Switched On

Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution

By: Albert Glinsky, Francis Ford Coppola - foreword

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

Length: 21 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

The Moog synthesizer "bent the course of music forever" Rolling Stone declared.

Bob Moog, the man who did that bending, was a lovable geek with Einstein hair and pocket protectors. He walked into history in 1964 when his homemade contraption unexpectedly became a sensation-suddenly everyone wanted a Moog. The Moog's gamechanging sounds saturated sixties counterculture and burst into the disco party in the seventies to set off the electronic dance music movement. Bob had singlehandedly founded the synth industry and became a star.

But he was also going broke. He struggled to hang on to his inventions, his business, and his very name. Bob's story upends our notions of success and wealth, showing that the two don't always go together.

In Switched On, author Albert Glinsky draws on exclusive access to Bob Moog's personal archives and his probing interviews with Bob's family and a multitude of associates, for this first complete biography of the man and his work. Switched On takes listeners on a rollercoaster ride at turns triumphant, heartbreaking, and frequently laugh out loud absurd-a nuanced trip through the world of this legendary inventor who altered the course of music.

©2022 Albert Glinsky (P)2023 Tantor

Unbiased review?

Let me first say that it’s difficult for me to be objective here. I have to separate between the man Bob Moog and this book ABOUT him. The ONLY reason I purchased this book is because I am the new owner of the latest release of the MOOG Model D. I thought it would be cool to learn more about the man who started it all. So I dove in head first. Honestly, if this had been a book about Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire, or Stevie Wonder (or any of my musical fathers), I would have chopped it into lines with a razor blade and sniffed them all down with reckless abandon! Bob Moog isn’t one of my musical heroes, so the book was tough sledding for me.

That said, I’m glad I invested the time to listen to it in its entirety. This book takes the reader on a journey from the womb to the tomb. As one might expect, some parts are more interesting than others, but that’s true of EVERY human being’s life, right?

I guess I started the book hoping to find some specific treatment of synthesis that would help me approach my new legendary instrument with a refined understanding. There wasn’t really lots of that; just general principles that Bob used in his creations.

I feel like I understand Dr. Moog in some small sense now. I really enjoyed reading about how someone with such a brilliant mind could have such persistent troubles parlaying that genius into riches, but I found that comforting. I can relate to that frustration.

Another benefit of this book is that it names albums that feature the Moog. I tried to write them all down so I could create a playlist on Apple Music. I need to know what my Mini Moog is capable of. What better way than to listen to the musical creations of those who helped establish the MOOG sound! The foreword opens with such an offering and I went IMMEDIATELY to iTunes to listen! In this regard, the book has merit beyond the sometimes mundane details of the narrative.

Consequently, I would recommend this book, not with electronic exuberance, but with cold objectivity in mind. Bob Moog was a REAL PERSON with real aspirations, shortcomings and struggles! And yet, despite the limitations common to all men, he would STILL manage to distinguish himself among his peers - and that, beyond his lifetime!

If, as the end of the book suggests, that Bob is embodied in all the instruments that bear his name, I suppose I will come to enjoy a unique fellowship with him over the years as I become more familiar with and fond of my new Moog Model D.

I hope this was objective enough of a review. Take care!

Great book. Annoying narration.

The book is well researched and informative. Narrator could be better for my taste.