Trollheart

Title: Apple
Artiste: Mother Love Bone
Genre: Alt-Rock
Familiarity: Zero

1. This is Shangrila: Seems this was their one and only album. Was there a reason for that? Let's see: oh **** there was. The lead singer passed away shortly before the release of the album. Very sad. Another pointless, avoidable death thanks to drugs, and apparently a very promising career cut short. The music? Good start. Hard rockin' with a nice swagger, sort of reminds me of Zep. 1990 but sounds more mid-seventies really.
2. Stardog champion: Slower, bluesy grinder; kind of puts me in mind of Bad English at times. Very catchy hook. Like this one.
3. Holy roller: Good punch to this one. Like the guitar buildup.
4. Bone china: This sounds more introspective. Could be a ballad but I have a feeling it may kick up in a bit. Yeah, there it goes: ominous kind of guitar riff; reminds me slightly of “Wanted dead or alive” by Bon Jovi. Also hear a hint of Scorpions in there.
5. Come bite the apple: Another good boogie rocker.
6. Stargazer: Sounds awfully similar to “Every rose has its thorn”. Or is that the other way around? No, Poison had their hit in 1988. This isn't a copy but the structure of the opening lines of the verses are very similar, and the guitar solo comes close too. Pity.
7. Heartshine: Kind of a chant almost set up by the guitar, with some odd drumming and then a real boogie vibe.
8. Captain Hi-Top: Just a good rocker with a very Plantesque vocal
9. Man of golden words: Beautiful piano ballad.
10. Capricorn sister: This rocks along nicely with again a very Zep vibe
11. Gentle groove: Ooh! Another ballad! This reminds me of Marillion's “Cathedral wall”.
12. Mr Danny Boy: You know, this sounds like a ballad too... No, it started out that way but it's kicking up now. Like the shuffle in this.
13. Crown of thorns: Good acoustic start, longest track. Again this is very Poison/GNR but a good closer.

End result: Really good rock album that harks back to the glory days of seventies hard rock like Zep and Free. Real pity they didn't get to record more material.

So, Love or Hate? This would be a Love, certainly.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Tristan_Geoff

I used to really dig Mother Love Bone. Great group. I forgot if Chloe Dancer was tied with Crown of Thorns on this release but you really have to hear the whole thing if it isn't.