Nothing Rotten Here ...
CU82 | Atlanta, GA | 02/09/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Rating: 4.25 stars
Crabby Appleton's second (and final) release from 1971 is hailed by some to be even better than the first. I do not agree but can see why those who do feel that way would. To me, "Rotten to the Core" is every bit as varied and interesting as the first release but, as a whole, is far less cohesive.
Whereas the first album featured Michael Fennelly's pop compositions being tailored to suit the strengths of the other band members, "Rotten to the Core" finds the compositions to be more heavily rooted in blues rock and country. Many of the tunes have a heavier, more guitar-driven sound. The pop flavorings found on much of the first release are almost non-existent on "Rotten to the Core" with only "It's So Hard", "Tomorrow's A New Day", and "Love Can Change Everything" having noticeable traces of it. The band employs an interesting combination of boogie piano and slide guitar with great success on "Smokin' in the Morning" and "You Make Me Hot" with the latter tune having a slight T-Rex feel to it. "Paper To Write On" would have fit nicely on a Gram Parson's era Byrds album while "One More Time" sounds like Seatrain or The Incredible String Band performing a John Denver tune with Jeremy Spencer (Fleetwood Mac) sitting in on slide guitar. It is very different to say the least. The standout track for me on "Rotten to the Core" is "Makes No Difference" due to its tasty blending of Hammond Organ with slide guitar and soulful gospel backup vocals.
All in all, "Rotten to the Core" is a solid effort with my only real complaint being that the transition between songs is less fluid than I expected. Once you get used to the dramatic changes in styles, "Rotten to the Core" can be appreciated for not only the variety of musical styles it features but for the quality of the performances as well.
"
" It's As Good As The 1st "
Dave Paton | Chino Hills,Ca, USA | 12/08/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"
If you thought the first album of Crabby Appleton was good, this is just a continuation of great songs and different styles. When you think that a band back in the early 70's can go from "Paper to Write On", full on country rock to the Zeppelin ladden "Make's No Difference" to the rockin "Lookin for Love", this group had it all. The great unanswered question is why didn't this multi-talented group which spawned Micheal Fennelly and Phil Jones (Tom Petty percussionist, Roy Oribson drummer) didn't have the support of the major label players at the time. I truly believe if just a few songs from the former album and this one were played as much as the oldies stations play the same song 10 times a week, Crabby Appleton would have been a musical force to be revered and they would deserve the household name of every group known instead of hidden in some dusty record bin, forgotten and discarded. Many fans have paid upwards of $30.00 an album on Ebay, that must mean something . Fennelly's solo albums are just as compelling and hopefully Collectors Choice will feature these in the coming months. If for anything the greatest song of all time that has never been heard can finally have it's day. "Touch My Soul" by Michael Fennelly is like the undiscovered "Stairway to Heaven," it's that good. The double leads in that song are without equal. Major players like Rod Argent and Frosty made the musical contribution worth while. People in music circles know quality song writing and Fennelly had both the voice and the superior knack for writing a lyric no one ever heard before or since, it was that good. This album was written in and around the band members to showcase each one's talent. Fennelly did it again. Buy this treasure and play it often, the likes that you'll never hear again."
Still so good
rock will never die | USA | 02/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Heard both albums when they came out, bought the first. They rock, do ballads, do country--how many bands today are as good as they are?"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1