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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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Manfred Mann's Earth Band Marilyn Manson |
Mansun Manticore |
Phil Manzanera Marcus |
Marillion Mars Volta |
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Solar Fire (1973, 37.14) ***½/TTFather of Day, Father of NightIn the Beginning, Darkness Pluto the Dog Solar Fire Saturn, Lord of the Ring/Mercury, the Winged Messenger Earth, the Circle Part 2 Earth, the Circle Part 1 |
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The Good Earth (1974, 37.57) ****/TT½Give Me the Good EarthLaunching Place I'll Be Gone Earth Hymn Sky High Be Not Too Hard Earth Hymn Part 2 |
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Nightingales & Bombers (1975, 37.51) ***½/TSpirits in the NightCountdown Time is Right Crossfade Visionary Mountains Nightingales & Bombers Fat Nelly As Above So Below (live) |
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The Roaring Silence (1976, 39.31) ***½/TTTBlinded By the LightSinging the Dolphin Through Waiter, There's a Yawn in My Ear The Road to Babylon This Side of Paradise Starbird Questions |
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Watch (1978, 38.23) ***½/TCirclesDrowning on Dry Land/Fish Soup Chicago Institute California Davy's on the Road Again Martha's Madman Mighty Quinn |
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Somewhere in Afrika (1982) ***/T |
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| Tribal Statistics Eyes of Nostradamus Third World Service Demolition Man Brothers and Sisters of Azania Africa Suite Brothers and Sisters of Africa To Bantustan? |
Koze Kobenini? (How Long Must We Wait?) Lalela Redemption Song (No Kwazulu) Somewhere in Africa |
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By the time South African-born Manfred Mann formed his Earth Band in 1972, he'd already had a (relatively) long and honourable career with his self-titled band in the '60s, not to mention the jazz-rock Chapter Three around 1969/70. The first two Earth Band albums are pretty ropey, to be honest; substandard West-Coast fare, with too many Dylan covers (again), but by their fourth effort, Solar Fire, they'd improved considerably. Ironically, it opens with a Dylan cover, Father Of Day, Father Of Night, but to my ears, they made the song their own, turning it into a prog epic of considerable proportions, complete with some excellent Mellotron strings, although Mann is credited with simply 'organ and synthesizer' on the sleeve. In fact, nowhere on any of these albums is the Mellotron mentioned; was he ashamed of it or something? To be honest, much of Solar Fire is rather plodding mid-'70s rock, but the good bits are great, particularly the Saturn/Mercury section. There are some nice strings on Earth, The Circle Part 1 (confusingly following Part 2), but two 'Tron tracks don't really add up to a Mellotron album in my book. Still, a good record, worth hearing.
The Good Earth is slightly spoilt by the rather unnecessary gimmick of enabling the purchaser to lay claim to 'one square foot of the earth situated at Llanerchyrfa in the County of Brecon, Wales', as long as they did so before the end of 1975, which leaves me slightly high and dry, not buying my (unclaimed) copy of the album until the early '90s. I feel cheated. Anyway, the album's style remains unchanged from its predecessor, with the best tracks probably being Earth Hymn parts 1 and 2. There are three 'Tron tracks this time; the two just mentioned, and opener Give Me The Good Earth, with fair amounts of strings, and especially, choir. No 'Tron classics here, but another good album.
Nightingales & Bombers features Mann's first use of a Springsteen song in Spirits In The Night, with driving cellos and a tune to die for. Unfortunately, the rest of the album rather pales in comparison, although it's actually every bit as good as Solar Fire. There's very little 'Tron to be heard this time round, chiefly some phased strings in Countdown, although I think I can hear more of the same, and maybe some choir, well back in the mix on Visionary Mountains, although the jury's still out on that one. The live version of As Above So Below that closes the album segues into an ornithologist's wartime recording of nightingales, accidentally juxtaposed with bombers flying overhead; top marks for locating such a strangely affecting recording and making it so widely available.
The Roaring Silence introduced the world at large to another Springsteen song, the superb Blinded By The Light, my personal introduction to the Earth Band, and a live staple of the band to this day. The MiniMoog glide under the "Calliope crashed to the ground" line, sliding up to that modulated note... The rest of the album (again) doesn't quite live up to its opening track, but there's some decent material contained within, particularly the (presumably) cover art-inspired Waiter, There's A Yawn In My Ear and the excellent The Road To Babylon. Mellotron on three tracks this time: passable string part on Singing The Dolphin Through, choir on closing ballad Questions, and some excellent choir work on The Road To Babylon. Incidentally, isn't that a classical steal I hear on Starbird? I can't nail it down, but I suspect Mussorgsky. Anyway, possibly their best album, though I know those who would disagree.
Watch, predictably, began the move away from progressive stylings to unadulterated mainstream rock, although it's actually not a bad album. I always knew that the Earth Band's version of Manfred's late-'60s hit, Dylan's The Mighty Quinn, was a live recording, but I was surprised to find out that the album's hit, Davy's On The Road Again was, too. Turns out the single was a studio cut, apparently added to the recent CD version. Mere droplets of Mellotron this time round, with some background choirs on Drowning On Dry Land/Fish Soup, also the album's most progressive moment, but certainly not worth it on those grounds.
I haven't heard their next two efforts, Angel Station and Chance, although I suspect the Mellotron had been retired by then. I do know, however, that Mann had his machine serviced in the early '80s, and it actually turns up on one track on their '82 concept opus, Somewhere in Afrika. To call it a 'concept album' is probably to do it something of a disservice, to be honest; it's actually Mann revisiting his South African roots, and making an album celebrating the country's multiculturalism, while simultaneously getting in several sharp digs against the prevailing apartheid regime, while also beating the tedious Paul Simon to the post by several years. The music is a mixture of early-'80s pop-rock (not good), with African chanting, pre-'world music', although I feel the experiment may've been more successful if the Western music had been better. Anyway, a brave attempt, with covers of Sting, Bob Marley, Al Stewart etc. There's a Mellotron string part on opener Tribal Statistics, but apart from the unidentifiable strings on Marley's Redemption Song, that appears to be it.
The Earth Band have carried on in one form or another to this day, although albums these days are few and far between. Mann almost certainly never used his M400 live, which is a shame, although he's still using his MiniMoog now, or at least, routing a more reliable (heresy!) modern 'pseudo-analogue' machine through its filter.
So; it's rather difficult to say whether or not any of these are worth the effort for the Mellotron aficionado. They're all a bit borderline, but you know the drill; if you see 'em cheap... All except for Nightingales & Bombers, Watch and Somewhere in Afrika, really, although they're still worth it on musical grounds, with the possible exception of the last named.
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Antichrist Superstar (1996, 69.53) ***/T |
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| Irresponsible Hate Anthem The Beautiful People Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World Tourniquet Little Horn Cryptorchid Deformography Wormboy |
Mister Superstar Angel With the Scabbed Wings Kinderfeld Antichrist Superstar 1996 Minute of Decay The Reflecting God Man That You Fear |
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Mechanical Animals (1998, 62.38) ***/½ |
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| Great Big White World The Dope Show Mechanical Animals Rock is Dead Disassociative The Speed of Pain Posthuman I Want to Disappear |
I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me) New Model No.15 User Friendly Fundamentally Loathsome The Last Day on Earth Coma White |
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Holy Wood (in the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000, 68.11) ***/T |
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| Godeatgod The Love Song The Fight Song Disposable Teens Target Audience (Narcissus Narcosis) "President Dead" In the Shadow of the Valley of Death Cruci-Fiction in Space A Place in the Dirt The Nobodies |
The Death Song Lamb of God Born Again Burning Flag Coma Black Eden Eye The Apple of Discord Valentine's Day The Fall of Adam King Kill 33 Degrees Count to Six and Die (the Vacuum of Infinite Space Encompassing) |
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The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003, 58.17) ***/½ |
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| Thaeter This is the New Shit mOBSCENE Doll-Dagga Buzz-Buzz Ziggety-Zag Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth The Golden Age of Grotesque (s)AINT Ka-Boom Ka-Boom |
Slutgarden ♠ Para-noir The Bright Young Things Better of Two Evils Vodevil Obsequy (the Death of Art) |
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We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to the Ramones (2003) **/T[Marilyn Manson contributes]The KKK Took My Baby Away |
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It seems to be a matter of conjecture as to whether Marilyn Manson (originally Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids) should be classed as a band or an individual, a conundrum that also, ironically, applied to the early Alice Cooper, who has commented re. Manson: "He has a woman's name and wears makeup. How original". Go Alice! The original concept seemed to encompass each member taking a female icon (usually film star)'s first name, and a surname from a serial killer (Twiggy Ramirez, M.W. (Madonna Wayne) Gacy etc.), although this seems to've become diluted over the years. Their remit has always been to shock, and to expose society's (and specifically America's) hypocrisy, although the end result is nearer to a cross between Cooper, David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails, with whom the band have worked.
1996's Antichrist Superstar was Manson's second album proper, after 1994's Portrait of an American Family and the following year's hour-long 'EP' of remixes and covers, Smells Like Children, and is surprisingly varied, although much of the material is the full-on industrial/goth/metal crossover you'd expect. Manson (née Brian Warner, on the offchance you didn't know) writes frequently witty and pointed lyrics, often utilising wordplay to get his point across, although given that his voice is often heavily effected, it's not always so easy to make out what he's on about. An awful lot of you are simply not going to like this music - I'm not at all sure I like it myself - but it's been assembled with some care and skill, and shouldn't be dismissed lightly. Anyway, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor plays Mellotron on Cryptorchid, with a distant, high string line and an upfront, almost solo flute part.
Two years on, Mechanical Animals is slightly more Bowie-esque, although the bulk of its material is business as usual, at least to ears unattuned to Manson's abrasive style. Lyrically, Manson's as astute as ever, but the music will (and has) put many people off who may otherwise have been intrigued by the band's imagery. This time round, M.W.Gacy plays 'Tron on two tracks, The Speed Of Pain and Coma White, but to little effect, with possible faint flutes on the former, and nothing recognisable on the latter whatsoever.
Holy Wood is quite clearly a concept piece, with a plotline alluding heavily to society's cult of personality (which, ironically, Manson uses towards his own ends), taking a major pop at Hollywood in particular and celebrity in general. Manson had curtailed his 1998 tour after the Columbine shootings, so it's no surprise that this album refers to the incident more than once, specifically on The Nobodies; frequently underestimated, Manson made possibly the most intelligent recorded comment on the shootings in Bowling For Columbine when he stated that he wouldn't have said anything to the boys, just listened. Back in Mellotronland, Manson himself plays choirs on "President Dead", while Gacy puts more of them onto Valentine's Day, although neither to any great effect, to be honest.
The Golden Age of Grotesque apparently has a Weimar Germany thing going on, though I can't say it's that obvious from the music, which sounds like... more of the usual. Distorted vocals, 'industrial' synths, buzz-saw guitars; yup, it's a Marilyn Manson album, although, in fairness, it's more electronic than his previous work, probably due to Tim Skold's presence in his band and at the desk. Manson's usual wordplay extends to several track titles this time round, and yes, the album's opening track is spelt correctly. He adds a little Mellotron to the album himself, with choirs and strings on the title track, although I didn't spot anything else, and without its predecessors' track-by-track credits, there's always going to be some guesswork involved.
So; given that I was expecting a horrible mess of tuneless pseudo-'industrial' goth/metal, these albums have been a pleasant surprise, although I rather doubt that they'll get played too often at chez Planet Mellotron. The Mellotron work is pretty sparse all round, with only one really worthwhile track, Antichrist Superstar's Cryptorchid, so don't go too far out of your way for any of these, really.
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Attack of the Grey Lantern (1997, 60.17) **½/½ |
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| The Chad Who Loved Me Mansun's Only Love Song Taxloss You, Who Do You Hate? Wide Open Space Stripper Vicar Disgusting She Makes My Nose Bleed |
Naked Twister Egg Shaped Fred Dark Mavis [Hidden track] |
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Mansun came riding in on the coattails of Britpop, although in several respects they had little in common with that 'movement', such as it was. On Attack of the Grey Lantern, rather than write a bunch of tedious, '60s-'inspired' songs, they chose to write loads of little bits, then stick them together almost at random, with rather spurious track divisions inserted to try to deflect press accusations of 'prog rockdom'. Sadly, though, the end result is still fairly dull, with those awful whiny vocals so popular at the time (why?!). There's a few memorable moments, with the amusing Stripper Vicar standing out, but most of the album is simply dreary, making it hard to find anything very positive to say about it.
A teeny-style book written on the band during their brief stab at success quotes a band member as saying that they owned a broken-down Mellotron which they kept in their kitchen, so I don't think there's any doubt that the 'Tron is real. However... where is it? It seems likely that they (probably played by Paul Draper) used it chiefly for its sound effects, with familiar-sounding church bells and air-raid sirens popping up here and there, particularly between tracks. As a result, much of my highlighting is guesswork; is that harp glissando on Taxloss 'Tron? If you like that Britpop thing, you might like this album, but on no account buy it for the Mellotron. Oh, and guess what? A hidden track (yawn). I've already knocked the requisite two minutes off the album's length; at least it wasn't a ten-minute wait...
It's rumoured that Mansun used their 'Tron on their other two albums, Six (***) and Little Kix, but if there's anything on Six, it's even less audible than here. Avoid.
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Time to Fly (1993, 62.58) ***/TTTT |
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| New Foundation Running With the Stars Is it All Too Late? Future is the Time (Hymn) The Manticore Theme Private Show The Maiden The Way of the Seasons |
Sin of Origin Time to Fly |
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This is an Orange: A Compilation of Scandinavian Progressive Rock (1995, 11.05) ***/T½[Manticore contribute]The Maiden |
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Manticore appeared in 1993 with their one and only album, Time to Fly which, unsurprisingly, has a heavy ELP bent to it, and late-period ELP at that, although Yes turn up as well (spot the shameless Yours Is No Disgrace rip on Running With The Stars). Unlike their Swedish contemporaries Änglagård, Anekdoten and Landberk, Manticore had no problem with using digital equipment alongside the analogue, so some rather nasty pseudo-brass sounds (very Emerson) are to be heard alongside the Hammond and Mellotron. The material is OK, but quite simplistic, with more than a hint of '80s neo- (The Manticore Theme has more than a little IQ about it), although they had quite a pleasing lushness in places, helped along by largish helpings of 'Tron strings from both Erik Olsson and Ulf Holmberg.
Not only do most of the tracks feature 'Tron, but they feature a good bit of it; mostly strings, although the odd flute bit creeps through, and they start using the choirs more toward the end of the album. Not many specific highlights, although Future Is The Time (Hymn) is stuffed with choir chords, and does actually has a slightly hymnal quality to it.
This is actually more a Mellotron fan's album than one for the heavy-duty progheads amongst you. It's not bad musically, but it's rather predictable, and as with a few other albums I've reviewed lately, the digital synths serve only to diminish the overall sound. There is a lot of Mellotron, though, so maybe you'd prefer to judge it mainly on that front. For what it's worth, if you can ever track down the considerable rarity This is an Orange: A Compilation of Scandinavian Progressive Rock, there's a different version of The Maiden on it, with Mellotron this time.
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Diamond Head (1975, 42.13) ***½/½FonteraDiamond Head Big Day The Flex Same Time Next Week Miss Shapiro East of Echo Lagrima Alma |
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Manzanera, is, of course, guitarist with art-rock gods Roxy Music, although that doesn't automatically qualify him to make solo albums, or shouldn't, anyway. Diamond Head is OK, but its greatest achievement is as probable inspiration for the superb British band of the same name. It's a bit of a mish-mash, musically, to be honest, veering between Spanish-vocal Latin rock (Fontera), funkyish stuff (The Flex) and more progressive material (Big Day, Miss Shapiro). Having hundreds of his mates play on it doesn't really help, giving the whole affair a lack of much-needed cohesion, although Roxy's Paul Thompson and (current) bassist John Wetton guest on most tracks. Wetton's responsible for the album's only Mellotron interjection, a couple of string chords on Same Time Next Week, which really doesn't qualify it for 'Tron classic status... Not rubbish, but a long way from 'special', too.
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Marcus (1976, 43.23) ****/TTBlack MagicSalmon Ball Kelly Gypsy Fever Pillow Stars Highschool Ladies Streetcorner Babies Dream Wheel Rise Unto Falcon |
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Marcus were one of those 'one-off' American bands from the mid-'70s, signed by a major (UA in this case), then not selling enough albums to be retained. Unlike most of the rest, though, Marcus had a secret weapon that you would've thought would ensure a little more longevity: Marcus Malone, a black guy with a great voice (rare live shot right), who was perfectly happy singing rock. Marcus is a damn' good album, although it is a little 'of its time' (particularly with regard to the frequently sexist lyrics), I suppose; largely mid-paced hard rock, with much duel-lead work from the three guitarists and the sort of song structures that were (sadly) just about to go out of fashion.
The album's credits are odd, to be honest; only the vocalist, guitarists and drummer are mentioned, with Tim Bogart guesting on bass on a couple of tracks, with no mention of who played the rest of the bass or any of the keyboards. There's a nice synth solo on opener Black Magic, then, of course, some Mellotron on a couple of tracks. Kelly is the album's ballad, with some good flute and strings work, and there may be a tiny burst of choir at the end of Gypsy Fever, but the album's piéce de resistance is its final track, the superbly-titled Rise Unto Falcon. This is a real epic hard rock classic; great arrangement, excellent guitar work, Mellotron flutes and strings to die for. Brilliant.
Finally available on CD, pick this up if you see it. Probably not actually 'classic', but well worth hearing, and some nice 'Tron to boot.
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Market Square Heroes EP (1982, 25.58) **/TMarket Square HeroesThree Boats Down From the Candy Grendel |
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I'm afraid to say that with Marillion, you're just run into my bête noir (along with Asia, that is). I saw the band several times between '82 and '86, and was never less than thoroughly unimpressed; simplistic song structures, dodgy musicianship and dodgier lyrics, and that's just for starters. As I've ranted elsewhere, I feel that many of Marillion's contemporaries were far better bands, but of course, none of them had a vocalist with as much sheer charisma as Fish. Upon a recent playing of a live tape from mid-'82, it's amazing just what a great rapport he had with his audience; he frequently kept the crowd amused for several minutes between songs, and was genuinely funny and engaging, not to mention obviously highly intelligent.
Now, this is the crux of the matter; it seems to me that the vast majority of the ticket and record-buying audience is far more impressed with how well the singer comes across than any minor points regarding the quality of the music. If that makes me a snob, so be it, but on re-listening to this, the band's first professional recording, I was staggered by how awful it is. The title track is a jolly but slight 'let's all have a good leap around the dancefloor' type of thing; OK in its way, but nothing startling. Three Boats Down From The Candy, a tale of illicit sex, is overly simplistic, with only one halfway decent melodic idea, lacking any particular sophistication. Genesis it ain't.
However, both these songs are pure genius in comparison with the EP's near-18 minute b-side. Grendel is stunning in its awfulness. I've heard an awful lot of bad prog over the years, but rarely have I heard an 'epic' of this degree of ineptitude. It manages a whole two decent melodies this time, one of which is the opening guitar figure; very pleasant, in a cod-medieval kind of way. Unfortunately, it quickly lurches into a clichéd descending riff, where it stays for what must be seven or eight minutes. Now, I'm sure I'll be told that I've completely missed the point here, and what I should be doing is dissecting the lyrics; basically, a retelling of a portion of the ancient Norse saga of Beowulf. That's all well and good, but a) they're sung quietly and not printed on the sleeve, and b) who gives a fuck anyway? Given the choice, I prefer good lyrics to bad, but especially with prog, the music always comes first.
If you thought it was bad up to this point, wait and see what happens. After a bit of messing about, the band stumble unevenly into one of the funniest moments in over thirty years of progressive rock history (and yes, that includes the 'concept' behind Yes' Tales From Topographic Oceans). A complete, UTTER rip-off of the Apocalypse In 9/8 (from Genesis' Supper's Ready, of course), played shockingly lumpenly in 4/4. Oh dear. The Apocalypse In 4/4, anyone? This is farcical; Fish himself has been known to remark that he couldn't believe they had the gall to do it. So why did he sing the bloody thing? Respect is due to him for leaving the band; no wonder he's expressed a keen desire never to sing this 'song' again. Anyway, after chundering through the riff for several geological epochs, they finally stumble across a second halfway decent melody, then proceed to bludgeon it to death. There's a nice key change somewhere around this point, but that's the nearest the 'piece' gets to sophistication.
Grendel has achieved mythic status among Marillion fans, being accorded the kind of respect that should be directed towards many far more deserving cases. Their vast fan-base would almost certainly come en masse were they ever to even vaguely hint at the possibility of playing it again, and I don't just mean go to the gig. You know, I tried to approach the track with an open mind, but it took less than two minutes for me to give up trying; it's appalling. The only 'epic' of theirs I feel even the slightest affinity with is Forgotten Sons from their first album, Script for a Jester's Tear (pretentious? US??!), but even that is deeply flawed, and not remotely in the same league as the bands they openly admired, specifically Genesis.
Oh, before I forget, this is meant to be a review of the EP's Mellotron content, isn't it? I was enjoying myself so much it had entirely slipped my mind. Three Boats featured some strings live, but all I can hear on the studio version are a few flute chords, and Grendel has (maybe) a few bars of strings, and some choirs here and there. All the 'Tron parts are badly recorded, and I really wouldn't go out of your way unless you're a Marillion fan already, in which case you've probably got these tracks anyway. Grendel is available on their 1988 compilation B'Sides Themselves (ho ho), but this version of Three Boats is, I believe, unavailable; the B'Sides version is the US remix, and I can't tell if the 'Tron's on there or not.
Well, that was a lot of writing for something I dislike so much, wasn't it? Please feel free to shoot me down in flames if you dislike this review; I remain unswervingly unapologetic. Go and listen to something good instead.
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De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003, 60.56/67.59) ****½/TT |
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| Son et Lumiere Inertiatic Esp Roulette Dares (the Haunt of) Tira Me a las Arañas Drunkship of Lanterns Eriatarka Cicatriz Esp This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed |
Televators Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt [UK CD adds: Ambuletz] |
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Frances the Mute (2005, 76.57) ****/TT½ |
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| Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus Sarcophagi Umbilical Syllables Facilis Descenus Averni Con Safo The Widow L'Via l'Viaquez Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore Vade Mecum Pour Another Icepick |
Pisacis (Phra-Men-Ma) Con Safo Cassandra Geminni Tarantism Plant a Nail in the Navel Stream Faminepulse Multiple Spouse Wounds Sarcophagi |
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The Mars Volta's debut album, De-Loused in the Comatorium, seems to have polarised people; many fans of the band they grew from, 'emo' kings At The Drive In, are appalled at their 'prog pretensions', while those of the slightly more open-minded bent have welcomed it with open arms, pretensions and all. The sound? Something like a hardcore outfit who've just discovered prog, I suppose. The only specific influence I can spot is the mighty King Crimson, particularly on longest track Cicatriz Esp (or should that be 'ESP'?), but this should appeal to anyone into challenging rock; this is absolutely not some cosy prog project, adhering to all the usual clichés. The band aren't afraid to go off at a tangent; in fact, I'd say they revel in it. Oh, and if you're still not convinced both Flea and John Frusciante of The Red Hot Chili Peppers play on the album, with Flea playing all the bass parts. Or has that put you off?
Anyway, there are no keyboards credited on the album, so I've no idea who plays the Mellotron, but there's a lengthy polyphonic flute part on Roulette Dares (the Haunt Of), and some half-buried strings on Eriatarka, while Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt has a full-on solo 'Tron strings part in the middle, sounding cranky enough to be the real thing.
Two years on, and they've come up with Frances the Mute, which seems to have a concept even more impenetrable than De-Loused in the Comatorium, if that's possible. It could be just a fraction less eclectic than their debut, or maybe it's just that after the shock of that record, they're not going any further out on a limb, but it seems to be ever so slightly less exciting and innovative; too much of a good thing, maybe? Anyway, confusing track markers, with Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus and Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore's various parts programmed as one track, but Cassandra Geminni's five parts spread over eight tracks. Huh? Anyway, more Mellotron than before, assuming it's real, alongside the string section employed on some tracks. I was wondering if the strings were all real, until a second listen confirmed that unmistakable 'Mellotron sound'; it sounds like flutes on the third part of Cygnus..., Facilis Descenus Averni, too.
So; one great and one very good album, which I'm certain will not only bear repeated listening, but should improve with each hearing. Two good and one OK 'Tron tracks on their debut, quite a bit more 'Tron on the follow-up. Buy.
