Apple (album)

Apple
Studio album by Mother Love Bone
Released	July 19, 1990
Recorded	September–November 1989 at The Plant, Sausalito, California and London Bridge Studios, Seattle, Washington
Genre	Grunge, alternative rock, heavy metal, hard rock
Length	57:59
Language	English
Label	Stardog/Mercury Lemon Recordings (reissue)
Producer	Bruce Calder, Terry Date, Mark Dearnley, Mother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone chronology
Shine (1989) Apple (1990) Mother Love Bone (1992)
Singles from Apple
"Stardog Champion" Released: 1990 "This Is Shangrila" Released: 1990 "Stargazer" Released: 1990

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The New York Times	(favorable)[2]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[3]
Uncut	[4]

Apple is the only full-length studio album by the American rock band Mother Love Bone. It was released on July 19, 1990 through Stardog/Mercury Records.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Track listing 3 Personnel 4 Chart positions 5 References

Overview

In September 1989, the group returned to the studio to record its debut album Apple with producer Terry Date at The Plant recording studio in Sausalito, California. The band finished the album in November 1989 at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington. Compared with the band's debut EP, Shine, vocalist Andrew Wood's vocal stylings are more mature, drawing heavily upon similar techniques of guitarist and singer Marc Bolan. "Crown of Thorns" originally appeared on Shine, however on Apple the song is missing the opening "Chloe Dancer". The album was mixed by Tim Palmer. The album's cover art was photographed by Lance Mercer. Despite some initial difficulties, the record was on-time for its projected March 1990 release.

By early 1990 interest in the band had hit a fever pitch and it seemed destined that the band was going to make it big. Only days before Apple was slated to be released, however, Wood overdosed on heroin. After spending a few days in the hospital in a coma, Wood died, effectively bringing Mother Love Bone to an end. The album would see release later that year in July. The album eventually charted at number 34 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart in 1992. Kim Neely of Rolling Stone said that the album "succeeds where countless other hard-rock albums have failed, capturing the essence of what made Zep immortal – dynamics, kids! – and giving it a unique Nineties spin."^[3] A music video was made for the song "Stardog Champion". The entire album later appeared on the 1992 compilation album, Mother Love Bone (also known as Stardog Champion). It was also remastered and reissued on September 8, 2003 by the UK-based Lemon Recordings.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Andrew Wood, all music composed by Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather, Greg Gilmore, Stone Gossard, and Wood.

^ I Only available on the CD edition.

Reissue bonus track

All lyrics written by Wood, all music composed by Ament, Fairweather, Gilmore, Gossard, and Wood.

Personnel

Mother Love Bone Jeff Ament – bass guitar, art direction and concept Bruce Fairweather – lead guitar Greg Gilmore – drums Stone Gossard – rhythm guitar Andrew Wood – vocals, piano

Production Scott Blockland – assistant engineering Bruce Calder – production on "Stargazer" Terry Date, Mother Love Bone – production Mark Dearnley – production on "Crown of Thorns" Kaylin Frank – production coordination Dennis Herring, Davitt Sigerson – pre-production Klotz – design Bob Ludwig – mastering Lance Mercer – photo Tim Palmer – mixing Denny Swofford – assistance

Chart positions

Chart (1992)	Position
Top Heatseekers[5]	34

References

Mother Love Bone Jeff Ament Bruce Fairweather Greg Gilmore Stone Gossard Andrew Wood Studio albums Apple Extended plays Shine Compilations Mother Love Bone Video albums The Love Bone Earth Affair Related Articles Grunge Singles (soundtrack) "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" Bands 10 Minute Warning Brad Green River Love Battery Malfunkshun Pearl Jam Skin Yard Temple of the Dog Three Fish Labels Stardog Mercury