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The concept of this album showed
the Moog delivering sounds sinister and exciting to a degree the lurid
horror films of the day never matched. All the titles related to occult
phenomenons and themes, and seemed to focus mainly on the darker side
of occultism. With it's breakbeats galore, intense synthesizer, hip original
themes, this was really a unifying concept. An occult Moog-album! The
man behind this recording was a somewhat obscure solo artist; Mort Garson. Mort Grason was born in Canada in 1924, as a graduate from the Juilliard School, he began writing musical scores in the 1940s, and worked as an arranger / composer / engineer in the late 1940s / early 1950s. He got highly acclaimed as the orchestral arranger for Glen Campbell's 1968 "By The Time I Get To Phoenix". Garson also had production credits on records by vocalists and other artists, including Mel Torme, Doris Day, Ed Ames, and Leslie Uggams. He wrote, arranged, and directed for many years on many labels in many styles. He also made music for TV and movies. But he recorded some albums too, each more strange than the other. |
According
to a Robert Moog (inventor of the Moog) interview, he told that when he
was showcasing his instrument at an expo, Garson (even then in
his mid-40's) and an assortment of crazed geniuses decided to
use it, among other electronic instruments to make a psychedelic
pop / rock / spoken word concept album which turned out to be the
first usage of the Moog on a commercial pop record from the West
Coast. This was the album Zodiac Cosmic
Sounds, recorded together with Jacques Wilson in 1967. It consisted of twelve "songs" composed
as a suite on the twelve signs of the zodiac and where accompanied by Paul
Beaver on electronic keyboards, including the Moog synthesizer. That same
year Garson wrote and arranged another little masterpiece, the single credited
to the Big Game Hunters. But he also
made another record in 1971, which was very different. Under the
devilish pseudonym "Lucifer", Garson released this record: Lucifer - Black Mass. It
had his wildest hodgepodge of electronic sounds. Little is known about this
release though. |
Tracks: 1. Solomon's Ring (3.20) 2. The Ride of Aida (Voodoo) (3.07) 3. Incubus (3.29) 4. Black Mass (3.39) 5. The Evil Eye (2.10) 6. Exorcism (3.45) 7. The Philosopher's Stone (3.27) 8. Voices of the Dead (The Medium) (2.05) 9. Witch Trial (3.00) 10. ESP (1.01) (Instrumental album, no lyrics.) |
Line-up: Mort Garson - Composer and conducter --- Direction by Dave Williams Electronic engineering by Eugene Hamblin Layout design by Victoria Clark Produced by Patchicord Productions Published by Cavalcade Music corp. EMAWAY Music co. |
Release info: Released by MCA 1971 - Black Mass (LP) (United Artists UAS 73111) |
Note: I am well aware of the fact that this record ain't "rock", but
since it's from the very
exprimental music-era of the early 70's and occult themed, I feel it must
be mentioned here.
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