Johann Sebastian Bach, Wendy Carlos - Switched-On Bach
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Free Music Notes for Switched-On Bach
Free Music Review: Not so hot...
Hit: 4 Stars
I'm a big fan of late 60's/early 70's Moog synth music, and have over 60 vinyl LP's. However, "Switched on Bach" is one of my least favorite. If this is all you've heard, you're missing out -- this is a dull, mechanical and rote performance in my opinion. Please look for Hans Wurman's "The Moog Strikes Bach" or his "Chopin A La Moog" for something a lot better. This sounds to me like a cheap soundblaster card and a computer-generated MIDI file... despite the long hours it took to get it right and the historical value of the recording, the MUSICAL value is just not really there -- sounds like it was played by a robot. 4 stars for being what it is, though -- the LP that kicked it all off. Just don't spend your money on the CD and expect something mind-blowing.Free Music Review: Timeless One-Off
Hit: 4 Stars
Any discussion that gets hung up on the instrumentation of this record misses that, here, Carlos gets the feeling of Bach's music nailed, track after track. This is a player on a mission. Note how the material is cleverly sequenced for maximum liveliness and variety. Then, mysteriously, after this album was a left-field hit, Carlos did the amusing, spooky "Clockwork Orange" soundtrack and that was about it for quality performances. The rest is sacred only to her cult. But the original Switched-On is far more than a nostalgia item. It documents one human's passion overcoming the technological limitations of that era's crude synths.Free Music Review: Great work, but actually, I was disappointed
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a fine piece of work and I commend Wendy Carlos on her incredible production of Bach's music. She is truly an accomplished artist in her medium. However, I was disappointed, through no fault of the the artist, in that this music is what it is, just a reproduction of an orchestral work on a synthesizer. It sounds too much like the ice cream truck that drives down the street during summer. I recommend this album in that it is a QUALITY reproduction of Bach, and she plays her heart and soul out, just with the caveat that it has that synthesizer sound.Free Music Review: Switched-On Bach
Hit: 4 Stars
Although I had heard the occasional use of the Moog Synthesiser I was encouraged to hear more via BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs" with Richard Griffiths when he chose the Brandenburg Concertos as one of his records ( - albeit wrongly described as by "Walter" Carlos.)
I am glad that I eventually found it as the record is superb, despite the enjoyment of the music being abruptly changed by an explanatory piece by Wendy Carlos - albeit excellent in its own right. I hope that Amazon will stock her "Switched On Brandenburg" in the same genre.
Free Music Review: Great re-invention of Bach in the 20th Century
Hit: 4 Stars
Wendy Carlos' album was ahead of its time, and is still listenable today. Those familiar with the score from Tron will recognize Wendy's style immediately. Highly recommended both for the fans of Bach and the progressive rockers who like hearing classical music updated for "our generation."
The updated version of the album features a final track spoken by Wendy herself on what items never made it to the album, what worked and why, etc. Interesting to hear her voice after all these years!