Bob Moog R.I.P.

Sometimes it's easy to recklessly throw around names of folks who revolutionized music. In the case of Bob Moog, it's no exaggeration. Electronic music couldn't exist as it is today had he not invented his Moog Synthesizer in 1964. Nor would any of our most beloved songs sound the way they do without him. Think of giants like the Beatles or Stevie Wonder, or even more obscure records like Martin Denny's Exotic Moog. Even today's musicians often prefer the otherworldly sounds you can only produce on a Moog. The article above names Beck and Sonic Youth as recent customers of the R.A. Moog Co.

When I was a kid, I tried saving up my money to buy a Moog, but the price was always out of reach. But as an adult, I can think of countless nights playing music in Crapartist's basement--the best part being Stan Tern's unforgettable solos on the mini-Moog.

Robert Moog died Sunday in Asheville, N.C. at the age of 71.