A pair of albums from this near-forgotten group – both originally issued by Elektra, and presented here with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Crabby Appleton – a set that's got a surprising sort of late psych vibe at times – almost as if the group were hanging on to some of the modes that first got them started, while also stretching out with some of the new sophistication that the 70s had to offer! That psych touch is maybe no surprise, though, given that the group's singer Michael Fennelly was in The Millennium – and works here with some heavier rockers who were in Stonehenge – all in a surprising mix of modes that really keeps things interesting throughout! Titles include the big single "Go Back", plus "Peace By Peace", "To All My Friends", "Some Madness", "Hunger For Love", "Last Night In Your Sleep Fred", "Some Madness", and "The Other Side". Next is Rotten To The Core, the second and last album from Crabby Appleton, and a record that's got the group picking up some harder edges than before – shedding some of the lighter psych elements for harder modes on the downturning grooves, almost as if the group had some blues inspirations they didn't showcase the first time around! The shift is one that has us almost thinking that the group could have hit the heights of 70s AM rock, had they held the course – with lots of surprising nuggets throughout, in a set list that includes "Makes No Difference", "Lucy", "It's So Hard", "Tomorrow's A New Day", "You Make Me Hot", "Gonna Save You", and "Love Can Change Everything". 2CD set features bonus material – "Go Back (alt mono single)", "Try (alt mono single)", "My Little Lucy (alt mono single)", "Some Madness (mono single)", "Can't Live My Life (alt mono single)", "Grab On", "Tomorrow's A New Day (alt mono single)", and "It's So Hard (alt mono single)". CD

The debut album from Crabby Appleton – and a set that's got a surprising sort of late psych vibe at times – almost as if the group were hanging on to some of the modes that first got them started, while also stretching out with some of the new sophistication that the 70s had to offer! That psych touch is maybe no surprise, though, given that the group's singer Michael Fennelly was in The Millennium – and works here with some heavier rockers who were in Stonehenge – all in a surprising mix of modes that really keeps things interesting throughout! Titles include the big single "Go Back", plus "Peace By Peace", "To All My Friends", "Some Madness", "Hunger For Love", "Last Night In Your Sleep Fred", "Some Madness", and "The Other Side". LP, Vinyl record album

The second and last album from Crabby Appleton, and a record that's got the group picking up some harder edges than before – shedding some of the lighter psych elements for harder modes on the downturning grooves, almost as if the group had some blues inspirations they didn't showcase the first time around! The shift is one that has us almost thinking that the group could have hit the heights of 70s AM rock, had they held the course – with lots of surprising nuggets throughout, in a set list that includes "Makes No Difference", "Lucy", "It's So Hard", "Tomorrow's A New Day", "You Make Me Hot", "Gonna Save You", and "Love Can Change Everything". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Crabby Appleton, the Buoys, the Pipkins, Lulu, John Kongos, Brewer & Shipley, Five Man Electrical Band, Bobby Russell, Stampeders, Lighthouse, and Gayle McCormick. CD

Looking for the magic? There's plenty of it here – a really magical blend of 70s American groups who were working in territory that was neither classic rock, nor punk, nor prog, metal, or other big styles at the time – hitting a unique blend of modes that was partly a revival of simpler styles of earlier years in rock music, but also embracing some of the more advanced studio and recording techniques of the time – catchy, yet never overtly commercial – but instantly appealing too! Phew – if it sounds like we're spinning a lot of plates at once, that's what it takes to come up with the special sound of these tracks – served up in a wonderfully-done collection that really opens up past some of the more obvious choices, and flies the power pop banner in some surprising territory that really works well. There's a massive 76 titles on the set, all presented with very detailed notes – with work from Eric Carmen, The Runaways, Cheap Trick, Andrew Gold, The Babys, Tommy Hoehn, Spitballs, The Moberlys, Grin, Bread, Flamin Groovies, Blue Ash, The Wackers, Stories, Crabby Appleton, Target, Tim Moore, Nils Lofgren, Sneakers, The Quick, Tuff Darts, 20/20, Cheese, The Names, Moon Martin, The Knack, Greg Kihn, and many others! CD