''Silver Apples'' is the debut studio album by the American band

Silver Apples Silver Apples were an American electronic rock group from New York, active between 1967 and 1970, before reforming in the mid-1990s. It was composed of Simeon (born Simeon Oliver Coxe III, June 4, 1938 – September 8, 2020), who performed ...

. It was released in June 1968 by record label Kapp. It was the band's most successful original album, reaching 193 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album was re-released in 1997 by

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

and was compiled with the band's second album, ''

Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * C ...

''. It has been critically acknowledged as a pioneering fusion of rock and

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

Legacy

Adam Bunch of ''

Crawdaddy! ''Crawdaddy'' was an American rock music magazine launched in 1966. It was created by Paul Williams, a Swarthmore College student at the time, in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music. The magazine w ...

'' wrote in 2007: "''Silver Apples'' is a record that reached far ahead of its time. It's not surprising then, in a year when the airwaves were still dominated by

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

and the

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

(whose experimentation was tame by comparison), that it failed to garner much of an audience. Even now, nearly forty years later, the record sounds fresh and unconventional – in 1968 there simply wasn't anything else like it." ''

The Vinyl Factory The Vinyl Factory is a music company based in London. It includes a record label, vinyl pressing plant, and a venue space. It also publishes ''Fact'' magazine and owns Phonica Records store. Overview The Vinyl Factory began as a pressing plan ...

'' included the record as one of the best

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

albums of the 1950s and 1960s, calling the album "a stunning collection of rickety electronic grooves and hydraulic wheezes," noting that "the compositions are often harmonically static, giving the record a driving, hypnotic quality. There’s not a bum track on it." The track "Oscillations" placed at number 119 on ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

's'' list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s", while it placed 48th on a similar list by ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

''. The album itself would later be ranked by ''Pitchfork'' as the 77th best of the decade, while ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' ranked it 25th on their list of "The Top 100 Alternative Albums of the 1960s".

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

was a fan of the album.

Track listing

Personnel

; Silver Apples * Dan Taylor – drums, percussion, vocals * Simeon –

oscillators Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum ...

, flute, vocals ; Technical * Don Van Gorden –

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

* Anonymous Arts – sleeve art * Virginia Dwan – sleeve photography

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1968 debut albums Silver Apples albums Kapp Records albums