Customer Reviews

Back to the Mansion

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I personnaly think that having a new approach that doesn't sound like the 80's gives this recording something special. Ok it ain't heavy rock "schidzoid style" but all in all the production quality is very high and the actual songs are kind of "catchy". Obviously were looking at a very commercial album. That is the only caution I'm putting out. Great album.

Those great Myles vocals, those tight Mercer drums, those cool Greenway licks....They are all here! I love this album! I did not hit the skip button once. The tunes grabbed me with good hooks, most of them I found myself humming after the song was over. I hope this is just the beginning of a new period of recording for April Wine. This band still has much to say.

Uninspiring... they could have come up with something better after seven years of absence. Then again, perhaps the fact that they couldn't cut it explains why they were in hiding for seven years. But then they decided to return to the world of the living but all they could manage was two-and-a-half decent tracks - "Paradise" comes to mind here and may be one or two of the others depending on your musical inclinations. But nothing more than that... music is mostly recycled and lyrics comes from the same dictionary they used in 1975. Well you cannot do this for twenty years without suffering the consequences unless you are as crazy as Iggy Pop or as successful as Rolling Stones or as commercially driven as Elton John (this could be a point of contention but you get my drift, right?).

Long running Canadian melodic rock band April Wine released their 15th studio album - Back to the Mansion - in 2001. It had been several years since the band's last offering (1994's Frigate), and the musical landscape had changed quite a bit in their absence. Grunge had come and gone, and melodic rock was enjoying a resurgence, albeit on a smaller scale.

Unlike some of their peers, Myles Goodwyn and company didn't just dust off the old arena-rocking April Wine sound for this comeback album. Times had changed and the band is older and wiser. Back to the Mansion reflects that. Instead of radio-ready pop rockers and cheesy ballads, the album is more soulful, more emotional, and yes, noticeably less upbeat and rocking. It's a pretty stark departure from the band's `80s sound, but it works really well.

If you can get past the initial disappointment that it's not the old April Wine - and I found myself hating this album at first for that reason - you realize these songs are really good. They're smart, emotional and well-written, and Goodwyn's voice really brings the songs home. If you're a serious April Wine fan, by all means check out Back to the Mansion. You may not love it at first, but by the second and third spins you just might fall in love with this one.

Being an April Wine fan, I love this newest music from the now inducted into the Canadian Rock Hall of Fame band. April Wine has aged well, it's not hard and heavy but nice and mellow, some bands don't never get it and never will & continue to try to rock hard, it's ok to age your music. Fans won't be disappointed.

Few bands age this well. Do you know how old these guys are? These guys were well past thier sell date when they made this but listen to it. Myles is still bringing it. They are still rocking. I'm an old fan of April Wine and I think it swings.

Great return to the studio for a true classic rock band. The sounds and vocals are very current in style yet carry a great rock sound. I am usually one who calls remakes a rip off but wow.....what a job on the Remake of Simon and Garfunkels I Am A Rock. Hopefully this is a teasing taste of still more great work to come from a band that really deserves a Juno....cmon Canada give this album some serious airtime!

Yes, it has been a few years since the last CD, but this CD is great. Talk to Me is great and it is backed by 10 other great songs. The sound is a bit slower but overall worth the money. Check it out and decide for youself. Well worth the money spent!!

Made in CAN in 2001, Serial# CR-1048-2, Playing Time 44:00

Up here in the Great White North, AW released this album after a 7-year wait: their previous album, "Frigate", was released back in 1994.

This new slice of plastic features 11 new tracks, including a cover of Paul Simon's "I Am A Rock" as a closer.

Unfortunately, the band has lost its momentum since their glory days of the 80's, and this album shows no vitality; sure, there's Myles Goodwyn's distinctive vocals, a few nice melodies, but the album falls flat in the arrangements department. Considering some of the great output this act has managed to put out in the past, this album should (and will) be quickly forgotten.

You're better off grabbing "First Glance", "Harder Faster", "The Nature Of The Beast", or 1 of many classic "Greatest Hits" packages. I've given this album a half-dozen spins so far, but it simply doesn't cut it.