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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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Posies Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) Present |
Lisa Marie Presley Pressgang |
Presto Ballet Pretty Things |
Spike Priggen Primal Scream |
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Amazing Disgrace (1996, 53.28) ****/T½ |
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| Daily Mutilation Ontario Throwaway Please Return it Hate Song Precious Moments Fight it (if You Want) Everybody is a Fucking Liar World Grant Hart |
Broken Record The Certainty Song #1 ¿Will You Ever Ease Your Mind? Terrorized [unlisted track] [Australian version has bonus disc including: Going Going Gone Leave Me Be King Midas in Reverse Every Christian Lionhearted Man Will Show You] |
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From Washington State, the Posies specialise(d) in high-energy powerpop, falling somewhere between Big Star and Hüsker Dü. Despite supposedly splitting in 1998, I believe there's still activity somewhere in their camp; in fact, I met them around 2001, when they used my brother's studio for a quick pre-gig rehearsal while in London. Ken Stringfellow (I think) confirmed for me that they'd actually owned a rare Mark V Mellotron in the late '90s, but had since sold it; he told me it was 'all over' '96's Amazing Disgrace, though I have to say that the audio evidence somewhat contradicts him.
It's a really good album, actually, with plenty of wit (Everybody Is A Fucking Liar, Grant Hart) and stacks of great songs, although they're not quite up to Big Star standards, to be honest. Ironically, Stringfellow and fellow guitarist Jon Auer played guitar and bass in the sporadically-reformed Big Star, backing Alex Chilton. Anyway, on the 'Tron front (played by both guitarists, apparently), Precious Moments opens with 'Tron cellos, before the strings kick in, still running under the heavier guitar parts, while World has a reasonable string part, but The Certainty is top 'Tron moment here; a slower number with dirty great slabs of pitchbent strings all over it. It's possible that there's other bits of 'Tron dotted around, buried in the mix, but I wouldn't like to say for sure.
Just to confuse the issue, apparently the Australian version of the album had a bonus disc containing four songs also available on a single, three of which are late-'60s covers. No 'Tron on either the Zombies' Leave Me Be, or the Hollies' King Midas In Reverse (great Hammond, though), but I'd be willing to bet it's all over the Bee Gees' Every Christian Lionhearted Man Will Show You, as the original's smothered in it, but it's the only one of the tracks I haven't (yet) heard. Typical.
There's supposed to be some 'Tron on compilation giveaway Limitless Expressions, but I have to say I can't hear it, and their (supposed) swansong, Success (***½) sounds 'Tron-free, too, which isn't to say that there aren't any more relevant tracks scattered around their discography. A massive four-CD archive set, At Least at Last appeared in 2000, so there may be the odd track there, but no promises. So; I haven't heard their earlier material, but '93's Frosting on the Beater is supposed to be excellent, and I can heartily recommend Amazing Disgrace, though more for the music than the 'Tron. But then, isn't that how it should be?
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Storia di un Minuto (1972, 34.32) *****/TTTT½IntroduzioneImpressioni di Settembre E Festa Dove...Quando...(Part I) Dove...Quando...(Part II) La Carrozza di Hans Grazie Davvero |
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Per un Amico (1972, 34.14) *****/TTT½Appena un PoGenerale! Per un Amico Il Banchetto Geranio |
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Photos of Ghosts (1973, 40.18) ****/TT½River of Life (Appena un Po)Celebration (E Festa) Photos of Ghosts (Per un Amico) Old Rain Il Banchetto Mr.9 'till 5 (Generale!) Promenade the Puzzle (Geranio) |
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L'Isola di Niente (1974, 35.31) ****/TTTL'Isola di NienteIs My Face on Straight La Luna Nuova Dolcissima Maria Via Lumiere |
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The World Became the World (1974, 39.21) ***½/TTT½The Mountain (L'Isola di Niente)Just Look Away (Dolcissima Maria) The World Became the World (Impressioni di Settembre) Four Holes in the Ground (La Luna Nuova) Is My Face on Straight Have Your Cake and Beat it (Via Lumiere) |
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Cook [a.k.a. Live in U.S.A.] (1974, 49.20) ****/TTTFour Holes in the GroundDove...Quando... Just Look Away Celebration Mr Nine Till Five Alta Loma Five Till Nine |
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Chocolate Kings (1976, 36.12) ****/½From UnderHarlequin Chocolate Kings Out of the Roundabout Paper Charms |
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Impressioni Vent'Anni Dopo (1994, recorded 1972, 95.08) ***½/TTT½ |
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| Appena un Po Generale Dove...Quando...(Parte I) Dove...Quando...(Parte II) Impressioni di Settembre Per un Amico |
Il Banchetto E Festa La Carrozza di Hans Drum Solo La Carrozza di Hans Impressioni di Settembre |
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10 Anni Live, 1971-1981 (1996, 263.33) ***½/TTT |
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| 21st Century Schizoid Man My God Pictures of a City Bollate Guitar Jam Bollate Keyboard Jam Bourée Bourée Jam La Carrozza di Hans Dove...Quando... Four Holes in the Ground Is My Face on Straight Cleveland Keyboard Jam Mr.9 Till 5 |
Alta Loma 5 Till 9 JC Violin Jam Classic Violin Solo William Tell Overture La Carrozza di Hans Central Park Drum Solo Impressioni di Settembre Poseidon Four Holes in the Ground Spanish Jam Pascolo Siderale Jam Mediterranea Jam Acoustic Guitar Solo |
Paper Charms La Grande Fuga Chocolate Kings WB Violin Jam Violin Classic Solo William Tell Overture Celebration Drum Solo Impressioni di Settembre Poseidon Out of the Roundabout Left Handed Theory |
Dove...Quando... Jet Lag Greek Reflection Traveller Violin Suite Violin Dance Violin West Dance Celebration Passpartu Suonare Suonare Maestro Della Voce Chi Ha Paura Della Notte |
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PFM? PFM! Premiata Forneria Marconi aren't just the best-known Italian progressive outfit because they had albums released world-wide; they're also the best. Their first two Italian-language albums rank among the very best progressive albums ever, in my humble opinion, and that of many other people too. Outside Italy, most people's introduction to PFM was their first English-language release, Photos of Ghosts. Now, I may be treading on a few toes here, but I have to say that I find the album rather inferior to the Italian-language ones; although the tracks are the same basic recordings, the accented English vocals rather spoil them, as do the unnecessary string synth overdubs and the over-zealous editing. In fact, it sounds like the Mellotron is not only smothered by string synth, but actually pushed down in the mix in places, too. Very strange.
However, to go back to the beginning; PFM were music students who formed a 'beat group' in the late '60s (still a reasonable option in Italy, apparently), then turned progressive around 1971. Storia di un Minuto is an absolutely fantastic album; seven superb tracks, although their Genesis/King Crimson influences do show through in places. While not being the first Italian progressive band, PFM were the first to get it completely right; their symphonic compositional style (not to mention their chops) were obviously picked up at music school. Their experimentation, particularly with regard to their multi-overdubbed synth parts was first-rate, and their overall sound was just unbelievable.
Within the year, they managed a second album, every bit as good as their first, if not better. In fact the only thing that lets either of these albums down is their length, or lack of it. 34/35 minutes seems a little short even by '70s standards, so it's hardly surprising that their foreign releases were extended slightly. Per un Amico ('For a Friend') is completely classic; opener Appena Un Po is a gorgeous piece of music, starting with gentle classical guitar, then slowly building to the Mellotron surge of the chorus. There's another multi-synth part in Il Banchetto from keyboardist Flavio Premoli, and superb flute and violin from Mauro Pagani.
PFM were picked up by ELP's label, Manticore, the following year, and sometime King Crimson/ELP collaborator Pete Sinfield wrote new lyrics to most of the songs. Photos of Ghosts basically consists of the whole of Per un Amico, plus one track from Storia di un Minuto and a new instrumental, Old Rain. The original titles are marked alongside the new ones in the discography above, for those who wish to 'compare and contrast'. It's a great shame that the tracks were mangled so badly, but the album gained PFM a vast new audience outside their homeland, including America.
The following year saw PFM release another short Italian-language effort, L'Isola di Niente, with one notable change; one English-language song, Is My Face On Straight, with lyrics again by Sinfield. An English version was rushed out as quickly as possible; again, there's an extra track. This time the gorgeous Impressioni Di Settembre was rescued from the first album, becoming The World Became the World's title track. The Mellotron use on this album is actually very restrained; it turned out to be their last studio album to feature any great amount of 'Tron, although some found its way onto their live album, Cook (released in the US as the slightly erroneously-titled Live in USA) recorded in '74.
Chocolate Kings was PFM's last genuinely 'progressive' album, after which they 'progressed' right out of the genre, displaying a bewildering variety of styles over their next few releases, few of which interest the progressive fan. It's an excellent record, with tracks such as Harlequin and Out Of The Roundabout easily matching anything on its predecessor, although a certain jazziness in places gives warning of a stylistic shift which would become evident on the West Coast fusion-lite of the following year's Jet Lag. Now, I was under the impression that Flavio Premoli knocked his Mellotron use on the head after Cook, but after being pressed to listen to this again, it's evident that there are some background strings on opener From Under, at the typical PFM-ish crescendo near the end of the track, though that appears to be it.
After Jet Lag (***), PFM slowly slipped into mediocrity like so many of their contemporaries. However, a couple of archive releases surfaced in the '90s, round about the time most of the original band reformed. Impressioni Vent'Anni Dopo is probably only semi-official, but features a good (if not 100% sound quality) performance from late '72, just after the release of Per un Amico, with a couple of tracks from a TV broadcast tacked on the end. 10 Anni Live, 1971-1981 is a sprawling great 4-CD set which does exactly what it says on the box. The first two discs are excellent, and much of disc 3, with a few 'Tron tracks, mostly on the first disc, but the quality control slips a little by disc 4, with the last four tracks being horrible early-'80s travesties.
So; The first three Italian-language albums: BUY. BUY NOW! The first two English language and Chocolate Kings: buy when you've bought the first three. Cook and the archive releases: buy when you need to hear some more PFM.
Unofficial sites
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No.6 (1999, 47.12) ****/T |
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| The Limping Little Girl Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Le Rôdeur Ceux d'en Bas (Suite) Part 1: Le Matin Part 2: Le Rêve de la Nuit |
Part 3: La Realité Part 4: Vers le Cauchemar Part 5: Le Cauchemar Yo Part 6: Le Combat Sworlf |
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High Infidelity (2001, 48.03) ****/TSouls for SaleStrychnine for Christmas Rêve de Fer |
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A few years ago, I saw Present play at a Swedish progressive festival. Their drummer hadn't made the gig so, undeterred, they played anyway, largely clearing the hall, which sums up the band's attitude perfectly. They began as a Univers Zero offshoot, formed by guitarist Roger Trigaux, with other UZ members guesting, although the band soon took on a life of its own. Splitting in the mid-'80s, it was a decade before Trigaux put together another lineup under that name, who have worked sporadically ever since. Their music is most easily compared to that of Univers Zero, best described as 'avant rock'; dissonant, repetitive, angular and intense, it's about the furthest you're going to get from 'easy listening' while remaining even vaguely in the realms of progressive rock, although I rather doubt that the band would even consider themselves such.
Trigaux contacted me himself to confirm the Mellotron use on their two most recent studio releases, 1999's No.6 and High Infidelity from two years later (REO Speedwagon connection, anyone? Thought not...). No.6 fits the band template to a T, with lengthy opener The Limping Little Girl's edginess setting the tone for the rest of the album. Oddly, Trigaux barely performs on the record, crediting himself mainly with 'composition/musical direction', leaving a five-piece band to actually play his material. Pierre Chevalier provides the slightly Magma-like piano work, plus the Mellotron on Ceux D'en Bas Pt.6, Le Combat, with some background strings slowly working their way to the front of the mix by the end of the piece.
High Infidelity is, if anything, better than its predecessor, with Trigaux taking more of an active role in the recording this time round. Although two of the album's three tracks are again split into several parts, it seems to be less 'official' than on No.6, so I haven't included them in the tracklisting above. The music is from the same, angular school as other Present albums, although it may be just a tad more accessible, or maybe it's just that I'm getting used to it; either way, it's all good stuff, particularly the 27-minute Souls For Sale. As with its predecessor, the album was recorded in Tel Aviv, and Chevalier does the Mellotron honours again (using Zohar Cohen's machine, also used by Israeli psych/pop monsters Rockfour), though only on his own composition, Strychnine For Christmas. I think the staccato sound over the (real) cello is actually guitar, though it's hard to say, but the strings in the middle of the piece are very obviously 'Tron.
So; two excellent albums in their field, but if you don't go for more 'out there' prog, stay away! For the more adventurous spirits out there, though, give it a go, although the Mellotron work isn't that overt.
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To Whom it May Concern (2003, 50.45) ***/T |
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| S.O.B. The Road Between Lights Out Better Beware Nobody Noticed it Sinking in Important So Lovely |
Indifferent Gone To Whom it May Concern |
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It wouldn't be fair to say that Lisa Marie's management went out of their way to make her look like the spit of her dad, now would it? OK, it would. The Pelvis would've been proud of the monochrome 'over the shoulder smoulder' she sports on the sleeve of her debut album, To Whom it May Concern, archly raised eyebrow and all. Veteran of three failed marriages (one to Michael Jackson, as I'm sure you'll all remember) and a Scientologist since her teens, Lisa's finally, at the age of 37, taken the plunge and followed in her father's footsteps. I was expecting the album to be truly awful, with some name producer shoehorning her into an inappropriate 'R&B' format, so, while I can't really say I particularly like it, I was surprised to find that it sits on the border between singer/songwriter territory and AOR, and Presley has a pleasant, warm contralto voice, proving that she's inherited more than just her father's looks.
Now, I'm working from a promo CD I picked up cheap, which has no booklet information to speak of, so apologies if the proper version contains track-by-track credits, and I'm completely wrong in my assessment. Anyway, Zac Rae, who's also played on various Macy Gray albums, plays Chamberlin here, too, with the very first sound on the album being a murky solo flute part on S.O.B.. The only other Chamby I can hear is a string part on Better Beware, but I'm willing to be proved wrong on this one. So; by no means a great album, To Whom it May Concern is still better than expected, but don't go out of your way for its Chamberlin content.
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Mappa Mundi (1997, 46.45) ****/0 |
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| The Sylkie Forty Summers Flowers of the Forest Death of the Last Crusader Lyke Wake Dirge Trip to the Glen Lock the Gates River Song |
Chainsaw Reel Walking in the Wild Rocks and Stones Locksley Hall |
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Pressgang have been chugging along for over 15 years now, brandishing their own, raucous take on UK folk-rock at the general public, some of whom have been seduced by the band's raw, uncompromising but fun approach to the genre. I hesitate to say this, but there are at lest slight similarities between their sound and that of the tedious 'folk-punk' crowd, including the Levellers and the appalling New Model Army, although Pressgang beat the competition hands down, largely by not being boring politicos, having brains and knowing how to write a tune.
I first heard Mappa Mundi some years ago, and was quite surprised to see a credit for 'Mellotron' on three tracks. Now, here I have a slight problem; I'm actually reviewing this from a taped copy of the album (sorry, chaps), and without the CD insert, I don't know which the three tracks are. This is heavily compounded by the fact that when I heard it originally, all I could hear on the relevant tracks was a weird sort of drone, unlike any Mellotron sound I'd ever heard. So; is it actually a Mellotron at all? Or have they used the term indiscriminately, in a similar manner to the word 'Moog' being interchangeable with 'synthesizer' in the '70s? Or 'Fender bass' simply meaning 'bass'? Who knows?
Anyway, the album is actually bloody impressive; doom-laden opener The Sylkie sets the tone nicely, with several other darker pieces scattered throughout the record. There are more 'trad' folk numbers, too, plus a handful of more modern folk-rock efforts, making for a varied and interesting album that nonetheless fits firmly within the boundaries of English folk. George Whitfield's 'Mellotron' is, of course, another matter. As outlined above, all I can hear is what sounds like guitar-generated drones on three tracks, giving the album a resounding '0' on the 'Tronometer, I'm afraid. It is, though, well worth hearing if you're into this brand of folk.
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Peace Among the Ruins (2005, 47.15) ****/TTTTPeace Among the RuinsThe Fringes Seasons Find the Time Speed of Time Sunshine Slave Bringin' it on |
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Presto Ballet is the latest project from Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, who gleefully admits to having been a vintage keyboard collector for some years (he apparently used his Mellotron on Metal Church's '99 album, Masterpeace). Peace Among the Ruins is a curious mixture of '70s progressive hard rock and Vanderhoof's roots, '80s metal, so this isn't going to appeal to everyone into Zeppelin, Heep et al, although many of you will get off on at least some of it. Find The Time is particularly retro, with a No Quarter-style piano part and swirling synths (rock reviewer cliché no.37 - sorry about that), while Sunshine is an acoustic strum-along kind of thing, with upfront 'Tron strings and flutes, although most of the other material is heavier, in that '70s-crossed-with-'80s way that Vanderhoof seems to have made his own.
There's Mellotron and Chamberlin, maybe surprisingly, everywhere you look here, making me think at first that it could be samples, until I found an online interview where Vanderhoof talks about his collection. Mellotronic high-points? The flutes'n'strings pitchbending at the end of Sunshine, the point in closer Bring' It On where he finally uses the choirs, and just about every point where the strings lurch up out of the mix and kick you in the teeth.
There are also two relevant solo Vanderhoof albums, 1998's Vanderhoof and 2002's A Blur in Time, which I hope to track down at some point, along with that Metal Church album, although I rather doubt I'll be very into the latter. Metal Church have only released one subsequent album, 2004's The Weight of the World, although it doesn't seem likely there's any 'Tron present. Peace Among the Ruins is a good album, decidedly worth hearing, that actually loses its '80s-ness as it progresses, strangely, bumping it up from a prospective ***½ to a ****. Buy.
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7" (1968) ****/TT½ Talkin' About the Good Times Walking Through My Dreams |
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S.F.Sorrow (1968, 41.08/57.17) ****½/TTT |
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| SF Sorrow is Born Bracelets of Fingers She Says Good Morning Private Sorrow Balloon Burning Death Baron Saturday The Journey I See You |
Well of Destiny Trust Old Man Going Loneliest Person [CD adds: Defecting Grey Mr Evasion Talkin' About the Good Times Walking Through My Dreams] |
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Parachute (1970, 41.03/63.01) ***/T½ |
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| Scene One The Good Mr.Square She Was Tall, She Was High In the Square The Letter Rain Miss Fay Regrets Cries From the Midnight Circus |
Grass Sickle Clowns She's a Lover What's the Use Parachute [CD adds: Blue Serge Blues October 26 |
Cold Stone Stone-Hearted Mama Summer Time Circus Mind] |
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The Pretty Things started life as the nastiest beat group in town, out-outraging the Stones wherever they went, until psychedelia suddenly hit. Their first 'interesting' single, Defecting Grey, was good, but Talkin' About The Good Times was an excellent Mellotron and sitar-driven effort, easily the equal of many better-known psych 45s.
Famously, with S.F.Sorrow, the Pretty Things beat The Who to The First Concept Album (or, appallingly, 'rock opera') crown, although it's only in recent years that they've really been heralded for the feat. A fairly straightforward narrative of a man's unhappy life, it hangs together both lyrically and musically, and holds up well against its two major contemporaries, the Beatles' Sgt.Pepper and Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn. There's not a bad track on it, and highlights include the title track, Balloon Burning and the full-on Baron Saturday. The title track features much 'Tron brass, and a little strings for good measure, with other Mellotronic highlights being the swirly string chords and brief flute melody on Baron Saturday, while several other tracks feature the instrument rather more in the background. Thinking about it, S.F.Sorrow has to be one of the earliest 'Mellotron Albums', where it's used in anything more than a supporting role, giving it yet another 'first' in addition to the several it's already chalked up.
It took the band two years to follow S.F.Sorrow - doubtless the exertion involved in being so groundbreaking fair took it out of them. Anyway, Parachute was never really gong to compete, but it's not a bad record, just all a little ordinary in comparison, and showing their r'n'b roots more than you might expect. Apparently, John Povey definitely plays the 'Tron this time round, although his use seems to be limited to flutes on The Good Mr.Square and The Letter, and nice, if subdued string parts on Grass and the title track. There's a remote possibility there's more 'Tron elsewhere, but if so, it's low enough in the mix as to be almost inaudible. No 'Tron on any of the CD's bonus tracks, either.
So; I don't think I really need to recommend S.F.Sorrow to you. You either already know it or should, unless you just happen to have some antipathy towards late-'60s UK psych, in which case I suggest you revise your opinions post-haste. Buy unreservedly, particularly the version with the As and Bs of their two previous singles, including Talkin' About The Good Times. Parachute is rather more ordinary, but has some nice 'Tron here and there.
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The Very Thing That You Treasure (2001, 59.53) ***/T½ |
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| Every Broken Heart Alright She Used to Be My Baby Yesterday The Right Thing Outtasight What Yer Missing Listening to Me |
Nothing Look it Up I'm in Love So Good to See You unlisted track |
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Spike Priggen seems to specialise in country-flavoured singer-songwriter stuff, sometimes with a Byrdsian edge to it (maybe it's the 12-string). The Very Thing That You Treasure By Spike Priggen, to give it its full title, is OK, but lacks those killer songs that would elevate it from the morass of similar stuff that clutters up the world's second-hand racks. That probably sounds unnecessarily harsh - it's not a bad album, just not far enough above 'average', although the country-rock fans amongst you may disagree. Thankfully, Priggen does up the pace occasionally, principally on What Yer Missing, which sports a guitar riff straight out of the 'class of '77' punk songbook, and Look It Up has a minor cojones injection, too.
Dean Falcone plays Mellotron on two tracks; The Right Thing and So Good To See You are typically lovelorn countryish ballads, both with polyphonic flute parts throughout. There's a lengthy gap after So Good To See You, culminating in a hilariously stumbling, incoherent radio ad from a hillbilly removal company, including the line 'the very thing that you treasure', followed by a superb Spïnal Tap-style studio argument, culminating in a hidden track with what sounds slightly like another 'Tron flute part, but isn't. The album timing above is minus the gap, but includes the extra stuff at the end, so the actual amount of music is nearer 40 minutes.
So; a decent enough album in its genre (post-hardcore Americana, anyone?), but I really can't tell how much this is going to appeal to its target audience. The two 'Tron tracks both feature reasonable use, but don't splash out too much on their account.
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Xtrmntr (2000) ***½/TT½ |
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| Kill All Hippies Accelerator Exterminator Swastika Eyes (Jagz Kooner Mix) Pills Blood Money Keep Your Dreams Insect Royalty |
MBV Arkestra (if They Move Kill 'em) Swastika Eyes (Chemical Brothers Mix) Shoot Speed/Kill Light |
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Primal Scream started off as typical indie, before mutating into a sort of indie Stones - all raunchy guitars and bad attitude; since then, they haven't made two albums alike, which has to be applauded, given the competition. 2000's Xtrmntr (the band are credited on the sleeve as 'Prmlscrm', by the way) was their techno album; all beats, loops and samples, not to mention rather embarrassing Bobby Gillespie raps on Blood Money and Insect Royalty. Sorry, mate, white boy rap just doesn't cut it. Now, while I wouldn't actually choose to sit down and listen to this again, it's a brave experiment, and miles better than yet another Oasisalike rehash (see: Ocean Colour Scene).
The Mellotron strings on opener Kill All Hippies certainly sound real; very wobbly, with some pitchbend thrown in for good measure, but the ascending line on the first version of Swastika Eyes has a note that's held way beyond the eight-second limit, but it's possible that it's a synth fading in as the 'Tron fades out. Very hard to tell. Keep Your Dreams has some near-inaudible flutes, then there's a different strings part on the second version of Swastika Eyes (so how many 'rock' bands actually put two different mixes of a track on their album, as against a single?).
So, while I don't personally like the music, many do, and I don't feel inclined to slag Xtrmntr off just because I don't like it very much. There's some passable Mellotron work, too, but I wouldn't really buy it for that alone.
