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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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Morse Code Morte Macabre |
Mosaik Mother Hips |
Mountain The Move |
Jason Mraz Mugen |
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La Marche des Hommes (1975, 34.08/42.05) ****/TTTT |
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| La Marche des Hommes Le Pays d'Or La Cérémonie de Minuit Cocktail Une Goutte de Pluie Qu'est-ce que t'as Compris? Problème |
[CD adds: Cocktail (disco mix) Qu'est-ce que t'as Compris? (edit)] |
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Procréation (1976, 50.50/59.28) ****/TTT½ (TTTT) |
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| Précréation Qu'est-ce t'es v'nu Faire Ici Nuage L'eau Tonne Des Hauts et des Ha!... De Tous les Pays du Monde |
Procréation Procréation 1 Procréation 2 Procréation 3 [CD adds: Punch Image] |
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Je Suis le Temps (1977, 37.21) ***½/TTTTC'est Déjà du PasséLa Réalité Berceuses Chevaliers d'un Règne Picadilly Circus Sommeil Je Suis le Temps Magie de Musique |
Current availability:
Morse Code started out as the slightly more mainstream Morse Code Transmission, releasing two albums in the early '70s, before disappearing for three years. They returned with La Marche des Hommes, and it's a bit of a monster. Mixing Genesis-style prog with a distinct French influence from their homeland, it consists of the classic 11-minute title track, with all the other songs being not only of 'regular' length, but also more straightforward, although still retaining a progressive edge. Every track on this album features Christian Simard's Mellotron (it seems they owned two), with highlights being the title track, Cocktail and Qu'est-ce Que T'as Compris? Strings all round, but with quite unusual chord voicings in places, doubtless inspired by French chanson music as much as progressive rock. The very 'mainstream' sound of Cocktail, incidentally, is entirely due to those enlightened folks at Capitol demanding a 'disco' number. Right... The band duly complied, as it allowed them to record an album of the music they wanted to play. Those wonderful people at ProgQuébec finally reissued these albums in 2007, adding a lengthier remix of Cocktail, and its b-side, an edited Qu'est-ce Que T'as Compris?.
Their follow-up, Procréation, is every bit as good as its predecessor, and over 15 minutes longer, with the magnificent 26-minute title suite taking up the whole of side two. As with La Marche des Hommes, the rest of the material is best described as being in the 'compact progressive' style; shorter songs, but with a prog feel, although L'eau Tonne moves slightly towards the middle of the road, if truth be told. On to Procréation itself; this is superb symphonic progressive, with all the twists and turns you expect from the genre, and a fantastic theme coming in towards the end, with the whole being built along the lines of a lengthier La Marche Des Hommes, this time split into three parts because... they could. And why not? Answers on the back of a Mellotron to the usual address. Preferably a Mark II. Talking of which, although a couple of tracks are 'Tronless this time around, the rest of them feature it pretty heavily, especially the end of De Tous Les Pays Du Monde and the bulk of Procréation. Again, mostly strings, but a cello line or two crops up here and there. Bonus tracks on the CD are two non-album single sides, another disco-ish effort, Punch, and its 'Tron-heavy flip, Image.
Typically, by '77's Je Suis le Temps, Morse Code followed progressive outfits worldwide in simplifying their approach, although for them this consisted simply of not including an epic, and incorporating a few less interesting bits, although opener C'est Déjà Du Passé is as good as any of the shorter pieces on its two predecessors. While the Mellotron count is slightly down, there's some decent enough strings and cellos on C'est Déjà Du Passé, while the balladic Berceuses features a good chunk of strings over the piano part. The nearest the album gets to a 'Tron classic, though, is the instrumental Picadilly [sic] Circus, with an excellent repeating rising string line leading into a key change. Oh, and for the only time on any of these albums, there's a little 'Tron choir to be heard on Sommeil, along with the more ubiquitous strings, and an excellent part at the end of the title track. OK, it's all over the bloody thing.
Now, until recently, none of these had ever been issued on CD, leaving naught but a compilation, Les Grands Succès de Morse Code. Despite the omission of the classic three-part Procréation, it used to be the only way you were going to track this music down with any ease, and at least it opened with La Marche Des Hommes. Given how much second-rate (and third-, and fourth-...) stuff is available, complete with even ropier 'bonus' tracks of the drummer farting in rehearsal, it's bizarre how long it's taken for these albums to be reissued, and it's taken an indie to do it. ProgQuébec have also reissued the legendary, if Mellotron-free Maneige albums, plus some live recordings. Now, we know Morse Code were recorded for Québecois radio; is the recording still out there somewhere?
Incidentally, there is apparently one more Morse Code Mellotron album. After splitting in the late '70s, following being dropped by their label, they got back together a few years later, minus Simard, releasing the English-language Code Breaker in 1983. By all accounts, it's appalling AOR slush, with what Mellotron there is played by Marc Leach, known to his mère as Marc Maheux (the whole band Anglicised their names, presumably in a desperate attempt to appeal internationally). I'm not about to rush out to buy this, so it's only going to get reviewed should a copy (or a copy of a copy, of course) fall into my lap. So; you need La Marche des Hommes and Procréation, and Je Suis le Temps' pretty good, with excellent 'Tron work all round. Buy!
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Symphonic Holocaust (1998, 57.19) ****½/TTTTTApoteosi del MisteroThreats of Stark Reality Sequenza Ritmica e Tema Lullaby Quiet Drops Opening Theme The Photosession Symphonic Holocaust [Double LP adds: Irrealtà di Suoni |
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...E Tu Vivrai Nel Terrore (1998, 3.11) ***½/TT½[Morte Macabre contribute]Irrealtà di Suoni |
Current availability:
Morte Macabre are what appears to be a one-off side project from two of Sweden's best progressive groups of the '90s: Anekdoten and Landberk, featuring two members from each band, although Anekdoten's website doesn't rule out the possibility of another collaboration in the future. The guilty parties are Niklas Berg (guitar) and Peter Nordins (drums) from Anekdoten, with Stefan Dimle (bass) and Reine Fiske (guitar) from Landberk. All four members play Mellotron. Yes, all four, with various members chipping in on Rhodes, Moog, Theremin etc.
The concept behind Symphonic Holocaust was to cover various horror film themes in their own inimitable style and on the whole, it works. For horror buffs, the full run-down of what's from where is as follows:
Threats Of Stark Reality is the band's own rather disturbing intro to Sequenza Ritmica E Tema and the title track is group-written, presumably inspired by the rest of the album. The track selection was made by Stefan Dimle (Mellotronen label boss, incidentally), who also arranged the pieces. The tracks were obviously carefully chosen for maximum 'gloom factor'; generally speaking, it doesn't get much gloomier than this, with every track except the unaccountably frivolous Opening Theme to 'Cannibal Holocaust' being quite unremittingly dark and minor-key. There's more Mellotron than you can shake a stick at, of course, although it's impossible to work out who plays what and where, although the two guitarists' different styles are pretty easy to spot.
It's actually quite difficult to pick out 'Tron highlights, although both Apoteosi Del Mistero and Sequenza Ritmica E Tema may have the edge on the rest of the album, and Lullaby from 'Rosemary's Baby' is pretty cool, too. The 17-minute Symphonic Holocaust, which sounds largely jammed-out (apologies if I'm wrong) sticks some 'Tron brass in, joining the more standard strings/choir/flutes and possibly cellos splattered bloodily across the disc.
Anyway, what can I say? The music's excellent, the Mellotron more so; an absolute must for progressive and Mellotron fans. Incidentally, there's a double-LP version of the album which adds Irrealtà Di Suoni, from the ...e tu Vivrai Nel Terrore various artists effort released around the same time.
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Mosaik (1982, 56.15) ***½/½ÅterfunnenBjörnstorp Kirstens Rum Tiden Bara Går Önnestad Ett Oskrivet Blad Pappa Har Gått Vilse Re-Båpp Trio Mosaik: Gul, Röd, Orange |
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It seems Sweden's Atlas never had a very easy time of it, only releasing one album in their six-year history, 1979's Blå Vardag. Ad Perpetuam Memoriam's mid-'90s CD reissue includes several bonus tracks, including one by the post-Atlas outfit, Mosaik, formed by all of Atlas minus one of their two keyboard players, Björn Nielsen. Mosaik is a surprisingly progressive album for the time, although as Isildurs Bane proved, progressive rock didn't completely die out in Sweden in the '80s, though it really wasn't looking too well for a while. Mosaik's a bit of a mixed bag, going from gentle acoustic opener, Återfunnen, through the piano and sax duet Önnestad to the rather overlong Rhodes and MiniMoog jazz workout Re-Båpp, although overall, the band kept the quality pretty high.
Blå Vardag's CD insert features a small but readable reproduction of Mosaik's rear sleeve (though strangely, not its front), so it's possible to see the individual instrumental credits, proving that the album's only Mellotron piece is the one they chose to include on the Atlas CD, Björnstorp. It's a decent example of an early-'80s progressive song, as against piece, with real flutes and faint 'Tron strings from guitarist Janne Persson, but nothing to get too worked up about, especially as it's already on (an admittedly out of print) CD. The rest of the album's good, but don't go paying big money for this, though it's worth picking up should you be second-hand shopping in Sweden.
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Part-Timer Goes Full (1995, 57.55) ***/½ |
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| Shut the Door Stoned Up the Road Mona Lisa and the Last Supper Poison Oak Afternoon After Afternoon Magazine Are You Breathing? Pet Foot |
Sunshine Feel Tehachapi Bloodline Bent Carousel Showing it All to Bad Marie Been Lost Once Trunk Box |
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I think Part-Timer Goes Full is the Mother Hips' second album, sitting fairly firmly in the 'alternative rock' non-category, being a bit indie, a bit heavy, a bit pop and probably a bit of several other things. It's not a bad record, but lacks any particularly special songwriting; something of a handicap in their field, I'm afraid. For all that, the playing's good, the songs certainly aren't actually bad and everyone involved seems to be extremely enthusiastic about what they're doing, and it shows.
Paul Hoaglin wrote to me some time back to tell me about his session involvement with the band. He plays keys right across the album, although there's only 'Tron on one track, with some 'violined' string chords on Poison Oak, but they're only just audible, and that's it, it seems. So; OK record, barely-existent 'Tron. Buy only if that 'alternative' thing's your bag.
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Climbing! (1970, 33.15) ****/½Mississippi QueenTheme for an Imaginary Western Never in My Life Silver Paper For Yasgur's Farm To My Friend The Laird Sittin' on a Rainbow Boys in the Band |
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Avalanche (1974, 41.28) ***½/T |
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| Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' on Sister Justice Alisan Swamp Boy Satisfaction Thumbsucker You Better Believe it I Love to See You Fly |
Back Where I Belong Last of the Sunshine Days |
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Mountain are the subject of one of those weird 'Mellotron myths', to boot, they used 'Tron Hammond tapes. Well, maybe they did, but given that they had a perfectly good Hammond, it seems a little odd; more news if I ever get any sense out of anyone knowledgeable on the subject. I can't hear any 'Tron on guitarist/mainman Leslie West's solo LP Mountain (confusingly), but there's a little on Mountain's debut proper, Climbing. Opening with two of the band's best-loved numbers, Mississippi Queen and Theme For An Imaginary Western, Climbing sets out the band's style in no uncertain terms, sounding like, effectively, a US replacement for the much-missed Cream. The pressure only lets up occasionally, with the acoustic guitar piece To My Friend and the quiet, if slightly sinister The Laird, before more heaviosity ensues. Two credited 'Tron tracks, played by keys man Steve Knight; it's completely buried in the mix on Theme For An Imaginary Western, sadly, but there's a little brass to be heard on Boys In The Band.
Despite rumours, I can't hear any 'Tron on their classic, '71's Nantucket Sleighride (****½), and they didn't use one again until after their later split and reformation. Avalanche was Mountain's fourth studio album (and their last until the mid-'80s), and isn't really a patch on Nantucket Sleighride, to be honest, although it's a fairly good hard rock album in its own right. They almost completely rewrite Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, and other highlights include the acoustic Alisan and the rather rocking You Better Believe It. The only Mellotron, from bassist Felix Pappalardi, who originally played one when producing Cream back in '68, is on Sister Justice; basically, some nice string chords over the fairly heavy chorus. Pleasant, but inessential.
So; Nantucket Sleighride is the band's classic, and Climbing's pretty good, too, and while Avalanche isn't a bad album, it's far from their best. One reasonable 'Tron track over two albums, which just isn't enough for me to recommend purchase on those grounds alone.
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7" (1968) *****/TTT½ Blackberry Way Something |
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7" (1969) ***/T Curly This Time Tomorrow |
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The Move emerged from the early-'60s beat boom as Birmingham's prime contender, led (eventually) by multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood, but as the decade progressed they quickly shifted across to a more interesting area along with many of their contemporaries. Infamous for being the first act played on the fledgling Radio 1 in 1967, by this time The Move had become an excellent psychedelic pop group with several hits which stand up well today. The fifth of these, Blackberry Way, hit the charts in December 1968, reaching No.1 (their only chart-topper) early the following year and is not only a killer song but a minor Mellotron classic, too. The ominous reverb-drenched minor-key ascending string line under the verse finally modulates wonderfully via an intricate bridge into the major-key chorus. There's more 'Tron in the middle-eight, too, before the song shifts back into the last verse. Incidentally, apparently future ELO keyboardist Richard Tandy played harpsichord on the track, although I suspect Roy plays the Mellotron.
Their next hit, Curly reached the charts in July '69, the equivalent of a couple of geological epochs at a time when singles were banged out every two or three months. The recorder-led track is more commercial than Blackberry Way, but still rates way above almost anything else around at the time. There's very little 'Tron on this one; just a few bars of strings in the middle-eight, but it's definitely worth a listen. Having now listened to all three of the band's albums, I can quite categorically state that there's not a jot of Mellotron among the lot of 'em, despite rumours that there was some to be heard on their last effort, Message From the Country (***).
Neither of these singles was included on the band's regular albums, but both are available on a plethora of 'greatest hits' sets; I've got them on Looking back...the Best of The Move, but they're easy to track down, especially Blackberry Way, which is one of those songs which in an ideal world everyone should own. Pity we don't live in one, really...
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Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002, 47.40) **/½ |
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| You and I Both I'll Do Anything The Remedy (I Won't Worry) Who Needs Shelter Curbside Prophet Sleep All Day Too Much Food Absolutely Zero |
On Love, in Sadness No Stopping Us The Boy's Gone Tonight, Not Again |
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It seems that Jason Mraz has only released self-financed live recordings prior to his major label debut, Waiting for My Rocket to Come. Well, I hope they're better than this; bland, 'modern', 'alternative'... Boring covers it, I think. I'm told the lyrics are the most important thing about Mraz' music; I bloody hope so, 'cos the music's dull as ditchwater. He covers a variety of styles, frequently singing those 'half melodies' that seem to be so popular at the moment; you know, a tune that isn't really a tune at all (see: Oasis), and his voice irritates after a few numbers, too. Possibly the most infuriating thing about Waiting for My Rocket to Come is that a few song intros promise something interesting (notably The Boy's Gone), then fail to deliver. Surprisingly, about the best thing here is a rather drippy ballad, Absolutely Zero, but I wouldn't take that as a recommendation, if I were you.
Mellotron on one track, with what sounds like rather tremulous cellos on Who Needs Shelter, from Michael Andrews, though it has to be said that they don't especially enhance the song, being largely inaudible. Anyway, Jason Mraz seems to have all the requisite qualities for success, you know, looks, irritating voice, drippy songs etc., and good luck to him. Just please don't use a Mellotron again, so I never have to hear any more of your tedious music. Thank you.
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Sinfonia Della Luna (1984, 46.05/52.09) ***½/TTSinfonia Della LunaMagical Wand Venezia Dance... Romantic A Parade of the Wonderland Ballo Della Luna [CD adds: Leonardo] |
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Léda et le Cygne (1986, 44.31) ***½/TTT½Léda et le CygneLa Rosa Salomé Edmond's Old Mirror Bluge Kamira Pavane pour une Infante Défunte |
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The Princess of Kingdom Gone (1988, 43.59) ***/T½The Princess of Kingdom GoneThe Lady of Shalott Legend of the Forest Dazzling Ligeia Black Panther Trident Rock Una Donna |
Current availability:
Mugen are yet another Japanese prog band from the '80s (by no means necessarily a bad thing), with Sinfonia Della Luna being the first of their three releases. I'm afraid I find it a little cheesy in places, with overly 'sweet' synth leads, although no worse than many of their contemporaries, and better than many. There are occasional Genesis comparisons on their debut, like the synth/organ break in Dance... Romantic, or the 12-string work in Leonardo, but most of the album doesn't sound too like anybody else. Ballo Della Luna is excellent, with a lengthy acoustic part kicking things off (so to speak), although the side-long title track is probably overlong, and is one of the worst offenders on the cheese front. Katsuhiko Hayashi uses (presumably) analogue string synth on most tracks, with a rather insipid choir sound, generated from an unknown keyboard, but he gets some 'Tron in on a few tracks. Sinfonia Della Luna itself has a short flute part, well into the song, as does Leonardo, added to the CD release. Venezia goes for a full-on strings part, as does Ballo Della Luna, with a beautiful unaccompanied 'Tron section, bumping its T rating up slightly.
Léda et le Cygne is better than its predecessor, if not quite a four-star effort, although several tracks still manage some of those cheesy synth brass parts beloved of '80s Japanese outfits. The Genesis influence is less obvious this time round, although a few seconds in Salomé are straight out of The Return Of The Giant Hogweed, and a synth arpeggio later on could easily have come from the pen of Mr Banks. Hayashi sticks Mellotron all over the place, with the first sound on the album being a faint 'Tron strings part leading into the title track, with strings and flutes scattered across most of the rest of the album. The choirs on Salomé are distinctly un-'Tronlike, so whatever their tapeframe's third sound is doesn't appear to get used, but there's enough string work to get your Mellotron Aficionado all hot under the collar. Which is nice.
Mugen's third and final album, the frequently-misspelled The Princess of Kingdom Gone, gets a bad rap from many online reviewers, but is near-as-dammit the match of their debut, if not quite as good as its predecessor. OK, it may sound in places like they're running out of ideas, but I've heard an awful lot worse albums, not least a good few from the contemporaneous Japanese scene. Not an awful lot of 'Tron this time round, with merely strings on the title track and strings and flutes on Trident Rock, while all other string parts appear to be generic samples.
So; Sinfonia Della Luna and The Princess of Kingdom Gone are not bad, not brilliant, some decent 'Tron work in places, while Léda et le Cygne is better both musically and for the 'Tron. You know what you have to do.
