RIYL: Dinosaur Jr., Journey, the year 1978
Sweet Apple can be counted as a super group only if your definition of a super group is extremely liberal. Their most notable member is J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. But the legendary alt-rocker isn’t playing guitar or even singing; instead, he’s the drummer. Up front on guitar and vocals are both John Petkovic and Tim Parnin of the marginally-known Cobra Verde, and rocking it on bass is band namesake Dave Sweetapple, who is in J Mascis’ other side-project Witch. Separately Cobra Verde, Dinosaur Jr. and Witch run the gamut from pop-punk, proto-grunge and stoner metal,. So it makes complete sense that when you combine all three of them you get the most stereotypical of ’70s arena rock.
Wait, what? How’d that happen?
Who knows. Maybe they’re doing it as a gag, or maybe they all secretly want to be in Cheap Trick (who doesn’t?) butLove & Desperation is nothing but 12 tracks of straight-up classic rock. It sounds all right at first, but once the novelty fades it, sounds remarkably like what it is: four dudes who are desperately trying way too hard to sound like something they obviously are not. It occasionally works in spite of itself; “Hold Me, I’m Dying” has an irresistible hook to it, and the faux-metal of “Blindfold” is full of fist-pounding excellence. But for the most part it’s just average, and even a little boring.
Fans of the bands that make up Sweet Apple will probably be more interested in this than the rest of us. Although that Roxy Music-referencing cover should appeal to every heterosexual man with a pulse. (Tee Pee 2010)
