Simon, Garfunkel, and the Age of Rebellion: War, Sex, and America “The Early Years of the Moog Synthesizer” Decades
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Decades Issue Spring 2017 Eric Charry’s Take on Midterm Project Assessment: CharryRace, A’s for All Rhyme, Rock & Roll: BIlly Joel, Hozier DTE and more . The 2017 Midterm Edition, Presented by MUSC-108 Roy Orbison’s Legacy: Pretty Woman The King of Surf: at #1 Dick Dale An Inside Look on the Moog Synth Rock Exposed: Revolutionary Guitar Its Beginnings and Developments Phenom as Explained by Will Hein Simon, Garfunkel, and The Age of Rebellion: War, Sex, and America “The Early Years of the Moog Synthesizer” decades. From its humble, compared to earlier synthe- at the top of Billboard’s pop Queen famously used no syn- modular beginnings with sizer layouts. This was due in charts for 17 straight weeks thesizers on their albums in experimental artists, the Moog part to the Moog’s use of the in 1969, and ushered in a new the 1970s. Other groups start- synth was refined in 1970 with first ADSR envelope to shape era of synth use in popular ed the Punk rock movement the release of the Minimoog, sounds, a system so intuitive music (Lichter-Marck). The as a reaction to the perceived an instrument that defined that it remains a standard fea- shift caused by this album was oversaturation of electron- Progressive rock in the 1970s ture of modern synthesizers so dramatic that in 1970 Bill- ic sounds in popular music and remains a staple of mu- (Lichter-Marck). Moreover, board Magazine published an during the 1970s (Snowden). sic studios around the world the voltage controlled oscil- article on the new Minimoog, Even though these groups did today. lators (VCOs) that produced detailing the widespread use not use Moog’s synth, their While the Moog was the initial tones sounded great, of the Moog modular in recent choice to react against its the most iconic synthesizer of even without any manipula- pop albums and an upcom- ubiquity demonstrate the in- the century, it was not the first. tion. Together with its legend- ing demonstration of the new fluence the instrument already Experimental, avant-garde art- ary 904A low-pass filter, the instrument on the Ed Sullivan had on popular music within a ists had played with electron- Moog modular synthesizer Show (Dove). decade of its invention! ics to generate sound since the produced amazing sounds that The same year, Emerson, As much as the Moog synth 1920s (McCready). Examples to this day cannot be replicat- Minimoog Model D, 1972 shaped the development of included the radio-wave con- ed by lesser synths (“Moog young rock groups, the groups trolled Theremin, as well as Modular Synthesizers”; Mc- themselves used the instru- the homemade synthesizers of Cready). ment to shape new sounds and Bob Moog & Herb Deutsch, circa 1964 experimental artists like John The Moog synth was not an a new sonic aesthetic for rock Cage (Lichter-Marck). These instant hit, however. The three music. The Moog sounds be- The Moog Synth and Rock: The Early Days original models of the Moog Lake, and Palmer became one came sonic symbols of coun- by Will Hein early synths were esoteric and limited in the range of sounds modular were cutting-edge of the first big rock bands to terculture, whose uses in turn rock, Dick Dale, relied on the The 1960s were a time they could produce, however. technology and thus sold for successfully use Moog’s mod- influenced both the sounds distorted, metallic timbre of of great change in the music Realizing the potential market between $2,800 and $6,200, ular synth with the release of and techniques of future gen- his Fender electric guitar and industry. The tin pan alley for a legitimate commercial making them prohibitively their first, self-titled LP. The erations of musicians (Lichter- amplifiers (Huey). tunes of previous genera- synthesizer, Robert Moog expensive for the average success of this album inspired Marck). While these electron- tions had given way to the began working on his modular consumer (Lichter-Marck). other rock groups like Yes and ic musical innovations were more provocative, energetic units in 1964 and marketing Moreover, many remained Genesis to focus on electronic rooted in well-established “Moog Product Timeline” music that Billboard called them in 1967 (“Moog Modu- unconvinced that these elec- sounds, in turn leading to the acoustical instruments, how- “Rhythm and Blues.” This lar Synthesizers”). tronic sounds had any place creation of Progressive Rock, ever, one of popular music’s energetic movement of early Moog’s first modular synth in contemporary popular whose sound became syn- most influential instruments rock n rollers demanded new, had a Walnut wood frame music - that is, until the re- onymous with Moog’s synth was still in the works: the more powerful sounds and containing different “mod- lease of Wendy Carlos’ album (Snowden). David Bowie’s Moog modular synthesizer. led to the rise of electronic ules” that could be connected Switched-On Bach in 1968 work on his 1977 LPs Low First built in 1964 by Cornell instruments in popular music. with patch cables to manip- (Snowden). The album used and Heroes further raised the doctoral student Bob Moog Bob Dylan’s 1965 hit “Like ulate an electric current and only sounds from the Moog profile of the Moog, and by with the help of composer a Rolling Stone” features the create sounds. This design modular to play Bach classics the late 1970s, the synthe- Herbert Deutsch, the mod- Hammond B3 electric organ provided multiple advantages and served as a showcase to sizer was firmly entrenched ular Moog pioneered the prevalently (“Hammond/Les- over earlier synths. The orig- demonstrate the range and in rock (Snowden). Not all market that it would come to lie Heritage”). The breakneck inal 900 series modules were power of Moog’s new instru- bands shared this enthusiasm dominate over the following melodies of the king of surf easy to understand and control ment. The album remained for synthetic sounds, however. Moog Modular, 1965 2 3 influenced by the percus- boy, did Fender answer. Fend- inches above their head. The sionist style with which he er had a special amplifier con- sound that is constantly re- had grown up. Additionally, structed that could withstand verberating throughout Dale’s Dale was of Lebanese descent the sheer volume and power music is completely repre- (Huey). He became interested of the chords and notes being sentative of the sound that is in Middle Eastern melodies played by Dale. With the pow- echoing around the interior of and sounds, and he listened er amp, Dale could truly shred the wave. to his uncle play a lot of these in the way he wanted, leading Some scholars have tunes until he became very to a unique and full-bodied even made the argument familiar with them (Huey). sound that began to captivate that Dale’s unique and icon- Dale’s progression the surfer crowd of Southern ic sound was at the genesis Dick Dale, playing guitar. from beachside guitarist to California. Eventually, Dale of another music movement man who lived for his guitar early rocker developed pretty was signed to a big record nearly two decades later: and nature. Dale refused to rapidly (Hutton). After the deal with Capitol Records. heavy metal. The loud and play outside of Southern Cal- sound of his nightly shows However, his career never abrasive sound that was ex- ifornia, instead enjoying time bounced around the streets reached the climax many had perimental in Dale’s style of spent on his ranch with the an- of Newport Beach and the thought it would because of music became the foundation imals, and his wife and kids. buzz became too big for the a number of issues, including of the heavy metal movement Oftentimes, because he was Dick Dale small venue of the Rendez- his health. Before that though, of the early 1980s. Addition- not the quintessential rockstar, vous Ballroom to handle, Dale a deeper dive back into the ally, the skate punk style of Dale’s inspirational ability is moved on to playing larger music will demonstrate what many bands in the Southern overlooked. However, any fan The King of the Surf Guitar: Dick Dale shows. However, the guitarist made Dick Dale the “King of California area, such as Rich of rock must understand and by Jack Ginsberg continually had one problem. Surf Guitar” between 1960- Kids on LSD (RKL), was appreciate the powerful effect As you hear the ringing rever- predilection for spending long He was shredding too hard. 1964. heavily influenced by Dale. Dale had on virtually all mu- berations of the wave’s tube days at the beach and in the Seriously. Dale was shredding There were a few key Listening to Blocked Out, one sic that came after the 1960s. being masterfully plucked on water, leading him to want to entire picks in the course of elements of Dick Dale songs of RKL’s biggest songs, one Like the ocean, Dick an electric guitar, one name merge his new lifestyle with one song by playing his thick, that made them both iconic can immediately draw out the Dale’s career ebbed and comes to most surf rock afi- his music. heavy-gauge strings. Addi- and revolutionary. First, the clear influence between both flowed, and it was after a cionados minds: Dick Dale. Born in Boston, Dale (origi- tionally, he kept blowing out undulating and throbbing the lead and rhythm guitars long dry period that he had a The surf rock legend pio- nally Richard Monsour) was speakers. His powerful, hol- guitar that played both the and the style of Dale.