...the best epitaph for Mother Love Bone and Andrew Wood.

Back in 1990, I was a rabid rock fan, always searching for the next new thing. I'd listened to LA, New York, the UK, I was and am an avid listener but back then it was always about something new. I bought Kerrang weekly, read up on new bands, went to a great many gigs, bought many rubbish albums and the magazine occasionally had a cassette on the front cover with new bands. One issue was superb, I bought 3 albums off it, I think it was the Black Crowes, Masters of Reality and Mother Love Bone.
The Mother Love Bone track was "Stardog Champion". It was the start of a link that continues to this day. "Stardog Champion" is a phenomenal rock track, it is big, heavy yet with an ethereal feel and the lyrics were nonsensical, adding a mystery, almost a secret to the song,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7CPIXnaeeQ

I was hooked. The whole album was brilliant, it rocked and funked yet was intermingled with a frailty and gentleness, it felt genuine and the stand back moments of piano and vocal were, are, wonderful.
Mother Love Bone rose from the ashes of Greenriver and Malfunkshun and their life was too short, an EP and one album and gone with the death of their singer, Andrew Wood, before the album even saw the light of day. They were my first Seattle band although in 1990 it meant nothing, Nirvana were still a year or so away, I hadn't discovered Soundgarden yet and Temple of the Dog didn't exist.

The reason for this post is because I watched "Malfunkshun: the Andrew Wood story" over the weekend and it was tragic, it is the story of a man who was destined to be a huge star and the tragedy was that he would never see his star shine, he was born into a life that never gave him a chance, trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IihcG0uLkk

Mother Love Bone, one album, one EP and a heck of a legacy, a blueprint for a band that should have paved the way for a far more interesting future for rock music than just grunge. Mother Love Bone split but were called back together for a one off project in the memory of Andrew Wood, Temple of the Dog, one of my all time favourite albums, an album I bought not because of the Andrew Wood link, it never crossed my mind at the time, but because of the lead off track, "Say Hello to Heaven" one of my all time favourite songs. I discovered Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, and my other all time favourite album, "Badmotor Finger".
Mother Love Bone became Pearljam and I saw them on their first UK jaunt at the ULU in London, a stunning gig with a very passionate and genuine band that played their hearts out. I still love "Ten" and "Alive", as their first single could be viewed as ironic or as a celebration of what it is to be alive despite everything.
And so the links of Mother Love Bone echo through my life, creating little paths that lead to memories and wishes, the various songs and lyrics that spoke to me then, still resonate, the words of a young man that spoke of his short future as if he knew what was coming,

"So please stop to laugh and pity me
My soul means well but I'm sorry
My skin it is withered and I'm nervous
My future was in my hands, 'til I washed it all away"

(Come Bite the Apple taken from Apple)

The final song on the album is called "Crown of Thorns" and whilst it is epic, the EP version is prefaced with "Chloe Dancer" and the two together are the best epitaph for Mother Love Bone and Andrew Wood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyBJoFz_QPw