Electric-psychedelia pioneers' rapturous 1998 classic released in vinyl edition
8/10
If the name Silver Apples means little to you, hitch a ride for a few minutes - you may have been missing out on something rather special. Formed in the mid-'60s and comprised of two musicians, Simeon and the late Danny Taylor, the duo occupy similar territory to Can, Pere Ubu and Spaceman 3, with added oscillator (built by its founder and officially known as "The Simeon") and unconventional song-structures, bordering on the eccentric and concluding in the sublime.
"The Garden" is a collection of quirky previously-lost songs recorded in the '70s and intended for release as the duo's third album. Due to their label folding and the band calling an indefinite hiatus, the sessions were buried in time and surpassed by other releases such as 1996's comeback-single "Fractal Flow" and an album with Peter Kember (Spectrum, Spaceman 3) called "A Lake of Teardrops". Eventually, the tapes were unearthed for a CD issue in 1998, prompting new interest in the band that resulted in their other acclaimed '90s album "Beacon" getting a remix and reunion concerts being played out.
Sadly, in 2005, drummer Danny Taylor passed away, leaving Simeon and, er, The Simeon to progress as a solo entity. Only this year, Silver Apples issued this site's recently-awarded Single of the Week, "The Edge of Wonder" and will support it, and this vinyl reissue, with a string of live shows. On the strength of the material on here, it might be pertinent to pick up a ticket.
Kicking off with the care-free motorik eccentricity of "I Don't Care What The People Say", you're immediately familiarized with Simeon's whammy-bar driven self-built machinery, as well as an infectious marching flutter and a vocal that brings to mind, David Thomas on E-numbers. You get more quality songs for your bucks with "Walkin'", a electro-bluegrass rendition of old traditional cowpoke favourite "John Hardy" and a mellotron-driven version of pub-rock's perennial blues staple, "Mustang Sally" - if only all cover-versions were this excitable.
In amongst the madness is an array of instrumental 'Noodles', ranging from the cowbell-fired "Tabouli" to the more wayward drones of "Cannonball", all interspersed with Taylor's expressive drumming and Simeon's idiosyncratic 'noodling', all crazy enough to make "The Garden" a satisfying and technicoloured place in which to hang out. A worthy commital to wax.
For Silver Apples releases, you could try Enraptured Records here
For Silver Apples live shows, head to Allgigs here
8/10
"The Garden" is a collection of quirky previously-lost songs recorded in the '70s and intended for release as the duo's third album. Due to their label folding and the band calling an indefinite hiatus, the sessions were buried in time and surpassed by other releases such as 1996's comeback-single "Fractal Flow" and an album with Peter Kember (Spectrum, Spaceman 3) called "A Lake of Teardrops". Eventually, the tapes were unearthed for a CD issue in 1998, prompting new interest in the band that resulted in their other acclaimed '90s album "Beacon" getting a remix and reunion concerts being played out.
Sadly, in 2005, drummer Danny Taylor passed away, leaving Simeon and, er, The Simeon to progress as a solo entity. Only this year, Silver Apples issued this site's recently-awarded Single of the Week, "The Edge of Wonder" and will support it, and this vinyl reissue, with a string of live shows. On the strength of the material on here, it might be pertinent to pick up a ticket.
Kicking off with the care-free motorik eccentricity of "I Don't Care What The People Say", you're immediately familiarized with Simeon's whammy-bar driven self-built machinery, as well as an infectious marching flutter and a vocal that brings to mind, David Thomas on E-numbers. You get more quality songs for your bucks with "Walkin'", a electro-bluegrass rendition of old traditional cowpoke favourite "John Hardy" and a mellotron-driven version of pub-rock's perennial blues staple, "Mustang Sally" - if only all cover-versions were this excitable.
In amongst the madness is an array of instrumental 'Noodles', ranging from the cowbell-fired "Tabouli" to the more wayward drones of "Cannonball", all interspersed with Taylor's expressive drumming and Simeon's idiosyncratic 'noodling', all crazy enough to make "The Garden" a satisfying and technicoloured place in which to hang out. A worthy commital to wax.
For Silver Apples releases, you could try Enraptured Records here
For Silver Apples live shows, head to Allgigs here