RIME OF THE ANCIENT SAMPLER - THE MELLOTRON ALBUM

Hmmmm.....good thing I didn't pay full price for this stinker. Don't expect the types of sounds usually associated with the Mellotron, and don't expect anything out of the ordinary compositionally. The best track on the album? The final track, which is the original 1964 Mellotron demonstration piece, has more originality than the all the other tracks combined. Too bad the recording sounds like it was made in 1964, or it might make the album worth keeping. It doesn't help that I expected great things from the star- studded lineup. The whole thing reeks of that mid-to-late-80's New Age hangover style of music, where everything sounds great, but there's no "there" there. The Mellotron becomes just another sampling keyboard here, and there are few moments of inspiration, spread thin over the course of the album. Nice idea, bland result.