This was recorded between 1968 and 1969 and released in 1970.
Bruce Haack's awesome The Electric Lucifer stands as one of electronic pop music's pioneering works. You might see the album as an American equivalent of something like the White Noise album, but while Derbyshire, Hodgson and co. were experimenting with homemade contraptions and concrète tape splicing Haack was wiring up his DIY analogue synths, making this psychedelic concept album masterpiece. Ignore the tags on the tracks which say Recorded 1979 and released in 1968 - Something VERY wrong there. With the starting track think Kraftwerk if you wonder what it sounds like.
The following comes from
Bruce Haack Web:
"THE ELECTRIC LUCIFER" is totally unlike anything ever recorded before. It is truly a voice of the future. Listen to "Electric To Me Turn" and the anti war "War."
The credentials of the creator of "THE ELECTRIC LUCIFER" album are as diverse as they are fascinating. Bruce Haack was born in a mining camp called "Saunders Creek" in the Canadian Rockies. There were no roads in or out. I guess one either way would have served both. But only the train came in once a week to pick up coal. As a child Bruce turned-on to the mountain wind, the screams of golden eagles, the mine tunnels and the one electric light forever shining outside the mine supply store (the symbolism zonks me). After striking out for the nearest town as a young man, Bruce soon learned to turn his natural inventiveness, especially at
the piano, into his own means of expression. He went to the University of Alberta where he majored in psychology and extra-curricular activity, mostly performing and composing. He was always into something; two weekly radio shows, a performing group of piano, bass and drums. Club dates. Playing real country piano for real country dances. He even won a gold literary award. Then encouragement, even insistance from the renowned actor Charles Laughton compelled Bruce to go to New york. Since then he has earned an imposing list of credits- (his compositions have been performed at Carnegie and Town Halls, he has written ballet music, Broadway music ("How to Make a Man"), off.Broadway music ("The Kumquat in the Persimmon Tree"), pop songs (he penned three of Teresa Brewer's hits). Bruce has created hundreds of singing commer cials and is the inventor of "dermi tron," an electronic device which allows the human body to be played
as a musical device by means of skin contact. Wow. His music for the Nicolo Marionettes and Bliss Displays are heard on a national scale.
But despite all this,. Bruce devotes mast of his time to working with, and inventing fascinating electronic toys for, children.
Bruce invents, builds and plays his own electronic musical instruments. He composed and performed all the music on "THE ELECTRIC LUCIFER" as well as creating the synthesizer on which he performed. He picked up the parts for less than 50 bucks on New York's Canal Street.
And although there is a lot of meta physics in the messages of his songs, the album's appeal will be the beautiful mix of music and magic. Good rock. The appearance of the electronic voice on the album could be the most revolutionary thing about it. But as for me, I just dig it musically.
Note there is a CD reissue Electric Lucifer Book 2 which has interviews and Bonus Tracks.
Tracks:
1. Electric To Me Turn
2. The World (Narration)
3. Cherubic Hymn
4. Program Me
5. War
6. National Anthem To the Moon
7. Chant of the Unborn
8. Incantation
9. Angel Child
10. Word Game
11. Song of the Death Machine
12. Super Nova
13. Requiem
CD Version has 14. Being Silent 15 - 23 Interviews and 24. Electric To Me Turn (Alt Version).
Perhaps this post will inspire someone to post that too or some other wonderful works by Bruce.
