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IV (1976, 43.40) ****½/TTTI'm Going AwayMan at the Back Door The Answer Jive Baby It's Begun to Rain Dragonfly Little Sexy Annie Moonwalk IV... (the Emperor) |
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Another hard rock outfit generally ignored by the progressive fraternity (and nothing to do with Rush) are Mahogany Rush; in fact, their 'Hendrix meets the mid-'70s full on' style would be appreciated by many prog fans, particularly with regard to this album and its follow-up, World Anthem. Main man Frank Marino is known for his love of soloing, making later live albums a little hard going if you don't have the same propensity, but he keeps it in check on album, particularly his major-label work.
Marino is credited on the sleeve with 'guitar, vocals, synth bass, Mellotron', and he doesn't pull any punches from the off. Album opener I'm Going Away bursts in with a series of dramatic chords, with Mellotron strings and massive synth bass to the fore. Its Begun To Rain (sic) is a lengthy Hendrix-y ballad with more 'Tron strings, cellos and flutes expertly arranged by Marino himself. Far from being a 'block chords' man, he plays the instrument almost like a string section, although he openly admits to being entirely self-taught. Final track IV... (The Emperor) opens with acoustic guitar and 'Tron strings again, before slipping into a slightly eastern-ish feel with the Mellotron fading in and out of the mix. The track finishes as it began, with the 'Tron fading to nothing at the end. The rest of the album showcases Marino's funky, bluesy take on hard rock with some superb playing and great songwriting. Even without the Mellotron element, this would be a great record, almost certainly Mahogany Rush/Marino's best. Buy.
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"Babylonia" Suite (1978, 36.59) ***½/TT"Babylonia" SuiteIntroduction New Babylon I New Babylon II Last City B.C.538 Epilogue Cariot Tower of Babel Festival |
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Mahoujin are one of the earliest Japanese progressive bands proper; for some reason, it took Japan nearly a decade to catch onto the style, rather than the late-'60s type psych that was still regularly being heard in the mid-'70s. They take their cue mainly from ELP, with Shiga Atsushi using many of Emerson's organ stylings and chord structures. There's actually a lot of polysynth to be heard on the album; I'd guess it's mostly Yamaha CS80, but it's rather hard to tell. The album is completely instrumental, which is probably a blessing; Japanese-language vocals don't always work that well in a progressive context, and this way the music is left to do the talking.
The side-long title track is probably the album's high point, with part three, New Babylon II having some really nice 'Tron string parts. They use the flutes on two of the tracks on side two, but to rather lesser effect. To sum up, a good, though not great prog album, and some reasonable Mellotron, but not particularly essential.
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Love Play (1977, 42.40) **½/T½High LifeMagic Carpet Latin Lover I'm Sorry Silkworm Easy to Please Sara Smile Love Play |
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You wouldn't know it from the sleeve pic of Mike Mainieri's solo debut, 1977's Love Play, but he was (and is) a respected jazz vibraphonist and an exponent of the 'synth-vibe', an electronic version of the instrument. The album is a rather dated mix of energetic fusion workouts (Magic Carpet), rather unnecessary vocal tracks (principally Latin Lover) and 'smooth jazz' instrumentals (I'm Sorry, most of the rest), only occasionally rescued by some fiery keyboard work. Mainieri's vibes playing is top-notch, but you really have to be into the instrument to appreciate its use in this setting. Best moment? The proggish last two minutes of the near-nine-minute closing title track, when everything finally kicks into high gear.
Mainieri is also an accomplished keyboard player, going by the evidence here, not least the ripping synth (MiniMoog?) solo on Magic Carpet. He adds Mellotron to three tracks, with background flutes on the cheesy Latin Lover, a flute melody line on Easy To Please and flute and string parts on Sara Smile, although Warren Bernhardt's strings on I'm Sorry are more likely to be string synth. I don't believe this is on CD, so don't go too far out of your way to obtain a copy, unless you're a vibraphone nut.
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Carmen Maki & Oz (1975, 41.55) ***/½Poem of JuneScenery of Morning Image Song Sketch of 1 o'Clock in the Morning The Woman Who Was Seen With Yesterday Bar As for Me Wind [Untitled] |
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III (1977, 45.39) ***/TTNankai KoroLove Song o Utau Mae ni Toriaezu Rock'n'Roll 26 no Toki Sora e Machikado Mukashi Age |
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Live (1978, 88.35) ***/½Gogo Ichi No SketchThe Day Before of Collapse (Shige's Solo) Poem of June Image Song Rock'n'Roll Tozasareta Machi 26 No Toki Sorae Watashi Wa Kaze |
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Carmen Maki is probably best known (at least in the West) for her 1971 collaboration with Blues Creation, later Creation, although she fronted her own band, Oz, in the mid-to late '70s. Carmen Maki & Oz is a pretty weird mixture of styles, shifting from the prog balladry of opener Poem Of June, through a couple of regular rockers to the epic balladry of Sketch Of 1 O'Clock In The Morning and the jaunty As For Me Wind (why, oh WHY do non-English speakers have this unfortunate fascination with using the word 'wind'? "Well, me back's not good and as for me wind...") Moving swiftly on... The untitled closer (or is it just untransliterated Japanese?) is another epic, this time in a hard rock/prog style, with a bit more of that balladry thrown in, making for quite a schizophrenic release. Noted Japanese synthesist Jun Fukamachi plays Mellotron, with flutes opening Poem Of June, although that seems to be your lot.
The following year's Tozasareta Machi is a far better, more cohesive record, although sadly 'Tron-free, but there's a little to be heard on 1977's III. Unfortunately, the larger part of the record consists of mainstream pop or rock, from jaunty-yet-harmless opener Nankai Koro through Love Song O Utau Mae Ni's balladry, Toriaezu Rock'n'Roll's, er, rock'n'roll and 26 No Toki's budget Queen, leaving the album's runaway finest (quarter-) hour to fourteen-minute prog epic Mukashi, sounding decidedly out of place amongst its less illustrious companions. Someone, possibly Masafumi Kawasaki, plays Mellotron on the album's two best tracks, with bursts of choir and background strings on Sora E and strings and block flute chords on Mukashi, making this unlikely contender the band's top Mellotron album.
'78's Live (or possibly Last Live - it seems to get credited as both) is a live double in the grand tradition, most of its tracks drawn out versions of songs from their three studio albums. Frankly, it isn't that exciting, none of the four ten minute-plus tracks being that proggy, more their odd hard rock/prog/ballad style that wears out its welcome after a while. Masafumi Kawasaki plays keys, apparently including Mellotron, but he makes us wait for it, finally using the strings (albeit sparingly) in Tozasareta Machi, alongside the synth strings employed across most of the album, although that appears to be it. Is it hidden away elsewhere? Impossible to tell, but it seems unlikely he hauled something so bulky along only to use it for a few seconds in one track.
So; all of these albums have their moments, but, III aside, they're not Mellotronic ones, so don't bother on that account.
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Vibrazioni Liquide (2008, 52.14) ***½/T½ |
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| Deus Dementat? Lakmidi Listen to the Voices Vagando Intro la Rosa La Rosa Il Cedro Elevazione (recitativo) |
Salmo di Lode Universale Stati Superiori (Suite in 5 Movimenti) I. La Crisi II. Il Sonno III. Il Risveglio dello Spirito IV. Canticus (Hora est!) V. Beatitudine |
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I haven't heard current Italian progsters Malaavia's 2004 debut, Danze d'Incenso, but their follow-up, 2008's Vibrazioni Liquide, contains an intriguing mix of 'typical' Italian progressive and Middle-Eastern tonalities. Unfortunately, we also get a few too many powerchords, while it's a shame about the modern keys used on several tracks, when several vintage 'boards were in the vicinity of the recording studio, but nothing's perfect, eh? Album highlights include Lakmidi, Vagando and the lengthy Stati Superiori (Suite In 5 Movimenti), but not only does nothing here offend, but the album hangs together well, despite the variety of styles the band tackle.
Alfio Costa (Tilion, Daal) plays organ, MiniMoog and, of course, Mellotron, with choirs on Vagando, although the only other use is on Stati Superiori, with cellos opening the piece, followed by a string part, with more of the same and flutes on the fade on part V, Beatitudine. Malaavia still have some way to go before they produce their classic, but Vibrazioni Liquide is a good effort, taking several steps in the right direction.
See: Tilion
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New York City (2003, 30.28) ***/½New York CityStrange Transmissions Deceptively Yours All Your Love Heart of Mine Things You Don't Have to Do New York City (radio edit) |
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Peter Malick is an LA-based jazz guitarist who had the good fortune to hook up with a pre-fame Norah Jones in 2000, recording a handful of tracks released three years later as New York City. Stylistically, we're talking bluesy jazz (or jazzy blues?), with some tasteful playing from Malick and vocals of the quality we've come to expect from Ms. Jones, although the material's hardly stand-out, and this probably wouldn't even have been released were it not for the obvious.
Danny McGough is credited with Mellotron on the title track and its pointless radio edit added to the end of the disc to bump it up to a paltry half hour, but it's barely audible. Mike Thompson's accordion, yes, but Mellotron? It must be providing those generic-sounding strings that crop up occasionally on the track, but if you didn't know, you wouldn't know. So; laid-back bluesy stuff with a jazzy edge and some decent musicianship from all concerned. Your call. Incidentally, Malick has cashed-in as much as possible, given the small number of tracks at his disposable, releasing a double CD of the type that would fit onto one disc called The Deluxe Collection, adding entirely pointless remixes of most of the mini-album's tracks to no effect whatsoever.
See: Norah Jones
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Look Good, Feel Good (2008, 37.54) ***/0 |
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| Heartbreaks Shotgun Suzy Purgatory's Last Massage Parlor I Want it All The Artful Dodger Midnight and Broke Down Love is Cold Water |
Leaving Over Time Cold Feet Just Like Angels |
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Ben Mallot(t)'s debut album, 2008's Look Good, Feel Good, completely belies his relative inexperience, Mallot sounding like a seasoned, world-weary peddler of fine Americana. Of course, there's little actual originality on display, but what do you expect from a genre that's been around this long? It's all about the songs, anyway, which are good, if not outstanding, the best ones probably being Shotgun Suzy, Leaving and closer Just Like Angels.
Producer Mark Hallman plays Mellotron, although I have absolutely no idea where, as it's completely inaudible. So; a decent enough Americana effort with no obvious Mellotron, much as it would've sounded nice on a few tracks.
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Ascención (1974) ***/T |
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| Offerings A la Escuela Everlasting Night Latin Woman Chevere Love Will Survive Think About Love Tiempo de Recordar |
Close to Me No Matter |
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Second-division Latin rockers (was there ever more than one band in the first division?) Malo were led by Jorge Santana, brother of the better known... They actually did a fair line in Santana copyism, if their fourth and last album, Ascención, is anything to go by, with plenty of Gregg Rolie-esque Hammond work from Ron DeMasi and the addition to the template of a three-piece brass section, along with the ubiquitous percussion. Unfortunately, the material isn't as good as Santana's, or at least as that on their first three classic albums, although the extended jamming on closer No Matter is pretty cool.
DeMasi was clearly an excellent player, apart from his Hammond chops, with some typically funky clavinet work on Think About Love and a ripping vibes solo on Tiempo De Recordar. He played Mellotron strings on the rather insipid ballad Everlasting Night and the more upbeat Love Will Survive, but we're not talking anything you couldn't live without. So; passable album with a smattering of highpoints; worth picking up cheap if you already own every '70s album by Santana.
See: Santana
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People Like Us (1971, 36.16) **/½ |
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| People Like Us Pacific Coast Highway Snowqueen of Texas Shooting Star Step Out Lady Genevieve No Dough European Blueboy |
Pearl I Wanna Be a Star Grasshopper Blueberries for Breakfast |
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The Mamas and the Papas? Are you sure? Everyone knows their fab mid-'60s hits (California Dreaming, Monday Monday), but few are probably aware that after their messy split, the band 'reformed' for their 1971 swansong, the contractually-obliging People Like Us, all members apparently recording separately, due to loathing each other (Christ knows how they all got together for the cover shoot). It's about as much fun as that scenario suggests; flaccid soft rock/MOR with zero soul and indifferent songwriting.
Clarence McDonald is credited with Mellotron, but the only place it even might be is the strings on Shooting Star, probably under the vocals and the repeating note at the end, all heavily reverbed. Do you need to hear this album? For any reason? No. There, that was easy, wasn't it?
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Mandalaband (1975, 41.02) ***½/½Om Mani Padme HumDetermination Song for a King Roof of the World Looking in |
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The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies (1978, 39.55) ***/½ |
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| The Eye of Wendor Florian's Song/Ride to the City Almar's Tower Like the Wind The Tempest/Dawn of a New Day Departure From Carthilias Elsethea Witch of Waldow Wood |
Silesandre Ænord's Lament/Funeral of the King Coronation of Damien |
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BC - Ancestors (2009, 68.20) **½/0 |
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| Ancestors (Overture) Eden Nimrod (Journey’s End) Shemsu-Har Karum Kanesh Beautiful Babylon The Sons of Anak Aten |
Ozymandias Solomon the Wise Akhiyawa The Wine Dark Sea Elissa Roots |
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Mandalaband were primarily a studio outfit (although I'm told they toured, at least early on), with much of their material being written by one David Rohl, who didn't actually play in the band, at least initially, and whose sole non-writing credit on Mandalaband is as remix engineer. Rohl's songs sit quite firmly in that 'musicals' style of prog writing, where you get the feeling that he'd have been happier writing stage shows in a Lloyd-Webber vein than that bloody prog stuff, although bassist John Stimpson's are less so. It's not a bad album, actually, if somewhat overblown, with highlights being parts of side one's epic, Om Mani Padme Hum (and no, it isn't a prog version of the Buddhist meditation chant), Roof Of The World and Stimpson's Determination. Now, despite keyboard man Vic Emerson having full instrumental credits, including 'string and choir arrangements', and the notable omission of a Mellotron from his rig, those are quite clearly 'Tron strings on Roof Of The World, unless the string arrangement somehow made a real string section sound like a Mellotron. The string synth has been left off his credits, too, making me seriously doubt their veracity.
Even more so than its predecessor, the preposterous The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies has all the hallmarks of a vanity project, oddly akin to The Intergalactic Touring Band's sole LP, released the previous year. Dozens of musicians, many of them famous, with no crossover with the first album, two years' recording time, a ludicrous concept... Yup, it's a vanity project. The album contains a beautifully illustrated fold-out insert, detailing the concept, a Tolkienesque effort concerning Florian, Ænord etc. etc., which was, of course, completely in keeping with the times. NOT! It seems unbelievable now that anyone might think that an album like this would be a success in the late '70s, but hindsight's a wonderful thing, and the upheavals of the day were probably regarded at the time as a temporary aberration, not a seemingly permanent situation. At the end of the story are the fateful words, "To be continued". I've only once seen this particular prophecy fulfilled, and that's on Rush's A Farewell to Kings.
Anyway, notable amongst the lengthy musicians list are all four of 10cc and Barclay James Harvest, with Woolly Wolstenholme playing synths and Mellotron, while 'Davy' Rohl plays various keys and sings this time round. I stumbled across a Japanese website detailing what was played by whom and on which track, but I've no idea where the information came from. According to it, Woolly plays Mellotron on over half the tracks, but I can only hear it on a handful, so I'm afraid I'm going to stick to that, so M400 choirs at the end of The Eye Of Wendor itself, Dawn Of A New Day and Witch Of Waldow Wood, although any or all of them could be the real choir that crops up here and there. For what it's worth, the tracks where I can't hear the 'Tron are: Ride To The City, Like The Wind, Elsethea, Silesandre and Funeral Of The King; I rather suspect that the real choir and string section have confused someone, but it's hard to say. So, we'll never know exactly how Florian regained the Eye of Wendor, but you can be sure that he did, as a failed quest isn't much use to anyone, is it?
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... A composite version of Mandalaband reconvened in 2007, led by Rohl, of course, also involving Woolly. BC - Ancestors appeared in late 2009, and is... a real disappointment. I'm not sure why I thought it would be better than The Eye of Wendor, but it isn't. It has a (relatively) modern sound, full of programmed orchestrations, but its vaguely Celtic, rather insipid 'symphonic' prog sounds more like the tedious Alan Parsons Project than, say, Yes. Maybe that's the idea. Anyway, it tackles its lyrical subject matter (the ancient world, unsurprisingly) with determination, but the music really is a bit bland, not to mention that there's too much of it, as with so many releases from the last twenty years or so. Woolly's credited with Mellotron on three tracks, Ancestors (Overture), Shemsu-Har and roots, but I'll be buggered if I can hear it over the digital strings.
Well, none of these albums is exactly classic, but Mandalaband is definitely the most listenable of the three, and sounds less (though only less) like it should be playing off Broadway. The Eye of Wendor is very silly, although to be fair, it's obviously been created with a lot of love and considerable attention to detail, so it's difficult to be too hard on it, while BC is similar, though less silly. They really aren't very good, though... None of these are exactly 'Tron classics, either, so I'm not even going to attempt to recommend these. You'll just have to decide for yourself.
See: Woolly Wolstenholme | 10cc
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Wishbone (1998, 41.16) ***/TT |
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| I'm Your Girl Wishbone Sylvia Tristeza Meant to Be in Love Normandie Snake Song To Dream of Sarah |
Careless Driver Hack Jimmy Nickel Plated Man |
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Eleni Mandell is an L.A.-based singer-songwriter who managed to get her self-released debut album, 1998's Wishbone, produced by Brian Kehew (Moog Cookbook), getting tape-replay star Jon Brion to contribute. It's a decent enough effort, with influences from the folk, jazz and showtune worlds, amongst others, with the occasional more rocking effort (notably Careless Driver). Although blessed with a great voice, her material, at least on this record, is inconsistent, although the good bits are very good.
Brion plays a shedload of instruments, including Mellotron and Chamberlin. Opener I'm Your Girl has what sounds like Chamby rhythm tapes and guitar, with Mellotron strings on Snake Song, but to finish off the album's tape-replay work, Kehew dug up one of the tiny handful of surviving Birotrons, the doomed late-'70s attempt to replace the Mellotron with a machine running 8-track cartridges (!), financed by Rick Wakeman. Nickel Plated Man features its ghostly flutes, both similar yet different to the 'Tron and Chamby varieties, making their use here very much worthwhile.
So; not an especially exciting album, if we're going to be honest, with a couple of so-so tape-replay tracks, plus one quite essential one for fans of the concept, due largely to the instrument's extreme rareness. Possibly worthwhile on those grounds alone.
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Unreleased Materials Vol.1 (1997, recorded 1972-78, 56.09) ****/TTT½Kazari Mado No DekigotoSyumatsu No Kajitsu Okasareta Kyuden Sukuran No Tobira |
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Unreleased Materials Vol.2 (1997, recorded 1972-78, 40.48) ****/TMandragoraTales From Pornographic Ocean Nagare No Hate Ni Iriyoubachi No Yuuwaku |
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As with so many Japanese outfits, finding any hard and fast info on Mandrake is a bit of a chore; what's certain is that they were one of the earliest prog outfits from that country, led by Susumu Hirasawa, who went on to be highly successful with other acts and on his own. Mandrake's recordings have been collected together as Unreleased Materials Vols 1 & 2, both released in 1997 and not before time, I have to say. While unsurprisingly derivative, they both contain plenty of good material, probably better than the bulk of that released by the leading lights of the '80s Japanese scene. It's impossible to know what was recorded when, but both discs appear to hail from between 1972 and '78.
Vol.1 contains four lengthy tracks with a distinct Crimson influence, though far less than, say, Bi Kyo Ran, with a fair helping of their own sound thrown in, the material veering between semi-symphonic (Syumatsu No Kajitsu) to Crimsoid-heavy (Sukuran No Tobira). Yasumi Tanaka plays Mellotron throughout, with strings on the first three tracks, strident in places, melodic in others, replaced by Fumiyasu Abe's violin work on Sukuran No Tobira.
Vol.2 contains their remaining recordings and is a rather shorter release, although three of its four tracks are still fairly lengthy. The material's as good, though, although relatively brief closer Iriyoubachi No Yuuwaku is probably less than essential. Tanaka's Mellotron work is limited this time round to short parts on the first two tracks, Mandragora and the wonderfully punning Tales From Pornographic Ocean (I wonder if one of the band came up with that, or a native English speaker?), making the disc the less important of the two, Mellotronically speaking.
For such an obscure outfit, these two albums are really rather good; prog fans feeling that they're unsated by the several thousand titles already in their collections should probably look to add these to their straining shelves. As far as the Mellotron's concerned, go for the former over the latter, but both are well worth hearing.
See: P-Model
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Pentagon (2005, 58.11) ***/TT |
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| .ava W.W.P. Inslut Irenam Third Hand - The Fallen Witches Woo Wound Howl in My Head/Motherless Child |
An Angel Passes By Pentagon War Room America |
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You know, I've reviewed well over 2000 records for this site to date, but I've never yet been confronted with a full-on experimental, improvised jazz album like viola/violinist Mat Maneri's Pentagon. Apparently his tenth album as bandleader, and still only in his thirties, it's decidedly hard-going for those not used to the style, with melody, harmony and structure going the way of all things, although I'm sure aficionados would disagree. It's quite impossible to pick out any highlights when you don't even understand what's going on, but closer America has an almost-normal (real) strings part, which comes as light relief after the preceding chaos.
Mellotron from Jamie Saft on a few tracks, with discordant flutes on W.W.P., bereft strings and flutes on Wound, with ghostly choir on An Angel Passes By and the very brief title track. It sounds like pitchbent brass and strings on War Room, and it's possible that it's somewhere in the mix on some other tracks, but with so much going on at once, and so much manipulation of sounds, it's rather hard to tell. Jazz improv fans will probably love this, and the rest of you/us won't, I think it's safe to say. Interesting Mellotron work, but probably not enough to make it worthwhile getting through this very difficult album.
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The Book of Dreams (2002, 62.05) **½/TTTTOuvertureIs the End the Beginning? The Book of Dreams The Journey Days of Light Under the Sea Asha (Coming Back Home) A New Century |
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Mangala Vallis formed in the late '90s as a guitar/keys/drums trio, with guitarist Mirco Consolini doubling on bass; they used several guest vocalists on their debut album, The Book of Dreams, including ex-PFM man Bernardo Lanzetti, which is a problem they're going to have to overcome in time. To be quite honest, the album lacks something on the originality front, although those of you more into the neo- side of the prog world will find much here to commend. As for the rest of us... This basically sounds like a cross between Grey Lady Down (who themselves sound an awful lot like the dreaded Marillion) crossed with Spock's Beard trying to play Genesis (just listen to the Supper's Ready cop on A New Century), so we're looking at a pretty well-trodden path here and not an especially interesting one, at least to those already steeped in the genre. Actually, by about halfway through, I found myself beginning to lose the will to live, with only the occasional decent key modulation to keep my attention - oh, and the Mellotron work, of course. I believe the album has a concept, too; it's apparently based on the work of Jules Verne, though I could only hear the odd reference to his writings.
Enzo Cattini is actually credited with Mellotron (yes, it's real), used loads, with shedloads of strings and choir on most tracks. He also plays it with a modicum of taste (another Banks comparison, then), although his efforts are somewhat wasted when they're plastered over a generic neo-prog chord sequence, with a bass part that Mike Rutherford would've hammered to death with his polo mallet, or at least his Rickenbacker. I'm afraid I really can't recommend something as leadenly uninspired, plagiaristic and wildly overlong as The Book of Dreams to anyone, really, although there is a fair bit of the ol' 'Tron to be heard, which is about this album's only real saving grace. Lots of far better 'Tron-heavy albums about - buy one of those instead.
So; a dodgy neo-prog album, I'm afraid. Mangala Vallis followed-up three years on with the slightly better Lycanthrope, reviewed here, due to their sample use; apparently their 'very old' machine (er, aren't they all?) didn't want to work, so they faked it. Oh well. Decent enough Mellotron on their debut, though not enough to disguise the music's shortcomings.
Here's an amusing promo, M400 to the fore.
See: Samples
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The Spirit of St. Louis (2000, 46.18) ***½/½ |
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| Stompin' at Mahogany Hall The Blues Are Brewin' Sugar A Kiss to Build a Dream on Old Man Mose Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans Gone Fishin' |
Nothing Could Be Hotter Than That Blue Again When You Wish Upon a Star |
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Ignoring an early version of the band, Manhattan Transfer (named for the 1925 novel) as we know and, er, love them have been around since 1972, releasing the better part of twenty studio albums in that time. They're best known in the UK for their 1977 No.1, the smoochy Chanson D'Amour, although it didn't hit in the States at all. For those of you who've managed to avoid them, they're essentially a four-piece vocal group (two female, two male) who sing material mainly from (or in the style of) the swing/big band era. Unsurprisingly, they sometimes come across as pastiche, but their dedication to their art is difficult to fault, whatever you might think of the actual music.
The Spirit of St. Louis puns nicely, referencing both Charles Lindbergh's minuscule plane in which he made the first non-stop Transatlantic flight and the album's content, which is pure Louis Armstrong, end to end. There's quite a range of material here, from the energetic Nothing Could Be Hotter Than That to the laid-back Gone Fishin', probably the best-known song here, all treated with just enough, but not too much reverence, Gone Fishin' in particular raising a smile. They also tackle the cheese-fest that is When You Wish Upon A Star without making me want to gag; quite a feat in itself. The ridiculously ubiquitous Patrick Warren is credited with Chamberlin, but as so often with the blasted instrument, it's enormously difficult to work out exactly where it appears. About the only even vaguely obvious place is the strings on A Kiss To Build A Dream On, although they could easily be real, unless some of those distant male voices are Chamby, which seems extremely unlikely, all things considered.
Anyway, do you like swing? Big band? Jump jive? Listen to the Manhattan Transfer. Don't? Then don't. Easy. The Spirit of St. Louis is excellent at what it does, but don't take that as a recommendation for non-fans of the era. As usual, next to no/no audible Chamby. Why DO they bother?
Aimee Mann (US) see: |
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Reggae (1974, 38.52) ***/0Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-DaRivers of Babylon Swingin' Shepherd Blues My Girl |
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Discotheque (1975, 41.23) ***/½Hi-JackPick Up the Pieces Lady Marmalade Mediterranean I Can't Turn You Loose I Won't Last a Day Without You High Above the Andes Bird of Beauty Guava Jelly |
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Brazil - Once Again (1978, 32.53) ***/TPeleOh How I Want to Love You Dingue li Bangue Lugar Comum (Common Place) O Meu Amor Chorou (Cry of Love) |
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Herbie Mann (born Herbert Jay Solomon) was one of the world's chief exponent of jazz flute and an early pioneer in what came to be known as World Music. Making his first recordings in 1954, he was already a studio veteran when he made his first foray into the murky world of reggae, er, Reggae, in 1974. Unsurprisingly, his flute-led, slightly jazzy reggae takes on familiar material echo the style's usual inherent sweetness; this is dance music, at the end of the day. Backed by several big names, not least recent ex-Stone Mick Taylor (who gets a lovely solo in on Swingin' Shepherd Blues), side one's three tracks work well enough, although side two's super-extended My Girl does go on a bit, if truth be told. Pat Rebillot plays keys, allegedly including Mellotron, but it's hidden away so well that I can't hear the bugger; no obvious strings, and he wouldn't have used flutes, would he?
Mann followed up immediately with Discotheque the following year; I love his über-literal album titles - at least you know what you're getting. Actually, it starts off in a disco-ish vein, but shifts into the kind of jazz/soul territory with which Mann is usually associated after a few tracks, dished up with a soupçon of funk. Rebillot on keys again, with Mellotron strings on I Won't Last A Day Without You, in an orchestral-replacement kind of way, although that would seem to be it.
After three years and several releases (Mann put out two or three albums a year at the time), he released Brazil - Once Again, unsurprisingly containing a somewhat Latin vibe. Five mostly longer tracks this time, though not quite as extended as on Reggae. Rebillot gets the Mellotron in from the off this time, with strings on opener Pele, though once again, one track's your lot.
Sadly, after a lengthy career, Mann died in 2003, although his legacy is vast, much of it now available again after years out of print. Open-minded jazzers stand a good chance of finding things to like about these albums, but Mellotron nuts will probably drift off, uninterested at Mann's fairly minimal usage. There are two other relevant albums I know of, 1974's First Light (released under the name Family of Mann) and '76's Reggae II; reviews forthcoming when I get to hear them.
See: Pat Rebillot
