DAY BY DAY: APRIL WINE - APRIL WINE

April Wine: The Early Years

• The band April Wine was formed in Nova Scotia in 1969 by the Henman brothers, their cousin Jim, and Miles Goodwin on lead vocals and guitar.
• The band got its name because David Henman liked the sound of it and believed it wouldn't limit them to any specific style of music.
• After sending a demo tape to Aquarius Records in Montreal, they mistakenly interpreted a rejection letter as an invitation and convinced the managers to sign them to a recording contract.
• Their self-titled debut album, released in September 1971, featured the hit single "Fast Train."
• Bassist Jim Henman left the band after the album's release and was replaced by Jim Klinch.
• In 1971, April Wine toured Canada's college circuit and opened for notable acts such as Ike & Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, Badfinger, and Stevie Winwood.

Track Analysis

• The first song on the album has a contrived 60s vibe.
• "Fast Train" is a cool rock song with personality and a big chorus.
• "Listen, Mr." starts off strong but ends up delivering a hippie, Woodstock kind of vibe.
• "Page 5" is a strange six-minute long song that tries too hard.
• "Song for Mary" is an acoustic ballad reminiscent of Tim Buckley but showcases the band's indecisiveness about their musical direction.
• "Wench" is inspired by Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" but falls short in quality.
• "Time" is a droning blues tune that lacks impact.

Overall Assessment

• The debut album by April Wine is considered a schizophrenic hodgepodge of influences and is generally regarded as not very good.
• Despite this, it showcased some standout tracks like "Fast Train" while also featuring experimental and mellow songs such as "Oceana" and "Can't Find the Town."