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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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Plackband Planetarium Please |
Plumb Pluto |
Poisonous Museum Brendan Pollard |
(I) Pooh Popol Vuh (Norway) |
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The Lost Tapes (2000, recorded 1981, 59.01) ***/TBloodmasterEnd of the Line The Good Earth The Hunchback Sign of the Knife Seventy Warriors |
Current availability:
Plackband were named for Plakband, the Dutch equivalent of gaffer tape, as it was apparently all that held their equipment together back in the mid-'70s. Of course, joke names aren't meant to stick (ho ho), but so often do... It took the band a while to work up to a professional level, releasing a lone single in 1978, Seventy Warriors b/w Some Party, although they either didn't own their Mellotron then, or simply didn't use it. They split in the early '80s, having never recorded a studio album, despite having a healthy following in their home area.
Almost twenty years later, a long-forgotten live tape was found in their old rehearsal space, and released as The Lost Tapes, proving to be of excellent sound quality, and giving a good idea of what a proper Plackband album may have sounded like. And they sounded like...? A rather simplistic version of the classic symphonic prog sound, to be honest, predating '80s neo-prog by a year or two while also sounding a little like Camel, though without the great atmosphere the latter could conjure up on a good day. Most of the material is somewhat overlong for its fairly limited content, particularly The Hunchback, which seems to last for a couple of geological epochs. Don't get me wrong; this is pleasant enough, but all a bit unengaging, and nowhere near the quality of their countrymen Focus or Finch, although several miles ahead of '80s bands such as Coda or the awful For Absent Friends.
Mellotron (from vocalist Kees Bik, surprisingly) on every track, although at no point does it get anything resembling a starring role. It was largely used for a background wash of choirs, although I think I spotted a string part at one point, as against the ubiquitous string synth lathered over every track. All in all, despite the number of highlighted tracks above, this deserves its low 'T' rating, as the 'Tron is so quiet as to be hardly there at all.
Plackband reformed around the time of this release, recording a new album, 2002's After the Battle, following the Remember Forever single, including their original 1978 single tracks. Despite the Mellotron sounds, it seems highly likely that it's samples, as their old 'Tron had been sold many years earlier. As far as The Lost Tapes goes, if you're into that Dutch/German laid-back prog style, you'll probably like it, but anyone with a yearning for something more complex should probably look elsewhere. Remarkably little Mellotron, too, so I wouldn't bother on those grounds either.
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Infinity (1971, 36.47) ****/TTTTThe BeginningLife Man (part one) Man (part two) Love War The Moon Infinity |
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Mellotron used:
Planetarium were a little-known Italian outfit whose real names appear to be unknown; in fact, I've no idea if there are any credits on their sole album, Infinity, at all. Musically, they were full-on instrumental symphonic prog (pre-PFM, note), with the odd wordless vocal, meaning that those of you who can't handle 'foreign' vocals should have no problem. Their sound is a little 'proto-prog', particularly on the title track, but that's hardly surprising, given the recording date. Man (Part Two) and War are probably the album's highlights, but there isn't a bad track on board, to be honest.
The anonymous keyboard player's Mellotron work is pretty full-on, too, with swathes of (presumably) Mark II strings on almost every track, the exception being the acoustic guitar/organ duet of Man (Part One). The finest 'Tron moment is probably the superbly cranky pitchbend at the end of The Beginning (as against the beginning of the end), repeated at the end of the album. Twist that dial! So; good music, loads of 'Tron - can't go wrong really, can you?
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Seeing Stars (2001, recorded 1969, 40.09) ***/T |
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| Seeing Stars Words to Say Before Time Goes By The Road Rise and Shine Still Dreaming Secrets |
Who You Know But Steal Your Dreams |
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Please were a late-period UK psych outfit, better-known for the bands their members went on to join, notably Peter Dunton, who was playing in T2 within a year of this material's recording. The difference between the two bands is startling; Please have a sound that really predates their era, being more early than late psych, with much Farfisa, whereas T2 were definitely proto-prog, although both bands actually sound rather dated these days. I don't believe Please actually released anything much (at all?) at the time, so I presume Seeing Stars is your typical demos and outtakes collection. It seems to be quite highly rated by some psych fans, but to my ears, it falls between too many stools to really cut it all these years later.
I presume it's Dunton playing the Mellotron flutes on Time Goes By; a decent enough part, but nothing outstanding. Otherwise it's pretty much all Farfisa or Hammond, with a drop of Wurly, and that Farfisa really pushes their sound back to the mid-'60s... So; OK, nothing special, lots better from the era.
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Candycoatedwaterdrops (1999, 43.55) */0 |
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| Late Great Planet Earth Stranded Here With Me Lie Low Phobic God-Shaped Hole Solace Worlds Collide: A Fairy Tale |
Damaged Drugstore Jesus Candycoatedwaterdrops |
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Plumb's strangely-titled Candycoatedwaterdrops starts by sounding like it's channelling Zeppelin's Kashmir in a contemporary style, but quickly sinks into a pit of horrors, not least due to the revelation (ha ha) that they're bloody Christians. Well, I should've realised, shouldn't I, with titles like God-Shaped Hole and Drugstore Jesus? Not to mention the 'thanks section: "We want to thank most importantly Christ, our Savior, in whom this album is in honor" Er, 'in whom this album is in honor'? Is their faith so overwhelming that their grammar goes to shit? Obviously. That looks a lot like someone trying to write 'proper' English without actually knowing how. Anyway, this album is lyrically offensive to anyone who would once upon a time have been known as a 'free-thinker', and it's musically offensive to anyone who likes anything outside the mainstream. Yes, even a little bit.
Co-producer Glenn Rosenstein (you mean they allowed a non-Christian to work on their record?) allegedly plays Mellotron on Stranded, but given that both he and Mike Purcell are credited with 'programming', it's safe to say that it's lost somewhere in the glossy, superficial mix. Exactly the same goes for Matt Stanfield's supposed 'Tron work on Solace, giving the album a resounding zero on the T front. Oh well, at least I didn't waste a whole 43 mins 55 secs listening to this dreck; when 'Tron tracks are credited and the music's awful, I freely admit that I reach for the 'skip' button with some frequency. Drivel. And I haven't even mentioned the ludicrously-named Tiffany Arbuckle's horrid, 'confessional' vocal style. After listening to this, I feel defiled. Avoid, with urgency.
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Voyage Into a Dreamer's Mind (1980, 34.57) ***½/TTInto a Totally Different RaceThe Struggle Encounter Petal on a Wet Bough Love's Labyrinth The Voyage The Dreamer Hole in a Pocket Yanti Au Revoir |
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Norway's Pluto (apparently a person, not a band) released two albums in the early '80s, round about the same time as a band by whom he was surely influenced: Kerrs Pink; it's hard to say which outfit is better, although Kerrs Pink have a higher public profile, due to their patronage by Musea, going by the evidence here. Voyage Into a Dreamer's Mind is a perfectly good and undeservedly obscure late-period progressive album, for which the word 'mellifluous' could have been invented, such is its laid-back melodic approach to the genre; comparisons with Camel (particularly their Snow Goose period) would also be appropriate, with only a few of its ten tracks featuring any vocal involvement.
Difficult to pick out any standout tracks, but nothing here is likely to offend, with the short guitar pieces Hole In A Pocket and Au Revoir being notable. On the Mellotron front (from Pluto himself), after a couple of 'Tronless tracks, the choirs kick in on Encounter, with more of the same on Love's Labyrinth, while The Voyage opens with the album's first obvious 'Tron string part, although a string synth is in evidence, too. While we're not talking 'Mellotron Classic', what you can hear is sympathetically played, adding nicely to the overall effect; shame he couldn't have used it a little more, methinks.
Anyway, this one isn't going to be easy to find, and while it's a perfectly nice album, it really shouldn't be considered 'essential', either for the music or the Mellotron. Usual stuff; pick it up should you see it at a sensible price.
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Let it Go (1999, 50.32) ***/TTT |
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| Sea The Waiting Room Wizard Magic Stars From Here on in Good Times Even Me Fine Line Head Heart & Hammer |
Hymn No Surprise Run A Dream Saved Sun |
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Poisonous Museum's sole album to date is, in many ways, a typical 'modern' progressive album, taking much of its influence from the more metallic end of the spectrum. That isn't to say that it's 'progressive metal', à la Dream Theater, but the guitars have a good deal more 'crunch' than any '70s-influenced band. While mostly British, vocalist Marc "Max" Vanhaeren is French, although his English-language vocals are barely accented. The album falls into the 'not great, but not bad' category, with a couple of the songs standing out, but most not really hitting the 'memorable' button. The Mellotron use by Andrew Smart is sparse but effective, with Good Times and Saved being especially worthy of mention.
Don't buy this hoping for a Mellotron Classic, but it's not a bad album of its type.
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Expansion (2005, 60.57) ****/TTTTTegulaToxic Blue Nebulous Valve Aquarius |
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Flux Echoes (2007, 73.28) ****/TTTTFlux EchoesRadiant Transmission Phosphor Skyline Torque |
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Brendan Pollard is one half of current UK EM duo Rogue Element, Expansion being his first solo project, surprisingly after only one Rogue Element album, Premonition. It has a lot in common with said album, although it lacks its Froeseish guitar work, but otherwise sticks fairly closely to the standard 'Berlin School' template of drones, sequencer lines and shitloads of Mellotron. Yes, it's real, with 'various tape frames' being credited in the CD booklet, although I could only actually spot five specific sounds myself. You may ask yourself (or you may not, given that you're already reading the contents of this site), "What the fuck does it matter whether or not the Mellotron's real?". I'll tell you why it matters: it's to do with the way a musician plays a sound. Piano samples, especially when played on a lightweight synth keyboard, never sound right, and nor do infinite-sustain Mellotron samples with velocity sensitivity (thanks, Roland). That's like pitchbending a piano, or playing eight-note chords on a guitar; good trick if you can do it, but nothing to do with the way the instrument was intended to be played. OK, I'm sure Harry Chamberlin and Les Bradley would've liked to've made an infinitely sustaining Chamberlin or Mellotron, but they didn't, and hearing one that does is just... wrong. So there.
Er, anyway... The album's Mellotron work begins with a full-on choir part a few minutes into Tegula, with flutes, phased strings and even brass thrown into the mix later on. Toxic Blue pretty much opens with an extremely upfront flute part, throwing cellos into the equation further down the line (listen to that raucous double bass note!), while the rest of the album sticks more to the tried'n'tested strings and flutes, although there may well be sound effects (Rogue Element own at least one ex-Tangs frame) here and there as well. So; a good, solid EM release, sounding all the better for its considerable analogue input. As ever with this genre, I'm not the best-qualified person to review it, but as with the Rogue Element album, this will be put on when I need to kick back and drift off. Organic, well thought-out EM. Buy.
Two years on, and Brendan's second album drops onto my doormat, completely unheralded. So what's happened to Rogue Element? They're beginning to look like the Tangs' longevity is not for them, though I may yet be proven wrong, hopefully. Flux Echoes is, unsurprisingly, another Berlin School album, with all the usual reference points; y'know, you either like this stuff or you don't - half measures don't count. It does all the right things in all the right places, although some of you may find what is effectively a double albums'-worth to be a little too much of a good thing. Blame the CD revolution. Anyway, shedloads of 'Tron, with the sounds listed this time. (Deep breath):
The obvious ones are the standard 3 violins (generic 'strings'), the cellos, brass, flutes and both choirs, though the other three string sounds must be in there somewhere. Thinking about it, the mixed violin/cello is probably on the title track. Not sure about the oboes and sound effects, but given that they'll be their ex-Tangs frame, they could be almost anything; certainly not restricted to the 'standard' set I've spotted on a few things. Sensibly, Brendan and Adrian Dolente don't over-use them (they have two M400s), as overkill is easy, particularly with the strings (otherwise known as 'how to spot samples'). None of that here, which is always to be applauded, but when you have at least four tape frames, that really shouldn't be too difficult. So; once again, a 'Tron-heavy EM album for everyone who mourns the day Tangerine Dream got rid of theirs, me included. This beats the crap out of most digital Euro-EM, featuring people who not only can play their instruments, but have to, as most of it is pre-MIDI, and even the sequencing is pseudo-analogue (spot the Doepfer). As with its predecessor, this is a pretty essential album. Buy.
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Rotolando Respirando (1977) ***/T |
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| Sara nel Sole Bella In Diretta nel Vento Che ne Fai di Te Rotolando Respirando Per una Donna Il Suo Tempo e Noi Una Domenica da Buttare |
Dammi Solo un Minuto Ancora Tra un Anno |
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Viva (1979) **½/T |
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| Io Sono Vivo Notte a Sorpresa Una Donna Normale Tutto Adesso In Concerto Rubiamo un'Isola Così Ti Vorrei Susanna e Basta |
L'Ultima Notte di Caccia Viva |
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I Pooh formed in 1966 and, incredibly, are still going, with no periods of inactivity in between. A beat group when they formed (of course), they shifted into a rather cheesy form of orchestrated progressive-ish rock in the early '70s, at least going by the one title I've heard, 1971's Opera Prima, before gravitating towards mainstream pop/rock by the middle of the decade. Most surprisingly, albums as late as 1982's live Palasport still feature keys man Roby Facchinetti's trusty Mellotron, although doubtless in a somewhat supporting role.
1977's Rotolando Respirando ('We Go and Breathe', apparently) reminds me of Queen, of all bands, with the same sort of overblown pomp-pop with a considerable guitar presence, although more 'Italian' (and not just because of the vocals) and less, er, interesting. Better tracks include opener Sara Nel Sole and side two's big ballad, Ancora Tra Un Anno, though it's all fairly unexciting stuff, to be honest, just scraping three stars for not being too awful. Limited Mellotron, with what sound like distant background choirs on the title track and a major flute part in Il Suo Tempo E Noi, alongside real strings, but that seems to be it, although I'm willing to admit it could be hidden away on one or two other tracks.
I haven't heard their interim effort, Boomerang, but '79's Viva (the band by now without the 'I', or 'The') is essentially mainstream pop, minus even the Queen influence (sadly), replaced by a horrid Euro-disco feel to some of the tracks. No even slight highlights, I'm afraid, although the closing title track is about the least irritating thing here. It's also the only track with any Mellotronic input, with a largish helping of choirs, although they're a bit buried in the mix.
So; (I) Pooh's early-mid '70s titles might be OK, if not exactly outstanding, but they were well on the way down by Rotolando Respirando, and Viva is just plain duff. Despite that, I'm a bit of a glutton for punishment, so given how many other (actual and potential) 'Tron titles there are in the band's catalogue, I expect I'll be reporting back in a year or two, having tracked down some more pain.
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Popol Vuh (1972, 34.19) ***½/TTT½HunchbackJoy & Pleasure All We Have is the Past Leavin' Chicago For Eternity Sucklin' Pig Medicine |
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Quiché Maya (1973, 39.31) ***½/TT½Queen of All QueensDark Nights Mrs. Randalie Music Box Yesterday Milk-White Satin-Dressed Departure Between You and Me Get Up |
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Stolen From Time [as Popol Ace] (1975, 49.20) ***½/TT½Bury Me DeadToday Another Day Jester Soft Shoe Dancer Mr. Bigalow Sweet Tune Sleepwalker I Can See Tears Suicide |
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Named for the Mayan creation myth, Norway's Popol Vuh released two albums before deciding on a name-change to the less atmospheric Popol Ace to avoid clashing with Florian Fricke's better-known project. After seeing the song titles on Popol Vuh, I expected them to be quite in-your-face, but much of the album is quiet, reflective progressive rock, although Leavin' Chicago is, unsurprisingly, a bad blues. When the band played to their strengths, they were a pretty good proto-prog outfit, with accentless English-language vocals, although I'd be lying if I said the music was especially complex. The way to get the best out of the album is, basically, to play the 'Tron tracks, although the first half of Medicine is a bit suspect, until it suddenly turns into the proggiest track on the album. Pete Knutsen does a good job on the 'Tron, mainly strings, but cellos and flutes on a track apiece, alongside Pjokken Eide's real flute.
Their follow-up, Quiché Maya, reinforces the Mayan connection, although it's pretty much 'no change' on the musical front, although the titles made me think that maybe they'd dropped the bad blues-rock stuff. To be fair, there's probably less of that, and a (slightly) more experimental progressive air to the album, though it doesn't open particularly well. There's a block of 'Tron tracks in the middle of the record, largely strings, with some fucked-up pitchbend work on closer Get Up, too, but there's probably less 'Tron work than on its predecessor overall.
Two years on, Stolen From Time was their first release as Popol Ace, and seems, maybe surprisingly, to be nearly as progressive as its predecessors, with Sweet Tune reminding the listener of Focus, and several other tracks having a distinctly progressive bent to them. Knutsen was still using his Mellotron, though largely for choirs by this point. Background ones can be heard on opener Bury Me Dead, with more of the same and some heavily-effected strings, which may actually not be tape-generated, on Today Another Day. A heavy flute part on Soft Shoe Dancer proves to be the only use of the sound on the album, with more of those background choirs on Sweet Tune and Sleepwalker, plus what have to actually be 'Tron strings on the latter.
So; three decent enough, but formative albums, with a reasonable helping of Mellotron, particularly on their debut. The last Popol Ace album, '78's Curly Sounds, is rumoured to contain 'Tron, though I've been pretty much assured that it doesn't; more news if I get to hear a copy.
