Apple (Mother Love Bone album)

Apple is the only full-length studio album by the American rock band Mother Love Bone. It was released on July 19, 1990, through Stardog/Mercury Records.

Apple
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 19, 1990
RecordedFall 1989 at The Plant, Sausalito, California, and Winter 1989 at London Bridge Studios, Seattle, Washington
Genre
Length57:59
LabelStardog/Mercury
Lemon Recordings (reissue)
ProducerBruce Calder, Terry Date, Mark Dearnley, Mother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone chronology
Shine
(1989)
Apple
(1990)
Mother Love Bone
(1992)
Singles from Apple
  1. "Stardog Champion"
    Released: 1990
  2. "This Is Shangrila"
    Released: 1990
  3. "Stargazer"
    Released: 1990

Days before Apple was slated to be released, lead singer Andrew Wood overdosed on heroin. After spending a few days in the hospital in a coma, he died, effectively bringing Mother Love Bone to an end. The album would see release later that year in July, and it eventually peaked at number 34 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart in 1992.

Reception

edit
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [5]
Classic Rock     [6]
Rock Hard7.5/10[7]
Select     [8]
Uncut     [9]

Kim Neely of Rolling Stone said that the album "succeeds where countless other hard-rock albums have failed, capturing the essence of what made Zep – dynamics, kids! – and giving it a unique Nineties spin."[10] David Browne, in The New York Times, opined that "Apple may be one of the first great hard-rock records of the 90's."[2]

In 2005, Apple was ranked No. 462 in Rock Hard magazine's book "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time".[11] In 2016, Apple was ranked No. 18 in Rolling Stone magazine's "40 Greatest One-Album Wonders".[12]

Track listing

edit

All lyrics written by Andrew Wood. All music written by Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather, Greg Gilmore, Stone Gossard, and Andrew Wood. Primary composers listed below.[13]

  1. "This Is Shangrila" (Gossard) – 3:42
  2. "Stardog Champion" (Gossard) – 4:58
  3. "Holy Roller" (Ament) – 4:27
  4. "Bone China" (Gossard) – 3:44
  5. "Come Bite the Apple" (Gossard) – 5:26
  6. "Stargazer" (Wood) – 4:49
  7. "Heartshine" – 4:36
  8. "Captain Hi-Top" – 3:07
  9. "Man of Golden Words" (Wood) – 3:41
  10. "Capricorn Sister" (Gossard) – 4:19
  11. "Gentle Groove" (Wood) – 4:02
  12. "Mr. Danny Boy" (Gossard) – 4:50
  13. "Crown of Thorns" (Wood) – 6:18

Reissue bonus track

  1. "Lady Godiva Blues" – 3:40

Personnel

edit

Mother Love Bone

Production

  • Scott Blockland – assistant engineering
  • Bruce Calder – production on "Stargazer"
  • Terry Date, Mother Love Bone – production
  • Mark Dearnley – production on "Crown of Thorns"
  • Kaylin Frank – production coordination
  • Dennis Herring, Davitt Sigerson – pre-production
  • Klotz – design
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Lance Mercer – photo
  • Tim Palmer – mixing
  • Denny Swofford – assistance

References

edit
  1. ^ "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone. April 1, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Browne, David (November 18, 1990). "Recordings View; Seattle Rock: Out of the Woods and Into the Wild". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
  3. ^ Lifton, Dave (August 2, 2016). "Pearl Jam to reissue Mother Love Bone catalog on Vinyl". Diffuser.fm. diffuser. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "Godfather of grunge: How the tragic story of a self-destructive glam-metaller inspired the Seattle rock movement". The Independent. January 5, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Apple - Mother Love Bone | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  6. ^ "Mother Love Bone: Apple - Album Of The Week Club review". Classic Rock. August 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Stratmann, Holger. "Rock Hard". Rock Hard. No. 62.
  8. ^ O'Connell, Clodagh (September 1990). "Mother Love Bone: Apple". Select. No. 3. p. 85.
  9. ^ "Mother Love Bone - Apple". Uncut. January 1, 2004. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Neely, Kim (October 4, 1990). "Mother Love Bone: Apple". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
  11. ^ Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. 2005. p. 23. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
  12. ^ "40 Greatest One-Album Wonders". Rolling Stone. July 14, 2016.
  13. ^ "Apple Liner Notes".