Electricity and music do mix...

[Charlie in Dayton]

...and this man proved it.

Robert Moog has passed away. (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20050822/1704384747.htm)

You know this was a man with a real sense of humor -- his website for his electronic musical instruments is www.bigbriar.com, and some of his newer pieces of equipment were self-nicknamed 'moogerfoogers'...there is a charitable foundation in his memory for advancement of electronic music.

I remember away back when, when Wendy (then Walter) Carlos' albums The Well-Tempered Synthesizer and Switched-on Bach were the cutting edge.

Bob Moog's influence on music was revolutionary, and will continue as long as music and electricity exist.

The Big Briar is dead...long live the Big Briar!

[Enzp]

And sympathy to all the Mini-Moogs left behind.

[Maksutov]

There were two versions of Switched-on Bach back in 1968. The first Columbia sleeve had some guy dressed up in period costume and powdered wig at a Moog synthesizer. Based on his body language and facial expression, it appeared he had either just received sounds through the earphones at about 140 dB or a 220 volt zap!

Columbia received complaints about the album cover from Walter Carlos and producer Rachel Elkind, and it was replaced with a more "dignified" version showing the same gent standing up and getting ready to "groove" to the music in a 17th century sort of way.

The two covers may been seen here (http://www.endlessgroove.com/issue1/switch.htm).

The Beatles (remember them?) got their hands on a Moog ASAP. It was featured in a number of songs in the Abbey Road album. The first ones I recall are Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Here Comes the Sun, but the synthesizer really came to the forefront in Because. I suspect the Moog was also used to generate the white noise that eventually overwhelms Lennon's I Want You (She's So Heavy).

The first TV show I remember using a Moog was the wonderful and short-lived My World and Welcome to It, based on the life and works of James Thurber. William Windom (Commander Decker in Star Trek TOS, Episode 35: The Doomsday Machine) starred.

Sometimes synthetics can be genuine. Thanks for all the nice sounds, Robert Moog.

[Donnie B.]

I remember reading a music review in the late '70's, after Moog's machine had been superceded by a broad array of electronic instruments. The memorable line from the review was along the lines of, "rock musicians have quietly become masters of a new musical instrument" -- referring to synthesizers.

I think this is true. Electronic keybaords have become just another part of the musical landscape -- at least when used well.

That being said, I confess to a true hatred of those low-budget movies and TV shows that try to substitute an electronic score for a whole orchestra. Fortunately that trend seems to have run its course.

[Argos]

A tear for Moog. Oh, what a lucky man he was...

[Nicolas]

Still looking for my own Moog...

Minimoog, Memorymoog... doesn't matter :).

Bob Moog did put a major stamp on music making. Apart from all the digitalised instruments (which I use), a true synthesizer is a real instrument in its own. Only the synthesizer makes the sound of a synthesizer. Digital or analogue, they're marvelous instruments. I'd prefer an analogue one :). I've got an FM synth, which I like but is limited. I've played on digital synths but in my opinion only the very professional ones (like the Clavia Lead Nord, which comes very close to analogue synths) give the special feel of an analogue synthesizer.

The almost out-of-control, ever changing and layered sounds of the more complex analogue synths are true magic :).

To celebrate synthesizers, I put some Jean Michel Jarre into the stereo today :).