Crabby Appleton "Tomorrow's A New Day"1971 US Rock

Crabby Appleton's Rotten to the Core -- -- the title of which , no doubt , comes from lyrics once sung by the villainous Crabby Appleton character on the Tom Terrific cartoon show: " My name is Crabby Appleton/I'm rotten to the core " -- was released in October 1971. The band's second album , and last as a group , captures them reaching out to find a sound of their own , veering off into boogie rock and heavier Zeppelin-esque romps , twice removed from the plaintive power pop and conga-driven rock of their debut. Rousing barrelhouse piano and varied string instruments (mandolins and violins) are only one reason for the rollicking new direction. Once again , Michael Fennelly's proven songwriting skills and lead vocals remain the front-and-center attraction here. At times , his screechy , Robert Plant-style falsetto (especially on the single " My Little Lucy , " retitled for release on the album as " Lucy " ) foreshadows the direction he would take on future solo albums. " It's So Hard " sounds like a gospel-influenced take on Van Morrison's " Tupelo Honey , " with solid backing by the Blackberries (Clydie King , Oma Drake , and Jessica Smith). " Paper to Write On " sounds like it could be a track by the Flying Burrito Brothers. Like the self-titled debut (a better effort overall , though this one isn't bad) , Rotten to the Core was reissued in 2002 by Collectors Choice..