Crabby Appleton - Crabby Appleton (1970)

"Perhaps it was the name of this band that limited their success. It certainly wasn't because of their musical product as the 1970 debut album by Crabby Appleton is a truly remarkable collection of songs. Unfortunately, all that most people know about Crabby Appleton is their power pop hit "Go Back". "Go Back" is a quality opening cut yet it is only a small piece of the package that is so much more complex and fulfilling.

I was 14 years old when I first heard this release and it opened my eyes to a broader spectrum in the musical rainbow. It was Christmas 1973 and Crabby Appleton had already disbanded without me even knowing that they had existed. I was excited when I opened a gift from overseas relatives containing two tapes: Grand Funk "We're An American Band" and this release by Crabby Appleton. I was quite familiar with the heavy rockin' sound of Grand Funk but had no idea what to expect from Crabby Appleton. Playing these two tapes back to back was a shock to my system as the musical contrast was obvious. There was nothing heavy about Crabby Appleton and still I couldn't ignore the fact that they were smokin'. I was intrigued by the complexity of Crabby Appleton's music which on the surface appeared to be smooth and simple. The interplay between the guitar, keyboards, and percussion fascinated me. This was a band that blended so many elements into their music that I couldn't help but to be hooked.

Thank goodness Collector's Choice decided to release this gem on CD along with the band's second album "Rotten To The Core". I now have them both and am pleased with not only the music of Crabby Appleton but with the product that Collector's Choice has issued. The sound quality is very good and the liner notes are informative. Regarding the debut album, the liner notes provide really good insight into the formation of the group and into the similarities in the styles of certain songs on this release with bands like Santana, Left Banke, and The Zombies. Yet, what I hear at times in the performance of keyboardist Casey Foutz are shades of Atomic Rooster, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, and even ELP (Check out "Hunger For Love" for the Emersonesque ending.). Percussionist Flaco Falcon adds a touch of Santana and El Chicano to the mix while singer-guitarist Michael Fennelly's performance on "Go Back" reminds me a lot of the guitar work in Cream's "I Feel Free".

This is one of the few releases that I can listen to multiple times back-to-back and not get tired of hearing it. There is a lot to like on this one and I strongly recommend it. " (CU82 amazon.com)

1. Go Back
2. The Other Side
3. Catherine
4. Peace By Peace
5. To All My Friends
6. Try
7. Can't Live My Life
8. Some Madness
9. Hunger For Love
10. How Long Will It Take

Felix "Flaco" Falcon - Percussion
Michael Fennelly - Guitar, Vocals
Casey Foutz - Keyboards
Hank Harvey - Bass
Phil Jones - Drums

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 247 MB

Part 1__Part 2

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