April Wine-First Glance (1978)
Artist: April Wine
Title: First Glance
Year of Release: 1978
Country and Year of Edition: US 1978 Jacksonville
Sell Price: $6.31
Sell Date: 2/6/26
Condition: VG+/VG+
Discogs Last Sold: 9/22/25 VG/VG $4.00
Low: $1.89
Median: $5.00
Average: $5.50
High: $12.79
Current low price: $0.50 G/G+, VG+/G+ $2.99
Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 21
Have/Want: 459/32
Where Sold: Owosso, MI
Time It Took To Sell: 4 years
Where and When Bought: Facebook $3 lot
Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+
Sad To See It Go: No
April Wine's 7th album was Canadian Gold (50,000) and the bands US breakthrough with a bonafide AOR hit, "Roller." I somehow didn't remember hearing "Roller" on Worcester radio, maybe it was a bigger hit in the Midwest. The hits after this album in the first half of the 80's were inescapable.
Anyway, First Glance is pretty damn good start to finish. There are some ballads like "Rock 'n' Roll Is A Vicious Game" that pre-date power ballads that the band would commercially perfect. The record kicks of with a dog bark sounding refrain on "Get Ready For Love." You almost wonder if Janes Addiction nicked that idea with "Been Caught Stealin.'" You can hear the hard rock Gods of the day on this: UFO, Thin Lizzy, Sweet , Boston, etc. However, it was frontman Myles Goodwyn that produced this album, not a big time producer. This might be why the band has more of a rockin' guitar edge.
Myles passed at the end of 2023 at 75. Brian Greenway, who joined in 1977 is the oldest remaining member of the band. He is credited for one song on First Glance, "Right Down To It." That one sounds like a cross between Bad Company and Big Star. Greenway is touring with some post 2010 members opening for Triumph on a shed tour this summer.
First Glance had an alternate cover in Canada. A couple of futuristic faces looking at each other. Robots! Capitol decided a more "normal" looking band cover was required for the US market.
It was their 7th album, after all.
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