Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. Today’s edition takes us up to the Great White North, unless you already live there, in which case, greetings! In the late 70s, Canada was a breeding ground for killer hard and heavy rock. Of this crop, Rush achieved the greatest success, in both their native country and the States, but they weren’t alone. Max Webster, Triumph, and Moxy were among the other Canadian acts putting out cutting edge records, as was the granddaddy of them all, April Wine. This week’s essay explores the band’s final 70s full length, and the second entry in their classic album trilogy, Harder…Faster. Does the album live up to its name, and is it the finest glass of April Wine? If you like to rock, then you’ll like to read this one.
Despite being most famous for their late 70s and early 80s success on FM rock radio, the story of April Wine actually goes back further…much further. 1967, to be exact. It was that year that brothers David (guitars) and Rich (drums) Henman attempted to form a trio with their cousin Jim (bass), whose last name was also, you guessed it, Henman. You’re probably wondering, “Who the hell are these guys? They don’t even play on Harder…Faster!” Well believe it or not, this was the nucleus of what would become April Wine. The trio struggled to keep things together for a couple years until singer/guitarist Myles Goodwyn joined the fold. And thus April Wine was born.
Keeping true to that old AC/DC song, success didn’t come over night for April Wine. Sure, they achieved moderate success in their native Canada, and had a fluke Top 40 hit in the States with a cover of Hot Chocolate’s “You Could Have Been a Lady”, but aside from that, April Wine had yet to hit the big time. In fact, they released six studio albums before making a name for themselves with the appropriately titled First Glance (1978). It was as if the band was starting back at square one. Whereas their first six albums couldn’t decide if they wanted to be hard rock or pop or prog or adult contemporary or so on, First Glance was recorded with a singular vision in mind: anthemic hard rock.
It worked! Not long after the album’s release, its lead single, “Roller”, caught the ear of Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw, who subsequently invited the band to open up for them. Now at this point in time, between The Grand Illusion (1977) and Pieces of Eight (1978), to say Styx was massive would be an understatement. So to say April Wine got vast exposure from this tour would also be an understatement. They were now bonafide stars, who come the release of their next full length would be expected to ascend to headliner level, the same way Styx and Cheap Trick did before them, both having been one time openers for KISS not long before.
Although Harder…Faster was not a commercial behemoth, it did score the band their first gold record in the States. It’s also, in my humble opinion, an even stronger album than the already strong First Glance. The band is locked in as a unit, and the songs, ever blurring the line between hard rock and metal with underlying pop tinges, are sheer brilliance. Opening the album is “I Like to Rock”: A boisterous anthem in the mold of “Roller” which would also become an FM staple. The riffs are powerful, the harmonies are stratospheric, and the outro that combines The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” and The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is as entertaining today as it was when I first heard it in junior high.
Side A continues with the album’s other radio hit, “Say Hello”. This new wave tinged novelty fared better in Canada than the States, where it peaked at #34. That said, it remains a staple of April Wine’s sets to this day, usually situated somewhere in the beginning. “Tonite” opens as a rather pedestrian AM pop ballad, before kicking things into high gear around the halfway mark with a full tilt jam that boasts blistering guitar work from the duo of Brian Greenway and Gary Moffett.
Closing out the album’s first half is one of my favorite April Wine songs of all time, “Ladies Man”. To this day, this has to be one of the most NWOBHM sounding songs not actually from the NWOBHM. It’s no wonder April Wine found themselves on the inaugural Monsters of Rock lineup a couple years later. Def Leppard, Tygers of Pan Tang, and the likes must’ve been taking notes on the riffage, melodies, vocal delivery, and so on!
For as solid as side A is, it’s side B that really takes charge. The Greenway penned and sung “Before the Dawn” kicks things off in grand fashion. This straightforward metal ballad grabs you by the throat with its gargantuan riffage, twin harmony vocals, and unbridled passion. I’m blown away this cut doesn’t get mentioned alongside the likes of Judas Priest’s “Beyond the Realms of Death”, Y&T’s “I Believe in You”, and so on. It’s just as excellent. “Babes in Arms” keeps the metal going, albeit with a slight poppy slant. This too boasts proto-Leppard/Tyger-isms in the guitar work and chorus.
“Better Do It Well” takes us back to April Wine’s early days, when blues and boogie reigned supreme. Granted, it has that late 70s charm, but wouldn’t sound out of place on a Nazareth or BTO album, or any early 70s act for that matter. What it lacks in dynamism it makes up for in riffs and attitude. And what any of this album may lack in virtuosity is made up for in the closing cover of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”. For me, Crimson is one of those bands like The Beatles, whose catalog should remain untouched. These songs were perfected once. You’re not gonna make them any better. Yet April Wine absolutely nails their rendition of this late 60s proto-metal romp, pulling out all the stops.
If I were to rank April Wine’s catalog, Harder…Faster would be second to only The Nature of the Beast (1981). It captures the band at a point in time where they were riding high, as musicians, songwriters, rockstars, and so on. It’s no wonder many of these songs are still performed live by the band today, although not frequently enough in the Chicago area, where they tend to visit every 5 years or so. Myles, Brian, if you’re reading this, consider this article an invitation to come back to the Windy City, as well as an invitation to discuss the kickass life and times of April Wine for this site! And to all you readers, consider this a command to crank Harder…Faster LOUD, as it should be.