PELL MELL – Rhyming Guitars (1981-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The name Rhyming Guitars certainly fits this album, since the signature interplay that is the heart of Pell Mell's sound involves both echoing guitars and musical phrases. This EP came out shortly after the successful release of The Bumper Crop, and though there is a slightly more strident sound to the instrumentals here, most of these cuts could have fit on that album. The exception is the weird "Week of Corn," a goofy dub edit of the band's semi-hit "Week of Fire" intercut with a recording of an old man singing "Jimmy Cracked Corn," with a heavy bass and occasional sound effects tossed in for good measure. The band definitely wasn't taking themselves too seriously when they recorded this track, and giving in to self-satire turned out to be a good career move. "Week of Corn" actually got some airplay on the same stations that had previously played other Pell Mell tunes. Richard Foss
Tracklist :
1.    New Saigon    8:15
2.    Spy Vs Spy    2:51
3.    Par Avion    4:09
4.    Red Rhythm    6:02
5.    Week Of Corn 5:23
Assemblage [Assembled By, May 1989] – Steve Fisk
Credits :
Written-By, Performer – Arni May, Bill Owen, Jon-Lars Sorenson, Bob Beerman

PELL MELL– Bumper Crop (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Given that two members of Pell Mell were renowned record producers, it's not surprising that the sound on Bumper Crop is polished to a high gloss. Instrumental rock needs pristine sound, and the crisp mix here allows every nuance to shine. The musical interplay is seamless, with every track drawing variously from surf music, indie rock, and pop, with just a dash of punk energy to make things interesting. What makes this instrumental cooperation astonishing is that for most of Pell Mell's existence, the bandmembers all lived in different cities and composed many of these tight, complex melodies by recording cassettes and mailing them to each other. Some of the material here had been recorded as early as 1981, others as late as 1985, but the character is the same throughout. Greg Freeman and Dave Spalding create interlocking guitar melodies that are subtly modified and expanded by Steve Fisk's keyboards and held together by Bob Beerman's quick, agile drumming. It all works well and was very well-received -- critics raved, and despite rock radio's aversion to instrumentals, the cut "Week of Fire" got airplay across America. On Bumper Crop, Pell Mell recorded a nearly perfect album, and while they did some fine work afterward, they never quite hit this level again. [Note: Different and extended versions of some of these songs are available on the cassette For Years We Stood Clearly As One Thing, released on K Records.] Richard Foss
Tracklist :
1.    Week Of Fire    6:03
2.    Dad's Top Drawer    3:29
3.    All This And More    3:04
4.    6 9 Or 20    4:00
5.    Love Trek    6:00
6.    Alligator Stomp    4:14
7.    My Three Sons    2:32
8.    Estacada    5:00
9.    Cinecitta    5:21
10.    F T B    5:06
11.    Pet Dub    4:43
12.    Chroma-key Beach    2:26
13.    Work, Health And Love    9:16
Credits :
Bass – Greg Freeman
Drums – Bob Beerman
Guitar – Bill Owen
Organ, Synthesizer – Steve Fisk

PELL MELL – Flow (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1.    American Eagle    2:23
2.    Breach Of Promise    3:56
3.    Bring On The China    3:22
4.    The Devil Bush    2:19
5.    Smoke    4:04
6.    Aero    3:55
7.    Flood    7:02
8.    Little Blue Dance    4:12
9.    Signal    3:54
10.    Blaming The Messenger    1:53
11.    Mopping Up    3:34
Credits :
Bass, Guitar – Greg Freeman
Drums, Guitar – Robert Beerman
Guitar [Guitars] – Bill Owen, David Spalding
Painting, Photography By [Photo] – Kelly Spalding
Piano, Sampler – Steve Fisk

PELL MELL– Interstate (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The idea that Pell Mell would have ended up on a company run by David Geffen must have seemed truly bizarre when the band first started, but that's what a little Nirvana can do for bands (and so it must have seemed for many an alternative outfit in the early '90s). By the time of Interstate's recording, David Spalding had been established as a new key and core member, and the resultant effort of the quartet was a striking and often emotional take on instrumental rock. Pell Mell's unsurprising ability to self-produce and engineer, helped out by the abilities of Tim O'Heir as well, resulted in a full-sounding, dramatic album that, even so, couldn't have been expected to be a commercial breakout by the label. As a mighty fine example of Pell Mell's talents, though, it couldn't be finer. The title is lived up to not only with the cover art, but with the wide-open feeling of many of the songs, suggesting a slightly dreamy America where there's little around but the weather and the land. "Anna Karina," with its slow pace and hints of steel guitar twang, and the lovely "Constellation" are two examples of many that call those images to mind. Then there's the motorik drive of such songs as "Saucer" (even at three and a half minutes, still a grand Can tribute [or Stereolab, if one prefers]) and "Blacktop," showing the band's longtime fascination with Krautrock now in sync with a new decade's zeitgeist. Steve Fisk's abilities to provide just the right amount of texture and drive throughout, whether it's the buzzing organ break on "Revival" or his Hammond work on "Vegetable Kingdom," show just how brilliant of a not-so-secret weapon he is, but to single him out does a disservice to the whole band. It's an ensemble performance at heart, and an excellent one. Ned Raggett  
Tracklist :
1.    Nothing Lies Still Long    4:11
2.    Revival    4:33
3.    Anna Karina    3:02
4.    Saucer    3:30
5.    Pound Cake    3:43
6.    Constellation    4:00
7.    Blacktop    3:24
8.    Butterfly Effect    4:34
9.    Drift    4:10
10.    Vegetable Kingdom    6:27
11.    Ether    4:39
12.    Floating Gate    3:03
Credits :
Bass, Guitar – Greg Freeman
Drums, Guitar – Robert Beerman
Guitar, Bass – David Spalding
Piano, Organ, Noises – Steve Fisk
Written-By – David Spalding (tracks: 1, 2, 5 to 12), Greg Freeman (tracks: 3, 4, 11, 12), Pell Mell, Robert Beerman (tracks: 6, 10)

PELL MELL– Star City (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two decades into their existence, Pell Mell, the instrumental quartet that has members in four different locations on both coasts, created their sixth and finest album, STAR CITY. It's a bracing, cohesive offering that demonstrates that the band had been rethinking the recipe. Producer Tchad Blake (Latin Playboys, Soul Coughing) places instruments in the mix in a way that gives rise to an ever-changing sonic shape. Pell Mell, who are essentially a guitar-bass-organ-drums outfit, build sturdy structures from the foundation up. With that solid rhythm in place the band then takes creative license with the architecture of the upper floors. Never utilizing mere filigree, Pell Mell adheres to a code of rigorous elegance at all times. Steve Fisk's organ gives way to xylophones and adapted sounds whose source may be blurred but remains ever intriguing. Guitarist David Spalding, the band's newest member, wrote the bulk of the material. Each of these 14 songs is a discreet yet complete entity. In the grand tradition of instrumental music this is an album of miniature soundtracks. AllMusic  
Tracklist :
1.    Sky Lobby    3:52
2.    Salvo    2:59
3.    Orange Roughy    2:57
4.    Interloper    3:39
5.    Smokehouse    2:59
6.    On Approach    2:57
7.    Upstairs    3:30
8.    In Polka Dots    3:16
9.    Everything Must Go    3:04
10.    Lowlight    3:53
11.    Headset    4:00
12.    Field Of Poppies    2:38
13.    Gelatin    2:54
14.    Coral    3:44
Credits :
Performer – David Spalding, Greg Freeman, Robert Beerman, Steve Fisk
Songwriter – Spalding (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 12, 14), Freeman (tracks: 3, 13), Pell Mell
Written By – Freeman/Pell Mell (tracks: 3, 13), Spalding/Pell Mell (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 12, 14)