, Bring it on, in 1998, which they followed with Liquid Skin a year later. I remember being deeply irritated by them at the time, but with a few years' distance, they actually aren't at all bad. Ian Ball's vocals (assuming it is he) bring a bit of delta blues into your living room; pity it's the Mersey delta, but there you go... The rest of the band know how to play acoustic guitars, which is a plus point, and don't use nasty digital synths, which is another one.
After saying all this, the music isn't really my bag, so I'll leave picking out highlights to those more in tune with their sound. For some strange reason, they apparently actually bought a Mellotron, although you can't say they've over-used it. Rhythm & Blues Alibi is the sole use here, with a solo string part opening the track (don't get too excited; it's only three seconds long. Watcher Of The Skies it ain't), and cellos throughout the rest. The following year's Machismo EP was business as usual, it seems, with more of that futuristic swamp music. More 'Tron, too, with flutes (and overdubbed strings?) on the title track and Do's And Don'ts, although the various strings on Touchin' Up are real. Final track The Dajon Song is Gomez' first epic to date (may there be more? Who knows?) at over 13 minutes, with an almost Neil Young flavour in places; very listenable, chaps, although they resist the temptation to stick any 'Tron on it.
Later the same year, Gomez released the odds'n'sods collection (so soon?) Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline, which is actually very palatable indeed, with Bring Your Lovin' Back Here being the second of their songs to really catch my ear. Given that these are outtakes, it's a very good collection indeed, although I'm not sure why they bothered covering Getting Better, in a style similar to the original. Two 'Tron tracks: We Haven't Turned Around (X-Ray) is a full-on 'Tron-fest, no less, opening with 'Strawberry Fields'-style flutes, before switching between flutes and cellos for the rest of the song, while High On Liquid Skin has a squeaky string part, underpinned with cellos, making this their best Mellotronic effort yet.
So; do you buy these records? Not if you're after Mellotron overkill, no, or anything resembling prog, but if you're after largely acoustic blues by a current British band, you could do a lot worse. Better than I'd remembered. Oh, and although I managed to miss it, I hear they turned up on 'Later With Jools Holland' (popular UK music show for non-Brits) with their M400, to which Jools apparently bade a fond farewell on-air. Strange...
