The Mellotron Group

Yeah it's mostly shit. I do like the mellotron parts, though.

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--- On Tue, 1/12/10, MAinPsych@aol.com wrote:

From: MAinPsych@aol.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ee: Jasun Martz's "The Pillory"
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 10:49 PM

In a message dated 1/12/2010 10:45:49 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, lsf5275@aol.com writes:

Does anyone on either of these lists think this CD is "the holy grail" for Mellotron enthusiasts? This is how Jasun markets it. I think it's a colossal waste of time. There are a few interesting passages, beyond that,

The Holy Grail of crap perhaps.

I think those are Andy Thompson's words and not Jasun's, but he seems to have latched onto them. I tend to agree - not an awful lot happens, and the stuff that does is pretty uninteresting. As for the fabled Mellotron solo, it leaves me pretty lukewarm. Arrhythmic, atonal music with little harmonic centre is something that usually pleases me, but this sounds like the sort of stuff I have trawled out whilst tuning up The Beast That Is #996.

Then again, the first time I heard it I thought it was pleasing enough, but I imagine that was down to its novelty more than anything else. As a piece of music it's pretty thin on thrills. However, it's a splendid soundtrack. In that sense I find it bears a lot of thematic similarity to The Residents' record Eskimo. You might be able to play it only once every five years, but when you do, turn the lights out and try and lose yourself in it. I adore Eskimo but I couldn't play it more often than that because I'd hate to get used to it. Jasun's work may yet fall into that category, but I've only had it for a year or so. I've had Eskimo since it was released.

The only thing non-musical they have in common is that both were signed by the artists. Yes, I have a signed album...by the Residents. (Or two of them. My copy of The Commercial Album also also vandalised in this way) When I first got it I had people wanting to come to come to my house to see it. The same thing happened when I got the Mellotron. 'I awoke one morning and found myself famous', as one notorious dope-addled fuckwit once blubbered.

Oddly enough, for all his (mostly Jackson/Zappa-centric) chest puffing, I find Jasun quite an engaging figure and his enthusiasm for the Mellotron is very endearing. I'm not sure I'd recommend his album for its Mellotronacious content, but I might just to do him a favour.

Mike


lsf5275@aol.com wrote:

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Does anyone on either of these lists think this CD is "the holy grail" for Mellotron enthusiasts? This is how Jasun markets it. I think it's a colossal waste of time. There are a few interesting passages, beyond that,

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On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 1:05 PM, <lsf5275@aol.com> wrote:

... and I have a copy of Pillory signed by Jasun Martz. I am not assassinating Jasun. I just don't think this album lives up to any title other than the one on the cover.

In a message dated 1/13/2010 12:52:20 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, mike.dickson@gmail.com writes:

The only thing non-musical they have in common is that both were signed by the artists. Yes, I have a signed album...by the Residents.