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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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Martin Mull Rich Mullins/Ragamuffin Band Shawn Mullins Multi-Story |
Elliott Murphy Muse [US] Muse [UK] Museo Rosenbach |
Mushroom Os Mutantes My Morning Jacket |
My Wild Heaven Alannah Myles Mythos |
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7" (1973) **/T Santa Doesn't Cop Out On Dope Santafly |
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Normal (1974, 35.53) **/T |
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| Normal Wood Shop Dialling for Dollars Woodstock Samba Rome and Bored Flexible Jim'n I Drunkard's Waltz |
The Blacks Are Giving Me the Blues Birthday Jesus Christ Football Star Ego Boogie You Play Rhythm |
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"Does humour belong in music?", Frank Zappa once asked, except he spelt 'humour', 'humor', being a Yank. There's a long and (dis)honourable tradition of musical humorists, from the brilliantly acerbic (Tom Lehrer), through to the low-brow, low-budget ("Weird Al" Yankovic, whose quality is summed up by his need to point out his 'weirdness'). Martin Mull is an actor who discovered a yen for stand-up comedy, and has pursued parallel careers in straight acting, comedy and musical parody, although the latter seems largely confined to the '70s, which may well be a good thing.
Santa Doesn't Cop Out On Dope was his rib-tickling Christmas single from 1973 and is... awful. It's not even funny, certainly by today's standards, with tedious lyrics about why Santa doesn't do heroin ('dope' in the States). Unfunny. The strings are real, but Keith Spring's polyphonic Mellotron flute part is pretty cool, although I wouldn't go as far as to call it a saving grace. If you really must hear it, it's apparently anthologised not only on a Mull CD compilation, Mulling it Over: A Musical Oeuvre-View of Martin Mull, but also a generic Christmas effort, Have a Nice Christmas: Holiday Hits of the 70s.
Normal was Mull's third album, and while it may well've been side-splittingly hilarious in its day, I'm afraid to say, over thirty years on, it raised nary a titter here. The music is largely swing-era parody, which was probably a legitimate means of humorous expression in '70s America, rather as Music Hall was in the UK, but now just sounds horrendously dated, as do many of Mull's targets. The Blacks Are Giving Me The Blues (a vaguely disco-ish effort) is presumably meant to be funny, but just comes across as mildly racist, while Drunkard's Waltz sounds like no-budget Lehrer; nothing else stands out sufficiently for me to remember anything about it, minutes after the album's end. The album contain's Mull's other 'Tron track, Woodstock Samba. Its short lyric appears to take a poke at the dullness of life in Woodstock (told you he was funny), set to the usual swing-era accompaniment, until Spring comes in on 'Tron flutes, playing the most beautiful solo part at the end of the song. No, really. By the way, it was Yoko Ono's M400; she was recording in an adjoining studio and it was sitting in the corridor, so Spring rattled out a quick take on it while no-one was looking.
I wouldn't actually advise you to buy this album for its Mellotron content, but if you get a chance to hear this one track, it's actually worth a few minutes of your time. Please don't buy anything else by Martin Mull, though, as he's neither interesting nor funny. Of his time. Incidentally, thanks to Keith Spring for confirming various details.
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The Jesus Record (1998, 78.38) ½/½ |
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| The Jesus Record: My Deliverer Surely God is With Us Nothing is Beyond You You Did Not Have a Home Jesus All the Way to Kingdom Come Man of no Reputation Heaven in His Eyes Hard to Get That Where I am, There You |
The Jesus Demos: Hard to Get All the Way to Kingdom Come My Deliverer Surely God is With Us Jesus You Did Not Have a Home Heaven in His Eyes Nothing is Beyond You That Where I am, There You |
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Here's another of Nick Hewitt's fantastically vitriolic CCM reviews. Bring it on, Nick!.
Before I get stuck into the meat of the review, I should explain the format of this collection, which is tinged with a bit of sadness. On the 10th of September 1997, Rich Mullins went into an abandoned church, armed with his guitar and a battery operated cassette recorder and played 9 songs for a project titled '10 Songs for Jesus'. Nine days later, he died in a car crash. Two months later, the ragamuffin band re-recorded these 9 songs, added a tenth and put them on a CD, which they called the Jesus record. (Note - the capitalization, or rather the lack of it, was their idea, not mine!) They also 'cleaned up' Mr. Mullins' original cassette recording and added it as a separate CD, calling it the Jesus Demos. I don't think Mr. Mullins was a member of a ragamuffin band, but I suspect he was close friends of theirs, at least.
It has to be said that the Jesus record is the epitome of the Christian philosophy, when it comes to music, that "...it is the message that is important". Well, if that's the case, why bother with the music? On the basis of this distortion of the range of frequencies audible to the human ear, the music is utterly irrelevant. The lyrical content of this lot can easily be deduced, so that's half the review done (thank God - pun intended!) The actual music is the most uninspired, bland, innocuous dreck ranging from light country through MOR to the syruppiest glop you have ever heard. It is difficult to imagine precisely whom these people are trying to appeal to, as absolutely no thought or effort is required by the listener at all. If you have something to say, then print it on re-cycled soft toilet paper and give it away. In my opinion, Rich Mullins' original renditions (the Jesus demos) should have been left alone, as the ragamuffin band contributed nothing of any musical value at all. This CD provides the best possible reason to avoid CCM. For Mellotronic reasons (or the lack of them, as it later transpired) I listened to other Rich Mullins AND ragamuffin band product, and they have done a helluva lot better than this, both before and after the Jesus record. Mr. Mullins' contribution can, in effect, be ignored, because 1) it was intended to include his contribution as demos, and 2) being dead, he didn't have much say over the quality control.
Oh yes, the Mellotron. Sorry - I was recovering from the gastric distress that this CD has induced. 'Tron appears on one track only, Nothing Is Beyond You, which is provided by guest musician Tim Lauer. It's difficult to spot as it's swamped to some degree by real strings, but it is definitely there. A quick burst of flutes followed by a bit of 'Tron strings followed by another shot of flutes. Nothing up-front, which is not really unexpected.
For the purposes of promotion, some record companies add a little something with the record/CD, like a poster. This should have come with at least 4 ounces of Semtex. Avoid.
| Nick Hewitt |
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Beneath the Velvet Sun (2000, 56.12) **½/½ |
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| Up All Night Everywhere I Go Amy's Eyes Somethin' to Believe in Valentine Lonesome, I Know You Too Well I Know We Run |
North on 95 Yellow Dog Song Santa Fe Hold on Time Where's Johnny Beside You |
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Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter, active from the early '90s onwards. Going by his performance on 2000's Beneath the Velvet Sun, his half-spoken vocal style reminds one of a more tuneful Dylan, although a major-label production does him no favours, with irritating loops (what, no jigs or reels?) smothering what should be a natural sound. The best track (to my ears, anyway) is the folky Yellow Dog Song, all acoustic guitar and mandolin, with not a sample in sight, with the other more acoustic-based material having too much 'production' to work well. Doubt if Sony agree, mind you; contemporary productions sell records! Just ask Dido.
At first glance, the track-by-track credits make this look like a veritable cornucopia of tape-replay, with Mellotron or Chamberlin on six tracks, variously from Mullins himself, Anthony J. Resta and Kim Bullard, although the reality is somewhat different. There's completely inaudible Mellotron on Everywhere I Go, while the Chamberlin on Amy's Eyes is similarly discorporeal, unless it's the source of that weird sustained string sound that crops up every now and again. The only other relevant track that has anything even slightly audible is the distant Chamby strings (as against the real ones on several tracks) on Santa Fe, but that would appear to be your lot.
So; a pretty dull album with the sort of sound that'll scream 'turn of the millennium' in a few years' time. Practically no 'Tron/Chamby, despite the credits, so I really wouldn't bother if I were you. Wish I hadn't.
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East/West (1985, 39.21) *½/TTEast/WestBreaking Ground Traveller Ahead of Your Time Carrie Come Alive The Wire Heroes |
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I remember Multi-Story (named for an allegedly fortuitous meeting in a car park) as a bit of a joke on the mid-'80s prog scene; signed to Heavy Metal Records' offshoot FM, they (fittingly) had a sound closer to AOR than prog, even of the neo- variety. And would'ja believe it? Time hasn't softened my attitude in the slightest; if anything, East/West sounds even worse now than it did then. Songs of the 'quality' of the horrible Breaking Ground (originally, and more sensibly entitled 'Breaking New Ground', which at least makes some grammatical sense) make the likes of Marillion sound good. Well, almost. OK, so the playing's alright, but since when did that make an album any good? The songs are cheesy, the synths are worse, and as for the wishy-washy vocals...
You may've gathered by now that I don't like this album very much. Correct. It encapsulates everything that's bad about '80s UK prog, with barely any redeeming features whatsoever, although the lengthyish Ahead Of Your Time is a little less painful than the rest of this sorry LP. Actually, if you're looking for a comparison, the awful Pendragon are about the closest I can come up with, and believe me, that is NO recommendation... In fact, about the only nice thing I can think of to say about it is (you've guessed it) Rob Wilsher's Mellotron use, which sounds bizarrely out of place across much of the record, the aforementioned Ahead Of Your Time possibly excepted. The title track only appears to contain one brief string swell, but Traveller and Ahead Of Your Time are quite laden down with some halfway decent choir work, with a little more in closer Heroes.
So; I don't think a review summary is particularly necessary, is it? Despite two OK 'Tron tracks, this is shite, and should be avoided at all costs, unless you're either a) a serious neo-progger, or b) a serious masochist (surely the same thing?). Incidentally, the cover scan above is from the CD reissue; the original LP sleeve was completely different, and very poor indeed, reflecting its contents, or is that another album entirely? Fucked if I can remember. Also incidentally, the band appear to have reformed. Run for the hills! Also also incidentally, I'm reliably informed that there's a link between this lot and late-'90s indie types Feeder, although none of the names match up. Apparently, Wilsher's 'Tron is being made far better use of these days in the very capable hands of the mighty Julian Cope. Hurrah!
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Soul Surfing (2002, 54.16) ***/T |
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| Come on Louann Strangers on a Train A Little Push Eiffel Tower Blue Fix Me a Coffee Dragon Irish Eyes Tell Me |
Doctor of Mercy Black Crow Hold on Nothing Can Take the Place of You |
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Strings of the Storm (2003, 108.23) ***/½ |
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| Green River Night Falls The Best Kiss Big Sky The Poet and the Priest Le Future Temple Bar The Banks of the Ohio |
The Last Star of the Night Day is Done From Room 102 A Mountain of Love Mick's Dream La Belle Dame Sans Merci Everybody Got Lucky |
Look Around You Cutting the Cake Bird Jet-Lag Moan O Catarina The Red Lights/Ground Zero |
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Elliott Murphy is one of those artists who've been around seemingly forever but who have passed completely under my radar, although he released his first album as far back as 1973. Living in Paris for the last twenty years, Murphy's a bit of a renaissance man, having written for the music press, even spitting out several novels and short stories. I'd imagine 2002's Soul Surfing is fairly typical of his oeuvre, being a collection of songs sung in his conversational style, like a lightweight Irish-American Dylan, maybe, or Mark Knopfler if he was actually a Yank. It's the kind of record that would appeal to a great many people if they actually got the chance to hear it, although anyone looking for musical innovation should probably go elsewhere. Kenny Margolis plays Chamberlin strings (alongside real cello) on Tell Me and near-inaudible Mellotron strings on Nothing Can Take The Place Of You, although you'd hardly miss them if they weren't there.
Murphy followed up with 2003's ambitious double-disc Strings of the Storm, probably stretching his talent a little thin, but if the songs are pouring out, what's a man to do? Like so many similar artists, bleating on about the music's repetitiveness is rather missing the point, as it's chiefly a vehicle for the lyrics, the best of which is probably The Poet And The Priest, although he's no slouch on the wordage front across the board. Margolis just on Mellotron this time round, with flutes on Look Around You, which seems to be it, unless there's some more hidden away deep in the mix.
So; rootsy singer-songwriter time, with just a touch of country, in the way only Americans can really pull off successfully. If you like the style, you'll probably like Murphy. Conversely... Little tape-replay work on either album, though, so don't go out of your way on that front.
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Arcana (1997, 43.59) **½/½ |
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| Sublime Luster Believe Faces Rubylions 2000 Years Hollow Star In the Middle of a Dream |
Karyanne Rocksong Pretty things 63 Two Clouds Away |
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Before you all write in, telling me I don't know what I'm talking about (OK, so it's usually true), this particular Muse are nothing to do with Matt Bellamy's mob from the UK (see below), themselves confusingly also Mellotron users. In fact, I picked Arcana up expecting it to be one of their early albums, only to serendipitously discover that it was a completely different band from a different country who just happened to use a Mellotron, too. Weird. Ironically, the two acts don't sound that dissimilar, both trading in a kind of overwrought stadium pop/rock, with vocalist Paul Isaac over-emoting to an irritating degree. I blame U2.
Anyway, the music's probably OK at what it does, but what it does gets on my nerves, having seemingly zero originality and little compositional depth, though in a straight fistfight with most mainstream pop, this wins hands down. Bassist Ari Eisenstein also plays keys on the album, though, to be honest, they're pretty much inaudible throughout; the only Mellotron I can even remotely hear is about two flute chords on closer Two Clouds Away, which adds up to a bit fat 'no' on the 'Tron front. The album's pretty dull, too, so I'd save your money, if I were you.
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Showbiz (1999, 49.44) ***/½ |
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| Sunburn Muscle Museum Fillip Falling Down Cave Showbiz Unintended Uno |
Sober Escape Overdue Hate This & I'll Love You |
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The amusingly-overblown Muse formed while still at school, releasing their first EP in 1998, and their debut album, Showbiz, the following year. Comparisons with Queen aren't invalid, although they seem to have missed that band's sense of humour, though not their pomposity. The album has a few decent songs, not least EP lead track Muscle Museum, but despite its vast sales figures (so?), we're not talking 'classic' here. Vocalist/guitarist/apparently untrained pianist Matt Bellamy plays credited Mellotron on three tracks, but there's not an awful lot to be heard. The chief use is the background strings on Muscle Museum, with what I presume are 'Tron cellos on Unintended and Hate This & I'll Love You, but it's all pretty minor, to be honest.
There's supposed to be more 'Tron on their follow-up, Origin of Symmetry, but it's not credited and I'll be buggered if I can hear it. The Muscle Museum EP's been quoted as well, but probably for its title track, available on Showbiz anyway, as none of the other various EP and b-side tracks from the era feature any. So; if you go for that overblown post-grunge thing (think: a more palatable British version of the horrible Smashing Pumpkins), you may just go for this. One for the stadium-rocker in your life, but not for the Mellotron fan, I fear. Awful sleeve, too.
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Zarathustra (1973, 39.40) *****/TTTTTZarathustraL'Ultimo Uomo Il re di Ieri Al di là del Bene e del Male Superuomo Il Tempio Delle Clessidre Degli Uomini Della Natura Dell'Eterno Ritorno |
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Rare & Unreleased (1992, recorded 1972, 78.05) ****/TTT |
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| Zarathustra Degli Uomini (instrumental) Degli Uomini (instrumental) Dell'Eterno Ritorno (instrumental) Dopo Look at Yourself With a Little Help From My Friends Shadows of Grief |
Valentyne Suite (excerpt) Dopo (English version) Dell'Eterno Ritorno |
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You know those albums that are given the 'classic' mantle, but can't live up to the hype? Well, this isn't one of them. Zarathustra really is that good. I didn't believe it myself until I'd given it a few listens; beginning to end, not a note out of place. OK, so the drummer is playing to the absolute limits of his ability, but the sheer excitement and dynamics of his playing carries all before him. I've rarely heard a drummer this, well, enthusiastic; he's obviously loving every moment of his one shot at fame, and he makes the most of it in no uncertain manner. The strangest thing about Zarathustra is its relative obscurity; released in 1973, it obviously sold bugger all at the time, and it was only with its CD issue in the '90s that an appreciable number of prog fans got to hear it. Some purists have derided it for being 'too heavy', but as long as you're not offended by a bit of distorted guitar, you've got nothing to worry about.
The first side of the album consists of the twenty-minute title track; a gentle Mellotron flute intro from Pit Corradi leads into a series of dramatic 'Tron strings-led chords, quietening down again before some manic drumming introduces the song's main riff. 'Phenomenal' is the word that springs to mind; massive organ and Mellotron chords riding over riffing guitar and more of that drumming. This guy never stops!; I've rarely heard anyone go for it like him. Without him, the album would be great; with him, it's superb. Proof of just how important a good, dynamic drummer is to a band. The piece moves through several sections until finally, after a long sustained organ chord, it ends up back at the main riff, repeated with guitar interjections before the fade out. Side two is every bit as good, with another three excellent songs; quite where Museo Rosenbach found their inspiration is unknown, but they produced a near-perfect album, then simply disappeared.
There are a couple of archive releases available; Live '72 (***½) is good, but lacks Mellotron (presumably they didn't obtain one until later that year). In 1992, Mellow released an LP titled Rarities, and a CD, Rare and Unreleased, which apparently (and irritatingly) feature different selections from the band's demo archives. I haven't heard the LP, but the CD is excellent, showcasing a gentler, piano-led version of Zarathustra and instrumental versions of various other album tracks. There's maybe less Mellotron than on the eventual recorded versions, although some of the parts are different, with the odd 'wobbly' here and there. The rest of the album consists of 'Tronless live tracks, including no less than two Uriah Heep numbers, and another two early versions of album tracks, sans 'Tron. A good album, but really only for the committed fan.
Albums as good as Zarathustra come along all too rarely; maybe it's a good thing Museo Rosenbach's career was so cruelly truncated, as they never got the chance to slide into mediocrity (see: PFM), or felt the need to 'go commercial' (see: anyone you care to mention from the late '70s). It turns out that they reformed in the late '90s, probably in direct response to the belated popularity of their classic, releasing Exit in 2000, but I've no idea whether or not the new band are any good, though I suspect not; you can be certain, however, that they don't use Mellotron.
So; Zarathustra. Buy? BUY! Truly one of the classics.
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Glazed Popems (2004, 96.59) ***½/TT |
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| L'Auberge Pink Island (Hats Off to) Bert Jansch A Stone's Throw From Coe Fen Isle of Wight You and I Have Memories, Longer Than the Road That Stretches Out Ahead Half Sicilian / Half Welsh |
Just Because Nobody Understands You, That Doesn't Mean You're an Artist Blackwaterside The Beards Are Back in Town Tin Foil Hat This Goes Squonk! Blues for Bobby Seale Glazed Popems |
Tonite Let's All Make Love in Oakland Sunday Morning Seven a.m. on San Pablo Avenue Running Wild and Looking Pretty (Theme Song for DJ Kitty) |
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San Francisco's Mushroom have been releasing eclectic, modern psych albums for over ten years, which must make them one of the world's foremost exponents of the style. Dave Weller's fan page does a beautiful job of detailing the band's extensive discography, splitting it into the relatively few recording sessions from which their various releases are taken, and sorting out much of the confusion surrounding their release schedule, such as it is. The double-disc Glazed Popems, something like their ninth album, contains the bulk of the material recorded at what appears to be their most recent session, in March 2002 (five years ago at the time of writing), and is split into 'London' and 'Oakland' discs, although it was all recorded in their home city.
The disc names become more apparent upon playing them, as the first has a decidedly more 'Brit' feel about its jams, with the second veering closer to SF's original space cadets; to be honest, I was expecting a stoned-out waste of time, and have been pleasantly surprised to hear a band who know precisely what they're doing in a jamming environment. That isn't to say that their approach works all the time; disc two's opening track, The Beards Are Back In Town (ho ho), goes on approximately forever, although I'm sure many psych/jamming fans will lap it up, and in fact, the whole disc has a far more 'American' feel to it, with jazzier touches all round. The band clearly know their music history, with track titles containing a plethora of in-jokes, in case you hadn't already spotted them, not least (Hats Off To) Bert Jansch, poking gentle fun at Led Zeppelin. Mind you, covering Jansch's Blackwaterside, later appropriated by Jimmy Page, could be seen as a pointed observation on Zep's frequent, er, 'borrowing' of other artists' songwriting credits. Pink Island clearly refers to collectors' terminology for early Island label releases, and Tonite Let's All Make Love In Oakland references an early Floyd session, although I've no idea whether or not any of Mushroom have ever actually been to the UK's Isle of Wight.
Matt Henry Cunitz overdubbed real 'Tron in an Oakland studio a year after the original recordings were made, going as far as to credit the sounds used on the CD's inlay. L'Auberge features some seriously authentic 'Tron moves ("Look, it's real!"), with some slightly wobbly single string notes and intervals and a drastic pitchbend at one point, although the flutes that appear later in the lengthy track are apparently genuine. Pink Island's full-on cellos almost devour the Crimsonesque guitar work, with more of the same in (Hats Off To) Bert Jansch, plus some very 'real'-sounding 'Tron vibes, although the album's last credited 'Tron track, A Stone's Throw From Coe Fen, is essentially a flute duet, with no discernable Mellotron part.
So; psych fans really should give Mushroom a listen, although I can't comment on the quality of the band's other releases. As far as Glazed Popems goes, I personally prefer disc one's material to disc two's, but other listeners will almost certainly reverse that opinion. There's almost enough Mellotron here to make it worth hearing on that account; the two Ts I've given the album only really reflect on the amount of the thing audible over the album's considerable length, rather than the quality of Cunitz's contributions. Two earlier Mushroom albums, '99's Hydrogen Jukebox and Analog Hi-Fi Surprise, often pop up on the 'Net with 'Mellotron' annotations, but Dave Weller's page lists Michael Holt as using 'Mellotron sounds' at the session common to both releases. Holt is also credited with 'Tron (and presumably genuine Rhodes) on 2000's Leni Riefenstahl LP and 2006's live Really Don't Mind if You Sit This One Out (yeah, yeah, Jethro Tull), the latter actually recorded in 1998, although it seems likely that these are all samples, given that Weller makes a point of saying, re. Glazed Popems, "This was an original Mellotron, not a sample or synth", backed up by the band's own website.
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oAeoZ (1992, recorded 1973, 48.22) ***½/TT½"A" e o "Z"Rolling Stones Vocé Sabe Hey Joe Uma Pessoa Só Ainda Vou Transar Com Vocé |
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These days, Os Mutantes are revered for their late-'60s psych albums, produced against all the odds under the repressive Brazilian regime of the time, while their '70s work is derided for being 'tedious prog rock', or some such unflattering description. Fashionistas - who needs 'em? Of course, their prog period was very much in keeping with the times; they couldn't carry on producing psych-pop without looking ridiculously dated, which tends to be forgotten by Those Who Would Define Our Taste. What's more, not only is there nothing wrong with said style (and yes, I will argue this point to the death. Well, nearly), but Mutantes were perfectly good at it, as oAeoZ (not released until twenty years after the event) proves quite unequivocally. Musically varied, some tracks work better than others, with the bluesy Rolling Stones being the chief casualty, while the acoustic Vocé Sabe and the Yesalike Hey Joe (not that one) working far better.
Arnaldo Baptista's Mellotron use (recorded in Europe) is pretty restrained, with a few simple strings chords on the title track, and some more upfront use (strings and flutes) on the lengthy Hey Joe, including a squeaky high part, played about as quickly as is possible on the machine. Flutes and more strings on the last two tracks make this a borderline Mellotron Album, but it's certainly worth hearing for the prog fan looking for something slightly different.
See: Rita Lee
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It Still Moves (2003, 71.50) ***½/½ |
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| Mahgeeta Dancefloors Golden Masterplan One Big Holiday I Will Sing You Songs Easy Morning Rebel Run Thru |
Rollin' Back Just One Thing Steam Engine One in the Same |
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Z (2005, 45.49) ***/T |
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| Wordless Chorus It Beats 4 U Gideon What a Wonderful Man Off the Record Into the Woods Anytime Lay Low |
Knot Comes Loose Dondante |
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Appropriately enough, as I listen to this album, I'm reading an interview with Neil Young, one of the artists with whom My Morning Jacket are constantly compared, not least due to mainman Jim James' voice, although he lacks Neil's fragility, for better or worse. This is music that belongs in the '70s, channelling the songwriting values of the time, which means NO INDIE WHINING! It's so nice to hear a new band (from anywhere) who don't have some dreadful whingeing bore on vocals, and don't feel the need to chuck in a bunch of 'contemporary' production tricks (remember the story about the Doors and the wah-wah pedal?). I've seen them described as Americana, and while there's some truth in that, this lot have a lot more rock'n'roll in their collective souls than that description would indicate.
Not that My Morning Jacket are perfect; It Still Moves, their third album, is overlong, with almost every track outstaying its welcome, even if only slightly. I mean, after seven minutes or so, I Will Sing You Songs shifts pointlessly into a gentle reggae groove for another two minutes, rather trying the listener's patience, although after the coruscating Run Thru, you'll forgive them almost anything. Subsequently departed keyboard player Danny Cash presumably plays what sounds quite like Mellotron strings on I Will Sing You Songs and Just One Thing, although the strings running right through Steam Engine just don't quite have that Mellotron ring about them, making me wonder if that's what we're hearing on the other two tracks.
Two years on, MMJ release their follow-up, probably the shortest album title on this site, Z. That'll be 'Zee', of course, not 'Zed'. I wonder how many Brits reading this remember Billy Gibbons' bunch being referred to as 'Zed Zed Top' on UK radio? Anyway, while not a bad album (and a damn' sight shorter than its predecessor), it's also rather less exciting, although it certainly has its moments. Mellotron on one track, presumably from new Keys man Bo Koster, with strings and flutes on Off The Record. Real? Who knows?
So; It Still Moves is a fine album, while Z isn't at all bad, thankfully bereft of anything resembling a contemporary influence. Hurrah! Not much Mellotron, assuming that's what they are, but worth picking up anyway.
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My Wild Heaven (2008, 39.22) ****/T |
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| Zoe Abides Grand Larceny Hey Nikki ESP Mission Over Tokyo Paradise in Canada Julies' Way Lil' Pumpkin Porsche |
After You're Gone The Life and Times of General Jacket Sputniks May Safely Phase The Ritual Dance of the Lizards |
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My Wild Heaven are the new project from the people who brought us the Zachary Jones Band, Mr. Jones being as fictional a personage as Max Webster or Simon Dupree. MWH couldn't be more different to the ZJB if they tried; a power trio, they specialise in what mainman Bill Bechtel describes as 'sci-fi rock', or aggressive hard rock with space-rock and prog tendencies, particularly in the keyboard department, overlaid with science-fictional lyrics. The material was written over a lengthy timespan, with the earliest piece being closing instrumental The Ritual Dance Of The Lizards that Bill wrote at college in the late '70s, right up to songs written during the recording process. Suffice to say, My Wild Heaven has had a long gestation, and it's nice to see someone's 'baby' finally see the light of day.
I'm reliably informed (thanks, Bill) that most of the 'Mellotron' work here is sample-based, with the exception of Sputniks May Safely Phase (ho ho), an instrumental consisting almost entirely of real M400 cellos, strings and flutes. You can spot it as the one genuine 'Tron track a mile off; its tuning is way off and it sounds as cranky as hell. Excellent! Now, Bill: new motor control card and a second tape frame. You know you want to... The rest of the album is smothered in 'Tron patches from the Mike Pinder CD-ROM, and sound pretty good, albeit far too smooth for the real thing.
So; if you like the sound of SF-influenced hard rock infused with Mellotron (sounds), My Wild Heaven are almost certainly right up your street. Bill promises that he'll get more real 'Tron on next time round; go on, Bill - you know how good it'll sound...
See: Zachary Jones Band
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A-Lan-Nah (1995, 49.47) ***/T |
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| Mistress of Erzulie Blow Wind Blow Family Secret Mother Nature Irish Rain Dark Side of Me Simple Man's Dream Lightning in a Bottle |
Keeper of My Heart Do You Really Wanna Know Me Everybody's Breakin' Up Sally Go Round the Roses |
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Alannah Myles remains best-known for her eponymous 1989 debut album and its major hit, Black Velvet. 1995's A-Lan-Nah is her third effort, by which time she was commercially on the slide; surprising, as it's a pretty commercial album, channelling mid-'80s AOR in a vaguely Heart vein. Maybe that was the problem; the style had gone completely out of fashion by then, with former megastars reduced to playing theatres or dissolving acrimoniously (or both). The album rocks, albeit lightly, with a handful of tracks heading in a quieter direction; there's something of a folky Zeppelin vibe about Mother Nature, Everybody's Breakin' Up has an almost late-nite jazz feel, while Irish Rain and Sally Go Round The Roses are heavily immersed in Celtic folk.
Phil Parlapiano (what IS this man's real name?) plays Mellotron, amongst other things, although it's so indistinct that I'm almost having to use guesswork as to its location. I think that's 'Tron flutes on Mother Nature, although it could be almost anything, really, and very background strings on Lightning In A Bottle, although I wouldn't entirely stake my non-existent reputation on either.
So; mainstream stuff, sounding a little adrift in the mid-'90s, with next to no Mellotron. One for Heart fans, I think.
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Mythos (1972, 38.55) ***/TMythoettOriental Journey Hero's Death Encyclopedia Terra part 1 Encyclopedia Terra part 2 |
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Dreamlab (1975, 40.58) ***½/TDedicated to Werner von BraunMessage Part I Part II Expeditions Mythalgia Dreamlab Echophase Quite Amazed Going to Meet My Lady Eternity |
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Strange Guys (1977, 41.52) ***/0AeronautStrange Guys Mysterious Scene Powerslide Terra Incognita Backstage Fumble |
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Concrete City (1978, 34.40) ***/0Harry ChancelessConcrete City Flamenco Bay Neutron Bomb Ulysses B. Smart Yukon |
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Quasar (1980, 34.45) ***/0 |
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| Quasar Nurse Robot Flut-e-Quenzer: the Knight Duel Lamentation Conjuration Rebirth Flut-e-Sizer Didn't Notice, Didn't Mind |
Nothing But Your Dream Just a Part When the Show's Just Begun |
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I've obtained these five Mythos albums in reverse order, so given that they deteriorated as they went along, it's taken me until now to hear their better, earlier works. They were a German outfit led by flautist Stephan Kaske, who started in the early '70s with a psych/electronic crossover style, which shifted into a fairly average hard rock/electronic thing by later in the decade. The later albums are rather unfocussed, although the same can't be said for their first two albums.
Mythos is yer classic full-on kraut album, full of dreamy 'eastern' interludes and trippy jamming, all produced to sound like it's being played at the bottom of a well. Actually, that's unfair - I've heard immeasurably worse productions than this from that scene, but it is a bit murky. Kaske plays Mellotron on a couple of tracks, with a few seconds of strings on Hero's Death, but full-on flutes, brass and strings on closer Encyclopedia Terra Part 2, just before the lengthy (English-language) soliloquy on eternity and suchlike.
Second time round, Dreamlab is a really rather good, typical German space-rock/kraut album, largely composed of drifting, acoustic guitar-based material, with spacey flute and synth passages, it stands head and shoulders above the band's later work. As usual with fairly complex material, it's difficult to pinpoint highlights after one listen, although closer Eternity is quite excellent; suffice to say, if you're into the genre, you'll like it. Bassist Robby Luizaga doubles on both acoustic guitar and Mellotron, although he only plays a few string chords in Mythalgia and Eternity, hardly making this a 'Tron essential.
Strange Guys was Mythos' third album, and reports have it that it was the one where they started going downhill. It's by no means a bad record, just a little uninspired, with a sort of hard-rock-with-synths sound, although the material isn't actually that good. They're better when they drop the vocals, as on three of the six tracks here, the best of which is probably opener Aeronaut. Lead guitarist Sven Dohrow is credited with 'Mellotron (strings)', but apart from a bit of string synth on a couple of tracks, I can't hear a note of it, to be honest, although there are a few bits of what sounds slightly like Mellotron saxes. Hmmm. Not exactly a Mellotron album, methinks. Concrete City isn't dissimilar to Strange Guys, with some reasonable synth work, and slightly better songwriting, though they were never exactly going to move into SFF territory. The straightforward song format is adhered to, as on its predecessor, with none of their early cosmic jamming, or later all-out electronic stuff. Once more, not a hint of anything Mellotronic, although Dohrow is supposed to play it again. Decidedly average, I'm afraid.
To my knowledge, Quasar was the original Mythos' penultimate album, and it appears to be basically a Stephan Kaske solo project by this point. I'm afraid it's pretty weak, if truth be told; few memorable tunes, and unless he was using some really unusual sounds, despite its sleeve credit, absolutely no Mellotron to be heard anywhere (no, not even over headphones; I've tried). The album is the band's usual attempt at crossing electronic music with progressive, but really doesn't cut it in my opinion, and I really couldn't in all conscience recommend it to anyone much. I've given it three stars for effort, and because it's not actually painful, but I'm afraid that's about the best I can say about it.
I'm beginning to wonder if Mythos actually knew what a Mellotron was after 1975, or whether they had such bizarre tapes on their machine that I don't know what I'm hearing, although the 'Tron strings credit on Strange Guys would seem to give that the lie. However, I can't hear a single note of anything at all 'Tronlike on any of their later albums, so I'd have to give them a resounding 'don't bother' on the Mellotron front, although their first two have their moments. I'm not that blown away by their later music, either, but plenty of people are, so that one's up to you. In the late '80s, Kaske kickstarted the Mythos name again, and has been producing electronic albums ever since, but I suspect the music has little in common with any of these albums, let alone their earlier material.
