Life  (1974,  43.02)  ***½/T½ Eröffnung - Tippa Tibana Reyneinblan Damaskus Rot Wild Der Traum des Herrn P. Zemäs Rutan Morgengabe
	Get the Ball  (1976,  36.11)  ***½/½ Mestaloggo Sundance Get the Ball Black Bird Atlantis Chambre Séparée

Current availability:

• Out of print?

Germany's Release Music Orchestra rose from the ashes of freakout band turned jazz-rockers Tomorrow's Gift, eventually recording five albums. They're usually described as fusion, and compared to Passport, but to my ears, there's as much progressive- as jazz-rock in their sound, certainly going by their debut, Life, that unusual, though not unique thing, a live debut album (recorded in Amsterdam and Hamburg, with studio overdubs). Unlike their later work, the album is instrumental, and has some fiery playing from all concerned; OK, maybe it is fusion. Fusion-prog. OK? The composition (such as it is) is less impressive, but this is music designed to showcase musicianship, rather than songwriting. OK, it's jazz.

Manfred Rürup plays Rhodes, synth and Mellotron, by the sound of it, although he keeps his 'Tron use well reined-in, with mostly short string parts designed to lift the sound at appropriate moments. Saying that, there's a lengthy organ (?) passage on Zemäs Rutan that almost sounds like a Mellotron (sort of high and wheezy), so is there actually any 'Tron at all? Without a credit, who knows, although it doesn't half sound like one most of the time.

Their first studio album, the following year's Garuda (**½), is Mellotron-free, although there is some minor use on '76's Get the Ball. Overall, the album isn't dissimilar to their debut, mixing fusion and prog in a pretty unique way, concentrating more on composition than lengthy, tedious soloing, although there's a fair bit of that to be heard, too. True to form, Rürup barely uses his 'Tron at all, with merely a faint string pitchbend and a couple of high, sustained notes in the title track and similar in Atlantis. I've never seen anything alluding to any 'Tron use on '78's Beyond the Limit, and while their last album, '79's News, has an odd, phased choir sound on one track, it's more likely to be a Roland Vocoder than anything Mellotronic. Musically, the album's a return to fusion-by-numbers, with the addition of polysynths (sounds like a Prophet), and rather dull brass riffs that go on for ever.

So; Life is a reasonably good album, far better than the dull fusion of Garuda, but don't go expecting a Mellotron Monster, while Get the Ball is even lighter on the tape-replay front. An archive live release, Bremen 1978, came out on Garden of Delights in 2004, but I've no idea whether or not there may be any Mellotronic input. As far as these albums are concerned, don't bother for the minimal 'Tron, but fusion fans might apply.

Reminder  (Sweden)

	Reminder (EP)  (1999,  19.23)  ****/TT½ Can't Do Anything About it Talk it Out Silhouette on the Wall The Trouble With Tommy Broken Tone
	Half Empty (EP)  (2000,  17.48)  ***½/TTT½ So Gently Too Late Half Empty Sad Attempt

Creativity (EP) [a.k.a.Scared]  (2000,  16.46)  ****/T½ Scared Limelight All Contrast Gone Creativity

	Broken Tone  (2001,  48.39)  ****/TTTT
	Scared So Gently Can't Do Anything About it Limelight Talk it Out Lost Sincerity Neversong Sad Attempt	All Contrast Gone Too Late Creativity Broken Tone

Current availability:

• All titles: Exergy (Sweden)

Reminder are another of Änglagård drummer Mattias Olsson's 'intelligent pop' projects he's been involved in over the last few years (see: Pineforest Crunch, Geller); their catalogue effectively consists of three EPs and an album containing tracks from all the EPs and a couple of new recordings. Unlike Pineforest, Reminder have a melancholy aspect to their music, which I find refreshing in these days of 'everybody be bright and cheerful because it sells records' and suchlike. As a result, I don't believe they've set the world on fire saleswise, but they've produced some beautiful, understated music that stands out from the crowd like, er, a Mellotron at a Korg convention.

Talking of which, Mattias' 'Tron is well in evidence on all the above, played by none other than Änglagård keys man Tomas Jonsson (now spelled Thomas Johnson, it seems), who also plays Hammond, piano etc., on the first two EPs, and by bassist Tobias Ljungkvist on the third. Mattias has provided me with a track-by-track rundown of the album, but I've had to work out the few tracks that didn't make it for myself. On Reminder, there appear to be three 'Tron tracks, with strings, flutes and cellos splashed all over, sometimes treated, sometimes not. So Gently from Half Empty mixes Mellotron and real strings, while Too Late features a really upfront flute part, plus strings. I'm not so sure about the more upbeat title track, but Sad Attempt is back on form, with some excellent 'Tron cello, strings, choir, brass and pipe organ. Unsurprisingly, it has a largish sound...

Creativity was apparently reissued as 'Scared' after the release of the album, and is the one inessential here, as all four tracks made it to Broken Tone. The album gathers together most of their best material, although another three tracks would have mopped up everything. Anyway, their music works really well in the longer format, with the odd faster track to break up the melancholy; it's well-sequenced, too, giving no idea that it's a bit of a mish-mash of tracks. On the 'Tron front, two of the Creativity tracks feature it in a minor way, while of the two new songs, Lost Sincerity is 'Tronless, but Neversong has flutes, cellos and strings.

Y'know, Broken Tone's a bloody good album, 'Tron or not, but I'm not going to try to claim it doesn't improve it, at least to my ears. I'm not sure what the band are doing at the moment, but I'm hoping that this won't be the last we hear of them. Anyway, buy the album, then the first EP, if you can find it.

Fan site

Renaissance  (UK)

A Song for All Seasons  (1978,  44.42)  ****/T Opening Out Day of the Dreamer Closer Than Yesterday Kindness (at the End) Back Home Once Again She is Love Northern Lights A Song for All Seasons

	Azure d'Or  (1979)  ***½/T
	Jekyll and Hyde The Winter Tree Only Angels Have Wings Golden Key Forever Changing Secret Mission Kalynda The Discovery	Friends The Flood at Lyons

Day of the Dreamer  (2000, recorded 1978,  73.48)  ****/T Can You Hear Me Carpet of the Sun Day of the Dreamer Back Home Once Again Can You Understand/The Vultures Fly High A Song for All Seasons Prologue Ocean Gypsy Running Hard

Current availability:

• A Song for All Seasons/Azure d'Or: Wounded Bird (US)
• Day of the Dreamer: Mooncrest (UK)

By 1978, Renaissance had already notched up many plaudits, though more in the States than their home country, where they are now largely forgotten. Always at the gentler end of the progressive spectrum, with Michael Dunford's acoustic guitar and Annie Haslam's pure soprano voice, they are often mistaken for a folk-rock group, though nothing could be further from the truth. Forming in the late '60s as a Yardbirds offshoot, the original lineup split after their second album, bizarrely being completely replaced by another set of musicians, with most of the originals ending up in Illusion around the same time as their usurpers released A Song for All Seasons.

Typically for its time, the album is a step or two away from Renaissance's earlier full-on symphonic style, with mostly shorter, more accessible material (although there are still two excellent longer tracks), although unlike many of their contemporaries, they managed not to bland out completely, possibly helped by the fact that they were never the most 'in your face' outfit in the first place. Many of the songs feature a string section (the band often played live with a full orchestra), and although you'd think they were prime candidates for Mellotron usage, it seems keyboard man John Tout never touched one until this relatively late stage in their career. I can actually only hear it on two tracks; Closer Than Yesterday has a little (uncredited) 'Tron flute part, while Kindness (At The End) has instantly recognisable Mellotron strings and church organ. Incidentally, don't think that shorter tracks and a pretty terrible sleeve design equals 'drivel'; A Song for All Seasons is a damn' good album in the Renaissance tradition. They completely sold out in the '80s, but that's another story...

Next album up, 1979's Azure d'Or, keeps up the band's quality control, although this time round there really aren't any epics, although there are, for the first time, full equipment listings for each track (hurrah!), showing that Tout used, by this stage, mainly grand piano, Yamaha CS80, CS30, ARP Solina and Pro-Soloist, with a Mellotron on the last two tracks. He only seems to use it for choirs, like many of his contemporaries, but it's quite nice use, if slightly inessential.

In 2000, a mystery disc appeared, titled, with considerable unoriginality, Day of the Dreamer. Despite the lack of recording information, keen listeners have nailed most of it down to a BBC performance in 1978, during the Song for All Seasons tour, making it a valuable document for fans, as most live recordings only seem to cover pre-Novella material. As you'd expect from a radio recording, the sound quality's excellent, and all concerned are in fine form. Complaints have been made that there's no Northern Lights, although it's perfectly possible that the band elected not to play it that night, despite its 'recent hit' status. Now, I don't know if this was a one-off, but it seems John Tout's studio Mellotron work wasn't in isolation, as he clearly had one on stage this night. Mind you, with all the string synth work on which he was so keen, especially when they weren't using an orchestra, all he uses it for is male voices, and then only in short bursts on three tracks. The upshot of which is, while this is an excellent document of live Renaissance towards the end of their useful life, don't bother for the 'Tron.

So; there are better Renaissance albums to buy, Ashes Are Burning and Scheherezade and Other Stories spring to mind, but if you desperately need to hear them use a bit of 'Tron, all these albums are good, though don't expect too much of them. And whatever you do, don't buy anything they recorded in the following decade...

Official site

Renia  (UK)

First Offenders  (1973,  39.23)  **½/T You'd Best Believe it Friend Out on the Road Breakneck Shelter Cowboy's Dream Slow Down Drive Me Wild I Suppose it's for the Best Mighty Queen

Current availability:

• Not on CD

To be brutally honest, Renia weren't a very exciting band; not on record, at least. The nearest they come to any genre is 'mid-'70s rock'; more of that slightly heavy, slightly proggy, slightly several other things stuff, without being particularly anything. While far from offensive, Renia never even gets my foot tapping, I'm afraid, although the pace does pick up here and there. The one 'Tron track, Shelter (a rather drippy ballad), has some very ordinary strings on it from keyboard man Malcolm Sutherland, so it's not even worth picking up for that. For die-hards only, though of what I'm not entirely sure.

Rialto  (UK)

		Rialto  (1997,  48.19)  ***/T½
		Monday Morning 5:19 Dream Another Dream Broken Barbie Doll Summer's Over Untouchable Hard Candy Quarantine Lucky Number	Love Like Semtex When We're Together The Underdogs Milk of Amnesia

Current availability:

• China (UK)

Britpop leftovers Rialto made all the right moves; '60s influences, period instruments, mockney vocals. How could they fail? Probably because there was only ever room for one Pulp. Rialto isn't actually a bad album, with quite a few memorable songs, although they're nowhere near Pulp's level of sophistication, despite their Scott Walker fixation.

Keys man Toby Hounsham plays Mellotron on a couple of tracks. Summer's Over sounds like a Kinks outtake, with quite upfront 'Tron strings and maybe cello, while the harpsichord-driven Quarantine has a startlingly similar feel about it, with some Beatles-y brass, and more of those 'Tron strings. Actually, two good 'Tron tracks, and, going by the evidence presented here, a better band than many of their more successful rivals (who said Oasis?).

Cliff Richard  (UK)

	Rock'n'Roll Juvenile  (1979,  44.06)  **/½
	Monday Thru' Friday Doing Fine Cities May Fall You Know That I Love You My Luck Won't Change Rock'n'Roll Juvenile Sci-Fi Fallin in Luv	Carrie Hot Shot Language of Love We Don't Talk Anymore

Current availability:

• EMI

Ah, Cliff Richard, the oldest swinger in town, not to mention the oldest confirmed bachelor, a.k.a. 'Cliffy Bastard', for anyone old enough to've seen the heavily Cliff-referencing The Young Ones in the early '80s. I should be fair here; Cliff (born Harry Webb) is Britain's first genuine rock'n'roller, releasing what's generally regarded to be the UK's first proper rock'n'roll record, Move It, in 1958, aged seventeen. In 2008, of course, he celebrates an unbelievable fifty years in 'the biz', although he's spent the vast majority of them as a family-and-Christian-friendly artiste, producing jaunty mainstream horrors such as Summer Holiday (OK, so it was a film theme), Congratulations (OK, so it was Eurovision) and Mistletoe & Wine (no excuses whatsoever - rhymes with 'children singing Christian rhyme'). We're not going to talk about The Millennium Prayer. If you've never heard Cliff's music (Brit readers stop reading now), think: an even more straight-down-the-line Paul McCartney with less talent and extra added Christianity.

Rock'n'Roll Juvenile was something like his 33rd non-compilation studio album in twenty years, and is, to no-one's surprise, a mainstream pop/rock album, recorded with the help of various session men and professional songwriters, including Brian "B.A." Robertson (not that one). In all honesty, while bland and faceless, it's nowhere near as bad as many, many other albums, its chief sin being the tedium it induces in any listener not inured to Cliff's unashamedly pop approach. Of the album's two hit singles, We Don't Talk Anymore, his first UK No.1 in over a decade, is truly horrible, although Cliff's sleevenotes comment that it only went on the album as an afterthought, and was clearly recorded at a different session, while Carrie is actually one of his better hits, despite its cheeso chorus (well, it was a hit). Incidentally, presumably a) to prove everyone concerned has a sense of humour, and b) to see if anyone's watching, über-session man Herbie Flowers is credited in increasingly sillier ways as the album progresses, ending up with 'Hermione Fleurs' and 'Inter Flora', which, while slight, seems to indicate an attention to detail lacking in so many mainstream acts.

The joy of track-by-track instrumental credits! Since I'm quite clearly deranged enough to actually buy stuff like this (as long as it's dirt cheap), at least some artists have the good grace to enable me to skip across the tracks on their worthless pieces of shite (OK, maybe not quite) until I reach the one (usually just the one) of any 'interest' (term used loosely). In this case, it's Language Of Love, with, rather surprisingly, a short burst of fairly decent 'Tron male voice choirs, played by hit-artist-in-his-own-right Peter Skellern. However, you're not going to buy this album for that, or, I'd imagine, anything else.

Official site

Alastair Riddell  (New Zealand)

Space Waltz  (1975,  40.50)  ****/TTT Fraulein Love Beautiful Boy Seabird Out on the Street Angel Open Up Scars of Love And Up to Now Love the Way He Smiles

Alastair Riddell  (1978,  42.57)  ***½/T Smile Wonder Ones Come on Over Wear My Light Are They Real Oh Ron Eyes of Love What Good Does it Do Me I Can See Space

Current availability:

• Space Waltz: EMI (NZ)/RPM (UK)
• Alastair Riddell: not on CD

Alastair Riddell was yet another of those Kiwis who moved to Oz to attempt to find fame and fortune (see: Split Enz, Crowded House and, er, Airlord). His stock in trade, at least on Space Waltz (also the name of his band) seems to have been as the Antipodean Bowie, doing a passable imitation of the great man's voice, with a band who did a fair Spiders/Mott impersonation. I believe Out On The Street was actually a largish hit over there, too, although it sounds slightly dated for '75 to my ears. On the 'Tron front, Tony Raynor (i.e. Eddie Rayner of Split Enz) plays loads of strings on Beautiful Boy, flutes, strings and choir all over the epic Seabird, flutes on Angel and more strings on Open Up, along with various other keys. Although the Bowie influence is far too obvious to ignore, it doesn't diminish the album's qualities. It's now been reissued twice, although with new sleeves (see right and above).

Riddell didn't record again until '78 and, despite its boring sleeve, Alastair Riddell is actually a pretty good album, rather like a toned-down version of his debut. In the interim, Riddell seems to have picked up another influence, Steve Harley, with much of his stylised diction tending towards him, although Bowie is everpresent too, of course. The songs are good without being outstanding (nothing is up to the quality of the best material on Space Waltz), but the overall sound of the album isn't unpleasing, being devoid of spiky Noo Wave influences, which probably hadn't made it as far as NZ by then. Only one 'Tron track this time round, from Riddell himself, with some fairly standard flutes and strings on Wonder Ones, but that isn't why you should pick this up if you see it. Oh, and Eddie 'Raynor's name is still mis-spelt.

So; Riddell's is a largely wasted talent, with a tiny handful of releases to his name; there was a third album in the early '80s, with an unpleasant synth-pop veneer to it, but I really wouldn't bother if I were you. Space Waltz is definitely the better of these two albums (and far more 'Tron), and by far the easier to find, with two different CD issues in the last few years, but his eponymous second effort is worth hearing should you find a copy, probably in NZ.

Stan Ridgway  (US)

	Holiday in Dirt  (2002, recorded 1995?-99?,  61.31)  ***½/½
	Beloved Movie Star Operator Help Me Time Inside End of the Line Garage Band '69 Bing Can't Walk Brand New Special and Unique After the Storm	Floundering Amnesia Whatever Happened to You? Act of Faith Beloved Movie Star Redux Behind Closed Doors [unlisted]

Current availability:

• New West (US)

Stan Ridgway is known in Britain, if at all, for his one-off novelty hit Camouflage, but is best remembered round here for his first band, the Wall of Voodoo's classic Mexican Radio, as later covered, in truly surreal fashion, by Swiss avant-metallers Celtic Frost. Holiday in Dirt is a collection of outtakes, b-sides etc, several of them seemingly finished off for the compilation, and none, repeat none of them third-rate rejects left off previous releases due to a lack of quality. Highpoints include Garage Band '69, Whatever Happened to You? and Beloved Movie Star Redux, not to mention the superb unlisted track, a version of Charlie Rich's Behind Closed Doors sung as if by some bitter, twisted shadowy management figure, jealous of his client's talent. Killer.

Only one 'Tron track, from Ridgway's wife Pietra Wexstun, with flutes on Operator Help Me, although they don't, in all honesty, add that much to the song. So; possibly not the best entrée to Ridgway's singular talent - or maybe it is? Certainly worth picking up cheap, though not for the Mellotron. Two more 'Tron albums to my knowledge: '04's Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads & Fugitive Songs and Blood: Paintings By Mark Ryden from the same year. I shall report back at a later date.

Official site

Miguel Rios  (Spain)

	La Huerta Atómica: Un Relato de Anticipacion  (1976,  47.16)  ***½/TTTT
	Entre Arboles y Aviones Una Casa en la Guerra Buenos Dias, Superman Yankee Johnny Bienvenida, Katherine La Huerta Atómica (Un Relato de Anticipacion)   Una Siesta Atomica   Instrucciones a la Poblacion Civil	El Consultorio Atomico de la Sr.a Pum El Carnaval de los Espectros (I) La Burbuja Antirreaccion La Cancion del Megacristo El Carnaval de los Espectros (II) Por el Hombre Futuro El «Dulce» Despertar

Current availability:

• Si-Wan (Korea)

It's difficult to find any info on artists like Miguel Rios in any language other than their own, and my Spanish isn't exactly up to scratch, so going by discographies I've seen, I'm making something of an assumption in saying that I think Rios was/is a 'popular singer' in Spain, who took a minor diversion into sort-of prog territory in 1976, when Spain's slightly late progressive scene was at its peak. La Huerta Atómica is obviously a concept album of sorts, presumably referring to nuclear war. The music is a rather mainstream version of the Spanish progressive sound, although it has its moments, including the more tuneful parts of La Huerta Atómica itself.

On the Mellotron front, Mariano Diaz uses strings pretty heavily, which makes a nice change for a Spanish LP. Flutes and choirs (Bienvenida, Katherine) can also be heard, but surprisingly, the title suite on side two has rather less 'Tron than the bulk of the first side. Top 'Tron track has to be the anti-American rant Yankee Johnny, intoned in English, with shedloads of 'Tron strings all over the thing.

All in all, this is a reasonable album musically, but top-notch for 'Tron; the only thing stopping it getting a higher 'T' rating is a slight lack of imagination in its use. I think this is now available on CD; just try to avoid paying as much as I did for a knackered vinyl copy that looked fine in a dimly-lit Barcelona shop.

Official site

Jean Ritchie  (US)

	None But One  (1977,  38.08)  ****/T½
	Fair Nottamun Town Too Many Shadows Black Waters None But One The Orphan's Lament Flowers of Joy See That Rainbow Shine The Riddle Song	Sweet Sorrow in the Wind Wondrous Love Now is the Cool of the Day

Current availability:

• 2-on-1 with High Hills & Mountains: Greenhays (US)

Jean Ritchie was born in Kentucky in 1922, and eventually became known as 'the mother of folk', having recorded countless albums of folk and folk-inspired music. At the time of writing, Ritchie is not only still living (aged 85), but performing, putting her in the Pete Seeger league of musical longevity. As much as for her singing, she's known as one of America's chief exponents of the lap dulcimer, as against the better-known hammer version. Her first album, Traditional Songs of Her Kentucky Mountain Home, was recorded at the dawn of the long-playing era, in 1952, and while her recorded output has slowed from the '70s on, her most recent album appeared in the late '90s, and it's presumably not inconceivable that she may record again.

1977's None But One was something like Ritchie's 24th album, appearing on the Sire label, making her a contemporaneous label-mate of The Ramones. I wonder what she thought? Label boss Seymour Stein obviously had the breadth of vision to sign both artists, though, which has to be applauded. None But One is a mix of more obviously traditional folk songs (the beautiful old English ballad Fair Nottamun Town, the title track) and countryish material (Too Many Shadows, See That Rainbow Shine), with a modern backing in places. Some listeners may find Ritchie's delivery a bit old-fashioned, but given that she was in her twenties before she even heard the radio, it's highly commendable that she allowed producer Al Steckler to foist so many modern influences on her music.

Ron Frangipane's Chamberlin can be heard on a few tracks, starting with an ethereal flute line on opener Fair Nottamun Town, with what I presume is a background Chamby strings part on The Orphan's Lament. It's real recorders on The Riddle Song (sorry, I can't hear this without thinking of the scene in National Lampoon's Animal House), but those strings crop up again on Sweet Sorrow In The Wind, although that would appear to be it.

This is a lovely album that neatly straddles the divide between 'traditional' and 'modern' folk, where the last two a capella tracks rub shoulders with country- and folk-rock material without getting into a scrap. Thankfully, it's available on CD as a two-on-one with the considerably later High Hills & Mountains, although its Chamberlin content is too low to really be worth bothering with. Buy it anyway.

Ritual  (Sweden)

	Ritual  (1995,  60.48)  ***½/½
	Wingspread The Way of Things Typhoons Decide A Little More Like Me Solitary Man Life Has Just Begun Dependence Day Seasong for the Moominpappa	You Can Never Tell Big Black Secret Power Place

Current availability:

• SPV

Ritual are probably best described as a prog/folk crossover; live, they down instruments at one point and pick up a variety of acoustic ones, including a hurdy-gurdy, so it's fair to say that they're pretty hot on the Swedish equivalent of hey-nonny-nonny. On an initial listen to their debut, Ritual, it seems at first that this side of their collective personalities comes across less well on record, although it doesn't take long for the folk influence to creep in, ending up being discernable on most tracks. Possibly the best example is the ridiculous but rather sweet faux-sea shanty Seasong For The Moominpappa, dedicated to Sweden's very own imaginary 'little people', Tove Jansson's Moomintrolls (as are at least two other tracks on the album), opening with what has to be Jansson herself reading from one of her works. Generally speaking, it's actually quite difficult to categorise Ritual's music (which has to be a good thing), as it contains elements of metal, fusion, '70s prog and other genres, as well as various folk musics, meaning either that you'll be irritated at its diversity, or that there's something here for everyone.

Jon Gamble's keyboard work is exemplary throughout, although there are a few unfortunate digital synth patches in places that sit rather uneasily with the music. I'm not at all convinced the album's minimal Mellotron use is genuine, and as it only lasts a few seconds, it's hardly worth worrying about (I mean, are you worried?). The otherwise folky The Way Of Things suddenly switches into a big symphonic section near the end, with a Mellotron string crescendo, but that appears to be your lot. There's supposed to be more 'Tron on '99's Did I Go Wrong EP and 2003's Think Like a Mountain; more news when I get to hear copies. As far as Ritual itself goes, don't bother for the 'Tron, but it's an adventurous debut from an interesting band, and is well worth a listen. Incidentally, vocalist Patrik Lundström also sings for the reformed Kaipa, although (luckily) it doesn't seem to have affected his work with Ritual.

Official site

Jacques Tom Rivest  (Québec)

	Jacques Tom Rivest  (1979,  40.46)  ***½/TT½
	Dimanche La Langue de Son Pays Voyage au Tibet Clown d'un Soir Messager du Temps Toujours Plus Haut La Nuit Trouver Ma Liberté	Laisse Toé Donc Aller [CD adds: Prendre Son Temps]

Current availability:

• ProgQuebec (Canada)

Jacques Tom Rivest was a mainstay of excellent Québecois proggers Pollen (one self-titled album, no 'Tron), releasing his eponymous solo debut in 1979. It's less 'progressive' than 'singer-songwriter' with a folky edge, although some tracks stray into semi-symphonic territory, not least Voyage Au Tibet and La Nuit. Even the more straightforward numbers hold the listener's interest, though, making this an adjunct to the Québecois prog scene, if not an integral part of it.

Mellotron on most tracks from either Rivest himself, Claude Lemay or Richard Lemoyne, with strings and an unusual 'Tron sax melody on La Langue De Son Pays, with more strings on Voyage Au Tibet. Choirs on Clown D'Un Soir and Toujours Plus Haut, with more strings and choirs on Trouver Ma Liberté, although little of the Mellotron work (excepting the sax part) breaks any new ground. But then again, why should it? It provides a decent strings and/or choir backdrop to several tracks, sounding a whole lot better than the string synth that crops up here and there.

So; not exactly prog per se, but proggish, with a good selection of songs; something many prog outfits could learn from, I feel. Decent music, not bad 'Tron, worth hearing.

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