Re: Silver Apples

[improv@peak.org (Dave Trenkel)]

>Silver Apples was a duo of Simeon on The Simeon and Dan Taylor on 
>percussion
>with both doing vocals.  A CD compiling their first two albums (from the 
>late
>60s) was just released on MCA.
>
>The Simeon was the name given to Simeon's "instrument".  From the liner
>notes, here is a list of The Simeon's components:
>
>6 bass oscillators triggered by six wooden pedals
>3 rhythm oscillators controlled by three hand switches
>2 Maestro tone controls - one connected to the rhythm oscillators, the 
>other
>to the lead oscillator.
>1 lead oscillator connected to a tone control
>1 Echoplex (the old analog one of course)
>1 Wah-wah pedal between the lead tone control and the Echoplex
>1 Radio
>1 Mic
>3 Amplifiers
>
>Simeon basically played the bass oscillators with his feet while playing
>the other parts with his hands.  All while singing lead vocals too.
>
>To most of us weaned on mainstream pop/rock music, this music may seem a 
>little
>bizarre.  Yet it has its own quirky appeal.  This amazing CD has to be
>heard to be believed.
>
>I find it a miracle a big company like MCA was willing to release
>groundbreaking music like this.
>
>Cheers,
>Paolo

I have to second Paolo's recommendation here. A friend turned me on to
their first lp a few years ago, it's great that it's out on CD. It is a
very unusual records, instrumentally some of it wouldn't be out of place on
an aphex twin record, which is amazing for when it was recorded, yet some
of it could not have been recorded any other time, the stoner hippy lyrics
are hilarious.  I understand that Simeon has a new version of the band, I'd
love to hear them.

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Dave Trenkel : improv@peak.org  : www.peak.org/~improv/

"...there will come a day when you won't have to use
gasoline. You'd simply take a cassette and put it in
your car, let it run. You'd have to have the proper
type of music. Like you take two sticks, put 'em
together, make fire. You take some notes and rub 'em
together - dum, dum, dum, dum - fire, cosmic fire."
                                            -Sun Ra
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