The Nature of the Beast is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1981.[1] The album was recorded at Le Manoir Studios,[4] in the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell, in Oxfordshire, England following the band's 1980 European tour.[5] This album was April Wine's commercial peak, certified Platinum in the US and reaching #24 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
| The Nature of the Beast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 12, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Studio | The Manor (Oxfordshire) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:13 | |||
| Label | Aquarius, Capitol, EMI | |||
| Producer | Myles Goodwyn, Mike Stone | |||
| April Wine chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Music Week | [2] |
| Record Mirror |  [3] |
"Just Between You and Me" became April Wine's most successful single, reaching #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart,[6] #11 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart, and #22 on the Canadian RPM charts.
April Wine's version of the Lorence Hud song "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" also became a moderate hit, reaching #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, #19 on the Top Tracks chart, and #40 in Canada. Hud's original version of the song had also been a hit single in Canada in 1972 (#16 RPM charts).
The first track on the album, "All Over Town" also received airplay on album-oriented rock radio stations, charting at #29 on the Top Tracks chart.
The tenth track on the album "Bad Boys" was used in the First Episode of the twelve season of Supernatural, recapping the events of the previous season.
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Myles Goodwyn, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Over Town" | 3:00 | |
| 2. | "Tellin' Me Lies" | 2:59 | |
| 3. | "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" | Lorence Hud | 4:16 |
| 4. | "Just Between You and Me" | 3:54 | |
| 5. | "Wanna Rock" | 2:06 | |
| 6. | "Caught in the Crossfire" | 3:33 | |
| 7. | "Future Tense" | 4:07 | |
| 8. | "Big City Girls" | 3:42 | |
| 9. | "Crash and Burn" | 2:31 | |
| 10. | "Bad Boys" | 3:10 | |
| 11. | "One More Time" | 3:55 |
Personnel
edit- Myles Goodwyn – vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Brian Greenway – vocals, guitars
- Gary Moffet – guitars, background vocals
- Steve Lang – bass, background vocals
- Jerry Mercer – drums
Charts
edit| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] | 11 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 48 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 26 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[10] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b "Nature of the Beast overview at AllMusic". AllMusic.com. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ "Review: Nature of the Beast – April Wine" (PDF). Music Week. January 24, 1981. p. 30. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via American Radio History.
- ^ Malcolm Dome (January 17, 1981). "Review: Nature of the Beast – April Wine" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 16. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved May 1, 2021 – via American Radio History.
- ^ "April Wine Discography – The Nature of the Beast, 1981 (Information section)". aprilwine.ca. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ "April Wine Biography (eleventh paragraph) – quote: "April Wine traveled to England to record..."". canadianbands.com. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100, Chart Listing for the Week of Mar 14 1981 – Just Between You and Me". BillBoard.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0318". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ "April Wine Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – April Wine – The Nature of the Beast". Music Canada.
- ^ "American album certifications – April Wine – The Nature of the Beast". Recording Industry Association of America.
