Dirt Nap City

What Was A Synthesizer? A Dirt Nap City Dead End

• Dirt Nap City • Season 3 • Episode 59

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Did you know that you don't pronounce the name of the famous synthesizer "Moog" with a "moo" (like a cow)? It's "Moog" with a long "o" like "mode". In this episode of Dirt Nap City Dead Ends, Alex and Kelly explore the heyday of synthesizers, the 1980's, and which music could rock the synth and which were just trying too hard. If you like 70's, 80's, and even 90's synth music...or even if you hate it...check out this podcast. It's sure to get you tapping your toes and singing along to "...take on meeeee....take me onnnn..."

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Alex:

Thanks, Kelly. How are you?

Kelly:

Alex? I'm doing great. Yep. Yep.

Alex:

You want to do a dead end?

Kelly:

Oh, man, I love that ends. What is it again?

Alex:

Well, dead ends are where we talk about things anymore. Now sometimes you can find these things like I mean, it's not like littering doesn't exist anymore, but the yeah, drinking fountains, they're still around, but they they're not around. So today, I want to take you on a little good. And I want to talk about a musical instrument that I of. Okay, it's not the kazoo. And it's not the comb.

Kelly:

I am a fan of the kazoo by the way.

Alex:

Do you like the comb? You ever play the comb?

Kelly:

It's pretty much like a kazoo. Yeah, that is poor

Alex:

think this is an instrument that you might say ways, ruined rock music. But you used to hear it all the much anymore in rock music. And I want to talk about

Kelly:

Yes, i i very controversial, although I will can sort of appreciate them a little bit more. But there are the shark when they started using synthesizers.

Alex:

Yeah, yeah. But I've always been fascinated with up in the 70s and 80s. All of a sudden synthesizers were hear songs now with synthesizers, it sounds kind are kind of fans of in the past when things sounded always the way to make something sound kind of

Kelly:

Oh, yeah. 100%. It's kind of like what they thought the past. And now if we look at it, they kind of it kind of sounds old fashioned. Yeah.

Alex:

Now when I first heard synthesizers, I always heard MOOCs. I think it's somebody's name. Right. That's exactly synthesizer was basically the commercial synthesizer was named Robert. It's actually pronounced Mogae, I think. But student at Cornell. And he sold pheromones, you know,

Kelly:

Yeah. theremin is like a saw that you play that kind

Alex:

Yeah, all that kind of creepy horror music or sold those. And he had an idea of a portable electronic music the guy that invented kind of the the first stages of these take up a whole room that use vacuum tubes. And they figured which were relatively new at the time, that they could the voltage. Ah, okay. And so eventually they tinkered with like vibrato, and tremolo, all the kinds of things that give so he produced the first commercial insistence the only the only entities that could really own these or sometimes record labels would have one

Kelly:

right and right, if you were on their label, you got time in the synth room. Yeah.

Alex:

And this was around 1964. And the first ones were I think they were called moves. And so for a while, synthesizer. Anything that was a synthesizer, even if it called MOOCs. And so that was in 1964. started getting into of people credit the very first rock song that used what band it was? I'm

Kelly:

going to guess and I did not listen to anything you But I'm gonna guess it was either the Beach Boys

Alex:

or that Pet Sounds album? Yeah. Well, everybody was that? I

Kelly:

think that was good vibrations. Right.

Alex:

I think that was Yeah, I don't know. What's What year

Kelly:

The door.

Alex:

Yeah. All right. That sounds Pet Sounds did come out up in 19. In 67 So I don't know exactly what they used on answer so cat and

Kelly:

dogs and fit goldfish

Alex:

yeah if you play clip a that's Strange Days by the since since the intro

Kelly:

I'm sure that was mind blowing at the time

Alex:

well you know he used to play Oregon

Kelly:

Jim Morrison this day

Alex:

no Raymond Zurich

Kelly:

very door sound yeah

Alex:

creepy got an Addams family vibe to it does

Kelly:

Yeah.

Alex:

Kind of mimicking the harpsichord maybe I like the song. I think it's

Kelly:

a very, very driven beat to kind of bumper.

Alex:

To me, that's a cool song.

Kelly:

About cool. It's definitely, it's definitely like the doors would kind of on the doors honestly.

Alex:

So have you ever heard of Wendy Carlos?

Kelly:

No.

Alex:

So I remember in high school people used to call it was this guy, Walter Carlos that transitioned. And this is Carlos transitioned was transgender. And Wendy Carlos. soundtracks did the soundtrack for Clockwork Orange, and the remember Tron, yeah, do

Kelly:

you remember Tron?

Alex:

That kind of kind of synth theater did yeah. Well, Wendy Carlos in 1968 put out a whole album called

Kelly:

Oh, I had that. I remember. Did

Alex:

you have a clip be like could be Yeah, I

Kelly:

remember this. My dad was into this kind of stuff.

Alex:

So that was all sin. All Bach music. Believe it or not, record to ever go platinum. Wow. It was a big hit. kind of the beginning of people recognizing the

Kelly:

this related to hooked on hooked on classics? No, Classics album? Yeah.

Alex:

This is called switched on. Bach switched

Kelly:

on Bach. Okay. They were competing with hooked on

Alex:

out in 1968. You can see this is just classical music, instrument instead of

Kelly:

pretty frenetic, classical music, but ya know,

Alex:

when it's Bach, and there's hardcore Bach, you'd chamber music, quintet playing this or something or quartet,

Kelly:

us on social media with the hashtag hardcore Bach.

Alex:

The ACH.

Kelly:

We're BOC K, we're good with either.

Alex:

And then as you know, as the late 60s became the early Emerson Lake and Palmer and some of those prog rock bands synthesizer as a as an instrument, not a crutch. you remember? 1986 April 5 1986. I think you and I had other. And we might have even gone to this or talked about think I went to this with my parents. Do you remember

Kelly:

yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was where they shut down the and like the projections on the side of buildings and all

Alex:

So this guy is John Michel Jarre. Yeah, as John haven't thought of this in 40 years, right? No. So this French synthesizer keyboard player. And they were anniversary of Houston 100 and 50th anniversary of Texas in Wow. And so the idea was they were going to put in it's or one of the largest rock concerts in history. They call people attended when it was just like you said it was as a backdrop with fireworks and lasers. They played Jomi with that as the background. And the astronaut Ron McNair saxophone on one of these songs because it was the 25th Unfortunately, Ron McNair was one of the guys killed in the fact, they almost canceled the concert because of this. And as a tribute to the Challenger astronauts. And they had the was from Houston. He did it instead. But that was a huge biggest synthesizer concert ever that ever happened. Yeah. that I really was down with. That was just kind of all France by Kraftwerk clip. Ah, remember this one?

Kelly:

Yes. Yeah, might like I said, my dad was also a big autobahn. This one. He had one they had one called Computer one?

Alex:

Yeah, this one was pretty melodic compared to And if you listen to this in stereo, I remember running it would travel from one ear to the other with a with a this was the future, right? When you listen to this, this

Kelly:

your battery's low. So it was about 20% slower.

Alex:

Yeah, for sure.

Kelly:

Yeah, I hadn't thought about this in a long time. You know, it's also interesting. Alex is, you Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. And remember, one included prep work, right. Along with all the old all the There was crap work. And I guess they were talking about

Alex:

our early influencers. Yes. What they were about. came up with five iconic synthesizer riffs of all time. say I kind of riffs I'm not talking about in the middle of beginning of the song when you come up. When you think of the synthesizer. I got

Kelly:

them already. I bet I can get two of them already. gonna guess Bob O'Reilly? No, no.

Alex:

I don't think that existence as a synthesizer.

Kelly:

synthesizer? I don't think yes. What was it that

Alex:

it's totally. It was it probably was Pete Townsend

Kelly:

programmed it? Okay. Well, you you I missed one on well, what sort of stuff that you have. I'm annoyed.

Alex:

I'm not saying these are great songs. I'm saying for a band that was known for guitar. This was probably didn't really have a guitar. And I mean, until the middle

Kelly:

it. Yeah, this song. I remember. I remember listening thinking, What a great I mean, just totally got your smile on your face. And it's that sense read. That does. I

Alex:

how Eddie Van Halen felt about playing the synthesizer. classically trained pianist. And as such a great user.

Kelly:

He probably felt great as he counted all of the money the sky.

Alex:

Seriously. Oh, Lord. I know this was on your list of the worst songs got to admit when you think of synthesizer iconic, this is to mind. Yes, yes.

Kelly:

Wow. Yeah.

Alex:

Another one, clip II. Another one. It's not a great

Kelly:

One more thing about the final countdown. The song the chorus we're actually until until the guys start Singing is awful, but this part's not bad. I mean, this like a a war movie. You know? Like, like maybe stallions with swords and wizards Do you?

Alex:

Do you hate his voice or do you hate the lyrics?

Kelly:

I hate the lyrics. Okay, and his voice.

Alex:

So if this was an instrumental you'd be okay

Kelly:

I'd be more okay with it. Yeah. So it's good, right

Alex:

Oh,

Kelly:

whiny and pretentious and Michael.

Alex:

It's not the synthesizer you hate and that's no,

Kelly:

this incisor is actually pretty good. It's why arenas aside from the actual lyric itself, right? Sure.

Alex:

Now clip II is not one of my favorite songs, but synthesizer riff.

Kelly:

Oh, yeah. Now the second song Sweet dreams.

Alex:

But again, like you hear that, you know what it is? You

Kelly:

Anyone can actually say? Sure, and

Alex:

we recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

Kelly:

And I will say, I've never really thought about it. riff is both rock and roll and kind of dancey at the same got a groove the groove Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And then this

Alex:

didn't take your for your rhythm expand.

Kelly:

You know, I had a I had an album of Annie Lennox doing kind of really turned me on to her. She did like, you know

Alex:

she's got a great voice. I just wasn't a fan of their definitely a song I don't like but again iconic. Billy Idol

Kelly:

Oh, aha. Take on me right

Alex:

now that is about his 80s

Kelly:

You remember that video, though? The video for holes? Yeah, sketch thing. That that was like nobody had right. This is the 80s this is very this 80s in 10 seconds.

Alex:

Exactly. And I think that's where this that's where Is that it's a it's an instrument of its time. Yeah,

Kelly:

Just like the Theramin was for the 60s. Now

Alex:

if you play clip I we're getting more into rock music.

Kelly:

And you know, it's funny I said that a lot of the synth jumped the shark. This is not one of them. This synthesizer they did kind of go down a path that I thought but signals and and this song subdivisions just wow. To

Alex:

me this is like conic and it just goes on like the

Kelly:

this is that first little bit of bom bom bom. remember the the planetarium they had a laser show at the And this was one of the songs that would play and I just are following mom bomb at the beginning. Yeah, I think they

Alex:

So you can shut that off?

Kelly:

I asked him Are

Alex:

All Right now the kind of bands you're talking about ZZ Top when they slip into my sleeping bag. Exactly. We stuff. And while you do hear synthesizers today, especially like our singers like the weekend, you know, we'll use a Gaga or things like that. It's not as prominent anymore as a

Kelly:

It's lower in the mix, mate.

Alex:

It's other usually to supplement other instruments maybe an 80s feel. Yeah. The last great song. I think that from 2009 If you play G

Kelly:

yeah, this is Oh God, what are these guys called? I Music

Alex:

To me that's a that's got that all the ingredients

Kelly:

Cuz didn't the guy have a guitar like a thing where he thing and it made synth sounds.

Alex:

Yeah, yeah, I think so.

Kelly:

I remember seeing that in a music video.

Alex:

Yeah.

Kelly:

Yeah, you're absolutely right. This is a great use of innovative in the way they used it. and the sort of dark side of the sense instead of the bright side, I

Alex:

think YouTube did the same thing. Sometimes they think some bands are more successful than others with it's not that people don't use synthesizers anymore, I think I think if you want to induce like an ad sound, you That song may be an assumption because it didn't really sound that song is 15 years old. Yeah, I haven't heard a whole synth heavy. And maybe it doesn't need to be maybe of, in the past, like the banjo, it's just defines a defines a certain mood, or vibe that you want that, that it, you get that but it's not as universal as guitars and it for certain tones.

Kelly:

Unless I'm less than thinking of this wrong. And I few other bands like LCD Soundsystem for carseat them use some sin in a much more modern kind of way. But little bit of that retro vibe going with with some of this

Alex:

And like I said, I mean when they in the 80s it seemed listen to had, or at least in pop and and a lot of rock had

Kelly:

know that's a disease. That's that's a disease that a the 80s. You know, that disease was called What's Never heard a good mood syndrome. No. So the producer some sense and he'd say get me one of those.

Alex:

Yeah, in a British accent. Yeah.

Kelly:

I think a lot of it has to do with overuse when it's everybody's AI this and AI that right? And in five years, that happens but it isn't like being touted and overused and

Alex:

Or like everybody's got a podcast.

Kelly:

Yes. Everybody important has a podcast. Travis Kelce has a podcast as any look where that got him.

Alex:

Yeah, exactly. But I just wanted to point out the it may not be completely dead, it's over time and you don't anymore. I wanted to submit that as a dead end.

Kelly:

The Yamen will be a very interesting one. Very to date. A lot

Alex:

of that was waiting for clip see?

Kelly:

Yeah, well what more appropriate waiting music

Alex:

And we waited and we waited and waited and then then when you paid off it was the final countdown and

Kelly:

All right, man. Thanks for that.

Alex:

Alright, bye

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Alex Milam

Host
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Kelly Shores

Host