Mellotron: The Machine & Musicians That Revolutionised Rock
by Nick Awde

Everything and the kitchen sink to celebrate the Mellotron

In order to review this book properly we’d be waiting about another year just to get to the end, such is the sheer size of it. It’s just shy of 600 pages, beginning with an introduction to the “tron”, its inner workings and its humble genesis. We then move to brief theories, histories, and synopses of relevant musical genres, prog explanations and the author’s accidental obsession with classic British rock. It’s a good start and takes us perfectly into several major interviews with surviving “tron” heavyweights and heroes: Mike Pinder, Ian MacDonald, Tony Banks, Dave Cousins, Bill Bruford, Andy McClusky… we could go on. Basically, anyone of importance who used “the beast” is in here and they’re talking about it at length. Wow. Impressive.

There then follows some intriguing and almost confusing maps of rock Britain, graphs of rock progressions, birth signs (honest!), clippings, great photos, album art, all sorts of other ephemera and further classic listening recommendations. And all because of a strange little keyboard with tapes stuck in the back. Brilliant. If you rock, you do need this.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

ISBN 9781898948025

Reviewed by Jonny Trunk
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