5. Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece CoLike A Duck To Water

This is my fifth album selection, and is the first one to feature any kind of melody, which I wasn’t expecting. Its a beautiful collection of synth compositions by a group of keyboard players all tuned in to the same mid-70s vibrations. They used Moogs, Fender Rhodes, and more Moogs. They were the worlds first synthesiser ensemble.

They were formed by David Borden in the late 1960s when Bob Moog gave him free reign at his Trumansburg studio. The difficult thing David had to work out was how to use what was essentially a studio device in a live context. I know myself that those early Moog oscillators never stay in tune for more that a few minutes.

Originally recorded in the mid-70s, the album was re-issued later on CD and is worth getting as it contained one of my favourite tunes they did called ‘After The Fall’, a totally mesmerising little piece that perfectly sums up everything I love about 1970s minimal compositions.