What are your favorite Moog albums?

[mikael488]

FYI; that's a Moog modular on 'Son of My Father, both on Moroder's original and Chicory tip's version.

Thanks. I was foolish enough to think it was a Mini because that's what they used on Top of the Pops (which was always unreliable when people were miming). I didn't know there was a Georgio Moroder original version, either. I haven't heard it since 1971 or whenever it was and I'd never heard of him back then.

So that's got me curious and I'll do some searching on that. This is one of the things I love about the Internet - all the stuff I didn't know that I didn't know.

You're welcome!

They're indeed using a Moog musonics minimoog in this playback performance from 1972:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GCqFjifGsY

I was told by one of the band members that the song was recorded with a large Moog modular consisting of at least 3-4 box units "with loads of
leads being crossed from one to another". The synth parts were laid down track after track being re-programmed each time, making it nearly
impossible to reproduce live on stage. The song was recorded at Air studios in London, which was owned by George Martin, and it's likely that
it was George's Moog. Note that this was not the same instrument used by The Beatles on the "Abbey Road" album. George bought his own
custom Moog with sequencer in Sep '69.

Another hit song from the same year ('72), Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now", was also recorded at Air studios and probably used the very same Moog.
Francis Monkman (ex Curved Air, SKY etc.) told me that he did the synth work on this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKvmlj2k_fM

cheers,
Micke

[Sweep]

Thanks for that. That's all new information to me. I've just listened to Moroder's original version for the first time.

Incidentally another early Moog influence for me would have been the Solar Fire album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. I already loved synths by then, but that's one hell of a great album and I was amazed when I first heard it. Manfred Mann tends to be overlooked as an early synth user, which isn't right. He had his own distinctive MiniMoog style.

Incidentally one of Mann's Minis, probably the one used on Solar Fire, was sold to Tim Blake, and now has a third owner in England. It always had tuning issues, which the current owner traced to a dodgy capacitor, and not to the oscillators. It must have had that problem for 25 years or more before being diagnosed and fixed. Mann had four Minis as far as I know. One had an extra oscillator and a small ribbon controller instead of a wheel. I've only seen photos, but someone I know has tried it and liked it. For whatever reason, though, his last Mini was a standard Model D, and was sold to someone in Europe.

[Vince Ascoli]

Some great albums here, I'd like to mention Patrick Moraz' "The Story of i"...cool blend of prog and Brazilian styles & percussion, screaming Minimoog solos and wasn't this the first record to feature the Polymoog? And wasn't Keith Emerson pissed off about that? I seem to recall in a Keyboard interview that he implied that he consulted heavily on it, but the first one went to PM and that this was the thing that soured his relationship with the Moog company at that time and moved him in the direction of using the Korg PS-series (obviously he still had the GX-1).

[jerryfie]

Brain Salad Surgery by ELP, hands down my favorite. Switched on Bach is a close second.

Yup, those two are awesome!

[armillary]

As no one has mentioned it, Pictures at an Exhibition by ELP. There's nothing better than a Hammond tonewheel playing tag with a Moog modular.

[EricK]

Mort Garson- "Déjà Vu"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX-n_lJlJ68


Though I don't classify "Thriller" as a Moog album, it has enough on it and it is still awesome after all of these years.

[megavoice]

Most of K. Emmerson is BANG-UP.

[CZ Rider]

The first Minimoog featured album that just blew me away was "Birds of Fire" by John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Have to remember this was released early in 1973. I had never heard anything like it before, the way Jan Hammer bent the notes to make his guitar like sound. To this day Birds of Fire has an energy that is almost unbelievable. The 18/8 time signature still sounds unlike anything I have listened to before or after that fusion time period. 12345,12345,12345,123. Cool!
Shortly after in 1973, Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" album also featured Jan Hammer's guitar like Minimoog style. Another high energy album with Tommy Bolin on guitar.

Got to see Manfred Mann's Earth Band live in '75(?). Manfred Mann's playing the Minimoog was something to see. He had the unique style of using his left arm to control the filter cutoff. So he would raise his elbow up and down while creating a wha-wha type tone. Most memorable while playing Pluto the Dog. "Solar Fire" was another great Mini featured album.
Those were the days when it all was new/fresh, and there seemed to be no end on where it was going.

[monsterjazzlicks]

The first Minimoog featured album that just blew me away was "Birds of Fire" by John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Have to remember this was released early in 1973. I had never heard anything like it before, the way Jan Hammer bent the notes to make his guitar like sound.

CZ Rider,

Yeh man, Jan Hammer really blew my mind with that exact same solo !! i did not hear that album until i was age 20 in 1988. His PITCH BEND technique is creative, original and flawless. He makes the MiniMoog sound like a BRIDGE between the Violin and the Guitar. That 16 x bar solo really had a massive impact on me. It does not seem to be particulary talked about or emulated. Strange and a shame !!

Paul

[monsterjazzlicks]

As no one has mentioned it, Pictures at an Exhibition by ELP. There's nothing better than a Hammond tonewheel playing tag with a Moog modular.

Thats a great video live concert !! Esp when they go into the 12 x Bar Blues 'shuffle' section. Emerson totally rips the gig apart !!

[JohnLRice]

Off the top of my head some top favorites:
Carols - Switched On Bach
ELP - Brain Salad Surgery
Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear
Jan Hammer - The First Seven Days
Synergy - Sequencer
Rick Wakeman - The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Return to Forever - No Mystery
Devo - Duty Now For The Future

[monsterjazzlicks]

Return to Forever - No Mystery.

Yes John,

esp the track SOPHOSTIFUNK. Chick has the Moog doing all sorts of interesting things as well as performing some very wide manual Pitch Bends !!

[Mr Arkadin]

Gary Numan's The Pleasure Principle is mostly Minimoog & Polymoog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50U1zFHoH30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpBUmS5em0w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akLKrd7zlS0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MxYWveSJS8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wea8ZQ0II4g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOGpzzvBQ1o

[BrianK]

I think Switched-On Bach pales in comparison to Wendy Carlos' other work - especially S-oBach II; same style just done many times better. Clockwork Orange also has some nice compositions AND performance/synthesis.

On the pop side, there is a version of The Who's TOMMY (again, great music) done in Australia that's great, just acoustic drums and Moog. And Brain Salad Surgery - as mentioned above - did push the boundaries of Moog further than anyone else in pop/rock.

[Moonweed]

Hi There ..
Thanks for inquiring about "Blake's New Jerusalem"

The truth is, these are the last 6 or so CD's that will ever exist, so Yes, they cost a little -
No problem by me if you don't want to buy !
Some people are paying up to $3500 on Amazon for an LP ! I think it's crazy ...
In this digital age , I have published NEW JERUSALEM to iTunes :
https://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/blake ... d809521411 Where it'll cost You €8.99 - But if You want one of my last momentoes of the CD era ... well You know where to go !


Tim Blake