Weirdest instrument used by a prog group

Hi:

I think Mike Oldfield's 'Amarok' wins both for quantity and quality of weirdness. These are all the instruments he used. Notice the bold ones (that includes objects, instruments I really don't know about and just wierd things):

Voice
Tin Whistle
Guitar, Acoustic & Electric Bass, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Ukulele, Banjo, Grand Piano, Organ, Shoes, Hoover, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Bodhrán, Northumbrian Pipes, Clay Drums, Triangle, Tambourine, Wonga Box, Bell Tree, Sticks, Finger Cymbals, Toy Dog, Melodica, Chairs, Psaltery, Spinet, Jew's Harp, Penny Whistle, Punch Ball and Club, Spoons, Referee's Whistle, Fingernails, Pan Pipes, Glass Of Water, Guitar Tuner, Violin, Door, Face Slap, Toothbrush And Teeth, Fake Radio, Contents Of Aeromodeller's Toolbox, Glass, Hammer And Bucket, Fake Firework, Rototom, Cabasa, Bongos, Orchestral Bass Drum, Timpani, Kalimba, Synthesiser, Tubular Bells...

Impressive. And  a trully remarkable record for a) being wierd and, at the same time, more or less accesible and b) havien been made at the end of the 80s by a rather popular artist at the time.

threefates wrote: The theramin.. as used by Pamela Kurstin in her band.  Used by the Beach Boys years ago in Good Vibrations too, I understand.  I know its truly weird to watch her play it.  But the hand movements are sort of erotic....

Spotted a three CD set of Theramin music in my local independent record store. That great comedian and accomplished musician  Bill Bailey demonstrated the Theramin on Jonathan Ross's chat show on BBC TV 3 months ago. And that classic psychedelic band Lothar & The Hand People, strongly featured the Theramin on their 1969 album Space Hymn - which I guess was one of its later uses.  And of course the Thirteenth Floor Elevators used it - check out one of my favourite psychedelic hits Step Inside This House.

the lyricon was a wind/breath controlled analogue
synthesiser developed during the 1970s and Ian Anderson used it only once in one tune.

Holdsworth had one of the few pairs of 'right hands' for that axe...not too many other people could make head nor tail of it. I bet it felt darn strange playing on two sets of six identical gauge strings.

Any fans of Michael Hedges know his harp guitars...beautiful sounding, and lovely to look at:

and a pic of the first theremin virtuoso, just for threefates:

danbo wrote: How about the synthaxe? It defintely weird looking, but in the right hands, a very stunning instrument.

That's weird alright Dan!

Know of any bands that add it up to their instrumentation?