Mellotronists

Right, here's my 2 cent's worth.
There have been so many it's hard to choose the ultimate contender.
But to my mind it would have to a band who created their original sound with the tron way up there in the mix and not just used it as a pretty white box for the keyboard player to occasionally rest his left hand, or even his beer on once in a while.
Also, the winner would have had to have stood by the instrument through thick and thin, which unfortunately would eliminate some of my favourite all time bands, who seem to have turned their backs on the machine. Indeed, in view of the current debate on Yes here (who I loved during the CTTE and TFTO era). They would have to go to the bottom of the pile because of what Rick did to his! Also, he has continued to pour scorn on the mellotron ever since.
Stand up and take a bow Barclay James Harvest.(Nothing like a bit of controversy to get the list going!).
I have to say that KC, Strawbs, Genesis, Yes, Moodies would all have been up there, if only they'd stuck with it and in some cases not ridiculed it.
Let battle commence!
Andy K if you agree.
Andy T if you don't

In a message dated 5/10/02 5:37:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time, kinchmusic@... writes:

There have been so many it's hard to choose the ultimate contender.
But to my mind it would have to a band who created their original sound with the tron way up there in the mix and not just used it as a pretty white box for the keyboard player to occasionally rest his left hand, or even his beer on once in a while.

Given this criteria, I think the hands-down winner (for an album anyway) is the Moodies' To Our Children's Children's Children. Mellotron MkII/300 dominated from start to finish, no filler, superb effect (pitch-bended vibes on "Floating"), multi-tracked solo ("Beyond"), a great Mellotron moment, (5th bar intro to "Gypsy"), etc.

My vote for all-time Mellotron moment has already been mentioned numerous times -- lying on my bed in the early 70's listening to my brand new copy of Close to the Edge, hearing "...for reasons to...call" followed by Rick's Mellotron crescendo into the tron solo. Almost orgasmic (and no, I wasn't doing anything else at the time) . Immediate goosebumps on my arms (called piloerection, although I again emphasize that I wasn't doing anything else at the time I was listening) that rivaled that of a heroin addict going cold turkey; goosebumps that occurred upon each subsequent listening (and as I think about it while writing this).

Frank Samagaio
M400 #908