“Heathaze”: Now With More Mellotron

January 10th, 2013

I ran across this recently. It’s “Heathaze” by Genesis with Mellotron added by a fan. (I presume the person who did this used the 2007 remix of the song as the drums seem higher in the mix than on the original as do the sliding bass notes.) The song is from Duke, released in 1980. Tony Banks had abandoned the Mellotron by this time so it’s interesting to hear this little retro addition. The string sound stirs underneath and finally swells during the song’s chorus giving it a heightened sense of drama. Plus it just makes the song feel very 1976.

Banks’ other keyboard sounds don’t sound out of place next to the Mellotron. After listening to this I went back to the rest of Duke and reappraised it slightly. I concentrated on the keyboards and they sound very traditionally Genesis. It makes me think that Duke’s break from the past isn’t as dramatic as I’d previously thought.

Related posts:

1. History of the Mellotron on BBC Radio 4
2. A Review of Fear of a Blank Planet
3. Show #93: Turn It On Again
4. Show #229: Still Awash in Seas of Ivory
5. Fear of a Blank Planet Preview