Silver Apples Live - Single

Album Review

The music on Silver Apples was unlike anything anyone had previously heard. Simeon layered his oscillators to create a collage of sounds that seemed to be recorded in outer space and then transmitted back to earth for your listening pleasure. The lead oscillator produced a tone akin to a Theremin, contributing not only to the out-of-this-world quality, but its shaky, hyper-quiver added an air of tension. A hypnotic one- or two-chord rhythm pattern of bass notes held the tunes together, while Simeon played counter- and counter-counter-rhythms. Danny Taylor proved to be an innovative drummer, producing an array of interesting beats and fills. He also tuned his drums so he could change chords with Simeon. A song like "Lovefingers" would build with a drum and bass pattern, before bursting with waves of sound from the oscillators. Many of the tracks on Silver Apples have a subtle catchiness to them, possessing a pop mentality that isn't immediate. Simeon's "Simeon" is what pulls you in on first listens, but it is the songs that stay with you when you're away from the turntable. Compositions were kept short — all are four minutes or less, with the exception of the tribal "Dancing Gods" — further preserving the pop song ethic. [Phoenix issued a Limited Edition in 2008.]