Nature Of The Beast

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Product Details

Artist : April Wine
Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0077774606721
Label : Capitol
Number of Discs : 1
Product Group : Music
Release Date : 1999-12-17
UPC : 077774606721

ASIN : B000008CXT

Track Listings for

Disc-1
1. All over Town
2. Tellin' Me Lies
3. Sign of the Gypsy Queen
4. Just Between You and Me
5. Wanna Rock
6. Caught in the Crossfire
7. Future Tense
8. Big City Girls
9. Crash and Burn
10. Bad Boys
11. One More Time

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Customer Reviews

Veteran Canadian Band That Most American Rock Fans Know... (2004-06-30)

...for only one song. The power ballad "Just Between You & Me" was by far the most-played song by April Wine on American radio in the early 1980's. Played mainly on the hard rock stations, the single went up to about #60 or so on the Billboard charts. The album, THE NATURE OF THE BEAST (1981)---not to be confused with British metallers Iron Maiden's 1982 release THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST---briefly broke the American Top 40. Considering how good it is, it should have done even better!

This album starts out with a clear modern-sounding '80's tinge with "All Over Town," a brief (3-minute), medium-paced, surprising hybrid of Hard Rock/New Wave that sounds jarringly different for April Wine. Not great, but somewhat catchy. The next track, "Tellin' Me Lies," follows pretty much in the same vein: Again, it is a 3-minute medium-paced HR/NW song; however, it is very repetitive and not one of April Wine's better songs.

At this point, you're thinking the rest of the album's gonna be quite lame, but---ah!---things immediately get better with the more Wine-like, evocative "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen." At nearly 4:30, it is the longest track on this rather short album, and it is wonderful: Beginning with a brisk-paced Hard Rock/Heay Metal instrumental intro theme, Myles Goodwin gives a melodic and emotional performance as he sings about a town that was predicted for doom & destruction by a local Gypsy Queen. The song features a slow, two-minute instrumental mid-section in which Myles plays bluesy guitar notes, before returning to the final verse/chorus that speeds back up again. The song really paints a picture; indeed, you can see a desert town somewhere out West, under darkening skies, with people trying to escape a coming storm on horseback. The song never fails to give me chills to this day, and is still one of AW's all-time greatest! Then comes the equally-good "Just Between You & Me": The album's lone hit, it is a beautiful melodic power ballad that features early-'70's-type fuzzbox guitar from Myles Goodwyn, who is every bit as talented a guitarist as he is a singer. I love the French lyrics in the final chorus repitition! The bass-playing by Gary Moffet is slow, pronounced and deep---evocative of the sadness associated with lost love. The drums by bald, bearded Jerry Mercer are slow but contain a certain upbeatness on the verses. Again, one of this band's greatest songs ever!

"Wanna Rock" is a fast, very short (2:06) electronic-sounding combo of bluesy Hard Rock with a New Wave beat. As cheesy as it has been described as being by a previous reviewer, it is actually kind of catchy. When I play songs from this album, I usually play it. "Caught In The Crossfire" is like a great Sci-Fi story set to music, and is extremely well-done. "Future Tense" keeps up the Sci-Fi bent, and is not as good as the previous track but still okay. But then, AW hit gold on THE NATURE OF THE BEAST's final four songs, beginning with "Big City Girls," their ode to "ladies in the night" which has a crunching guitar riff that sounds vaguely similar to the Scorpions' "Big City Nights" (which, by the way, was not recorded until 1984, so April Wine had the idea first). Then comes the speed-Metal (yes, you read that right) of "Crash And Burn," a two-and-a-half-minute explosion of fuzz-guitar riffs and one incredible solo by Myles himself (as good of a guitarist as Brian Greenway was, Myles' guitar is what dominates throughout most of this set). "Bad Boys" has a Bad Company-ish hard guitar riff and some good lyrics about a guy trying to leave a life of gangs for the girl he loves. Lastly, Song #11 is the very hard, upbeat & positive anthem "One More Time" which ends this great album on a multi-layered note, consisting of great work by all three guitarists in this incredible band.

What else can I say? April Wine is one of the greatest unsung veteran Hard Rock/Heavy Metal bands in history, and THE NATURE OF THE BEAST is probably their all-time greatest album.

MOST RECOMMENDED

Great Melodic Hard Rock (2004-05-13)

This cd is a definate 80's hard rock classic. Eveybody seem to own this one back in 1981. This was April Wine's most successful cd in the USA. All the songs rock and are well produced. The hit singles include the power ballad JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME,my favorite SIGN OF THE GYPSY QUEEN,and ALL OVER TOWN. The album cover photo is also a classic.

Their Best Album (2004-05-13)

April Wine wasn't as well-known in the U.S. as other early '80s (they actually formed in 1969) Canadian acts like RUSH, Triumph, and Loverboy, but their American fan-base grew immensely in 1981 when they released NATURE OF THE BEAST. It is by far their best effort to date and contains several popular radio hits like "All Over Town," "Just Between You and Me," "Sign of the Gypsy Queen," and "Future Tense." Personally, I enjoy every song on this album, but tracks 1-7 are the best.

If you like the works of Foreigner, Journey, REO Speedwagon, or any of the aforementioned Canadian acts, you'll definitely enjoy this one from April Wine!

Essential April Wine (2003-12-20)

This short but awesome album is packed with gems. I Like To Rock is worth the purchase itself with its spinaltapesque take on what these guys liked to do. It really deserves to be in regular rotation on classic rock stations. It's kind of a forgotten classic rock classic. Other standouts are Tonite and Ladies Man.The cover of 21st Century Schizoid Man is one the best you'll ever hear. (Greg Lake's live version with Gary Moore probably deserves that prize) It seems a bit odd that they ended this album full of radio-friendly pop songs with a prog classic, but they give a killer, very inspired rendition.This album is essential April Wine. If YOU like to rock, get it!

Some cheese with your wine? (2003-10-21)

Perhaps their greatest album, The Nature of the Beast is the personification of what eighties rock was all about. "All Over Town" and Telling Me Lies" are about broken relationships, both led by rhythmic guitar riffs and smooth rock grooves. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you couldn't go wrong with a songs about gypsies in the eighties. "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" highlights the meticulous dual guitar work of Mercer and Greenway. The solos are dead on. April Wine knows how to lure in the female listeners with their sappy power ballad "Just Between You and Me". "Bad Boys" and "Crash and Burn" kick the tempo up a notch with a crunchier sound than the other tracks. Goodwyn's vocals range from melodic to powerful throughout the album.

"Wanna Rock" is probably the weakest track on the album. It's very cheesy, even by eighties standards. If your a fan sci-fi movies, April Wine pays homage to the genre with "Caught in the Crossfire", clearly inspired by Star Wars. It even has a laser effect going off during the chorus. Its hilarious today, but you know in 1981 they thought it was the coolest. "Future Tense" continues the sci-fi theme as the chorus is recited with robot like voices, launching the cheese factor off the chart. It's back to the ladies on "Big City Girls", which is about what else....hookers. A popular subject back in the day.

All in all The Nature of the Beast is a good, unyielding rock album. It's stocked with plenty of great guitar work, and satisfying vocal melodies. It contains a vast array of common eighties themes: relationships, rock and roll, a touching power ballad, and hookers. Even though some of the songs seem cheesy by today's standards, they're still fun to listen to.

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