April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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Think of Canadian rock bands and Rush probably spring to mind, as would Steppenwolf and Triumph. All fantastic bands. That's not to take anything away from April Wine, who in terms of output (if not success), must rank alongside the aforementioned. Classic hard rock that is really worth checking out.

Formed in 1969 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the band originally featured brothers guitarist David Henman and drummer Ritchie Henman, with cousin bassist Jim Henman. Guitarist and vocalist Myles Goodwyn completed the line-up.

April wine have had many ups and downs, commercially and personally, with a number of personnel passing through the ranks. This 6 CD set features five of the band's late 70s and early 80s studio albums, the band's peak period on several levels ('First Glance', 'Harder Faster', 'The Nature Of The Beast', 'Power Play', 'Animal Grace') and a Live @ Reading 1980 BBC recording.

Relocating to Montreal, April Wine's eponymous debut was released in 1971, originally locally on the Aquarius label, and quickly established Goodwyn as a dominant creative force within the band. 'On Record' followed, with Jim Clench coming in on bass. 'Electric Jewells' followed in 1973, now with Goodwyn as the sole remaining original member.

'Stand Back' and 'The Whole World's Goin' Crazy' followed, attaining Platinum status in their native Canada.

By 1978s 'First Glance', the band's seventh studio album (a couple of live albums along the way too), the band were starting to get serious international recognition. Alongside guitarist/vocalist/keyboard player Goodwyn were bassist Steve Lang, guitarists/vocalists Brian Greenway and Gary Moffet, and drummer Jerry Mercer.

'First Glance' was the band's first gold record outside of Canada, and rightfully so. The album here (track lists and artwork often varied inside and outside of Canada) kicks off with 'Get Ready For Love'. The triple guitar adds a serious punch, Goodwyn's production is clear and solid. That opening track features some serious riffage with a decent guitar solo or two mixed in. 'Hot On The Wheels Of Love' could influence of many, and Roller was a hit in the US. 'Rock'n'Roll Is A Vicious Game' is more mellow track. Throughout the album the odd touch of keyboards and slide guitar add a decent touch.

As international success built, 1979s 'Harder Faster' saw the same track list/art on all versions. Opener 'I Like To Rock' was a hit in the US, and saw similar three pronged guitar interplay. There's also a serious nod to The Rolling Stones (a few plagiaristic bars).

Unlike many Southern Rock bands who took the triple guitar in an Americana direction, here it all builds. Even on the mellower tracks like 'Say Hello' there's some decent work. Although the album's a little short at 32 minutes, there's a very strong six minute cover of King Crimson's '21st Century Schizoid Man'. Fantastic.

1981s 'Nature Of The Beast' is perhaps the band's best known album, and is essential listening. Recorded in the UK after a European tour, there is an AOR nod, with opener 'All Over Town' hinting to fellow Canadian's Rush, in a more ballsy manner. Another top rocker is 'Tellin' Me Lies', a hint of Triumph and it's all good stuff. There's some searing guitar on 'Sign Of The Gypsy Queen', melodic and rocking too. There's a couple of bonus live tracks on this disc too!

1982s 'Power Play' was more blistering, kicking off with the uptempo rocking 'Anything You Want You Got It'. It's a serious arse kicking track. The album didn't meet the critical acclaim of the previous album, but it's still wonderful set. There is a polish that takes the edge of some tracks, compared to the previous album in particular. No slide, just largely good rocking. The odd track like 'If You See Kay' drift (in a commercially pleasant way) by comparison. There is a good if gentle cover of the Lennon/McCartney track 'Tell Me Why' though.

1984s 'Animal Grace' was the band's eleventh studio set and the last one of this set, finishes the period nicely. The band had had a stable period and although it's a little more polished, rather more typically 80s, there's still some great album. Opener 'This Could Be The Right One' is both a rocked to get you nodding and melodic enough for the rock charts.

'Sons Of Pioneers' follows suit nicely, the whole album is a damn fine listen if not in the 'Nature Of The Beast' league. The bite may have lessened but there's still some great tracks here, Myles Goodwyn's song writing as good as ever.

The final disc is a live set from 1980, recorded the same year as they appeared at the inaugural Monsters Of Rock. This one, recorded in Reading (a club, not the festival) is a BBC recorded although it does have an official bootleg feel. The opener 'Oowatanite' (an earlier song) gets a rapturous response and rightly so, despite the distortion. Totally blistering. 'Get Ready For Love' and 'I Like To Rock' all blow the place down, and there's that cracking King Crimson cover too. Brave? Yes. But worth it. If you want to do demented hard rock, this is it.

'Post 84' the band lasted another album and line-up change before going their separate ways, and reforming. Like the early material, it's good and worth checking out, but doesn't come close to the studio albums featured here.

Six CDs in card sleeves with a well annotated booklet, all in a box; bar a few extras and singles that could (SHOULD) have been included with each studio set, and maybe a better recorded live set, this is a near perfect collection of April Wine's creatively and commercially most productive period.

by Joe Geesin, metaltalk.net

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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April Wine is a perfect example of a band that critics loved to loathe in the 1970s and 1980s – you could fill an encyclopedia with all the negative reviews that First Glance received in 1978. Critics detested commercial hard rock/arena rock items like "Hot on the Wheels of Love," "Roller" and "Get Ready for Love" with a passion, but fans of the Canadian band paid no attention and bought the album anyway. First Glance wasn't meant to be challenging or cutting-edge; April Wine's mission was to pull the listener in with infectious grooves and hooks and enable him/her to escape – and this album definitely accomplishes those things. One of April Wine's finest releases, First Glance is easily recommended to hard rock enthusiasts.

by Alex Henderson, AMG

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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As suggested by its title, Harder…Faster sees veteran Canadian rockers April Wine taking things up a notch with relentless slabs of hard rock in "I Like to Rock" and "Ladies Man." Also on hand is a memorable cool groover called "Say Hello," a curious cover of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man," and the dual personality of "Tonite," which alternates between quiet balladry and all-out riffing. Band leader Myles Goodwyn even relinquishes the spotlight in a rare show of democracy to second guitarist Brian Greenway on the impressive "Before the Dawn." Ultimately, this is a consistently strong album which sets the stage for what would be April Wine's best effort, the following year's The Nature of the Beast.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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April Wine (like any good wine) got better with age, and the Canadians' brightest moment only arrived over a decade into their career with 1981's The Nature of the Beast. Opener "All Over Town" lurches into action on a lopsided riff before finding its awesome groove, – a groove they seldom abandon through and to the end of the disc. All-around frontman Myles Goodwyn is in top form, leading the band through some of their most aggressive material ever ("Bad Boys," "Crash and Burn"), as well as through the band's career-defining power ballad "Just Between You and Me." While "Caught in the Crossfire" and "Future Tense" suffer from some cheesy sci-fi lyrics, melodic hard rockers such as "Big City Girls," "One More Time," and "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" (featuring Thin Lizzy-like dual guitar harmonies) pick up the slack in spades.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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Having just released two blockbuster albums in a row (the second of which contained the highest charting single of their career, "Just between You and Me"), April Wine was riding high in the early '80s. So it was quite surprising when their hot streak came to a screeching halt with the release of 1983's terribly humdrum Power Play. If only this mediocrity could have been blamed on a change of musical direction, new personnel, or another mysterious force of nature, but the album simply lacks good songs and perhaps musical mastermind Myles Goodwyn had simply run out of creative steam. Not that the album is a complete wash-out, as the band manages to pull it together on a few mid-paced rockers like "Anything You want, You got It" and "Enough Is Enough." But even these are performed with muted enthusiasm and most fans will want to give this record a miss.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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Setting the stage for the final phase in the sputtering glory period of Montreal celestials April Wine, Animal Grace stealthily practiced commercially competent clod rock but distinguishably disappeared without a trace. Leadoff "This Could Be the Right One" escapes the fate of ad infinitum wussy ballads via a brisk tempo and cynical lyrics. The herky-jerky "If Money Could Talk" breaks with one of those great yuppie funk moves isolated to the '80s. The dead-on-the-vine vintage Wine pumping out "Gimme That Thing Called Love" invokes a glorious but extinct custom of quaintness and Quaaludes. Über AOR producer Mike Stone co-writes the downright great "Hard Rock Kid" who cooly cooks in the spotlight ("Leave him alone, he's in the hard rock zone"). Weirdo "Sons of the Pioneer" sported a silly video, dressing the boys in some crazy Hoth threads. Like Loverboy, Canuck kings of frat rock, the April Wine muscle machine was running out of steam and about to be displaced by handyman Bryan Adams' installation of Canadian Hartland into the American consciousness. But even this late in the game, Myles Goodwyn and company are good for a few choice cuts. The celebrated three-guitar lineup long gone, the rest of the band (included bald dynamo Jerry Mercer on the skins) dissipated after this release, due to Goodwyn's dictatorship. Nobody ever expected April Wine to achieve so darn much in rock's vicious game anyway.

by Doug Stone, AMG

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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April Wine - Classic Album Set (2016) [6CD Box Set]

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