Like a Duck to Water

Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 22, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1974
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cuneiform
• ASIN: B00005B53Q
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,829 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #27 in Music > Pop > Easy Listening > Retro Space Age
  • #62 in Music > Dance & DJ > Techno > Minimal Techno

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Second Album of Historic Mother Mallard!!, June 23, 2004

By 

Louie Bourland (Garden Grove CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Like a Duck to Water (Audio CD)

"Like A Duck To Water" is the second release from Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, the very first ensemble in history to create music entirely on synthesizers. This album picks up where the self-titled disc (aka "1970-1973") left off and covers material composed and recorded between 1974 and 1976. Whereas the first disc showed off a variety of experimentation, "Like A Duck To Water" shows the group tightening up their compositional style and focusing on minimalist structures a la Steve Reich, Terry Riley and Philip Glass.
Every track on this album offers something slightly different but retains a central structure and theme throughout. "Oleo Strut" and the 20-minute "CAGE Part II" both feature repeating phrases and display a vast amount of atmosphere. "All Set", "Theme from After the Fall" and "Downtown" have a definite hint of Tangerine Dream elements in them which closely resemble that band's style circa 1975-76 (ie: Rubycon or Stratosfear). "Waterwheel" is a dynamic standout piece with its Philip Glass-ian repeated arppegios and rolling tumbling electronic piano and basslines. "Harpsichord Truck" is a short coda to the album and features a jolly jingle-like melody that wouldn't sound to out of place as a theme to a children's TV show (think "Mister Rogers").
Like the music of their first album, Mother Mallard's "Like A Duck To Water" is way ahead of its time. Many of the sounds included in this album are now commonplace in today's electronic music. This album, as well as "1970-1973", are definitely a must for fans of early Moog music as well as electronic music enthusiasts.
Definitely High Quality Electronic Music from One of Its Obscure Pioneers!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Music Never Dies. Just hard to find., October 3, 2011

By 

DFS - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Like a Duck to Water (Audio CD)

It has been a long time since I have heard this recording. As I have it on vinyl. Which has not been played in many years. So I purchased it on CD. What a breath of fresh air, to hear it again. I have talked to David Borden a couple of times. Very accomplished Musician.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 11, 2010

By 

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber Print DJ ... (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Like a Duck to Water (Audio CD)

I got hip to Mother Mallard seeing it on a sample list--four pages long-of DJ Shadow's Endtroducing.... This is why crate diggers dig: you never know what you are going to find. My bet is Shadow picked this out thinking he was looking at a 1970s CTI cover. He wasn't

But was looking at a good album. This is early synth music, not far from Terry Riley or Tangerine Dream.

Mallard, though they use repetition, are not academic about it, and create some pretty nice soundscapes. There is little percussion, so the music is hollow: not in the sense of lacking but like spinning glass you can peer through as it changes shape.

Spin these ducks.