It’s hard to really point a finger at what makes Mother Love Bone so appealing (at least to this listener). Personally, I seem to have a bit of a thing for this 90’s era alternative stuff, and another thing with enigmatic front-men that seem to fade far before their prime. I suppose these would be two good reasons to give this band some thought, but there seems like a little more to it than that.
The band was briefly apart of Seattle’s grunge scene before singer/pianist Andrew Wood went the way of his peers and overdosed, leaving the band to form various off shoots in its wake (Pearl Jam and Mudhoney anyone?) Despite often coming off like a bit of a G’n’R clone, with Woods high vocals and the bands dirty rock vibe. However, there was something in Woods delivery, in the band’s ability to take a straight up rock song and meander into a brooding interlude seemingly out of nowhere. It was Wood’s more than evident emotive vocal style and whimsical lyrics, all the while coupled with an often overlooked skill on the piano. There may not be enough material from this band to reach cult status, but in Apple, the band’s only full-length offering, the spirit of Wood and his band are perfectly capsulated.
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