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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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Trace Traffic Train |
Mike Tramp Tranquility Transmissionary Six |
Travis Trettioåriga Kriget |
Triana Tribe of Gypsies |
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Trace (1974, 50.37/58.56) *****/TTTT½ |
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| Galliarde/Gare le Corbeau/Galliarde The Death of Ace The Escape of the Piper Once Progression A Memory/The Lost Past/A Memory Final Trace |
[CD adds: Progress Tabu] |
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Birds (1975, 39.35/47.30) ****½/TTT½ |
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| Bourrée Snuff In a Mist Opus 1065 Penny Trixie-Dixie King Bird First Avenue/Sculptor Bird Second Avenue/Preacher Bird Third Avenue |
Birdcorps Firecorps Birdcorps/Mail Bird/Fourth Avenue/ Soul Bird/Mail Bird/Sculptor Bird/ Second Avenue/Preacher Bird/ Last Avenue/King Bird/Reflection [CD adds: Birds (edit) Tabu (second version)] |
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The White Ladies (As 'Rick van der Linden and Trace') (1976, 39.58) ***/T½ |
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| Legend (Part I) Interlude I Confrontation Interlude II Dance of the White Ladies Doubts Trace I Witches' Dance Surrender Interlude III |
Pathétique Legend (Part II) Interlude IV The Rescue Trace II Back Home Meditation Flash Back Conclusion |
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Trace were put together by Dutch keyboard maestro Rick van der Linden after his departure from cheesy classical/rock crossover outfit Ekseption, bringing in bassist Jaap van Eik and ex-Focus drummer Pierre (no relation) van der Linden. Originally called Ace, the recently-formed UK band of the same name (of the truly awful How Long) forced van der Linden and co to rename themselves Trace; Grieg's Death Of Åse is renamed Death Of Ace on the album as a tribute.
Trace brought together the cream of the Dutch progressive scene, so it's no surprise that Trace is a phenomenal album. Opener Galliarde (segueing into bass solo Gare Le Corbeau before returning to the original piece) is an absolute stormer; I was grabbed by it on my very first hearing (thanks Brian!) and still love it a decade later. Basically a straight mix of Bach's Italian Concerto (third movement) and a traditional Polish dance tune, Galliarde rocks like a bastard, with Rick's insanely virtuosic organ playing and the rhythm section blasting away like their lives depended on it. The slow-down to the Mellotron-led folk tune is stunning, with Rick letting out a couple of incoherent yells on the part's repetition later in the track. Grieg's The Death Of Ace is a beautiful piano piece (also recorded by Ekseption on their contemporaneous release Bingo, amusingly), shifting into more familiar territory later in the track, and The Escape Of The Piper lurches into top gear once more, with energy levels rarely heard in the progressive arena. In fact, there's nary a duff track on the whole album, with A Memory also standing out.
Rick used a huge arsenal of keyboards (see right), including his ubiquitous Mellotron M400 (strings/choir/brass). As you can see, he uses it on almost every track, usually in rather unconventional ways, fading chords in and out unexpectedly on various sounds. The album's 'Tron highlight has to be the previously-mentioned Polish dance section of Galliarde, but all the Mellotron work is worth hearing, although there's little of the Genesis/Yes approach here. In fact, the best way to describe the band is a manic cross between Focus and the best bits of ELP, although Rick avoids Emerson's tastelessness admirably, while still keeping the energy levels higher than you'd have thought possible.
The bonus tracks on the CD are worth hearing, although Progress is, unsurprisingly, an edit of Progression; Tabu is a Dizzy Gillespie tune onto which Trace stamp their distinctive sound. These tracks came out as a single prior to the album's release and are worth hearing if you don't already own Trace on vinyl. Quick note for vinyl owners; the US Sire version has an inner sleeve with a band history/biography and track-by-track annotation, missing from the UK Vertigo issue.
By Birds, a year later, Pierre van der Linden had left, being replaced by Englishman Ian Mosley, later of Gordon Giltrap/Steve Hackett fame, before ending up in the prog graveyard better known as Marillion. The band's style had changed little in the intervening year, although the album probably has fewer of its predecessor's real highs. Side one starts brilliantly with Bach's Bourrée, but turns rather jazzy as the side progresses, which may or may not be good, depending on your taste. Curved Air's Darryl Way guests on violin on some more Bach, Opus 1065, but the music seems to lack the direction of their debut. Side two's King Bird suite is effectively one long track split into repeating parts, rather like Focus' Eruption from Moving Waves, so my Mellotron annotation may be slightly awry. Most of the music is excellent, but the piece is slightly spoilt by Jaap van Eik's vocals on Preacher Bird; his singing is fine, but Trace were basically an instrumental band, and an MOR vocal piece feels rather intrusive. I'm being picky, though; if this was the band's sole legacy, it'd still be regarded as a classic.
Oddly enough, the US version reverses the LP sides, with the Birds suite on side one, and also deletes the 'birds' cartoon strip from the European issue. Musea's CD version (as with their debut) adds both sides of a contemporaneous single, with Birds being a reworked version of King Bird and Tabu being, unsurprisingly, a new version of the b-side of Progress from a year earlier. Fair bit of Mellotron on both, so again, it's worth picking up the CDs as against the vinyl.
By The White Ladies, Trace had become the sole preserve of Rick van der Linden, and the album has to be regarded as something of a disappointment. A concept piece, it's based on the Dutch legend of the White Ladies, who steal a farmer's wife away from her husband and child. Unfortunately, there's some extremely naff narration by Harry Schäfer, not to mention more MOR vocals, this time courtesy of Hetty Smit, and much of the album is orchestrated. Despite all this, there's plenty of Rick's distinctive keyboard work (especially his unusual approach to the harpsichord), and if the narration and vocal parts were removed, it wouldn't be a bad album. As it is, it's certainly listenable, if a bit cheesy at times; better than Ekseption, whatever...
As you can see, there's very little (obvious) Mellotron on the album, but the flute parts on Meditation are about as good as they get. Rick was obviously using a different tape frame for this part; I'm not entirely sure why he bothered with brass in the first place, to be honest. A little burst of choirs at the end of Conclusion and that's it. Rick later rejoined Ekseption, and is reputed to have used his 'Tron one last time, but I can't confirm this either way at present.
So; Trace. BUY! Birds; Buy next. The White Ladies; buy if you can't get enough of Rick's faux-classical style. Until Musea's exhumation of these albums, Trace were a pretty well-kept secret on the progressive scene, despite good sales at the time; I can promise you won't be disappointed by their debut, but I advise caution as you work your way through their small catalogue. Now, any chance of the BBC releasing a prog compilation DVD of 'Old Grey Whistle Test' clips? I know the Trace one's survived... All together now, "Now ve shall play some Bach!"
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7" (1967) ****½/TTT Hole in My Shoe Smiling Phases |
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Mr Fantasy (1967, 34.40) ****½/TT |
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| Heaven is in Your Mind Berkshire Poppies House for Everyone No Face, No Name, No Number Dear Mr Fantasy Dealer Utterly Simple Coloured Rain |
Hope I Never Find Me There Giving to You |
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When the Eagle Flies (1974, 39.45) ***½/T½Something NewDream Gerrard Graveyard People Walking in the Wind Memories of a Rock n'Rolla Love When the Eagle Flies |
Current availability:
Traffic were probably the first UK band to 'get their heads together in the country' (an obvious euphemism), with quite excellent results. They debuted with the quite brilliant Paper Sun, encapsulating 1967 in all its psychedelic glory (you can tell I wasn't there, can't you?), but their first Mellotron use was on the follow-up, the even more demented Hole In My Shoe, later tediously covered by 'Neil' from The Young Ones (early-'80s UK comedy show). The original is absolutely fantastic and a total period piece, right down to the nice, middle class little girl's voice saying something about giant albatrosses in the middle eight. 'Tron strings, complete with judicious pitchbend, help to make the track a complete classic.
Neither single found its way onto their first long-player, Mr.Fantasy, but with the quality of material on offer, nobody noticed. Like so many other bands of the era, Traffic mixed together a plethora of influences, with the added bonus of not having a recent past in the beat boom era, at least not collectively. Although less 'psychedelic' than many contemporaneous albums, Mr.Fantasy still manages a couple of lysergic outings, particularly House For Everyone, which also features the album's first Mellotronic input, with Dave Mason's stabbed brass chords under the verse, while Utterly Simple is a full-on sitar-laden psych-fest; their own Within You Without You, no less. The other really outstanding track here is the Latin-tinged Dealer, later covered by Santana, but there's very little wrong with the album, if truth be told. As far as the Mellotron's concerned, the single No Face, No Name, No Number is a deceptively gentle ballad with a haunting 'Tron string line, while Coloured Rain completes the album's trio of 'Tron tracks, with some background string chords. To my knowledge, all flute parts on the album are real, played by the now sadly late Chris Wood.
I don't believe Traffic used a Mellotron again until the tail-end of their career, on final release When the Eagle Flies, a dark album, probably reflecting the early-'70s come-down after the end of the hippy dream. I'm not personally a great fan of the music the band were making by this time, but it's all exceptionally well done, in a laid-back kind of way. Mellotron on one track only, the 11-minute Dream Gerrard, with a string part drifting in and out of the mix over the track's considerable length.
So; buy the first album and any hits set including the early singles. I'll leave When the Eagle Flies to yourselves to judge, but while there's one good 'Tron track, it probably doesn't make a purchase worthwhile for it alone.
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Train (1996, 56.31) ***/½ |
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| Meet Virginia I am If you Leave Homesick Free Blind Eggplant Idaho |
Days Rat Swaying |
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Drops of Jupiter (2001, 48.33) **½/½ |
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| She's on Fire I Wish You Would Drops of Jupiter It's About You Hopeless Respect Let it Roll Something More |
Whipping Boy Getaway Mississippi |
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Train's eponymous debut sounds an awful lot like Counting Crows, so it's no particular surprise to note that its keyboard parts (Hammond/piano/Mellotron) were played by Charlie Gillingham from that band, accentuating the vaguely alt.countryness of the proceedings. While nothing here actively offends, nor does anything especially stand out, with most of the tracks disappearing into a mush of sameness. Two tracks where Gillingham's 'Tron can definitely be heard, with a polyphonic cello (?) part on opener Meet Virginia, and faint flutes on Eggplant, with most of the other keyboard work being Hammond.
By Drops of Jupiter, five years on, Train had morphed into one of those inexplicably-currently popular bands, like Nickelback, who don't seem to actually have any particular sound at all, or write especially good songs, but who all look good, and get plenty of record company push. You can sort of see that they were going to end up like this from listening to Train, but it's still a bit depressing. Pat Monahan's voice had picked up that awful whiny edge that so many contemporary singers seem to feel they have to have, but he must be doing something right, I suppose. I can't even pick out any tracks to comment upon, as they all blurred into one long wash of 'Rock', without being 'something-Rock' or, for that matter, 'anything-Rock'. 'Rock', but utterly bland. How did that happen? Although there's no Mellotron actually credited here, that has to be 'Tron flutes on Getaway, possibly played by drummer Scott Underwood (the only member credited with keys) but more likely to be by producer Brendan O'Brien, a noted 'Tron fan. It's, er, a passable Mellotron flute part, but you'd have to be certifiable to buy this album for that reason alone. Consider this a warning.
So; Train is listenable but dull, while Drops of Jupiter is just horrible. Go somewhere else, I think.
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Capricorn (1998, 45.49) ***/T |
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| Already Gone If I Live Tomorrow Here I Don't Belong Heart of Every Woman Have You Ever Better Off Had I Not Complained Running Out of Life |
Wait Not for Me Love Will Come and Go Endless Highway |
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Mike "Tramp" Trempenau (or similar; sources vary) is actually Danish, and played in a dodgy hard rock act there called Mabel in the late '70s before migrating to the States and forming White Lion. Their brand of commercial hard rock held them in good stead for some years, before falling foul of early '90s grunge, leading Tramp to get himself a couple of armfuls of tattoos and a solo career via the grunge-lite of Freaks of Nature. Capricorn is considerably better than I'd expected, sounding more like a heavier version of Bruce Springsteen crossed with any Americana act you'd care to name than his former band, for which we should all be truly grateful. Don't get me wrong, it's hardly the most exciting stuff you're ever going to hear, but that awful glossy AOR-style production is notable by its absence, with plenty of acoustic guitar and Hammond in its place.
Kim Bullard is credited with Hammond/Wurly/Mellotron and cello, although the latter two can only be heard on Love Will Come And Go, with some very overt 'Tron flutes and what I take to be 'Tron strings, although they're somewhat in the background. So; not a 'Tron album, nor a record to gladden the heart of anyone not into the style, due to its inability to transcend its oeuvre, but not a bad album of its type. Average.
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Silver (1972, 41.48) **½/TEagle EyeCan I See You Linda Whip Wheel The Driver's Engine Couldn't Possibly Be Nice and Easy Dear oh Dear Silver The Tree |
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Now, I can say in all honesty that I know bugger all about Tranquility; it took me long enough to ascertain that they were British. The sleeve gives the impression that the album just may have a progressive slant to it, but in all honesty, 'slant' is probably too strong a word; think typical early-'70s mainstream soft rock but marginally more interesting. Infuriatingly, there's the occasional 'almost there' moment, like the closing section of Whip Wheel or Silver itself (definitely the album's highlight), but they never last long enough to be of any real consequence. There's a country edge to some of the material, and their massed harmony vocals sound like a rather low-budget CSN&Y, so don't expect anything too exciting. And what the hell's with the dodgy Donovan impersonation on The Tree?
Although a bit more Mellotron would probably have livened the album up slightly, keyboard player Tony Lukyn only uses it on Nice And Easy, with some almost inaudible flutes, then a genuinely good string part in an otherwise average song. In all honesty, I'd be pretty hard pushed to particularly recommend this album, although there are a few OK-ish tracks; if only they'd concentrated a little harder on not sounding so bloody wussy. Dear Oh Dear indeed.
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Get Down (2004, 45.05) ***/T |
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| Black Tin Rocket Flake My New Name Down for the Count Johnny & Waldo Holiday Park Happy Landings Novanna |
Element Packakools The Dimmest Porch Powder Burn |
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Transmissionary Six are yet another alt.country/slowcore crossover outfit, although the lack of variety on their third album, the ironically-titled Get Down, makes for a rather monotonous listening experience, if truth be told. Terri Moeller's voice is great for a few tracks, but her relentless melancholy ends up depressing rather than uplifting, as it can for true masters of misery (see: Richard Thompson). The duo (completed by guitarist Paul Austin) have put two instrumentals on the album, one of which (Johnny & Waldo) is probably the most interesting thing here, but I'm afraid the bulk of the album just... drags.
Mellotron on one track, from Steve Moore, with a beautiful string part on My New Name. Shame they didn't see fit to add it to anything else; it may've livened the whole affair up a little. Anyway, not actually bad, but not really good enough, either. Almost adequate? One nice 'Tron track, but that's it.
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Shine on Me (1972, 35.18) ***/T½Shine on MeGoodbye Flagstone Path Maybe I Wrote This Song for You Found Myself in You Time's Running Out Carry Me With You |
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Travis (not to be confused with the current Scots miserablists), were an early-'70s UK outfit, vaguely akin to Wishbone Ash, concentrating on slightly hard rock with plenty of vocal and guitar harmony. I'm told that they morphed into Strange Days, who released the rated 9 Parts to the Wind in '75, although I don't believe there's any Mellotron on the album. Travis are quite insipid in places, I'm afraid, although some of the material on Shine on Me isn't bad, particularly the guitar-driven Flagstone Path and the very Blowin' Free-like Maybe I Wrote This Song For You.
I've no idea who played keyboards on the album, but Found Myself In You is the album's chief 'Tron track, with largish helpings of strings on a typical ballad, while Carry Me With You has a few chords on the fadeout. All in all, given the record's rarity, I wouldn't spend a fortune, unless you're a Mellotron nut in the unlikely position of having money to burn. Average.
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Trettioåriga Kriget [a.k.a. Thirty Years War] (1974, 38.24) ****/TTTKaledoniska OrogenesenRöster Från Minus Till Plus Fjärilsattityder Mina Löjen Ur Djupen Handlingens Skugga |
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Krigssång [a.k.a. Warsong] (1976, 38.30/59.45) ****/TTT |
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| Krigssång Metamorfoser Jag Och Jag Och 'Jag' Mitt Mirakel Murar Krigssång II [CD adds: On Going to England (live) |
Ur Djupen (live) So Long (live)] |
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Elden av År (2004, 49.05) ****/TT½LjusetNightflight Lång Historia Elden av År Möte Molnbudet Nightflight - 77 Gnistor |
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Trettioåriga Kriget, or 'Thirty Years War' are a bit of an oddity; driving, high octane jazz-inflected hard rock with a progressive edge and Swedish vocals. What could be an appalling mish-mash of influences is actually a rather wonderful mixture of genres; TK had a unique sound that still stands up well today. Trettioåriga Kriget manages to combine several different approaches into a cohesive whole, and should appeal to the hard rock crowd as well as the progressive fraternity. The band didn't use Mellotron live, unsurprisingly, as it was played in the studio by drummer Dag Lundquist. Used sparingly but effectively, the 'Tron often bursts in after several minutes of a song, then disappears just as quickly. Trettioåriga Kriget have been quoted as a major influence on '90s Swedish wunderkind Änglagård; listen to Mina Löjen for proof. Trettioåriga Kriget is a real grower; listening to it again for review purposes I'm struck by how good the songs actually are. It's a great shame they never found any success outside their native country, despite being signed to the Scandinavian branch of CBS; it would probably have been seen as a terrible sell-out, but some English-language lyrics may have done the trick (well, it worked for PFM).
Krigssång ('War Song') was recorded in summer '75, although it wasn't released until early '76. While obviously the same band that recorded their debut, Krigssång is a little more acoustic, and maybe a tad more straightforward, too. The Mellotron work fits the same pattern as their first LP; sparse but effective. TK took their only step into larger-scale composition on this album; Krigssång II takes up the whole of side 2 of the original album and has the best Mellotron work on the record. TK spent five weeks in Britain in late '76, just before punk hit the headlines. Obviously mindful of the impenetrability of their lyrics to a British audience, they rewrote a few of their songs in English; On Going To England is a new version of Mina Löjen from their first album. Despite a good review in 'Melody Maker' the band made no further headway in the UK; presumably their albums were unavailable here, and it was at the time unheard of to sell your own recordings at gigs. The live tracks added to the CD were recorded in Stockholm a few weeks later.
Trettioåriga Kriget carried on for some years, eventually changing their name to the more manageable Kriget, but they simplified their approach (haven't we heard this somewhere before?) and never attained the heights of their first two releases again. There is a compilation of outtakes and suchlike called War Memories (1972-81) (***½); while worth having, there isn't a trace of Mellotron on it anywhere.
However... having dissolved some time in the early '80s, with occasional reformations, the Kriget boys have decided to have another stab at fame and fortune, or at least making some more great music. Elden av År (Fire of Years) doesn't disappoint, with the band having lost none of their energy, although it by no means sounds like a carbon copy of their '70s style. It's difficult to pinpoint the best material after a single listen, so I may well revisit this review at a later date; suffice to say, it's about as far as you can get from the (allegedly) insipid reformation works from the likes of Epidaurus or Il Balletto di Bronzo. Mellotron from Mats Lindberg on four of the eight tracks, with intelligent and restrained use of strings and flutes; nothing jaw-dropping, but well worth hearing, as is the album as a whole. Incidentally, they used Mellotronen boss Stefan Dimle (Paatos, ex-Landberk)'s machine.
So; I would recommend all of these albums unequivocally, but those of a more delicate disposition may have trouble with them. If, however, you like original and adventurous hard rock/prog, buy.
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El Patio (1976, 39.07) ***/TAbre la PuertaSe de un Lugar Todo es de Color Luminosa Mañana Dialogo En el Lago Recuerdos de Una Noche |
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Triana, like many of their countrymen, played a typically Spanish style of prog, heavily influenced by flamenco; suffice to say, this music couldn't have come from anywhere else. El Patio's... well, not bad, I suppose. Damning with faint praise? Probably; the songs are OK without being anything special, the musicianship's good, but far from outstanding... I think you get the picture.
The only Mellotron I can hear on it (from Jesús de la Rosa) is a few choir chords at the beginning of Abre La Puerta, repeating towards the end of the piece. Apart from that, Triana seem to be afflicted by the Spanish Keyboard Disease, otherwise known as the String Synth Syndrome, i.e. an insistence on playing all string parts on a string synth, reserving the Mellotron for choirs. Viruses (if virus it is) know no boundaries, so the syndrome can also be spotted in the work of Portuguese artist José Cid. Maybe there was an international anti-Fascist moratorium in the '70s on Mellotron string sounds. Or something.
So; an OK prog LP, but nothing particularly special, and extremely minimal 'Tron use to boot. I can pretty much take or leave this, to be honest.
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Tribe of Gypsies III (1999, 44.48) ***½/T½ |
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| The Flower Rays of the Sun Admit it It Don't Bother Me Puro Party What Cha Want Angel Up |
Better Days Dreams Puro Party (Reprise) |
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Tribe of Gypsies describe themselves as a 'heavy rock band with Latin influences', although the general lack of heaviosity with extra added percussion on III reminds me of Santana more than anyone, although the band must be getting sick of the comparison. There's certainly very little of the riffing guitar work that you'd expect of an outfit describing themselves as 'heavy', particularly given that guitarist/mainman Roy Z has worked on several Bruce Dickinson albums. There are a couple of heavier tracks, chiefly What Cha Want, which sounds like Santana crossed with Thin Lizzy, but we're not exactly talking Metallica territory here.
III is actually a very pleasant album, little like I'd expected, although I suspect it'll take a few plays for the better tracks to make themselves known, although the guitar line in Puro Party has probably lodged itself in my brain for the foreseeable future. For a guitarist's band, Tribe of Gypsies have a remarkably cohesive sound, with no one instrument dominating, making a welcome change from the serried ranks of guitar wank outfits plaguing the scene. Z (no, I don't know his full name) plays Mellotron on a couple of tracks, with cellos and strings on Better Days, and strings on Dreams, though they're less overt than they might be.
ToG also used 'Tron on their second full album, Revolucion 13, so more news if I track a copy down. As far as III goes, it's a good album with an interesting sound, if slightly derivative of other Latin Rock outfits. Not that much 'Tron, but worth hearing if you were going to buy it anyway.
