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TOP 15 CANADIAN ALBUMS 1979

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Well, now I’m going backwards in to the ’70s. 1979 was a big year for Canadian rock, lots of big albums and plenty of forgotten gems.

I’ve chosen 15 (there was just so many records released in’79, and too many tough decisions), and I’ve also included a gallery of album covers that I didn’t include in my list (at end).

Feel free to drop your favorites or anything I’ve missed, in the comments.

APRIL WINE – Harder, Faster

The 8th album from April Wine, 2nd with the 3 guitar line up, released in October. Featured the hits “Say Hello” and “I Like To Rock”, as well as live favorites “Before The Dawn” (by Brian Greenway) and an epic cover of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”. The first of their’s to crack the UK top 40 (#34), while hitting #25 in Canada and 64 in the US.

HARLEQUIN – Victim Of A Song

The debut from Winnipeg’s Harlequin. Those first 2 Harlequin albums were my favorites from the band’s short catalogue, both being more guitar heavy & rockin’. Cool Hugnosis cover art. Jack Douglas, legendary for his involvement with Alice Cooper and Aerosmith, among other mixes this and is listed as Executive Producer.Included 3 singles, “You Are The Light”, “Survive” and “Sweet Things In Life”, as well as the heavy ballad title track, a cover of Billy Squier’s “Who Knows (What A Love Can Do)”, and cool rocker “Shame Shame”. Great album!

TRIUMPH – Just A Game

One of the band’s top 3 albums (IMO) with “Hold On” , “Lay It On The Line”, “Movin’ On” and the title track. Cool gatefold cover, came complete with a board-game inside, designed by bassist Mike Levine. Their first big album in the US, with “Hold On” making the US top 40.

TEAZE – One Night Stands

Windsor’s Teaze – their 3rd and arguably their best studio album. Featured their best known song – “Heartless World”. Plenty of rockers here like “Young And Restless”, “Back In Action”, “Reach Out”. Produced by Myles Goodwyn, who does an outstanding job here. This album should have done it for them, but wasn’t to be.

SAGA – Images At Twilight

Saga’s 2nd album, and one of their best (that 5 album run from the debut on is their greatest peiod, IMO). Released in, it features “See Them Smile”, You’re Not Alone”, “Take It Or Leave”, and “It’s Time (Chapter Three)”, and “Hot To Cold”. Cover illustration by Tony Roberts, who also illustrated the next Saga LP cover, as well as covers by John Verity and Robin Trower.

FRANK MARINO & MAHOGANY RUSH – Tales Of The Unexpected

The 3rd album as Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush. This one coming in the spring of that year features the first side of studio tracks, and the 2nd side live tracks! Killer guitar throughout, classic tracks like “Sister Change”, “Down Down Down”, “Woman”, as well as great covers of “All Along The Watchtower” and “Norwegian Wood”. Cool coverart by Joseph Malec.

GODDO – An Act Of

One of Toronto’s other classic trios; this is Goddo’s 3rd album. Features the classic opener (and used for stage intro) “Anacanapanacana”, which leads in to one of the band’s best known songs “So Walked On”. Also here is the ballad “Chantal”, and favorites like “Work It Out” and “Sign On The Line”, Produced by Thomas Morley Turner (aka Greg Godovitz!).

STAMPEDERS – Ballsy

The last from this band for years to come. By this point the only original member left was Ronnie King, who added his brother on bass, and 2 guitar players. The band relocated to Toronto, signed to MCA and released this one album in August. This is hard / blues rock album, featuring covers of blues standard “Mojo”, as well as Chuck Berry’s “Bye Bye Johnny”. There’s also some solid driving rock here, such as “We’re Here To Rock And Roll” and “How Does He Do It”. Closing track “If You Really Want To” is another gem here.

WIRELESS – Positively Human Relatively Sane

The 2nd album from Toronto’s Wireless. Plenty of cool guitar rock on here beyond the single “I Know You Know”, such as “Goodnight Ladies”, “The Hard Way”, and “Right To Beg”. This band featured Canadian and Australian members. Marty Morin (ex Goddo drummer) sang lead on this one and the next album. Their only album to get a US release.

MAX WEBSTER – A Million Vacations

The 4th studio album from Max Webster (name of the band!). Included 3 singles, “Paradise Skies”, “A Million Vacations”, and “Let Go The Line”, as well as the UK-only single “Night Flights”. A unique sounding band, with lots of different tracks throughout this.

STREETHEART – Under Heaven Over Hell

A solid album, though not as outstanding as the debut, but featured hits “Hollywood”, and “Here Comes The Night”, as well as just solid likeable rock tunes in “Fight To Survive”, “Baby’s Got A Gun”, and “Dreaded Dotted Line”. Closing track “Storyteller” ( a good track) would be replaced on later prints with the band’s version of “Under My Thumb”.

BTO – Rock N Roll Nights

The 8th album from BTO, and the 2nd to include Jim Clench (bass, lead vocals – on 6 tracks), as Randy Bachman had left 2 years before. This is not a bad album at all! Regardless of no Randy here, there’s plenty of good songs, with a few outside penned ones, such as “Jamaica”, which was a hit single in Canada, and a lesser hit in the US. That was penned by Jim Vallance (who also produced this record) and sang by Clench. There was also another minor hit in Fred Turner’s “Heartaches”. The title track is favorite, and this album includes “Rock and Roll Hell”(Vallance), which would be later re-done by Kiss. The last BTO album until 1984.

PRIVATE EYE – Private Eye

A 4 piece featuring Hughie Leggat (ex A Foot In Coldwater) on lead vocals & guitar. This LP was split into a ‘Hard side’ and a ‘Soft side’. The band signed to Capitol, got released in Canada and the US, and had 3 singles, notably the excellent hit “Your Place Or Mine”, as well as the softer “Changes”. A good album that never really took off. Hughie and Gord (on guitar here) went off to release Illuminations, under the Leggat name.

PRISM – Armageddon

Released in the summer of that year, Armageddon would be the Vancouver band’s 3rd and biggest selling album. It boasted 5 singles, including the hits “Virginia”, “Night To Remember”, the epic title track, as well as an early Bryan Adams’ penned track “Jealousy”. Produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who’d produced the band’s previous albums (his first production credits, prior to huge success with Loverboy and others).

TROOPER – Flying Colors

The band’s 5th album, and one of their better ones. Featured 3 hit singles, favorite being “3 Dressed Up As A Nine”, as well as “Good Clean Fun”, and “Janine” (Top 10). Other good tracks included “Mr Big” and a cover of The Kinks “All Day And All Of The Night”. This album reached #11 in Canada. Cover design and illustration by James O’Mara, who did other covers for Trooper, as well as Prism, BTO, and Loverboy.

10 Classic Band Photo Album Covers

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This is the first 10 I’ve selected of classic album covers that feature a photo of the band on the cover. Not all album covers featuring the band on the front cover are interesting or memorable, but I think these 10 are a good start. If you have any suggestions for the next 10 (or further), let me know in the comments. (Actual photos, not drawings or separate photos put together).

Alice Cooper – Love It To Death (1971)

One of 2 early AC album covers that featured the band on the front cover, and really, what inspired me to start this list. Released in March of 1971, and featuring the band’s breakout hit “I’m 18”. This came in a black & white gatefold sleeve, with the band on the front, photographed by Roger Paul Prigent, who also shot cover photos for Nancy Wilson (jazz singer) and Barbara Streisand. A classic shot, with the band around their lead singer, in cape, with a black backdrop lit up with a spotlight. The cover shot originally saw Alice sticking his thumb out of above his cape, which some took as an obscene gesture, thus subsequent reprints air-brushed out the thumb or cropped it out.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd (1973)

The debut album from Southern rock’s greatest band. This album featured classics – “Free Bird”, “Tuesday’s Gone”, “Simple Man”… The cover photo taken on Main Street, in Jonesboro, Georgia, after a day of photography (other shots used for publicity). A casual shot of the band on the sidewalk, against a local business, was taken by the photography team of Emerson-Loew (Sam Emerson, Anthony Loew).

The Who –Who’s Next (1971)

My favorite Who album, and arguably their best, with “Baba O’Riley”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “Bargain”, “Behind Blue Eyes”… This classic cover shot taken of the band, by Ethan Russell, who’s cover photo credits include The Beatles, Spooky Tooth, and Burton Cummings, among others. I’ve added a link to the story, as told by Russell below. https://www.loudersound.com/features/album-artwork-the-who-whos-next

Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)

The Beatles iconic cover, a photo of the band on the cross-walk, in front of Abbey Road Studios. Taken by Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan, who only took a half dozen of the band, in a short period of time, as it was a busy roadway. Macmillian also took cover shots for John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Kenny Rogers & The First Edition. The Abbey Road photo was also recreated by the band New York City, Soulful Road, 1974 (also by Macmillian), as well as Booker T & The MGs, McLemore Avenue (the band’s 1970 album that covers the songs on Abbey Road). The crosswalk is a popular place apparently for tourists to be photographed at as well. *I’ve added a link to an in-depth feature on the album cover, as well as a link to the outtakes.

https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/beatles/the-beatles-abbey-road-album-cover-facts-meaning/

https://web.archive.org/web/20050219004220/http://www.norwegianwood.org/beatles/english/abbey2.html#

Uriah Heep – Sweet Freedom (1973)

Fin Costello photographed URIAH HEEP a number of times over the years, notably for the Live January 1973 insides, which in turn inspired the KISS Alive packaging. The Sweet Freedom cover, by the legendary Peter Corriston marked a new beginning for the band, having switched to a new record label, as well as getting away from the fantasy themes of their previous 2 albums. Costello took this cover shot at the Chateau in France, (where the album was recorded). Note Lee Kerslake’s left arm hidden behind Ken Hensley, as he had an injury, and Mick was actually holding it up,

Golden Earring – Contraband (1976)

Contraband was the Dutch rockers 12th studio album, as it preceded the classic double Live album. It was the band’s lowing charting album in their homeland since the 1969, but still making the top 10 there. Included the hit “Bombay”, as well as classics “Fightin’ Windmills” and “Mad Love’s Comin'”. The cover photo of the band’s 5 piece line-up, which included guitarist Eelco Gelling, was taken by the legendary Dutch photographer, Ronnie Hertz (RIP, 2024). Hertz had photographed the band for their 1969 album On The Double, as well as photographing the model for the classic Moontan cover. Not totally sure what’s happening here, with bandmembers all decked out in different costumes, making for an odd ‘band’ photo. Released in Canada and the US as Mad Love with a totally different cover.

New York Dolls – New York Dolls (1973)

The debut album from the NEW YORK DOLLS. These guys pre-dated the likes of KISS and TWISTED SISTER with the trashy outfits and make-up, as is here on the cover, taken by Toshi Matsuo. Must’ve been a shocker for that era. This album would feature the band’s 2 best known songs – “Looking For A Kiss” and “Personality Crisis”.

April Wine – First Glance (1978)

Canada’s APRIL WINE had already had a number of hits here before their US (Capitol) breakthrough album First Glance, which included the hit “Roller”. And while the Canadian (Aquarius) version of the LP featured artwork done by the label’s in-house artist (Bob Lemm), who had done most of the band’s previous covers, the US version featured the classic debut shot of the new 3-guitar line-up, having recently added Brian Greenway. The same cover photo would be used by Aquarius for the band’s Greatest Hits album, as well as later CD compilations.

Max Webster – High Class In Borrowed Shoes

One of Canada’s most underrated great bands of the 70s. This is MAX WEBSTER’s 2nd of a 6 album run in that decade. High Class In Borrowed Shoes would feature the hit “Diamonds Diamonds”. The cover was a design by Bob King and Hugh Syme (who also worked on a few Max Webster labelmate Rush covers), with photography by David Street. It’s the cover photo, with each bandmember dressed so oddly and different to one another, that makes a huge impression here.