I'm sure many visitors will already have heard of the sad passing of Dr Robert Moog, inventor of the MiniMoog synth. As with so many great innovators, there's a Beefheart connection to be made.

In a 1980 interview with John Piccarella Don Van Vliet was asked about the process of teaching his music to his band and he replied:

You can do it on the piano... you can do it on guitar some times.. Sometimes on the Mellotron.. Sometimes on the Moog. I like MiniMoog, I think that's a real sensitive instrument.

Also in 1980, this time to Lester Bangs, Don said he recorded his music to tape from:

... a piano or a Moog synthesiser. Then I can shape it to be exactly the way I want it, after I get it down there. It's almost like sculpture; that's actually what I'm doing, I think. 'Cause I sure as hell can't afford marble, as if there was any.

See the moogmusic website for a tribute and biography. You can leave your own tribute to the man who changed music forever for everyone at the Bob Moog blog.

Posted by Graham Johnston at 6:30 PM - post a comment