Mellotronists

-----Original Message-----
From: electra3682000 [mailto:jocke@...]
Sent: 08 April 2003 15:07
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: Yessongs DVD


> Jon Anderson probably wants better hand playability.

Ah, playing a Taurus with your hands -- I've always wondered how
common that was back in the old days. I seem to recall Phil Collins
doing it during the song 'Ripples' in 1978 and 1980. Any other
examples?


The obvious one is John Hackett - pics of Steve's band from the late-'70s to
early-'80s quite clearly show him playing them this way. I wasn't aware that
both Phil Collins and Jon Anderson had done the same thing. More obscurely,
I remember early-'80s UK band Tamarisk doing the same thing, usually at
inappropriate moments, as apparently 'they didn't want them to sound
cliched'. Oh no, what a crime.  :-)


> The big mistake of the Taurus II was omitting the awesome presets
> of the Taurus I.

Well, yes, but the basic sonic quality changed too. I've always
attributed the characteristic "purr" of the Taurus I to the unique
oscillator design it employs -- quite unlike any other Moog (a V/Hz
design with fairly slow sawtooth retrace, for those interested).


That explains a lot - so it's not a cut-down Mini at all?

Andy T.
M400 #1145

'The Ultimate Mellotron Recordings List (Possibly)'

http://freespace.virgin.net/andy.thompson/