In 1976, Mort Garson released one of the most unique pieces
of music ever recorded. Mother Earth’s Plantasia is an album
that is fun, relaxing and relentlessly entertaining. Garson wrote the album for plants, yes plants. He did not claim that it would help
plants grow or make them more beautiful.
All he said was that plants and plant lovers would really enjoy the
album. A first glance at the album
cover put me under the impression that I was about to listen to some weird,
ambient recordings of a colony of ants crawling up and down a tree. In reality, the album accomplished
something more different and creative than that.
The
instrumentation of Mother Earth’s
Plantasia is synthesizer.
That’s it. Garson uses only a Moog analog synth to make his sweet
soundtrack for plants, which seems like it could get repetitive. However, being a Julliard graduate, the
artist’s immense knowledge of music allows the album to be like nothing you
would anticipate. That is clear
right off the bat with the first track, “Plantasia.” It is a great introduction because it is subtle, but states
what his goal is for the album – he wants to comfort you so that you can
develop your character and realize what traits you want to grow into, like a
plant would (sort of). I may be
over-analyzing Garson’s work just a smidge, but I feel there is both musical
and emotional depth to the album.
Throughout,
Garson’s layers and layers of synthesizer soothe the mind, and take the
listener on a sonic journey. During
songs like “Mellow Mood for a Maidenhair,” I felt like I should have been
levitating just a few inches above a grassy knoll, so that its verdant fur
would be just tickling the back of my neck and arms. The artist sets up a gentle environment with his tones and
natural chord changes as to make the listener feel safe to spread and be their true
self.
Garson
dips in and out of certain genres, including jazz, pop, and classical. Combining those styles with his unique
arrangements (synth on synth on synth) results in his own genre that probably
influenced electronic artists who listened to him. “Symphony for a Spider Plant” shows off his ability to write
counterpoint in the most baroque sense of the word. The Latin jazz influenced “Swingin’ Spathiphyllums” sounds
like something from the soundtrack of a Super Mario game. Yet on top of all of these diverse and
fun arrangements, Garson sprinkles airy and legato melodies, which seem to invoke
deep human emotion, not only feelings towards plants. These melodies are what really tie the album together. Without them, Mother Earth’s Plantasia might seem like two music nerds jamming on
their new keyboards they just got for Hanukkah. Garson’s genius lies in his ability to match the jocular
with the serious, the fun with focus, and the light with the heavy.
Sometimes,
success lies in simplicity, and Garson’s semi stripped down work shows that
it’s not about the bells and whistles, but about the writing. He could have arranged these songs for
an orchestra, a jazz ensemble or a solo acoustic guitar. But when you give a classically trained
performer and brilliant songwriter a brand new Moog synthesizer, they’re going
to use it to its maximum potential.
To
take a step back, Mother Earth’s Plantasia
is a really interesting album.
The layers of synth, bossa beats and real melodies make for an
incredibly satisfying listen, whether you are a plant or a person.
Overall Score:
9.6
Overall Score:
9.6
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