Mellotron moments
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Topic: Mellotron moments
Posted By: manray
Subject: Mellotron moments
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 08:33
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what are your favourite moments from the famous mellotron? mine 1 Watcher of the skies - Genesis 2 Heart of the sunrise - Yes 3 Tommy - Focus 4 And you and I - Yes 5 Moonlight Knight - Genesis 6 Exit music - Radiohead 7 Gates of delirium - Yes 8 siberian khatru - Yes 9 Crimson king - king crimson 10 The Tourist - Radiohead |
Replies:
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 09:24
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Epitaph - King Crimson is the only one that matters. Maybe put Easy Money at no. 2. |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 10:22
Lets get the Genesis masterpieces out of the way first.. 
Fly on a Windshield Fountain of Salmacis Entangled Watcher of the Skies Cinema Show Los Endos Land of Make Believe - The Moody Blues Starless - King Crimson Epitaph - King Crimson Golden Void - Hawkwind Spectral Mornings - Steve Hackett Rain Song - Led Zeppelin Sacred Sound - IQ (during the guitar solo) |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 10:23
Tend to agree - that memorable, gut wrenching shift in the Mellotron half way through its solo, said 'we mean business, the Moodys have been pussy footing about" when I heard first the album October-ish 1969. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
TGM: Orb wrote:Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 10:27
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Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 10:47
Yeesssss! It's been too long since we've had one of these threads...but waddaya know, I'm pressed for time. I'll be back later with a list "drenched in mellotron waves",  as Erik would've said...------------- Signature Writers Guild on strike |
Posted By: manray
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 13:56
Yeh, Yes, moody blues and genesis used the mellotron what it was meant for, recreating these large instruments. But KC whacked their mellotron Through like 2 Marshall stacks and Got that wonderful gritty sound that no other band had really
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 13:59
| As Blacksword's already mentioned "Entangled" I'll have to make do with the end of "Seven Stones". |
Posted By: Dr. Prog
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 14:05
Firth of Fifth......Suppers Ready.......One for the Vine.....Eleventh Earl of Mar (just listen to that opening mellotron swell----one of the alltime hair on end mellotron moments)(who said prog was dead by 1977?)........Blood on the Rooftops
(btw, to the OP, its Moonlit Knight, not Moonlight Knight---its a play on words
 ) |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 14:19
Chamber of 32 Doors....Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats.....Can Untility & the Coastliners (when the drums come in!)......Broadway melody of 1974... Genesis are the Mellotron masters! 
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Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 14:20
Let's not forget Strawbs 
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/LinusW88" rel="nofollow - Blargh |
Posted By: Dr. Prog
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 14:25
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You want to hear an album drenched with mellotron, get Barclay James Harvest's Live 1974 album. Every song is a mellotron fest. One of the all time best tron albums.
http://www.planetmellotron.com/revbjh.htm - http://www.planetmellotron.com/revbjh.htm
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 16:14
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1. Genesis - Watcher Of The Skies
2. King Crimson - In the Court Of The Crimson King 3. Genesis - Los Endos ( live)4. Cliffhanger - Ragnarok
5. IQ - Widow's Peak
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Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 16:25
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More recently, Steve Wilson really plays the hell out of that mellotron on Opeth's Damnation.
On another note (and this may appear as shameless nationalitic publicity), I have just purchased and heard the firs CD edition of Quarteto 1111's classic Onde Quando Como Porquê Cantamos Pessoas Vivas and I have to say that, despite all the flaws, it's still one of the best mellotrons I've heard, and this remaster does a really good work showcasing it.
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Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:27
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No Yes or Genesis allowed, and only one per group
1. IQ - Widow's Peak (@ 1:19...one of my favorite parts in all of music that I can think of)
2. BJH - Summer Soldier and After the Day (...and Galadriel, these three showcase different ways the instrument can be used without even changing the tapes. but basically the whole album is full of mellotron, it takes the lead most of the time)
3. The Moody Blues - everything...okay if I have to pick, I'll go with "Out and In"
4. Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song
5. King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon (middle section and outtro)
6. PFM - L'isola di Niente
7. Morte Macabre - Opening Theme
8. Steve Hackett - Hands of the Priestess
9. Celeste - Principe di un Giorno (outtro) Probably my "top 'tron" album, overall
10. Strawbs - Down by the Sea
11. VdGG - A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
12. La Maschera di Cera - Nuova Luce (the "climax", toward the end)
13. Osanna - Oro Caldo
14. Peter Hammill - Modern
15. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Tuesday's Gone ------------- Signature Writers Guild on strike |
Posted By: Dr. Prog
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:31
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^^^^man, that's a nice list until I got to that last one
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Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:48
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C'mon, Skynyrd are alright, in small doses...and as long as there ain't any budweiser-guzzling dudes screaming "play freeeeaaabuuurd!!" ------------- Signature Writers Guild on strike |
Posted By: Dr. Prog
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:54
that alone has turned me off of Skynyrd permanently. Although its usually Pabst drinking dudes.
funny story about that--I saw the California Guitar Trio play in a small club a few months ago, and they said they would frequently have the wiseguys calling out "freeeeeebird" at their shows. So they actually decided to do an acoustic version of that song with 3 guitars that really kicks ass, and surprises the heck out of the wise guys. They also do Bohemian Rhapsody and Heart of the Sunrise on acoustic guitars that is amazing.
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Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:58
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^that sounds pretty cool, especially BR, that has to be tough to pull off. The Freebird thing is actually fun to do, you just have to know the right time to yell it out
Pabst =
 Pabst drinkers =   ------------- Signature Writers Guild on strike |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:59
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The essential songs from W&W make W&W unique, these are:
-Eleventh earl of Mar -One for the Vine -Blood on the Rooftops -Unquiet Slumbers -In the quiet moments (?) |
Posted By: Dr. Prog
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 18:22
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its Unquiet Slumbers for the sleepers...... in that Quiet Earth.
Its from the last lines of Wuthering Heights, the famous Bronte novel, thus the album name, Wind and Wuthering.
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Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 20:11
 Even after 39 years, when Epitath rumbles in, every hair on my forearms stand up as if in honour!I have never had a similar experience with anything else. Its a steamroller of unbridled emotion . The song Hero & Heroine is a fine example of hard "tron and the softest is that magical moment with the choir 'tron before the main chorus of Dancing with the Moonlit Knight which is equally awesome (only last a couple of seconds though). ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: manray
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 20:35
GENIUS MELLOTRON -------------  
EROTIC VOLVO |
Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 21:15
Excellent on so many levels. One of my favourites together with Epitaph. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/LinusW88" rel="nofollow - Blargh |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 23:26
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Anekdoten - Karelia Brilliant. -------------   
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Posted By: pierreolivier
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 01:12
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One of my favorite is Harmonium "Histoire sans paroles" from the masterpiece "Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison". The chordal section just after the 12 strings/flute solo where the mellotron is alone is simply gorgeous and give me shivers every time i heard it, even if i listen to that album for a good 15 years. The other top moments is certainly the crescendo in King Crimson's "Epitaph" and the part from "Prince Rupert's awake" from Lizard where Jon Anderson sang vocalises, just before the bolero section. That passage is simply majestic.
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Posted By: bang!
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 21:03
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everybody says crimson, but their real mellotron opus maximus was "devil's triangle", right? that second album holds up SO much better than ITCOTCK. alsothat little suite on the first side of strawbs' "hero and heroine" has the mellotron actually sounding sweet ( was that robert kirby? been a long time. )
------------- glen- "funny world..." h.i. "damn funny." glen- "somebody oughtta sell tickets..." h.i. "i'd buy one..." |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: May 17 2008 at 00:37
John Hawken - one of the finest keyboard display in prog , piano organ synth and The Great White 'Tron ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: May 17 2008 at 01:25
Nice choice James.
Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: May 17 2008 at 01:44
| I'm going to go with Tangerine Dream's 'Mysterious Semblance At The Strand Of Nightmares'. So few notes say so much. |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: May 18 2008 at 11:26
I totally agree! I also love Matching Mole's first album, there's some excellent 'tron flute but I can't remember which track it is, need to dig it out and have another listen. ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: bang!
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 03:04
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re mellotron flute moment on the 1st matching mole record--it's the segue from o caroline into instant pussy and yes, it's utterly sublime
------------- glen- "funny world..." h.i. "damn funny." glen- "somebody oughtta sell tickets..." h.i. "i'd buy one..." |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 10:54
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recent debut by Swiss Post-Rock/Prog-Rock Instrumental Band EQUUS has one of the best mellotron parts I ever heard. ANEKDOTEN renaissance!
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Posted By: Statutory-Mike
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 11:48
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has anyone mentioned Porcupine Tree's "Mellotron Scratch" ? ------------- 
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Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 20 2008 at 16:21
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^ It's not that good a song, IMO I shall say: Tangerine Dream's Phaedra and I think Rubycon had some good moments. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: febus
Date Posted: May 20 2008 at 21:02
Agree!! when i think of mellotron, BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST is the first band that comes in my mind.Their first 6/7 albums are a mellotron feast, especially the LIVE as mentioned by DR prog
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Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 10:01
Thanks! ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Philip
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 06:34
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The introduction for "Watcher of the Skies". And of course, the 8 voice choir, my favourite sound from the Mellotron, really perfect and magnificent sound, in "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" and the whole album "10000 Anos Depois entre Vénus e Marte" by José Cid. Another great moment is the album "Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê Cantamos Pessoas Vivas" by his former group Quarteto 1111, this time with the choir is not present if I'm remembering well, but lots of the also fabulous strings sound.
Jean Michel Jarre brought the Mellotron for his concerts of Oxygène", including the one I attended here in Porto, and the choir sound with all that power was fantastic.
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 07:53
Nice one Alan - nice to see someone else other than me rates the coda to 'Seven Stones' (my personal favorite - raises the hairs on the back of my neck every time)
I thought that as well until I saw the 'making of' documentary; it's not a real Mellotron!  I think it was one of those bright red Nord keyboards... for shame, Mr Wilson, being credited with playing 'Mellotron'  ------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 07:16
That's a cool part but I've had a listen to the album and the bit I really like is the end of Instant Kitten, it reminds me of Noggin the Nog! ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: T.Rox
Date Posted: May 25 2008 at 06:39
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I've just managed to land Chris Neal's "Winds Of Isis" LP, an Aussie prog rarity that is supposed to have loads of over the top mellotron moments ... here's hoping
The album should be here in a week or so. Here is some info from PlanetMellotron...
http://www.planetmellotron.com/revn1.htm#chrisneal - http://www.planetmellotron.com/revn1.htm#chrisneal
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Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: June 22 2008 at 11:40
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Father of Night, Father of Day by Manfred Mann's Earth Band has some riveting choir and string mellotron throughout the 9 minute epic, fabulous guitar and Moog solos as well. But lots of Tron! ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: Weston
Date Posted: June 22 2008 at 12:56
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Rick Wakeman does some quirky things with the mellotron. "Catherine Howard" from Six Wives is a mellotron workout. At 3:28 he starts using it with a leslie speaker maybe? Makes it sound like a Hammond a little. Then at about 4:08 there are a couple of cool 'tron stabs. You don't usually think of stabs on the mellotron. The piece ends with solo mellotron on the flute or some kind of reed setting which of course doesn't sound like either a flute or a reed. I need to listen to Epitaph again. I love the song, but you guys lost me on the mellotron change or swell reference. It's evidently been too long.
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Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: June 22 2008 at 14:50
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Willowglass' debut is also loaded with Mellotron. Tracks Remembering, Tower of the Kings Daughter and Walking the Angels is dripping , gripping stuff. ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: June 22 2008 at 23:47
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'Watcher of the Skies' - Genesis 'Return of the Giant Hogweed' - Genesis 'Strawberry Fields' - Beatles 'Starless' - King Crimson 'In the Court of the Crimson King' - King Crimson 'Sailor's Tale' - King Crimson ------------- 
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Posted By: Jozef
Date Posted: June 23 2008 at 00:08
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(In no order) 1. Genesis- "Fly on a Windshield" 2. The Moody Blues- "Tuesday Afternoon" 3. King Crimson- "In the Wake of Poseidon" 4. David Bowie- "Quicksand" 5. Led Zeppelin- "The Rain Song" |
Posted By: Grimfurg
Date Posted: July 04 2008 at 15:46
Oh yes, that song is bliss. ------------- http://regulab.bandcamp.com/album/vol-i/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: July 04 2008 at 16:01
Time to fall in love again What a thrill ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: July 04 2008 at 16:08
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As a TRON-maniac I would like to present you my Mellotron moment:
http://www.progwalhalla.nl/progcorner/?page_id=45%20 - http://www.progwalhalla.nl/progcorner/?page_id=45
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 11:04
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(something especially for Erik):
Lifted from a very detailed biog of Graham Bond:
http://www.grahambond.net/biography.html - http://www.grahambond.net/biography.html
some info about what is claimed to be the first Mellotron recording:
[quote]
By late July (1965), the Organization was featured on ITV's weekend show, Ready Steady Go!, on which they promoted their new single, "Lease on Love." Bond also used the opportunity to demonstrate his newfound keyboard, the Mellotron. The Mellotron resembled an organ but was able to emulate strings, brass and woodwind, giving Bond command of a mini orchestra. As Bond explained to Melody Maker, "The Mellotron uses pre-recorded tapes of other instruments. For example, every note in the register of the trumpet is recorded-and I can play it on the organ keyboard getting the real sound." The instrument created a minor sensation when Bond first publicly used it at the Marquee. However, they soon suspended its use in shows because, as Dick Heckstall-Smith told Blues-Rock Explosion, "It went out of tune the whole bloody time. It was also very big." "Lease on Love" may have been the first recording to feature the Mellotron, and the song garnered outstanding reviews. A New Musical Express critic noted, "Here's a good one that I can confidently recommend: 'Lease On Love' by the Graham Bond Organisation. What I like about this group is that the soloist has an inherent R&B feeling, and this is particularly noticeable with the persistent organ blues riff behind him." Disc Weekly asserted, "Graham is singing better than ever with a hush-coloured voice and oodles of feeling."
[unquote] ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 12:03
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Great story, Dick
and so typically for the Mellotron: famous for its unique sound and infamous because of its imperfections
 ! |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: October 08 2008 at 11:39
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strange thing no-one named some of the very best mellotron moments of all so far. how about "Epsilon in Malaysian Pale" by Edgar Froese? or "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" by Tangerine Dream? -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Abrawang
Date Posted: October 09 2008 at 01:09
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Cinema Show, no doubt about it
then, in no particular order
Legend of a Mind - Moodys
Fountain of Salmacis
Seven Stones
Epitaph
ITCOTCK
Starship Trooper (live from Yessongs, or is that a synthasizer?)
Echoes (is that what they use after the sound effects interlude?)
------------- Casting doubt on all I have to say... |
Posted By: Evandro Martini
Date Posted: October 12 2008 at 12:42
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Watcher of the Skies - Genesis - best mellotron introduction Epitaph - King Crimson - best combination of mellotron and voice Histoire sans paroles - Harmonium - the best description I've ever read of that is "That mellotron doesn't seem to be played by human hands" Can-Utility and the Coastliners - Genesis - best mellotron solo Three Friends - Gentle Giant - best mellotron coda An album that everyone should check is The Great Deceiver, by King Crimson, live in 73-74. It features the most original mellotron improvisations, and also a great work in songs like Starless and Easy Money! ------------- "You’ll never make any money playing music that people can’t sing.” Keith Emerson's father |
Posted By: Daniel1974nl
Date Posted: November 21 2008 at 08:20
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I agree with you all in relation to mellotron moments of King Crimson and Genesis. Perhaps thats why I regard them so high....I mean just listen to to this new remasters of the first 7 Genesis. Especially the DVD audio versions are truly jawdropping in any possible meaning of the world. Drew moments, one after the other......And Yes, the Lamb is one of the highest mellotron percentage albums ever made. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats, for example. Totally amazing. But also forgoing albums knew thier mellotron share. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, Cinema Show...and ofcourse Watcher Of The Skies, Seven Stones and Fountain Of Salmacis....are all equally fantastic. As for King Crimson....They had their share too. Reading all this really made me want to listen to Epitaph again.....And ofcourse In The Court Of The Crimson King....but but should also not forget In The Wake Of Poseidon, truly amazing mellotron song also. It was also KC's use of mellotron that made Genesis decide to embrace the mellotron in such a prominent way. Untill I read all this comments I never saw Yes as prominent exponent of the mellotron and always tend to associate Yes more with the Moog (like very obvious in Awaken). Also Pink Floyd does not come to mind to me as a frequest mellotron using band...and ELP....Im just starting with that (although Im already in Prog for more than 15 years). What surpising me most is the absence of Swedish prog. Someone once is mentioning Anekdoten's Karelia....but my good heavens what are we missing out here. True, Anekdoten is the most typical example of the use of the mellotron (they even take one on tour...till this day) But I can truly recomand all of you to listen to the Flower Kings, Anglagard and Landberk as we'll. Talking about amazong use of mellotron. But the most amazing example of mellotron use for me is still Motre Macabre. This colaboration between members of Anekdoten and Landberk created a 16 min. long song that no-one should leave out of his collection, for A Symphonic Holocaust is really really one of the crowning achievements of mellotron use. Further.....I know there are alot of already long forgotten bands......like Spring, Zombies or Rare Bird...that were extremely heavy in the use of the mellotron.
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Posted By: JulioSouth
Date Posted: November 28 2008 at 10:51
Only in Progarchives can I get to discuss great Mellotron moments and not feel like a freak
 Here they go:
Genesis - "Watcher of the Skies" (greatest Mellotron piece ever in the intro)
Genesis - "Los Endos" (the choir break in the 'Volcano' reprise)
Yes - "Heart of the Sunrise" (strings) King Crimson - "Epitaph" (the evil strings build up in the middle still give me the chills)King Crimson - "Starless" (beautiful strings all through the song part)
Anekdoten - "Ricochet" (the best collaboration Ian McDonald and U2 never did)King Crimson - "In the Court of the Crimson King" (no need to explain) Porcupine Tree - "Gravity Eyelids" (massive evil choirs on intro againt trip-hop beat)
Smashing Pumpkins - "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness"
Surely I am forgetting many more, but those are the ones that come to mind first.
------------- "I'll be right there, I'll never leave; All I ask from you is Believe" |