Silver Apples

Silver apples released their debut album in 1967, a collection of songs quite far ahead of its time. Simeon Coxe and Danny Taylor were from the outset an enigmatic duo, who, armed only with percussion, vocals and an early homemade synthesiser, weren’t afraid of improvisation. Simeom had left New Orleans for New York in the early 60’s to embrace the burgeoning artistic scene and joined a band called Random Concept, at one stage staying in a hotel with Zappa and the Mothers, Lovin’ Spoonful and Mike Bloomfield.

He met the truly accomplished drummer Danny Taylor in a band called The Overland Stage Electric Band. As a covers band the rest of the group soon got sick of the electric experimentation and the duo went on to form Silver Apples. Named after a 1897 Yeats’ poem the band went to the studio to record music by local poets Stanley Warren and Eillen Lewellen. For the album Simeon constructed an instrument fittingly known as the Simeon, which according to the linear notes contained “nine audio oscillators and eighty-six manual controls...The lead and rhythm oscillators are played with the hands, elbows and knees and the bass oscillators are played with the feet.” The monstrous drum kit was consequently tuned to different cords to compliment tangents.

If you are not yet weeping with tears of joy, remember this was 1967!! Tracks like ‘Lovefingers’, ‘Seagreen Serenades Whirly Bird’ and ‘Dancing Gods’, portray the albums flower, child-like imagery. Opener Oscillations is a truly stunning piece of work but not one to be played too loud on your MP3 player. Program opens with a piece of sampling not out of place from a DJ Shadow song and is driven along by the bass oscillators while a sample of radio reception floats throughout the piece. ‘Lovefingers’, bettered only by ‘Oscillations’, is a much slower but rhythmic and driving song, like a Judge Dredd version of a commune. Initially neither the duo nor the poets made any money from this album as Kapp Records went bust. Instead, they had to rely on their live sets to make a living.

Contact followed a year later, before the band disappeared from the radar for a couple of decades. The Apples resurfacing to tour and release new material in surprise surprise the early 90’s but a car crash that left Simeon with a broken neck cut short the touring schedule. With Danny now jamming with the Best In The sky, it appears Silver Aplles are no more. So get this album and bask in all its glory, so far ahead it’s still setting a standard. Its sound and lyrics still conforming and contorting to give us a sound like the Wickerman on meth.