Mellotronists

<< Other than Ian McDonald and Mel Collins, I think it
should generally be banned. Or maybe rock flute players could be
licensed... >>

picky picky picky. most rock flute players I've heard are trying their 
damndest to retain some delicacy in the face of overwhelming odds; blowing 
across the end of a foot-and-a-half of tubing, nearly always miked up wrong, 
with a wall of marshalls (or whatever) a few feet behind them. and would the 
world really be a better place without tull?
I still mourn the passing of the monsoon bassoon, one of london's brightest 
new-prog hopefuls of the last decade. they managed (or sarah did) to exhibit 
flute, sax and sarah's own rather delicate singing through some of the most 
indifferently constructed and operated p.a. systems I've ever.... (&c &c). I 
know that the rock-flautist's duff choice of musical setting is hardly a 
defence, but it's pretty brave all the same. even a triangle player (an 
equilateralist?) can hit his thing harder if he needs to.
and there are some dodgy flautists outside rock too- that james galway, for a 
start. for god's sake, stop fidgeting man! just because you're irish doesn't 
mean you can arse about and be mischievous *all* the time. (oh- it does? 
where do I sign?)
my mother taught about seven flautists so I know a bit about the things 
flute-players are and are not supposed to do, and frankly, fuck all those 
rules.

personally, I quite like a bit of expression to creep in by way of breathing 
noises, breathing where you think you should and not where the teacher says 
the composer meant you to, clanking of teeth or microphone, waving the thing 
in the air and brandishing it like a magic wand or cheerleader's baton. 
without all that, you'd have little more than a wobbly sine wave- may as well 
get an ondes martenot.

of course, what sets *our* flute apart, and even "cloth-ears" salley has 
noticed this :-), is that it's possible to play for hours without breathing 
and occasionally more than one note at a time. in fact, it's quite hard not 
to. I reckon that pinder may have had a crack at the solo and then 
ray-what's-his-face, "the gay waiter" (per the prog rock top 10 tv show I 
mentioned passim), repeated the line on real plumbing. it's always surprised 
me how little 'tron there is in "nights" when you listen really hard. I mean, 
obviously it's there, but the flute isn't 'tron, and quite a lot of the rest 
of the arrangement is "real", not memorex (or e.m.i.). 
it must've been quite a kick up the arse for the moodies when "court" came 
out. discuss.

duncan/400nr1098- sort of hoping there'll be an ian anderson flute set one 
day, and a pablo casals cello while we're about it. or jack bruce. jack bruce 
cello. and andy mackay saxophone. ah yes.