Mort Garson & Jacques Wilson — The Wozard of Iz

This is an highly welcome and long overdue reissue of this long out of print ahead of it’s time sneering early synth/ avant-grade/ bizarre Broadway musical masterpiece with music by Moog and electronics genius Mort Garson and text’s written by Jacques Wilson.

The album's concept is as its title suggests a strange take on the Wizard of Oz story; making it into a bizarre parody on 60’s culture and American consumerism. And really you have to keep pinch yourself throughout this to remind yourself amazingly this was recorded original in 1967! First off the synth and beat textures are very advanced for the time you can hear hints of what will become techno, electronica, industrial and noise. Vocally you can hear hints of sneering beginnings of punk with Jacques Wilson dialogue that’s mixed in with the bizarre, psychedelic and often deranged musical singing/talking of the other bent Oz characters in the story.

The album is literally littered with quirkily, clever and inspired elements and twists like; the bizarre female operatic elements over the sinister moog wavering and gone sour Broadway vibe of Leave the driving to us. Or the jittering electro beat clamouring and noisy electro backing textures of the In-man. The shifting and manic industrial/noise like choping rhythmic electro textures Blue Poppy, which is also littered with all manner of sneering and sinister musical vocals. Really I could go on and on but I think it would ruin the surprise and sneering psychedelic wonder of this masterpiece. It’s all topped off with an inlay booklet that reproducers the original vinyl artwork along with a two page essay about Garson and the album itself.

Really and truly this is completely unmissible if you have interest in any kind psychedelic or avant grade electronic music. And unlike a lot of older albums this still has a real punch, strange wonder and bizarre freshness about it. Let’s hope this reissue spurs someone to reissue the rest of Garson inspired and criminally long out of print back catalogue.