Apple & Thorns

This is an absolutely wonderful Gospel album and received huge attention. Apples & Thorns is exactly what we and our listeners are looking for us to provide for them on air. Our aim is to rise above the predictable music produced by the majors and maintain our independence. --Peter Merritt, PBS Melbourne Australia

Very wonderful inspirational CD. I detect a very honest, humble approach in the body of work, and that alone carries into the realm of inspired songs. --Dusty Durst NGQ Music Prod. LLC St Louis MO

I just listened to Apples & Thorns and was pleasantly taken back to memories of the days of the Jesus Movement. So many people now say, I wish Christian music had the same feel and sincerity as the early days. Well Ed, thanks for providing some of that for people longing for it. --George Carden, Correspondent/Producer United News & Information

The follow up album to 'The One and 99' (1999), Texas singer/songwriter Ed Morales has released 'Apple & Thorns' a self-produced and self-recorded collection of songs that features classic guitar and piano infused in modern electronic production with lyrics that express soulful themes of spiritual relevance and redemption. Somewhere along his decades long musical pathway - possibly while on the road or hanging in the air between his various homes in Nashville, Austin or San Antonio, Texas singer/ songwriter Ed Morales caught a vision for his own brand of guitar-based alternative rock. He has taken expressive acoustic and electric guitar, and imbued it with an emotional, plaintive vocal quality that seems to aim for a transparency with the listener. Gifted in the art of live performance, his musicality, harmony and emotional range point back to earlier influences - McCartney, Petty and Henley. Yet his thoughtful arrangements prove elusive to those that might simply file his work under basic rock. This is an art-infused collection reminiscent of classic AOR - it makes for a memorable live show, and for great 'headphone music'. Ed Morales is no stranger to the music world; he has fronted no less than four bands in the past two decades, and has had successful solo releases as well; the fruits of his songwriting have received praise and recommendation from noted names such as: Billboard, CMJ, Performance Magazine and Cross Rhythms; and his works merited rotation on dozens of radio stations from California to Massachusetts, from the Americas to Europe. Ed's simple songs portray a seemingly complex beauty and linger - close to the heart - inviting listeners to come in and share. His lyrics paint a picture of the man who has emerged on the other side of a long journey. The unmistakably spiritual lyrics are not easily forgotten and call his audience toward personal reflection - a talent hard to come by in today's disposable world. Ed has not merely restyled classic forms of music for a new generation - he explains, rather, that his heart has gone through a re-generation and the music speaks of a changed life. MEDIA REVIEWS of 'Apple & Thorns' ... "This is classic American pop rock...Ed Morales has done excellent job in creating music with a strong message and solid production, these are catchy songs that have something significant to say." Mike Rimmer - Radio Host CrossRhythms. Co.UK "Apple & Thorns is simply fantastic. It's already in high rotation on our stations and will be in the Top 10.' Joe Burke Program - Director WZFI-FM 98.5 "Apple & Thorns has a refreshingly natural, raw intimacy about it. It is not fluffed up with synthetics and Ed's vocals really suit the laid back style." Allison Carpenter - Radio Host COAST FM 963 "I just listened to Apples & Thorns and was pleasantly taken back to memories of the days of the Jesus Movement. So many people now say, 'I wish Christian music had the same feel and sincerity as the early days.' Well Ed, thanks for providing some of that for people longing for it." George Carden, Correspondent/Producer United News & Information (UNI)

Somewhere along his decades long musical pathway — possibly while on the road or hanging in the air between his various homes in Nashville, Austin or San Antonio, Texas singer/ songwriter Ed Morales caught a vision for his own brand of guitar-based alternative rock. He has taken expressive acoustic and electric guitar, and imbued it with an emotional, plaintive vocal quality that seems to aim for a transparency with the listener. Gifted in the art of live performance, his musicality, harmony and emotional range point back to earlier influences — McCartney, Petty and Henley. Yet his thoughtful arrangements prove elusive to those that might simply file his work under basic rock. This is an art-infused collection reminiscent of classic AOR - it makes for a memorable live show, and for great ‘headphone music’.The secret is in the simplicity. It is precisely here where the listener connects to the music. Ed Morales is no stranger to the music world; he has fronted no less than four bands in the past two decades, and has had successful solo releases as well; the fruits of his songwriting have received praise and recommendation from noted names such as: Billboard, CMJ, Performance Magazine and Cross Rhythms; and his works are played on radio stations from California to Massachusetts, throughout the Americas and across the World. Ed’s simple songs portray a seemingly complex beauty and linger — close to the heart — inviting listeners to come in and share. His lyrics paint a picture of the man who has emerged on the other side of a long journey. The unmistakably spiritual lyrics are not easily forgotten and call his audience toward personal reflection — a talent hard to come by in today’s disposable world. Ed has not merely restyled classic forms of music for a new generation — he explains, rather, that his heart has gone through a re-generation and the music speaks of a changed life.