April Wine - April Wine (1972)
1993 Aquarius Re-Issue
Doug Stone of AMG wrote:
About the only thing April Wine's inaugural has going for it is young leader Myles Goodwyn's "Fast Train." Right off, Goodwyn begins the trend of saving the band's Canadian bacon, as the remaining members (all Henmans) wade in stream-of-consciousness nonsense. ("Wench" actually follows hot on the heels of "Song for Mary.") Naturally, the resultant tracks on this old wax don't snap, crackle, and pop like impending breakthrough "You Could Have Been a Lady" (and its long bygone B-side "Teacher") or the powerful platters dropped later in the decade when Goodwyn perfected his harder and faster version of April Wine. Thus, these early works only contain shades of greatness, until Goodwyn escapes the forest of '70s pomp and fluff by deciding all he wants to do is rock and rock some more.
Tracklist:
1. Oceana 4:57
2. Can't Find The Town 3:47
3. Fast Train 3:20
4. Listen Mister 5:44
5. Page Five 6:03
6. Songs For Mary 4:15
7. Wench 4:07
8. Time 3:50
April Wine - Stand Back (1975)
April Wine - Stand Back (1975/2006, Wounded Bird Records)
Artist: April Wine
Album: Stand Back
Wounded Bird Records (WOU 9506)
Genre: Hard Rock
AMG Review: After a string of inconsistent albums dotted with promising tracks, April Wine got it together in the album format on 1975's Stand Back. This album found the group hitting a workable balance between pop songcraft and hard rock guitar power and effectively distilling it into a series of tight songs that rock out as they deliver pop hooks a-plenty. It starts on an up note thanks to "Oowatanite," an effectively arranged rocker featuring a fire-alarm sound effect. It became a hit in the band's native Canada and quickly became a permanent fixture in the band's live set list. Other potent tracks on Stand Back include "Cum Hear the Band," a languid but guitar-laden track about the joys of seeing a band live with an effective sing-along hook in its chorus, and "Victim of Love," a steamy rocker that puts forth its tale of unrequited love with plenty of scorching guitar work. Stand Back also played up Myles Goodwyn's penchant for the power ballad on "I Wouldn't Want to Lose Your Love" and "Tonite Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love," two memorable songs that effectively underscored their delicate ballad melodies with layers of restrained but powerful electric guitar. This effective combination of slickness and muscle made the songs big hits at home and paved the way for later international hits like "Just Between You and Me." Elsewhere, the band experiments with blending other genres into their pop/rock sound with mixed results: "Slow Poke" is a lascivious novelty tune that runs on a little too long for its own good and the funk-rock attempt "Baby Done Got Some Soul" is as awkward as its title suggests. Despite these occasional lapses, Stand Back remains a solid and likable album that frequently tosses out unexpected surprises (the lovely Beach Boys-style vocal harmony breaks that suddenly pop up in the otherwise hard-rocking "Highway Hard Run"). All in all, Stand Back is one of April Wine's finest achievements in album form and a sure bet for anyone who enjoys 1970s arena rock at its sharpest.
Musicians:
Myles Goodwyn - guitars, keyboards, lead vocals
Jerry Mercer - percussion, background vocals
Jim Clench - bass, lead vocals
Gary Moffet - guitars, background vocals
Tracklist:
01. Oowatanite
02. Don't Push Me Around
03. Cum Hear the Band
04. Slow Poke
05. Victim of Your Love
06. Baby Done Got Some Soul
07. I Wouldn't Want to Lose Your Love
08. Highway Hard Run
09. Not for You, Not for Rock & Roll
10. Wouldn't Want Your Love (Any Other Way)
11. Tonite Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love
Total Playing Time: 38:44