Going Electric

This episode starts out with the history of amplification. The electric guitar is a relatively new instrument, brought about by the need to be heard. At first it was used for playing chords for big bands until some black performers like Albert King began to solo with them. But the guitar was just the beginning. Electronics meant the ability to create sounds that had never been heard before. Enter foot pedals and distortion pedals and the likes of Jimi Hendrix ,and music was off on a whole new direction. Finally came the Moog Synthesizer and all its incarnations, a monster with wires hanging out, looking like a switchboard for an old telephone system. Of course, eventually the thing moved into the use of computer technology. I was surprised how much Stevie Wonder was able to use the new devices to enhance and create his music. Excellent.