Silver Apples - Silver Apples + Contact (1968-1969) [TRC 039]

Decades after their brief yet influential career first ground to a sudden and mysterious halt, the Silver Apples remain one of pop music's true enigmas: a surreal, almost unprecedented duo, their music explored interstellar drones and hums, pulsing rhythms, and electronically generated melodies years before similar ideas were adopted in the work of acolytes ranging from Suicide to Spacemen 3 to Laika. The Silver Apples formed in New York in 1967 and comprised percussionist Danny Taylor and lead vocalist Simeon, a bizarre figure who played an instrument also dubbed the Simeon, which (according to notes on the duo's self-titled 1968 debut LP) consisted of "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 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.
Aside from Simeon's use of a banjo on a couple of tracks, the music on Contact does not differ from that of their debut. One aspect improved upon was the lyrics; many possess the same "cosmic" element found on Silver Apples, but others are full of bitterness, pain, paranoia, and confusion. In turn, the lead oscillator is used to greater effect, reflecting this newfound intensity. Simeon, who composed the text for five of Contact's ten songs (he framed one song on Silver Apples, "Dancing Gods"), was largely responsible for this change. The record opens with "You and I," one of their best numbers, in which Simeon cuts out the hippie overtones present in the first album's lyrics and gets straight to the point. The text of "I Have Known Love," written by Simeon's girlfriend Eileen Lewellen, details love's all-encompassing power. "You're Not Foolin' Me" incorporates outside sound to drive home the written word, using a continuous, ringing telephone to illustrate the obsessive nature of love. "A Pox on You" and "Gypsy Love" further exploit the feelings one experiences once love is denied and the raw emotions that surface. "Confusion" features Simeon's banjo playing prominently. The playful, tossed-off script adds to its throwaway nature, although there is a line or two alluding to their pop leanings. The album closer, "Fantasies," involves Simeon guiding drummer Danny Taylor through the song and hints at the intuitive, trusting nature of their collaboration. This often hilarious track comes as a bit of a surprise, but works along with "Confusion" as a counterbalance to the darker lyrical content on Contact.

Tracks:

1. Oscillations (Simeon, Stanley, Taylor) 2:50
2. Seagreen Serenades (Simeon, Stanley, Taylor) 2:55
3. Lovefingers (Simeon, Stanley, Taylor) 4:11
4. Dancing Gods (Simeon, Taylor) 4:08
5. Program (Simeon, Taylor) 3:30
6. Velvet Cave (Simeon, Taylor) 2:40
7. Whirly-Bird (Simeon, Taylor) 3:41
8. Dust (Simeon, Taylor) 5:57
9. Misty Mountain (Lewellen, Simeon, Taylor) 2:43
10. You and I (Silver Apples, Simeon, Taylor) 3:23
11. Water (Silver Apples, Simeon, Taylor) 4:21
12. Ruby (Creasy, Silver Apples) 2:32
13. Gypsy Love (Silver Apples, Simeon, Stanley, Taylor, Warren) 5:33
14. You're Not Foolin' Me (Silver Apples, Simeon, Taylor) 6:23
15. I Have Known Love (Lewellen, Silver Apples, Simeon, Taylor) 3:52
16. A Pox on You (Silver Apples, Simeon, Taylor) 5:11
17. Confusion (Silver Apples, Simeon, Taylor) 3:35
18. Fantasies (DeMott, Silver Apples, Simeon, Taylor) 6:00