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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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The Montanas Montrose Moog Cookbook Moon Seven Times |
The Moor Michael Moorcock Mandy Moore Alison Moorer |
Mops Patrick Moraz Morgan Alanis Morissette |
Mörk Gryning Morning Star Morphine Larry Morris |
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Cancelled 7" (1969) ***/TTTogether |
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Mellotron used:
The Montanas were a Wolverhampton-based band, including vocalist John Jones and bassist/keyboard player Terry Rowley, both of whom went on to join the fledgling Trapeze. Their Together 45 was seemingly a cancelled single from 1969, although I can't give you the story behind it, Web info on the band being a bit thin on the ground. It's a passable psych-era ballad, although there's rather better than this around, if you're into such things.
The lush MkII Mellotron strings on the track are presumably played by Rowley, enhancing an average track nicely, despite clearly being used as an orchestral substitute. This can be found on various compilations, including Wooden Hill's Psychedelic Schlemiels 3 and Syde Trips Vol.4, although I can't verify the legality of the latter.
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Paper Money (1974, 36.50) ***½/T½UndergroundConnection The Dreamer Starliner I Got the Fire Spaceage Sacrifice We're Going Home Paper Money |
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Montrose, featuring guitar whizz Ronnie Montrose (ex-Edgar Winter Group) and vocalist Sammy Hagar, shot to prominence with their five-star debut, Montrose (***** - see, I told you so) in 1973. An absolute classic, it's an obvious influence on bands such as Van Halen later in the decade, though don't let that put you off; even Van Halen started off good... Oddly enough, Hagar ended up singing for them. Life imitating art, maybe? Possibly art imitating shite. Anyway, Montrose followed their debut with Paper Money a year later, but it has to be said that the fire was already burning out for them; it's not a bad album, but not really a patch on its predecessor.
Much of the material plods a little, unlike their previous quicksilver approach; I've Got The Fire is the only track where they still seem to have that spark (ho ho). This track was later covered by Iron Maiden, but don't let that put you off, either. Saying that, the instrumental Starliner isn't bad, but most of the album doesn't come anywhere near the standard of Montrose. Session player Nick DeCaro is credited with Mellotron on We're Going Home, and he actually does a very nice job, with flute and string melodies weaving in and out of the song. Oddly enough, though, there's also some strings on the Stones' Connection, although only piano is credited for the song, so I've no idea whether it was DeCaro on the 'Tron again, or pianist Mark Jordan.
Paper Money's one of those albums you buy when you've already got the band's classic; the Mellotron work's OK, but not worth shelling out very much for. They actually released another two after this, but I can't be bothered to find out if they're any good or not, I'm afraid.
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The Moog Cookbook (1996, 45.07) ***/T |
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| Black Hole Sun Buddy Holly Basket Case Come Out and Play Free Fallin' Are You Gonna Go My Way? Smells Like Teen Spirit Evenflow |
The One I Love Rockin' in the Free World |
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Ye Olde Space Bande (1997, 43.38) ***½/½ |
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| Born to Be Wild Cat Scratch Fever Sweet Home Alabama More Than a Feeling Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love Whole Lotta Love Ziggy Stardust 25 or 6 to 4 |
Hotel California Rock & Roll All Night |
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Mellotron/Chamberlin used:
The Moog Cookbook are/were essentially a joke band consisting of Brian Kehew and Roger Manning (Jellyfish, Beck etc.), whose schtick was to play ludicrous, cheesy versions of 'classics' on an array of vintage gear. The Moog Cookbook tackles 'modern rock covers', opening with a bizarre lounge version of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun and carrying on in similarly silly vein; Smells Like Teen Spirit is probably a 'highlight', depending on your definition of the word. The album's chief problem is that the joke wears thin pretty quickly; I mean, how often would you really want to hear their take on Neil Young's brilliant-but-multiply-badly-covered-while-heavily-missing-the-point Rockin' In The Free World? And that's one of the more straightforward efforts here.
Anyway... Credited Mellotron on two tracks only, with choirs on Come Out And Play (The Offspring, apparently, not that I've ever knowingly heard them), in the middle of the 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' bit (no, really), and, er, more choirs on Tom Petty's Free Fallin'. Plenty of other great synth stuff, including several bits of discordant something, probably ARP 2600; actually, the sounds are far better than what the duo do with them, to be honest, though maybe better a humorous effort like this than some po-faced, self-important drivel like [insert name of your least favourite 'EM' combo here]?
The following year, the duo released their second and last 'proper' album, Ye Olde Space Bande, consisting almost entirely of '70's 'classic rock' covers, as heard interminably on US AM radio, no doubt. We don't have such things over here. Ted Nugent's Cat Scratch Fever? Boston's More Than A Feeling? Kiss' almost unrecognisable Devo-esque Rock & Roll All Night? They're all here. One of the best things about the album is the constant musical 'quoting', à la Emerson and co. The middle section of Whole Lotta Love references several synth 'classics' and they even get the unintentional echo effect from the original right, while Chicago's 25 Or 6 To 4 has Zep's All My Love solo inserted into the middle, and as for the Popcorn and Telstar quotes in Hotel California... Unless I'm missing stuff, there's very little tape-replay this time round, with nowt but a few seconds of massed Chamby solo male voices in the dying seconds of Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama, although, as usual, it would've worked elsewhere, too.
For some reason, I actually prefer Ye Olde Space Bande to The Moog Cookbook; more familiarity with the source material, maybe? Anyway, you may find that the joke doesn't wear thin for you, in which case you need both these albums. On the tape-replay front, it's all fairly minimal, so I fear the choice has to be yours and yours alone. Incidentally, a third Moog Cookbook album, Bartell, crept out in 2004, consisting of odd tracks, remixes and the like, although I have no information re. its tape-replay content.
Extremely out-of-date official site
See: Jellyfish | Mellodrama
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7=49 (1994, 57.18/73.10) **½/T |
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| Knock Intro Knock Guppy Crybaby Let the Other One Stay My Game Desert Vineyards John Intro John |
The Pavement Shines On a Limb Curling Wall Anyway I'll Gather Flowers M7X Show Lighter Argo Tubes of PVC |
Henry Hello in the Kitchen Head Full of Gears Finches Inhaler Bells Eng. Dept. Party The Birds Nails |
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Mellotron used:
The Moon Seven Times, or Moon 7x (or even M7x) were an ambient '90s trio; not ambient as in 'dance ambient', but as in 'drifting, wishy-washy synths and half-arsed rhythms'. Oh dear, I seem to've laid my cards on the table already, haven't I? In fairness, their second album, 7=49, has its moments, but the bulk of it wafts past without making any sort of impression at all; maybe that's the point? I'm sure this is meant to appeal to Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance fans, but the band seem to've missed what made those bands so iconic. Atmosphere. Lynn Canfield's vocals are pretty insipid, too, and let's not even mention the vocal 'melodies'... God, the sleeve even looks like a 4AD release.
The two instrumentalists, Brendan Gamble and Henry Frayne, both play Mellotron on various tracks, with Gamble adding faint strings to Crybaby, Desert Vineyards, On A Limb and Curling Wall, although Frayne's Mellotronic contributions to Anyway and I'll Gather Flowers are both entirely inaudible. The album must've been released on vinyl, as discographies refer to 'the CD version' and its extra tracks, grouped together under the generic heading The Thirteenth Song. Looks like the fifteenth to me, but I suppose if you ignore the two 'Intro' pieces... Anyway, said Thirteenth Song actually consists of thirteen musical vignettes, italicised above, mostly pointless and all Mellotron-free.
There's one more Moon 7x 'Tron album, their last, 1997's Sunburnt; more news when etc.etc. As far as 7=49, I rather doubt that you need a copy that badly, unless you're such a 4AD obsessive that you've got to have everything that even sounds like it might've been on the label. Next to no Mellotron, either, so don't bother. No, really.
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Flux (1996, 47.19) ***½/TTTSuckBaby Body Stay Bell Soon Talk |
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The Moor are (or more likely, were) a Swedish prog/space-rock outfit, forming in 1985, with influences including King Crimson, Gong and, of course, Hawkwind. They only released two albums 'proper', 1993's Every Pixie Sells a Story (ho ho) and '96's Flux, plus a cassette-only compilation of live and studio material, '94's Live Stupidity & Other Embarrassing Moments, which are proving most difficult to track down, even in Sweden.
Flux is gratifyingly dark, like Anekdoten on the brown acid, with its single-syllable titles, muttered vocals and weird, low-fi samples. By this point, their lineup included Nik Turner, while the album features several guest players on various orchestral instruments, although the overall sound is a dark, psychedelic stew sitting somewhere in the middle of their various influences. Band leader Kenneth Magnusson plays Mellotron, with strings on opener Suck, choirs on Body, more strings on Stay and Bell, while Soon opens with a solo 'Tron strings part before it goes all Pink Fairies on us, with more strings and choirs later on. Strings on closer Talk to finish things off nicely on one of the more 'Tron-heavy efforts I've heard from the '90s. Had to be Sweden, didn't it?
So; you're probably not going to find this one easily, but if you like the sound of a combination of their influences, you may just go for it. Reasonable amounts of Mellotron, anyway, from a time when you could still almost guarantee that you were hearing a real one. Incidentally, I'll review their other releases if I ever manage to track copies down.
See: Hawkwind
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The New World's Fair (1975, 42.29/56.39) ***/TT |
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| Candy Floss Cowboy (narration) Candy Floss Cowboy (demo) Fair Dealer Octopus 16 Year Old Doom You're a Hero Song for Marlene Dodgem Dude |
Come to the Fair Starcruiser In the Name of Rock'n'Roll Ferris Wheel Last Merry Go Round Dude's Dream Brothel in Rosenstrasse |
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Michael Moorcock, is, of course, far better known as an SF/fantasy author than a rock star, though some of his fans may be surprised at how much work he's done with bands over the years. Several sets of lyrics for the Blue Öyster Cult have given him a cult (ho ho) following with their fans, but his best known musical collaborations have been with Hawkwind, with whom he's guested on and off for many years, notably on 1975's excellent Warrior on the Edge of Time. I remember seeing him on stage with them in the early '80s, a burly, bearded man intoning mad stuff about 'sailors on the sea of fate' and the like. Superb.
Moorcock's sole solo album, recorded with his pick-up band, the Deep Fix (named for the fictional band in his Jerry Cornelius stories) The New World's Fair, is something of a mixed bag, to be honest, with rather too much pseudo-rock'n'roll for its own good. A concept LP about, er, a fairground, or something, it has weird spoken word sections between the tracks, recounting the travails of 'The Dude', but doesn't really make an awful lot of sense. Deep Fix consisted of, among others, several members of Hawkwind, including violinist/keyboard man Simon House, who adds Mellotron to a few tracks. From the original LP, Song For Marlene is a ballad, speeding up towards the end and smothered in 'Tron strings, and Ferris Wheel's a similar proposition, possibly with a dash of flutes halfway through, though the shrill strings are really upfront at the end of the track, as is the (real) cello.
The 1995 CD reissue (the original vinyl is extremely scarce) adds four bonus tracks, but dotted around the disc, rather than stuck at the end as usual, so I've italicised them for simplicity's sake. The rather better CD closer is Moorcock's 1982 single, Brothel In Rosenstrasse, named for one of his novels, but the only really relevant track here is Candy Floss Cowboy (Demo), which appears to fit into the concept at that point, as do the other bonus tracks. Once again, some 'Tron strings, sounding quite analogous to House's use with the Hawks, but nothing you absolutely have to own. Sought-after by Hawkwind collectors, The New World's Fair is OK, but not exactly a 'must-have', unless you have to own everything they've ever done. A bit of a disappointment, to be honest, after all the hype.
See: Hawkwind
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Coverage (2003, 46.14) **½/T |
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| Senses Working Overtime The Whole of the Moon Can We Still Be Friends? I Feel the Earth Move Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters Drop the Pilot Moonshadow One Way or Another |
Breaking Us in Two Anticipation Help Me Have a Little Faith in Me |
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Mandy Moore is yet another of those American singer/actresses that seem to be ten a penny at the moment, although, unlike most, she comes from a musical background, not an acting one. Coverage is officially her fourth album, although her second, I Wanna Be With You, is essentially a remix version of her debut, So Real. Interestingly, given that Moore was only 19 when the album was released, it's a covers record, and not just of the usual suspects. Try these for size: XTC (the wonderful Senses Working Overtime), The Waterboys (The Whole Of The Moon), Todd Rundgren (Can We Still Be Friends?)... On its release, reviews noted that it was her 'new, mature' face after her earlier teeny releases, and even to a jaded old git like me, it has its moments, with sympathetic arrangements on several tracks and little that genuinely offends, although, sadly, quite a bit that bores.
Matt Mahaffey plays Chamberlin, with flutes on Can We Still Be Friends? and Joan Armatrading's Drop The Pilot. It's quite possibly on some of the others tracks, but with its inimitable ability to disappear into a mix and sound just that little bit too close to the instruments it's emulating, it's hard to tell. Anyway, although it starts well, Coverage ultimately disappoints, as it descends into a morass of cheesy arrangements in its second half. A pity.
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The Hardest Part (2000, 45.51) **½/T |
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| The Hardest Part Day You Said Goodbye It's Time I Tried Best That I Can Do Think it Over Bring Me All Your Lovin' Is it Worth it Send Down an Angel |
No Next Time Feeling That Feeling Again |
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Allison Moorer (younger sister of Shelby Lynne and married to Steve Earle) is a full-on country singer, complete with that ludicrous pronunciation they insist on using, even when they don't actually speak like it (although, as an Alabaman, I'm sure she does). Actually, her second album, 2000's The Hardest Part, is far from offensive, rocking it up (relatively) in places, not least on Think It Over and the string-laden No Next Time, although I can't see it being something to which I'll return in a hurry.
Jay Bennett (ex-Wilco plays Mellotron, with a nice flute part (alongside real strings) on Send Down An Angel, described extremely optimistically on several websites as 'the Strawberry Fields-esque...' Yeah, right. Overall, then, a fairly 'trad' country album with a few rocking moments and one 'Tron track. Hmmm.
See: Steve Earle | Shelby Lynne
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Exit (1974, 45.44) ***/T½ |
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| [Japanese text] (Intro?) [Japanese text] (Medley?) Walk Don't Run House of the Rising Sun San Franciscan Night I Love You Somebody to Love Asa-Made Matenai Purple Haze Iijanaika Tadoritsuitara Itsumo Amefuri |
Exit Wara No Kotoba [Japanese text] I Want to Hold Your Hand Boom Boom Sea of Joy To Love Somebody Nobody Cares Asa-Made Matenai |
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Mops (there doesn't seem to be a 'the') were one of Japan's top 'Group Sound' bands of the sixties, emulating Merseybeat and suchlike in an oriental manner. By the mid-'70s, they'd obviously long outgrown their roots, not to mention their hair, and shuffled off this mortal coil with a farewell live album, Exit. Except that until near the end of the second track, a side-long medley, there's no sign of an audience at all, with the orchestral intro tape sounding dubbed on at a later date; maybe it's a
live/studio hybrid? Anyway, the unknown vocalist spends most of said medley speaking to the audience, with the band occasionally breaking into a tune, with some more familiar than others. They tackle Purple Haze reasonably well, and Walk Don't Run is recognisable, but I can't say I spotted Somebody To Love anywhere, to be honest. Exit itself sounds like a faintly jazzy studio track, followed by presumably their own composition, the rather proggy ten-minute Wara No Kotoba, before what I take to be more live stuff, with an appallingly-edited medley, cutting abruptly from one excerpt to another, with the album trailing off into messing about by the end.
I'm afraid I have zero idea who the gentleman is on the keyboards; there are no obvious musicians' credits anywhere in the packaging, but he seems to concentrate mainly on organ, until you get to Wara No Kotoba, which is swamped in 'Tron strings, with an upfront flute line later on. There's a touch of strings in House Of The Rising Sun, and a more upfront part in To Love Somebody, from the second medley, but that would seem to be your lot.
Incidentally, as you can see from the pic to the right, Mops had an onstage Mellotron, but what you might not be able to see is the back of the machine. Now look to the left, and marvel at someone's handiwork; is that cool or what? Probably what, actually, but I can't say I've ever seen anything like it before; wonder who came up with that logo? And is that a big, swirly paintjob over the whole thing? Wish I knew where this one was now... Anyway, a somewhat average album musically, although with one really nice 'Tron track. You're most unlikely to find this cheap, but just in case...
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i [a.k.a. The Story of i] (1976, 46.16) ***½/TT |
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| Impact Warmer Hands The Storm Cachaça (Baião) Intermezzo Indoors Best Years of Our Lives Descent |
Incantation/Procession Dancing Now Impressions (the Dream) Like a Child in Disguise Rise and Fall Symphony in the Space |
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Patrick Moraz [a.k.a. Patrick Moraz III] (1978, 38.42) ***/½ |
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| Jungles of the World Green Sun Tribal Call Communion Temples of Joy Opening of the Gates Overture The Feast (A Festa) The Conflict Chamada (Argument) |
Opposing Forces The Battlefield Dissolution Victory Primitivisation Keep the Children Alive Intentions Realization |
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Future Memories Live on TV (1979, 37.51) ***½/T½Metamorphoses1st Movt. 2nd Movt. 3rd Movt. Eastern Sundays Part I Part II Black Silk Part I Part II |
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C O Existence [as 'Patrick Moraz + Syrinx'] (1980) **½/TMind Your BodyBoonoonoonoos Soundrise Adagio for a Hostage Freedom to... Coexistence Black Gold Moments of Love Chain Reaction Peace on the Hills |
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Rime of the Ancient Sampler: The Mellotron Album (1993, 3.52) ***½/T½[Patrick contributes]Owner's Guide |
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Mellotrons used:
Patrick Moraz left Refugee, a vague attempt to reform The Nice without Keith Emerson, to join Yes, although he only stayed with them for two years and one album, Relayer. The whole band (even drummer Alan White) released solo albums in 1975/76, with all except White's being at least partially musically successful (perhaps surprisingly), although Steve Howe's is probably less good than Moraz', Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water (****) and Jon Anderson's wonderful and unique Olias of Sunhillow.
i, often known as The Story of i is an early attempt at a fusion of progressive and 'world' musics, with a particular Brazilian influence, in which I'd say it was reasonably successful, although that probably depends on how you feel about the prog side of the proceedings. The playing is excellent throughout, both by Moraz and his large supporting cast, including many Brazilian musicians, although the writing tends towards formlessness in places, at least to my ears. The copious sleevenotes only actually mention the Mellotron once (on Intermezzo, where it's effectively inaudible), although the equipment list mentions 'Mellotrons Mks.I & II', by which I think he means an M400 and a Mk.V. There are various string sounds scattered throughout, but with his new toy, the Polymoog (so it DID come out in '76!), the 'Trons seem to be pushed slightly into the background, so most of the marked tracks above are essentially guesswork on my part.
Strangely, Moraz elected not to use any 'Tron on his second solo effort, Out in the Sun (***), but Patrick Moraz (or Patrick Moraz III) manages what sounds to me like a whole few seconds of strings and possibly some choirs on the rather unnecessary ballad, Keep The Children Alive. The album itself has more of that Brazilian influence, but is overall probably less impressive than i, although the side one material (first three tracks) aren't at all bad.
1979's Future Memories (Live on TV) is exactly what it says on the tin, being a solo performance in front of the TV cameras, with much use of sequencers, although it's still extremely technically impressive. Going by the sleevenotes, it was Moraz' attempt to create truly improvised music, although he does own up to the sequenced parts, without which Metamorphoses, at least, would've been fairly static. The two pieces on side two are 'Tron-free (Black Silk is a piano solo), but the second movement of side one's Metamorphoses has flutes, church organ and strings, in that order, played from an M400 and a Mark V, erroneously credited as a 'Mark II' and a 'Mark IV' respectively (you'd have thought he'd know better, wouldn't you?). In some ways, this is the most musically satisfying Moraz album I've heard, allowing his phenomenal technique full rein, without muddying the waters with various dubious 'ethnic' influences. Incidentally, the inner sleeve has several fabulous pics of Moraz' gear (see picture), which was actually too big to be contained within a four-sided setup, spilling over into a fifth side. Outrageous. Also incidentally, the version of this you're more likely to find (I speak subjectively, of course) is the 1984 reissue.
1980's C O Existence (later reissued as Libertate) is actually co-credited to Moraz and Syrinx, who I believe is the pan-pipe player on the Mellotron-fuelled soundtrack to 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'. Unsurprisingly, more of that South American thing, though more Andean this time, but I have to say, it's pretty cheesy all round; sort of bombastic balladic stuff with those bloody pan pipes warbling over everything. Practically no 'Tron, either; strings on Freedom To..., and apart from a couple of unconfirmed sightings, that's it. Don't bother.
Moraz also contributed to the overrated Rime of the Ancient Sampler: The Mellotron Album, with the fairly decent, if a bit jazzy, Owner's Guide. Some great choir work, and various bits of lunacy described in the sleevenotes as 'special PM sound effects, i.e. vocals, harps, waltz, backward piano' - presumably the same FX he used onstage in his M400 with the Moodies. Probably worth hearing, but don't shell out big bucks for the album.
So; Moraz' solo career's a bit of a disappointment, to be honest; not half as 'progressive' as I was expecting, and not very much Mellotron, either. The only albums that I could in all conscience recommend are i and Future Memories; don't forget, this is the man who replaced Mike Pinder in the Moody Blues, just as they took the decision to sit firmly in the middle of the road for the rest of their career.
See: Yes | Refugee | Moody Blues | Mellodrama
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Nova Solis (1972, 40.45) ***½/T |
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| Samarkhand the Golden Alone War Games Nova Solis (a Suite) Theme Floating Take-Off Asteroids Earth Hyperspace: the Return Home |
Nova May I Remember Theme |
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Morgan were a British quartet consisting of most of the Love Affair (of Everlasting Love fame), with Tim Staffel, ex-Smile (whose other two members went on to achieve complete obscurity with some bunch called Queen. Stupid name, too). Named after keyboardist Morgan Fisher (later of Mott the Hoople), the music is, unsurprisingly, keyboard-dominated, although Staffel provides acoustic guitar in places, along with his excellent vocals. The music? Out-and-out prog, with an occasional dash of singer-songwriterness from Staffel. I think it's safe to say that there are both better and worse examples of the genre, although both Samarkhand The Golden and War Games stand out. Sadly, the side-long title suite doesn't, being a little too ordinary to succeed over its 20-minute length, not to mention the fact that its 'spaceman returns to a devastated Earth' concept has a lot in common with then-recent albums by both Nektar and (especially) Gracious!.
Strangely, the band had to go to Italy to get a record deal (with RCA), and the album was recorded at a state-of-the-art studio in Rome, giving Fisher free reign with their impressive keyboard collection. Sadly, he only chose to use their Mellotron on one track, Samarkhand The Golden, with some brass and background strings, with most of the album's keyboard work concentrating on piano and multitracked VCS3. Morgan lasted long enough to record a second album, The Sleeper Wakes, but while I've no idea what it's like, I'm pretty sure it's 'Tron-free.
So; not bad, not great, bit of a period piece really, with some 'Tron on one track. One for collectors.
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Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998, 71.56) */½ |
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| Front Row Baba Thank U Are You Still Mad Sympathetic Character That I Would Be Good The Couch Can't Not UR |
I Was Hoping One Would Not Come Unsent So Pure Joining You Heart of the House Your Congratulations |
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You may have liked the emotional free-fall of Ms. Morissette's debut Jagged Little Pill (**); millions did, making her an overnight star. Personally, I couldn't stand the damn' thing, with its irritating 'modern' production and her, frankly, awful vocals; I'm sure they're supposed to convey her emotional depth, but they sounded to me like a non-singer having a not-so-fair stab at becoming one. And as for the songs... As a result her second effort, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, was never really going to endear itself to me, as even her fanbase gently evaporated in the heat generated by its bad reviews.
Most of the songs sound like no more than vehicles for her lyrics, which, to be fair, are genuinely heartfelt, although lines like "We were together during a very tumultuous time in our lives" are deeply unforgivable, even if it's ironic, which I doubt. As on her debut, the programmed percussion makes my ears bleed after a while, and at 71 minutes, this album outstays its welcome by, ooh, about... 71 minutes, I think. The redoubtable Benmont Tench (Tom Petty) plays Chamberlin, but next to Glen Ballard's 'synthesizers and programming', it's extremely difficult to spot exactly where it was used, so the tracklisting above may well be heavily error-ridden. Anyway, to my ears, there are some faint flutes on Thank U, cellos (?) on Can't Not, and possibly strings on Unsent.
There's no way I can recommend this awful album on any fronts whatsoever; it only avoids getting an even lower rating because it's at least vaguely professionally done. Mind you, since when was that a recommendation? Truly horrible. Avoid like the plague.
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Pieces of Primal Expressionism (2003, 51.16) ***/TTThe Sleeping StarThe Cradle of Civilization Perpetual Dissolution Our Urn An Old Man's Lament The Worm Fragments and Pieces On the Verge of Prime Divinity |
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I believe Mörk Gryning ('dark dawn') are black metal, as against any other sub-sub-sub metallic genre; to my ears, they're merely 'extreme metal', a sobriquet that mercifully covers many of said sub-(etc.) genres, saving me a lot of tedious categorisation of music that rarely holds my interest for long. This lot have a 'cookie monster' vocalist and a drummer who utilises blastbeats whenever possible, making any serious point they may wish to make entirely redundant, as for all their thud and blunder, most of the time they sound a bit silly. Guys, NO-ONE'S scared...
This isn't to say that their fourth album, 2003's Pieces of Primal Expressionism, is complete drivel; the playing's absolutely spot-on, as you'd expect from the genre, and some of the quieter parts are very listenable. If only they didn't consistently succumb to the urge to ruin it all with incoherent grunting and hyperactive rhythms that aren't even particularly fast. Saying that, Our Urn (stop laughing at the back) is a pretty decent metal number with some inventive guitar work, while An Old Man's Lament is actually quite prog before they go and spoil it all again, although it does revert to the opening section later on.
Johan Larsson, a.k.a. Aeon, is credited with Mellotron, along with synth and guitar. Several tracks contain unidentified strings so faint that they could be almost anything, but The Cradle Of Civilization features full-on 'Tron strings in a rare quiet section, under alternating solo violin and guitar solos, while An Old Man's Lament opens with an excellent string part, repeated when it all quietens down again. But is it real? I hear you cry. Well, it might be, which seems to be the best I can do in most cases these days. The solo sections sound quite 'clean', but a well set-up machine with new tapes could easily sound like this. As with so many other cases, I'll leave it here until/if I should find out otherwise.
All in all, then, an album of the kind to frighten your neighbours and/or close relatives, unless they're perfectly used to you playing stuff like this while wearing corpsepaint, too much leather and a bullet belt or indeed, wear them themselves. I refuse to cast aspersions on your neighbours and/or close relatives. It seems to be good at what it does, assuming that's what you're after, and a couple of decent 'Tron tracks improve matters for the non-fan of the genre.
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Message From the Throne... (1975, 33.54) **½/T½You're So FreeThe First Day Shine on (With Jesus) His Will Steppin' in & Steppin' Out Joy in G Minor The Conversation The Ship of Life |
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Mellotron used:
Morning Star were a Jesus rock trio from the arse end of nowhere, USA, whose (presumably) sole album, Message From the Throne... (probably 1975) is a strange, drumless effort, full of massed acoustics and godly harmonies. Despite the usual lyrical drivel, this is rather better than many others I've heard, with some funky slide playing on Steppin' In & Steppin' Out and, of course, some Mellotron.
The unknown keyboard player adds 'Tron strings to The First Day, His Will and closer The Ship Of Life, not in a pseudo-orchestral kind of way, interestingly, but more with some appreciation of the instrument's sound. If you really want to hear this, you're never going to find an original, but it's out there as a download; three reasonable 'Tron tracks and some not-too-awful God rock.
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Yes (1995, 37.01) ***½/½ |
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| Honey White Scratch Radar Whisper Yes All Your Way Super Sex I Had My Chance |
The Jury Sharks Free Love Gone for Good |
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Like Swimming (1997, 37.44) ***½/T |
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| Lilah Potion I Know You, Pt. 3 Early to Bed Wishing Well Like Swimming Murder for the Money French Fries With Pepper |
Empty Box Eleven o'Clock Hanging on a Curtain Swing it Low |
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Chamberlin/Mellotron used:
Morphine were a bass (as in two-string slide bass)/drums/baritone sax trio, whose influences roared straight out of jazz and the blues, updating them for a new audience. You could never accuse them of lacking energy or drive, and the songwriting was pretty cool, too. It seems they covered all bases, one minute frantic, the next sleazy, making leader Mark Sandman's onstage death in 1999 all the more tragic, as it seems they were one of the few bands around taking these styles somewhere new.
Yes was their third album (of five), and the first of two to feature Sandman on a tape-replay instrument. In this case, he played Chamberlin strings on Super Sex, to fairly average effect, to be honest. I can't recommend this album on those grounds, then, but it's a pretty cool record, in case it sounds like it might be your kind of thing. Their last effort released during Sandman's lifetime, '97's Like Swimming, carries on the work of its predecessors, mixing jazz, blues and 'alternative' rock to good effect, not to mention Sandman's 'tritar' (three-stringed guitar), heard on Murder For The Money. Sandman adds Mellotron this time round, with a cello arrangement on Hanging On A Curtain, sounding typical unorthodox.
So; Morphine have maintained their popularity in the alternative scene, with surviving ex-members occasionally getting together as Orchestra Morphine. These albums are odd, innovative and pretty damn' unique, although that won't necessarily recommend them to you, of course. The Chamberlin on Yes probably isn't worth hearing, although the Mellotron on Like Swimming is.
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Reputation Don't Matter Any More (1976) **/T |
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| Living Theatre Dance With Me Silly Thing Rock'n'Roll Struggle Come Away Bomber on the Loose Out of the Closet Speak for Yourself |
People Passing People Who Do We Think (We're Foolin') Thank You |
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Mellotron used:
Larry Morris Sturdy rose to prominence on the New Zealand scene in the '60s with Larry's Rebels, but after going solo at the end of the decade, then receiving a jail sentence for drug-related offences, his 1976 album Reputation Don't Matter Any More couldn't have been better named. Unfortunately, it's a pretty staid singer-songwriter effort, sounding like a budget Kiwi Elton John in places, although many of the lyrics are unsurprisingly angry, given Morris' harsh treatment at the hands of the establishment, with lyrics such as, "Four years my records made no sound/Yet I saw them spinning round", clearly relating to his incarceration. The only even remotely bright spot on his musical horizon is closer Thank You, a bitter little a capella piece that doubtless endeared him to the critics, but has the advantage of being at least slightly adventurous.
'Melletron' on three tracks, from ex-Human Instinct member Steve McDonald, mostly as a string section substitute, by the sound of it, although he adds choirs to his palette (he's credited with 'Melletron & choir') on People Passing People, strangely titled 'Fallen Dancer' on the lyric sheet. You might've guessed by now that Reputation Don't Matter Any More isn't an essential album for anyone apart from students of Kiwi music, being a dullsville mid-'70s pop/rock effort with unmemorable material, not to mention very average 'Tron use, not that you're likely to find a copy outside NZ anyway.
See: Steve McDonald
