Maximum Rhythm and Blues

Monday, December 31, 2012

Gershon Kingsley - Music To Moog By - 1969

   Strap yourselves in motherfolkers, because tdawg007 is here to to take you on yet another magic ride. Today we will be visiting the far off lands of Moog City (it's a real place, google it) courtesy of one of Lounge's earliest masterminds, Gershon Kingsley.
   Kingsley's career began in1966 alongside Jean-Jacques Perrey, another influential lounge musician. Together they released two albums both heavily featuring the Moog before the two went their separate ways. Kingsley has since amassed quite the iconic legacy, he has won a Tony award for best composer. He was the founding member of the First Moog Quartet. And, most importantly, he won a lifetime achievement award on behalf of the Bob Moog Foundation. Those are some pretty impressive accolades (better than the ones us plebeians could ever amass).
   In Kingsley's third studio album, "Music to Moog By" we are spoon fed some truly delicious tracks, some original, some covers. Among Kingsley's original compositions lies that one miserable song that hundreds have since covered time and time again. What's the name again? Oh yeah, Popcorn. Gershon Kingsley wrote the song Popcorn. What a stud. I know that just several sentences ago I described that song as "miserable" but I was simply referring to several less then stellar versions of the song but Kingsley's original is the real deal. (much like Titus O'Neil. UHRA! UHRA! UHRA!)
   For those of you readers who have never heard the song Popcorn before, that means the previous paragraph (which took serious time and effort) was written in vain. God damn you guys. Well, even though you don't know the song Popcorn, odds are you're familar with the tunes "Paperback Writer" and "Nowhere Man" by the Fab Four. (that's the Beatles, for all you ignoramuses that follow this blog).  Thats right guys, Kingsley covers the Beatles. With a Moog Synthesizer. It's like Christmas and Easter rolled into one.
   But lo! Perhaps you think the Beatles are nothing but a band of scruffy, long haired rabble-rousers with some potato chips on their shoulders. Fear not men and gentlewomen, Gershon has influences that are much more refined. Among these influences sits Ludwig Van Beethoven. You guessed it guys, this album features a cover of Fur Elise. A good one too.
   Like all spectacular things, this post must come to an end. To play us out, here's Kingsley's rendition of Nowhere Man. On behalf of everyone here at RFB, thank you for coming, enjoy your evening. Don't party too hard.
   -Superficially Yours, tdawg007.

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