Two albums by Wendy Carlos, and I want more

Two great finds in the thrift bins, and boy was I surprised about the quality and history behind them!

A few years ago, I started to collect vinyl albums. It had been years since I had any semblance of a collection, but it was the COVID times, and I was bored. I picked up a decent record player, then started hunting the thrift stores and online. It was then that I found an interesting album cover, knew nothing about it, did no research, then found out from a friend that I had picked up a significant masterpiece in the history of digital music!

This album is what I found. The cover and title were intriguing, I’ve always enjoyed synthesizer music, and it only cost $1.

Now, I could go into details about the history of Wendy (née Walter) Carlos, but there are so many resources online that tell her story. So why, then, am I writing this? Well, this album just blew me away. This album was released in 1968 and is so far ahead of its time! With the rise in synth music in the 80s, you would be mistaken in thinking this was created over a decade in the future of its actual release.

Do I like this album? Obviously. Would I look for more? Well, I found the one below in another bargain bin, again for $1!

Not only is this one just as good, in some ways it actually surpasses the other.

I would love to share some samples of the music, but unfortunately, most of Carlos’ music is not available for streaming, as she has not authorized its use. Fortunately, this Commodore 64 commercial from 1984 has her music in the background. You can also watch the movie ‘Tron’, as she did the soundtrack for that.

If I wind up with more of her albums, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, I’m going to go through my vinyl collection and find some other “classic” albums that spark personal joy.