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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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Harbour of Joy Kalevala |
Nu Ska Vi Sjunga Prayer of Jabez |
Progfest |
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Camel Tribute: Harbour of Joy (1996, 135.01) ***½/T |
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| Evolution: Never Let Go Glass Hammer: Air Born Cast: Another Night Phil Beane: The Sleeper Fōnya: Medley: First Light/Rain Dances/The White Rider/Eye of the Storm Strange New Toys: Down on the Farm Algebra: Song Within a Song |
Aton's: Drafted Casino des Images: Tell Me Zauber: Elke New Credo: Medley: Friendship/Little Rivers and Little Rose/Migration/Hopeless Anger Mysia: Pressure Points Prowlers: First Light Notturno Concertante: Ice |
Finisterre: Nimrodel Nostalgia: Long Goodbyes Louie Mastro: Rain Dances Raindances: Rhyader Galahad: Lady Fantasy Louie Mastro: Fritha Alone CAP: Harbour of Tears |
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Harbour of Joy (a.k.a. Camel Tribute) is another in a seemingly endless line of Mellow Records 'tribute' albums, habitually compiled without reference to the band in question (see: Giant for a Life), and largely comprised of the same few bands. As usual, it's a combination of the slavishly-copied and 'is that really that song?', although far fewer of the latter than the former. A couple of the bands involved have had the sense to realise that Camel's strength lay in their melodic sensibilities, and that they would often pad a couple of beautiful tunes out with considerable amounts of faff, so they've simply strung together some of the strongest melodies in medleys. You have to wonder at a couple of the choices, though; what possessed the otherwise unknown Strange New Toys (a pickup band, presumably?) to do the awful Down On The Farm from Breathless? There's surprisingly little material from Camel's acknowledged classic, The Snow Goose, too,
but I suppose that's just the way these things pan out.
In fairness, most of the versions presented here are perfectly good, just not far enough from the originals to make them actually worth recording. I believe there was some controversy surrounding Louis Mastro's two contributions (Mastro can also be heard in similar form on Giant for a Life), where he was accused of playing someone else's MIDI files through a bunch of modules, then presenting the end result as his own work; the tracks certainly have that 'ultra-quantised' feel about them, or rather, complete lack of any feel at all. It seems the battle raged on Internet message boards for some time (back when most people outside universities didn't even have the 'Net), with different factions either accusing or defending him. Sadly, the matter is unlikely to be resolved, as Mastro committed suicide later the same year. The two events are not known to be connected. Anyway, the better efforts here are probably Evolution's Never Let Go, Fōnya's medley and Galahad's straight take on the gorgeous Lady Fantasy.
Mellotron? A couple of tracks on disc two (Raindances' Rhyader and CAP's Harbour Of Tears) have what sounds to my ears like 'Tron samples, which leaves Finisterre's take on Nimrodel as the only genuine 'Tron track in evidence here; sadly, their version is somewhat average, with some horrible synth brass just before the full-on 'Tron string part. A few seconds of background choir later on, and that's it. So; worth the effort? Well, how much of a Camel fan are you? Do you have to have everything? There are some good versions here, but by and large, you're better off with the originals, as so often in these cases. Very little real 'Tron, too, so I'd only bother if you see it second-hand.
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Kalevala: A Finnish Progressive Rock Epic (2003, 238.11) ***½/T½ |
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| Haikara: The Creation/The Sowing Overhead: Wainamoinen and Youkahainen/ The Fate of Aino Simon Says: Som Floden Flyter Sinkadus: Trubadurens Kval Moongarden: Maiden of the Bow Il Castello di Atlante: Ilmarinen Forges the Sampo Magenta: Lemminkainen's Lament Submarine Silence: The Three Battles Metaphor: Raking the Bones Clearlight: The Boat Builder/Searching for the Lost Word |
Orchard: Ilmarinen's Wooing Greenwall: The Wedding Revelation: Uninvited Guest Scarlet Thread: Pimeästa Pohjolasta Mad Crayon: Il Suono dei Ricordi Museo Rosenbach: Fiore di Vendetta Leviathan: Filo di Lama Malibran: Strani Colori Sofia Baccini: Malvagio per le Stelle Elegant Simplicity: Ilmarinen's Bride of Gold Qadesh: Ilmarinen's Fruitless Wooing |
Cantina Sociale: Kantele Grand Stand: Stormen Germinale: La Battaglia per il Sampo Aardvark: Uusi Kantele Thønk: Kapittu 45/46 Groovector: Tuletta Whobodies: Pine Randone & Tempore: Runo 49 Cafeïne: The Way is Open |
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Kalevala: A Finnish Progressive Rock Epic is the first collaboration between Colossus, The Finnish Progressive Music Association and Musea Records, where several bands are asked to write a piece to fit a concept and to record it using only '70s equipment or soundalikes. Now, even speaking as someone who runs a website devoted to the Mellotron, this smacks to me of 'gear fetishism'; OK, make the pieces 'trad', but why mention Rickenbacker basses? More first-wave prog bands played Fenders than Rickys, although I'm with them on 'no digital synth sounds/drum machines etc.' It's a full-length three-CD set, too, so be prepared to put a few hours of your life to one side.
The Kalevala is Finland's great mythological epic, so I suppose it's a reasonable starting point for the series, given its constraints; back in the 'real world', it's a thoroughly ludicrous and pretentious idea, but this is the World Of Prog, where anything can happen. Sort of. As with most 'inspired by' albums, I'm not entirely sure why much of this music reminds the writers of a poem within the epic, but it's produced some pretty decent stuff, so I don't feel inclined to argue too much. Greenwall are a new name to me, but have produced one of the most original tracks here, while the wonderful Qadesh (seen once, never forgotten) are certainly the most off-the-wall band on the album; their inclusion proves that Colossus are light years ahead of, say, Mellow Records in their choice of project contributors. Another original approach is taken by Italy's Germinale, whose entire song is narrated, slightly (and deliberately) out of step by two band members, Marco Masoni and Salvo Lazzara, while the nicest surprise here is the inclusion of Sinkadus, missing presumed dead for several years (their website's front page still has a reference to their excellent 1999 appearance at Progfarm...). There are a few puzzling contributions; why exactly does a jazzy piece like the Whobodies' Pine remind anyone of a Finnish epic poem? And why do the Groovectors feel that copying Pink Floyd is a viable option? Not to mention Magenta's turgid pseudo-'70s neo-prog... At least they stop short of open plagiarism on this track. All in all, some excellent material, a lot of 'pretty good', and surprisingly (and refreshingly) very little 'shouldn't have bothered'.
On the Mellotron front, a clear half-dozen of these bands are known for using samples, so accurate identification of 'Tron use is a little random, to be honest. Simon Says only used the 'Tron on their mid-'90s release, and while the strings (from Stefan Renström) on their track, Som Floden Flyter, sound (fairly) genuine, the choirs are muffled and indistinct, and reek of sample. Sinkadus' strings and flutes on Trubadurens Kval are nice and upfront, and sound real enough, and known sample users Moongarden's credited strings and choir sound remarkably similar to the ones used by Simon Says. Related outfit Submarine Silence's samples are good enough to fool the ear, unlike Magenta's, although both are credited with 'Mellotron'. Hmmm. More credited 'Tron, though clearly samples, on Orchard's Ilmarinen's Wooing, and while I feel that Revelations' 'Tron is sampled, until I have proof... The reformed Museo Rosenbach contribute a track that, while not sounding much like anything from Zarathustra, is apparently immeasurably better than anything from their reformation album, 2000's Exit, although the 'Tron is, again, sampled. Sofia Baccini is credited with using one (played by herself, as are most of the instruments on her track), although it's entirely inaudible, with the only obvious strings being from the credited PPG. Randone & Tempore's contributions are most certainly sampled, as are Elegant Simplicity's; you simply can't play 'Tron flutes that quickly, at least, not without considerable key-click issues... Then again, if the remit is to use 'traditional' keyboard sounds, what are most bands to do? Most of the above don't own a Mellotron, and most probably don't even have (affordable) access to one, so I suppose you can't blame them for using samples in an attempt to sound 'authentic'.
Basically, there's far too much to take in here at one sitting; its three discs last a gnat's under four hours for Chrissake... There's nothing really painful here, which is a bonus, and amongst the 'yeah, not bad's, there are quite a few excellent pieces of music; about enough for a reasonable-length single CD, in fact... I'm not entirely convinced by the reasoning behind the whole concept, but it gives several new bands a chance to display their chops amongst slightly more seasoned campaigners, although I'm not so sure that straightjacketing bands into a fixed format is the way forward, however much I may be in favour of said format. So; how many 'almost definite' 'Tron sightings are there here? Er, one. OK, I've highlighted seven tracks, some of which don't have a 'Tron credit, but I'd be surprised if more than three of the other six are genuine, and I wouldn't be completely amazed to discover that there isn't a jot of real tape-replay anywhere on the album. I know it looks like I've highlighted at random, but between the definite and possible samples, it's rather difficult to work out what's going on. Suffice to say, a fair bit of 'Tron work, though little of it is likely to be 'for real'.
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Nu Ska Vi Sjunga (2004, recorded 1972-73, 71.40) ***½/TT |
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| När Lillan Kom Till Jorden Små Små Fågelungar Trollfar i Snurreberget Nisse Tänker Sjöman Bli Vid en Väg På en Sten Bonden och Kråkan Goddag Min Fru Raska Fötter Springa Tripp, Tripp, Tripp När Jag Sist Gick ut att Vandra |
Veva Veva Positiv Kungens Lilla Piga Har du Sett Herr Kantarell? Trollmors Vaggsång Annikas Visa Plocka Svamp Tomtarnas Julnatt Om Våren, om Våren Här är Polisen Stinas Pepparkakssoldat Sov du Lilla Videung |
Leka Skola Vid Kattegatt Lasse Liten En Sockerbagare Fyra Små Grisar Säg När Kommer Våren Fjäriln Vingad Nu Så är det Jul Igen Tre Pepparkaksgubbar När Olle Fick Heta Pilleman |
Blåsippan ute i Backarna Står Nu Dansar Våren Om Jag Får en Flygmaskin Lilla Tussilago Tummeliten Litti Litti Li Mors Lilla Olle Blinka Lilla Stjärna Fröken Kissekatt Vi Går Över Daggstänkta Berg |
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Nu Ska Vi Sjunga, or 'Now shall we sing', is one of the oddest records reviewed on this site, and it's up against some stiff competition... Basically, it's a compilation of recordings of Swedish nursery rhymes, mostly recorded in the early '70s, provided for me by those nice people from Anekdoten. So why is it here? I'm sure you'll be completely unsurprised to hear that the instrumental accompaniment includes, alongside guitar and piano, a synth (ARP 2600?) and a Mellotron, so that answers that question. The music's very sweet, lots of short songs sung by enthusiastic-sounding people (male and female) in true school-hall style, sounding remarkably similar to many English-language equivalents. None of the melodies are familiar, with one obvious exception, proving that the Scandinavian tradition is very different to the British, although the style most certainly is. The exception is a startlingly mournful version of Blinka Lilla Stjärna, or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Odd.
There's actually some interesting experimentation on offer here; Veva Veva Positiv features a backwards synth part, while Tomtarnas Julnatt and Om Våren, Om Våren's ARP patch is straight out of the prog songbook. The Mellotron parts (player unknown) are quite straightforward, unsurprisingly; När Lillan Kom Till Jorden opens with synth (definitely not Mellotron) flutes, with a 'Tron string line swelling up halfway through, although Små Små Fågelungar's flutes are Mellotronic. More flutes and strings on Kungens Lilla Piga, with all the other tracks sticking to strings. My theory, given the lack of recording information, other than dates (1972/3), is that some of the songs were recorded in a studio that already had a Mellotron, since it seems to be added pretty much at random; there's no obvious reason for it to be on one track any more than another, but then, I didn't arrange them, so what do I know?
Since this is meant to be used in nurseries and for small children at home, rather than listened to by sad Mellotron-obsessives who don't even understand the language, rating it is almost superfluous; it's a children's album, and works perfectly well in that context, and since it didn't make me grit my teeth even once, I think ***½ is quite fair. The Mellotron work is actually pretty good, but I'm not sure I can actually recommend a purchase to the average adult listener. Good at what it does.
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The Prayer of Jabez: Music... a Worship Experience (2001, 29.17) */½This is My PrayerThe Prayer of Jabez Be in Your Blessing Beyond the Borders Touch of Greatness Lead Me Away The Day is Dawning |
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OK, here's one from Nick Hewitt.
His first paragraph is a general 'caveat' for his CCM reviews!
I have been asked by the good and wonderful Andy Thompson to review this album for two reasons. Firstly, he doesn't possess a copy of the album. Neither do I, but my wife (Sue) does. Secondly, he shares my dislike for Contemporary Christian Music (a.k.a. CCM), for reasons that Sue (who IS a Born-Again Christian) fully understands - that is, the most important element of CCM is the Christian message, and, as a result, the actual music comes second, and a poor second at that. Andy would consider CCM to be worse than Harris Chalkitis (see his review!) Therefore, as a committed non-Christian, how can I be 'qualified' to review CCM? The answer to that is simple - when I listen to music, I very rarely listen to the lyrics. I treat the human voice as a musical instrument, alongside guitars, drums, basses and, on those too-rare occasions, Mellotrons. Therefore the Christian message, in my case, goes in one ear and out the other. It has to be said that in a lot of cases, the exit orifice will vary. Anyway, as I am reviewing the music leaning towards the Mellotron, this should not present a problem - the Christian content, from my standpoint, becomes irrelevant. There was something that I read a few years ago, that is applicable to my attitude towards religion, which was credited to Sci-Fi writer Terry Pratchett. I don't know why he said it, nor the context it originated from, but he came up with the quote/axiom "Freedom of Religion includes Freedom from Religion". This short phrase neatly sums up my opinion of ALL religions, not just Christianity. Certain Ayatollahs in Middle East countries would do well to take that on board - like they read anything I write!
Anyway, to the matter in hand. The Prayer of Jabez is a CD put together by a collection of Christian friends, inspired by the book of the same name. It has to be said that it is a very large collection of friends as on the 7 tracks, there are a total of 11 lead singers, with 3 of the tracks having a support lead singer, as well as 15 instrumental musicians. The insert tells you who sings on what, but NOT who plays on what. Judging by the contents of my wife's collection, this is quite common within the CCM community. Unfortunately, while people are religiously (no pun intended) listed on the CD insert, their precise contribution is not, which makes 'Tron spotting a nightmare. The only information I can glean is that Mellotron is supplied by a Phil Madeira, whose name also crops up with alarming regularity on a whole host of other CDs within the wife's collection. Unfortunately, Jabez appears to be his only dalliance with the 'Tron. [Ed: only in Sue Hewitt's collection; he's otherwise a very prolific Mellotronist]. An interesting side-note is that one of the Executive Producers is one Greg Ham - the same Greg Ham from Men at Work (of Down Under fame).
The review copy used in this missive was a British issue, which came as part of a 3-CD set, entitled The Breakthrough Trilogy. For trainspotters out there, the other CDs, done by the same producers, but with a slightly different set of musicians are Secrets of the Vine and A Life God Rewards. All 3 CDs may be available as separate entities, depending on which part of the world you live in.
The entire CD can best be described as mid-paced soft rock, tending towards ballads. They do try to be a little different from 'normal', but it's too little to make THAT much of a difference. Let's just say that they're very trying! In Mellotronic terms (if such a word exists) there appears to be some choirs being used as a background in Beyond The Borders and some flutes fade in and out of the background of The Day Is Dawning, but in both cases, 'Tron use is minimal, and probably wasted. If you're a committed Christian, you've probably already got this. If you haven't (or you aren't), don't bother, on the music and/or 'Tron front. Also, at less than 30 minutes playing time, you are being ripped off. Avoid... please!
| Nick Hewitt |
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Progfest '94 (1995, 146.47) ****/TTTT |
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| Halloween: Outsider Suburb What's in Kalaban: Mutants Over Miami Eyes of a Seer Hotash Slay Änglagård: Höstsejd Episode: Echoes |
Echolyn: The Cheese Stands Alone A Little Nonsense Here I am Anekdoten: Muscle Beach Benediction (Biceps at Play) Wheel Mars Giraffe: Fly on a Windshield/Broadway Melody of 1994 The Colony of Slippermen/A Visit to the Doktor The Musical Box |
Minimum Vital: Les Mondes de Miranda La Source L'Invitation Sebastian Hardie: Glories Shall Be Released Journey Through Our Dreams Everything is Real |
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Progfest '95 (1996, 127.29) ****½/TTT |
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| Arsnova: Morgan Jihad Danse Macabre Landberk: Kontiki Dream Dance Time |
Deus ex Machina: Exordium Res Publica II Ad Montem Si Tu Bene Valeas Ego Bene Valeo White Willow: Lord of Night Cryptomenysis |
Spock's Beard: The Light Solaris: Apocalypse Oz Hungarian Danse Solaris |
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Progfest '97 (1997, 141.59) ****/TTT½ |
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| The John Wetton Band: In the Dead of Night Rendezvous 6:02 Starless Le Orme: Madre Mia/Primo Acqua Il Vecchio Il Fiume, pt.2 Felona & Serona (parts a,b,c,d) |
Arena: Medusa Sirens The Flower Kings: Retropolis Humanizzimo (parts a,b,c,d) Spock's Beard: Thoughts Go the Way You Go |
Bigelf: Mindbender Sell Out Neuropsychopathic Eye Sinkadus: Ättestupan |
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Progfest 2000 (2001, 129.24) ***½/T |
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| Kenso: Sora Ni Hikaru Negal Kanaeru Kodomo Hyoto The Shadow Over Innsmouth Mediterranean & Aryan Supersister: Judy Goes on Holiday Mona Lisa: Captif de la Nuit |
Les Guerriers Tripot Les Sabots de Lena Spock's Beard: Gibberish Rocket Scientists: Dark Water/Earthbound Aqua Vitae In the Flesh?/Oblivion Days |
Codice: Bitácora de Sueños Dentro de la Máquina Espíritus en Movimiento I/Eva/Espíritus en Movimiento II/ Salmo 150 Epílogo Tempus Fugit: Never Prologue Goblin's Trail |
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To my knowledge, Progfest existed between 1993 and 2000, missing the odd year here and there. Taking place in Los Angeles, it was arguably the biggest and most important progressive festival in the world, having hosted names such as Änglagård (twice), Le Orme, Anekdoten and Landberk, not to mention persuading several bands to reform for the occasion, not least Australia's Sebastian Hardie. I don't know if the first year was recorded, but since 1994 all the sets have been recorded onto multitrack, creating a priceless archive of progressive rock talent. Double CDs from three consecutive festivals have been released, opening the door for many similar efforts from other festivals, although the quality of artists is rarely matched (until the more recent NEARfests, anyway). Many of the sets excerpted above have now been released in their (near) entirety; Änglagård's set, released as Buried Alive is missing one track, but Solaris' 1995 set is available as a double CD in its own right. Sebastian Hardie, Spock's Beard and Sinkadus have all followed suit, so it's entirely possible that other albums will leak out in the future.
After the triumph of 1993's festival, with Änglagård well down the bill, and a reformation of US lunatics Quill, the double CD/video of the '94 event, Progfest '94, let the rest of the world know what they were missing. Of course, you can only get a small taste of each band this way, but it's good to know that their sets were recorded in their entirety. The first few years were overseen by the (now sadly late) Kevin Gilbert, and he, I believe, provided various items of antique equipment for the bands' use, including a Hammond, a MiniMoog and two Mellotrons. By no means all bands availed themselves of the offer, but Änglagård, Anekdoten, Giraffe and Sebastian Hardie all took the opportunity to sound as good as possible on the night. As previously mentioned, both Änglagård and Sebastian Hardie's sets are available separately, but the brief snippet of Anekdoten's set makes it sound like they were on a real roll, particularly their version of Crimson's version of Holst's Mars (!) with Niklas Berg on 'Tron; any chance of a full release for this, chaps?
Giraffe were basically Kevin Gilbert and a bunch of mates (including future Spock's Beard drummer Nick d'Virgilio and David Kerzner on keys) playing a truncated version of Genesis' Lamb, with The Musical Box as an encore, using mostly authentic equipment, including (of course) the full-on 'Tron of the cheekily-retitled Fly On A Windshield/Broadway Melody Of 1994. Sebastian Hardie's three tracks are basically an edited version of their fantastic Four Moments opus, played in full on the night. Loads of 'Tron throughout, from Toivo Pilt; anyone who thinks Australians can't play full-on symphonic prog should give this lot a blast, despite the slightly under-rehearsed nature of the performance.
'95's festival CD set, Progfest '95, features the only decent artwork of these three releases; I'm not sure if it was specially commissioned, but the stunning 'peeling away reality' theme beats 'bad fantasy art' hands down. Japan's all-female trio Arsnova are dedicated synth merchants (including a nice Prophet 600), but Sweden's excellent Landberk, traditionalists to a man, used nowt but Hammond and 'Tron on the keyboard front (from Simon Nordberg) to great effect. Given that the band are now no more, a full release of their set seems sadly unlikely. What about it though, Musea? Deus ex Machina, singing in Latin, aren't known for their Mellotron use, but Luigi Ricciardiello obviously decided that if it was there, he might as well indulge. Not very much, mind you; a few seconds of strings (distinctly different from the violin and cello also on stage) in Exordium, and that would appear to be it, although they may have used it elsewhere in their set, of course.
On disc two, White Willow's Lord Of Night, sounding heavier than its studio counterpart, features some full-on 'Tron choirs and flute from Jan Tariq Rahman, with a string part on Cryptomenysis, missing from the original. Spock's Beard's The Light is available on their The Official Live Bootleg/The Beard is Out There CD (their debut gig, unbelievably), but just for the record, it's stuffed full of new keys man Ryo Okumoto's 'Tron (he used two on the night), although Polish supremos Solaris are, again, synth-only men. Although the festival lacked the highlights of the previous year's bill, it's actually more consistent; probably the most consistent ever, to be honest, with not a whiff of the also-ran about any band present.
There was no '96 festival, but on the CD set for '97, Progfest '97 (is this getting slightly predictable?), it's extremely difficult to tell who might or might not be using real 'Tron. There was definitely at least one there, as Spock's Beard (still only their third gig!) and Sinkadus used it (you can see one in the 'Beard's booklet pic), but although every other act used them (or samples) in the studio at one time or another, it's hard to say who availed themselves of the real thing on the night. John Wetton had IQ's Martin Orford on keys, making two ex-'Tron users in one band, and the slightly truncated Starless does actually sound pretty authentic (Martin has subsequently confirmed to me that he used the house 'Tron); it's notable that the three Wetton tracks on the disc consist of two UK songs and one Crimson. So that'll be no Asia, then. Thankfully. I've no idea what made up the bulk of Le Orme's set, but three of the four tracks here are from their (then) new album, Il Fiume, with the remainder being excerpts from their masterpiece, the English-language version of Felona & Serona. Michele Bon (one of two keyboard players) is credited with 'Melotron', but I'll be buggered if I can hear it anywhere. Maybe he used it elsewhere in their set.
The not-very-good Arena manage to be their usual pompous, overblown selves (with terrible drumming), and seemingly without the festival 'Tron, although Clive Nolan uses one in the studio. My problem with The Flower Kings' set is that, as with their studio, albums, it's difficult to know whether or not the 'Tron is real or sampled. I'm not sure why you'd use samples if a real one's being provided, but you never know. Anyway, assuming it's real, Retropolis opens with a cool string part, with another 'wobbly enough to sound authentic' part towards the end of the song, with some more on the Humanizzimo excerpts, from Stolt's solo The Flower King opus. Spock's Beard slap it all over their two tracks in most pleasing fashion, of course, as do Sinkadus with their one, leaving Bigelf's Damon Fox to struggle with too many keyboards to play all his studio parts, as he concentrates on Hammond. As a result, I can't hear any 'Tron on Sell Out or Neuropsychopathic Eye, although it's clearly audible on the studio versions, on Money Machine, from three years hence.
The festival became more intermittent after this, its glory days seemingly behind it, but Musea released what would appear to be one last festival compilation, Progfest 2000. The lineup's the least impressive yet, sad to say, with a couple of the more major acts not making the album (Banco and Transatlantic, who would only have used samples anyway), although both Kenso and Mona Lisa manage to be quite excellent, although the less said about much of Tempus Fugit's contribution the better... Actually, that's not really fair; they veer between appalling neo-prog rubbish and almost-transcendental beauty from track to track. Consistency please, gentlemen. The only definite Mellotron use is from the ubiquitous Spock's Beard (again), with some nice flutes and strings on Gibberish, while the Rocket Scientists' Aqua Vitae and Oblivion Days have what sounds 'quite like' a Mellotron, though I have a nasty feeling it isn't, especially as there's two sounds going at once at one point.
The festival seems to have been supplanted by the East Coast NEARfest these days, although, as yet, there have been no compilations made available, although I know that Mellotrons have turned up at least once. In 2003, both Änglagård and Camel, surprisingly, used them, but don't hold your breath for their sets to make it onto CD.
So; do you buy these albums? Well, they all contain some great performances unavailable elsewhere, although complete sets from three of the four have been released. They're all pretty good tasters of the complete festivals; if only more of those complete sets were made available... Music aside (!), I'd say there's enough otherwise-unavailable Mellotron stuff on the first three sets to make them worth the effort on those grounds alone, particularly Anekdoten and Landberk's tracks, although there's less utterly essential stuff on the '97 and 2000 sets. Buy anyway.
