What's your favorite Mellotron moments in Prog?

[KELLY WELSH]

Yeah and also parts of "the devil's triangle." There's one part where the tron makes it sound as if the world is about to end. Everything just gets so intense. I don't think I've ever heard a more intense sounding mellotron or mellotrons although the ones in Epitaph are similar in that respect.

I also want to mention "mouth of madness" by Spock's Beard. Anglagard had some great mellotron moments too.

Parts of Camel's mirage album particularly "lady fantasy" and "Nimrodel."


I also agree with those who mentioned PFM's "appena un po"(not just the opening section though; there's great tron in the middle that evokes early KC) and Pavlov's Dog. The first two PD albums are loaded with great tron especially the first one("Julia" is a great example).

"The devils triangle" must surely be one of the most unnerving pieces of music Fripp has written. Brilliant use of the tron though.

[Digital_Man]

Is there 'tron on Awaken?

Not to my knowledge.

[Digital_Man]

[yesman1955]

There's tons of great moody mellotron on SW's The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)
Especially the tron break mid-way thru the kick-ass Luminol

[Digital_Man]

I love that bit on Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, just after "You know where you are you don't give a damn..."

At least I've always assumed that's a mellotron - apologies if it's not.

Choral mellotron. That song is loaded with it. It's also the main instrument on "silent sorrow in empty boats."

[Watanabe]

Gracious and Spring have their moments.

[Ten Thumbs]

Three Friends-GG

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

There's one side long epic which takes the listener through a whole bunch of emotional twists and turns and then, just when you think it cant get any better, at 8 minutes, at just the right moment, the mighty TRON comes storming in! It is also one of the very first ever side long Prog epics, namely
Mandrill's 1970 epic ... Amani Na Mapenzi (Peace and Love)

still makes the hair on my arm stand up after all these years

[JIF]

Illusions On A Double Dimple by Triumvirat, especially the side one self titled suite from that album.

There is no Tron on that album. It's an actual orchestra.

[trurl]

Yeah, I don't know of Jurgen ever playing a Tron. He mainly stuck to an ARP (or Elka, being European) string synth...

[JIF]

Yeah, I don't know of Jurgen ever playing a Tron. He mainly stuck to an ARP (or Elka, being European) string synth...

He is credited with string synths on Spartacus.

[trurl]

He is credited with string synths on Spartacus.

I haven't heard it in years but if memory serves, he played a MiniMoog, the Elka string synth, piano and Hammond and that was it. Maybe a clavinet, I don't remember at this point. A very minimal setup. I actually really liked that because back when I was getting into that album those were basically all the keyboards I owned (minus the piano) and it gave me a lot of ideas for how to arrange things to sound good live with a basic setup.

And right, I don't think the string synth was on Illusions at all. But I haven't heard that one in 30 years.

[JIF]

And right, I don't think the string synth was on Illusions at all. But I haven't heard that one in 30 years.

It's not. I have it on CD.

[polmico]

"Starless."

Countless Crim improvs.

Duel 'trons on the live "Cirkus" always kicks ass.

[notallwhowander]

Excuse me if someone mentioned this already, but I just love the end of King Crimson's "A Sailor's Tale," how it growls almost sub-audibly.That's a mellotron with menace!

[polmico]

^ even before that, when it starts soaring under Fripp's demented demon banjo guitar. When the brass 'tron comes in really does kick ass.

[Stickleback]

"The devils triangle" must surely be one of the most unnerving pieces of music Fripp has written. Brilliant use of the tron though.

Except it was Holst

[Stickleback]

Pink Floyd Sysyphus

[Progbear]

Yeah, I don't know of Jurgen ever playing a Tron. He mainly stuck to an ARP (or Elka, being European) string synth...

The ARP String Ensemble was, of course, based on a European instrument, the Solina String Ensemble, which was made by a Dutch organ company, Eminent. Actually, the string module was originally a feature on some of their console organs, notably the Solina 310U, which was used by Jean-Michel Jarre all over his Oxygène album. The sound became so popular among rock players that they released it as a dedicated instrument. ARP subsequently bought the rights to the technology. Italian companies like Crumar, Elka, Logan and Farfisa sold tons of variations on the string synth in the 70s. According to the Old Loves Die Hard liner notes, Jürgen used the ARP String Ensemble. Elka’s big seller was the Rhapsody, which was a string synth combined with one of those hideous electronic (not electric) pianos. You can hear the Rhapsody’s “piano” sound all over the two Shylock albums (especially the first, where I think it may have been their only keyboard).

I haven't heard it in years but if memory serves, he played a MiniMoog, the Elka string synth, piano and Hammond and that was it. Maybe a clavinet, I don't remember at this point. A very minimal setup. I actually really liked that because back when I was getting into that album those were basically all the keyboards I owned (minus the piano) and it gave me a lot of ideas for how to arrange things to sound good live with a basic setup.

He had a three kinds of electric pianos, too (Fender-Rhodes, Wurlitzer and Hohner Pianet) but I’m not sure he used them before Old Loves Die Hard. For Pompeii, he acquired both a Yamaha GX1 and a CS80, which seems like gilding the lily to me.

And right, I don't think the string synth was on Illusions at all. But I haven't heard that one in 30 years.

As was posted before, all the orchestrations and choir on Illusions were real.

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"Siento que debemos saber para el sueño de quién brillará esta luz
o consagrar una propia estrella" --Alberto Felici

N.P.:“Boomerang”-Tea in the Sahara

[Digital_Man]

Pink Floyd Sysyphus

Is this the only PF track to use the tron? I know they didn't use it much.

[Orcopian]

IQ - Awake and Nervous
budgie - young is a world

But my absolute favourite Is the middle section of cinema show when the choir and bass pedals come in under the synth solo, that is my greatest prog moment, send shivers down my spine every time I hear it

[Crystal Plumage]

"The Fright Watch"

[AncientChord]

Thanks to everyone for the great responses. Of those hundreds of mellotron moments I mentioned, many were posted. But some I have yet to explore and/or were not aware of or were never heard by me. In my endless thirst for anything mellotronic in prog, this is welcome to me. And I'm not only interested in old school prog, but in the modern bands too, even if some have a retro sound, such as Nordagust, which is a great example. But Steven Wilson and bands like The Pineapple Thief gained my attention too with their use of the beloved keyboard. I'm open to more suggestions and your thoughts because if it moves you, then I know some of it will move me too!

[JIF]

Is this the only PF track to use the tron? I know they didn't use it much.

See Saw and the A Saucerful Secrets title track use it too.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Traffic-Dream Gerrad comes to mind right now.....but there are others, some mentioned above.

"Dream Gerrard" represents my absolute no.1 fave mellotron usage; the ending section, where it builds up against a stubborn bass battling the drums - and only just misses out on top... This is one of the most insanely ejaculative moments of rock music I know. Spectacularly beautiful.

Of "modern" bands, two groups that come to mind are Landberk (and particularly Indian Summer) and Deadwood Forest. Discipline did some great things with the thing as well.