MAX WEBSTER

Max Webster's third album, released in 1978 in Canada and a year later in the U.S. it seems. I knew of the band because of the movie "Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage" and I knew of Kim Mitchell because of a couple of hit songs he had in the mid-eighties. But I felt no compulsion to buy a Max album until I was searching for Canadian prog of the seventies (yes, kind of a rare bird, I know) and saw Max Webster labeled as prog. Referring to the reviews on PA, it seemed this was the album for being introduced to Max Webster.

Now before I even heard a single note, I read the notes on the back of the 24 bit audio remastered CD and I got the impression that Max Webster was a wild and crazy hard rock band blending progressive rock in their music. I knew the album was co-produced by Terry Brown and that the band often toured with Rush. So, my expectations were getting pretty high. The album, however, did not adequately satisfy either the hard rock anticipations or the prog ones.

After a few listens now, I cannot escape the conclusion that this is a late seventies rock album with some hard rock and a little prog. It's a diverse album to be sure. No two songs sound like they were inspired by the same experience, and the band make a fine concoction of party rock with passionate and heart-felt numbers, with bluesy grit, with powerful music approaching anthemic. Oh, not to forget the humour as well! But this are the praises. For what this album is about, I will do the old track by track play by play.

"Lip Service" is an excellent and fun hard rocker. The lyrics, "He should be down under, pushing up wheat for the hungry" and "Only your right hand knows you're left handed" underscore the humour of the band. For a hard rock album, this is a great opener.

"Astonish Me" starts of like a piano ballad but soon transforms into a mellow song with a powerful chorus. The instrumental section teases with a promise of prog but seems reluctant to follow through. My impression of this song is that it is really typical of the late seventies. If you heard this on the radio for the first time and were asked to guess the year of release, you'd likely miss by no further than a year off. I also feel the synthesizer is barely keeping steady. It's like watching a tightrope walker who keeps looking like he's about to lose balance.

"Let Your Man Fly" is a typical guitar/piano/organ rock and roll song.

"Water Me Down" sounds like a crazy rock and roll band is trying to do a serious ballad. It doesn't come across as a candidate for a classic, but I can imagine it getting requested at some Ontario high school dance in the late seventies.

"Distressed" is another true blue late seventies tune. The chorus makes me think of Survivor ("Eye of the Tiger"), not like that song but like they could have done this in '78. Or maybe I'm thinking of The Little River Band, or REO Speedwagon or someone else. The instrumental part actually flirts with stepping into prog territory and it looks positive. But then it's over and the chorus returns.

"The Party" is a wild and fun song with the band exhibiting humour and hard rock. It sounds like they made off with a rocker roller penned by Gil Moore for Triumph and made it more fun. There's a part in the guitar solo that sounds a lot like Steve Morse's playing style. Well done!

"Waterline" sounds like it could have come from a Don Henley solo album.

"Hawaii" starts with seagulls and tinkling sea shells. There's a yawn and then someone (Kim Mitchell I presume) proclaims with an Ontario accent, "The headaches are gone and it's morning for this song." The tone and timbre of the voice makes me think that this is making fun of the narration in Rush's "The Necromancer". And then a simple piano piece accompanied by acoustic guitar and percussion carries on and it's like we have finally come to the first real prog-sounding track on the album. It's not daring like classic prog but a pleasant surprise.

And then we reach what for some must be the real highlight of the album: "Beyond the Moon". This is where the band are both at their heaviest and at their most progressive. It begins with some speedy Spanish guitar and shouts of encouragement before quickly switching to a heavy rock number. Before long, the music eases back and drops down low in volume, going for atmosphere and mood. At 6:33, this is the longest song on the album and it does cover its territory well. If I had heard only this song I would have snapped up the album without any hesitation. They saved the best for last.

There's one negative impression that I feel each time I have listened to this album. It's basically that Max Webster sound here like second tier Canadian talent. No, not Kim Mitchell. The band and this album. Second tier is not a bad thing. It's not second rate. What I mean is that to me there is a feeling like this is a Canadian band who could do the best for themselves in Canada but were not suited for world domination. They don't sound world class to me. The CD booklet describes how Terry Brown didn't feel the songs were truly coming together in the studio even though Mitchell insisted they band was playing the best they could. Bassist Mike Tilka was fired early on but was snapped up by Ray Daniels Management and sent over to manage the band that had just fired him. When Terry Brown walked out on the production, Tilka was asked to take over. So, the fired bass player became the new manager and producer.

The CD booklet says that this album was the end of the beginning, and possibly for Kim Mitchell, the beginning of the end. The fun that had gone into the first two albums was now met with music industry frustrations. As for me, I may yet seek out one more Max Webster album, but I will check out the songs first before I click the order button.

After four very good studio albums MAX WEBSTER released this live record featuring eleven tracks including a short improv. So we get 2 to 3 songs off of each of those four studio recordings. The sound quality is excellent but I must admit this album has it's ups and downs which surprised me since i'm a big fan of this band. Yes this could have been so much better.

"America's Veins" opens to the sound of applause as the music kicks in with vocals not far behind. I'm not a big fan of this one especially the chorus. It's not great when the opening track is my least favourite on the album. "Paradise Skies" is such an awesome tune but this version comes across as being a little flat for some reason. "In The Context Of The Moon" opens with Kim speaking to the audience for the first time. Again I prefer the studio version to this one. A good section though after 3 minutes as it turns lighter. "Night Flights" is where we finally hear the MAX WEBSTER I know and love. A top three and this one is from "A Million Vacations". Such a feel-good tune for me. "Lip Service" is catchy and fun which is what this band was all about. Check out the guitar solo 3 minutes in.

"Sarniatown Reggae" is a reggae flavoured track with spoken lyrics from the song "The Party". An improv I assume and the title comers from the fact they were from the city of Sarnia, Ontario. "Here Among The Cats" is from the debut and one of my favourites. The guitar is impressive. "Gravity" is humerous with pulsating keys that come and go. I like the lyrics a lot, and also the calm after 2 minutes. When the song ends Kim says "Magnetic air, thankyou!". "Waterline" is another top three song for me on here. A killer groove to this one and check out the fuzz 2 1/2 minutes in. Fantastic! "Charmonium" is an uplifting track with swirling keys and guitar. Watkinson sings lead on this one. "Hangover" is the closer and the perfect encore track. My final top three tune as well. This is raw and dirty as he sings about getting drunk. "Double vision when the bar is closed down". Yeah I experienced that once and it was one too many. Kick-ass all the way.

I agree with my buddy Queen By-Tor and her rating of 3.5 stars. We're both huge fans of this long broken up band but i'll stick with the first four studio albums thankyou. For noobs i'd suggest "The Best Of Max Webster" where you'll also get "Battle Scar" which MAX WEBSTER did with RUSH. An amazing track, but just one of many from this awesome group.

Max Webster were a Canadian band perhaps best known for their Rush connection's - both bands came from Toronto, they toured together and shared the same record producer; Terry Brown. Unfortunately Max Webster wouldn't achieve the success of their fellow Canadian's despite releasing a string of very strong albums.

Their eponymous debut released in 1976 is a fine album with great musicianship, particularly the guitar playing from vocalist/frontman Kim Mitchell. Though their music had progressive overtones they weren't a prog band per se, though the clever arrangements and touches of quirkiness set them apart from the average heavy rock band at the time. Alongside the heavy rock they also displayed a keen ear for a strong melody which they would exploit more on future releases. Tracks like Toronto Tontos show the wackier side of the band - surely they had been listening to Frank Zappa while Blowing The Blues show them at their more melodic. Coming Off The Moon and Only Your Nose Knows captures them at their rocking best. They save perhaps the best for last. Lily is not only the longest track at just short of eight minutes but also the most progressive, the extra length giving them the opportunity to stretch out with some great playing and strong dynamics.

An excellent debut then which is as good as anything they released though follow up High Class In Borrowed Shoes is widely regarded as their all time best.

High Class In Borrowed Shoes, the second album from Canadian's Max Webster followed pretty much the template laid down on their debut. I.e. heavy rock with prog touches and strong melodies. It's an excellent follow up, equal at least to their debut and is widely regarded by many fans to be their finest hour.

Where it perhaps differs slightly from their eponymous debut is more of an emphasis on the melodies at the expense of some of the quirkiness that album displayed. The band at this stage, no doubt with a watchful eye on their fellow Canadian's Rush (whom they toured with), were hoping to replicate some of the sales they were starting to achieve. Thankfully this is not at the expense of their trademark intricate and clever arrangements though the occasional song such as Word To Word almost enters pop territory. There's plenty of great heavy rock though - the album opening title track is a killer as is America's Veins. Oh War! Is a strong slow rocker with a driving groove and Rain Child has a great hook making it another highlight. Like their debut they save the best until last. In Context Of The Moon is based around a powerful and simple riff but has much more up its sleeve as is twists and turns through a series of changes with plenty of clever touches to keep the prog fan happy.

Another excellent album from Max Webster then and probably the best place to start for those wanting to discover this highly talented and under appreciated band.

MAX WEBSTER's sophomore album was produced by themselves and Terry Brown. Hugh Syme did the front cover illustration, but the picture of the band is what leaves the biggest impression, drawing a lot of laughs from anyone who has seen it. Nice platform shoes Kim ! I can't believe I actually wore platforms in grade 9. Did I just say that out loud ? Believe me, all pictures have been destroyed. I was reading in the liner notes where the band thanks RUSH and crew, but also Chum FM and Ric Ringer which brings back memories of that radio station when they played good music. Now you go to Q107 where Kim Mitchell happens to be a DJ now if you want some good Classic rock. Mitchell and Pye Dubois created all the songs here except for "Rain Child" which was done by keyboardist Watkinson, he also sings lead on it.

"High Class In Borrowed Shoes" is an uptempo rocker with Kim's unmistakable guitar runnung roughshod all over the place. "Diamonds Diamonds" is a slower tune with clever lyrics while harmonies and keys stand out. "Gravity" is my favourite. Humerous lyrics encouraging us to "Get a little savagery in your life" instead of playing it safe. Love the guitar late in this one. "Words To Words" features some guest piano and synths from Doug Riley.This is a ballad with acoustic guitar and light drums also helping out. "America's Veins" is one i'm not a big fan of. Riffs and vocals with attitude start the show and we get a keyboard solo before 2 minutes. Riffs come and go.

"Oh War !" opens with outbursts of drums until it kicks in with a steady rhythm with vocals. Guitar 2 1/2 minutes in is great. Kim drops the f-bomb on the chorus each time. "On The Road" is a top 3 track for me,there's something uplifting about this one and I like the lyrics. "Rain Child" is my least favourite although there is some good guitar at times. "In Context Of The Moon" has a darker, heavier sound to it at times early on. I like the floating organ 2 1/2 minutes in during the instrumental break.The guitar comes in screaming and then it turns kind of jazzy. Great sound.

I think MAX WEBSTER's first 4 albums are classics, I would rate this as my fourth favourite. It's hard not to think of spring when listening to this band's music.

Welcome to the planet which is Max Webster! The zaniness really strarts here. Everything they tried to accomplish on their first self titled album meets the consistency/quality factor. Not a bummer in the lot. Every track makes a statement. It's worth mentioning that Max Webster is a band unto themselves, not unlike the Planet Gong. If you enjoy quality '70s rock, you can't go wrong with _High Class In Borrowed Shoes_. Who else would self-depricate themselves like this on an album cover like Max Webster? Maybe Procol Harum, but Max Webster is clearly a band for the converted. Side One is the spacy side, _Diamonds Diamonds_, _Gravity_, Words To Words_...lyrically bizarre thanks to the fifth unofficial member, lyricist - Pye Dubois(the same guy that wrote the lyrics to Rush's _Tom Sawyer_). Side 2 starts off with _America's Veins_, a heavy rocker with lyrical content observing the American dream in the '70s from the other side of the Canada/USA border. Then there's _Oh War!_, a must for every prog.rock fan worth their salt. Probably the most difinitive use of a keyboard since ELP's _Lucky Man_, yet you've never heard it on the radio. Just when you thought Keith Emerson, Mike Ratledge(of Soft Machine) or Dave Stewart(of National Health/Hatfield & The North) could come up with the most persuasive keyboard sounds, in comes Terry Watckinson to kick the door down. It hits you like a brick wall much like the guitar solo from Robert Fripp on Brian Eno's _Distributed Being_(from Eno's Nerve Net_ 1992) for those familiar with such a track. It's as though someone tapped Terry Watckinson on the shoulder and yelled: SOLO! Yep, the keyboard solo comes right out of nowhere. A real delight. Disclaimer: the f-bomb is dropped only once in this song. _On The Road_ is the definitive Max Webster ballad and _Rain Child_ has a 4/4 time drum intro that could only sound _progressive_ from the snare and kick drum of one Gary McCracken. _In Context The Moon_ concludes the album but begins the Moon-trilogy of the following album, then concludes on the album _A Million Vacations_ with the instrumental SUN VOICES/MOON VOICES. This is the beginning of three 5 star albums in a row from the Max Machine. This is where the curious prog.rock fan should begin.

If you want an excellent sampler of Max Webster, this is the one for the curious as it includes almost every kind of genre in the world of Max Webster and their first 4 albums. DIAMONDS DIAMONDS is also the sampler for the Max Webster completist as it includes _Overnight Sensation_(great cowbell!) and the slacker _Hot Spots_ which predates the indie band PAVEMENT by about 20 years. The 2 aforementioned tracks were released solely on this compilation and no other album. The first 3 tracks are from the album _High Class In Borrowed Shoes_. _Gravity_ instantly engulfing the listener into the strange world of Max Webster. Probably the best track(re: Gravity) to show anyone who has never heard of Max Webster. A balanced assessment of their entire work. Also features the hit _Let Go The Line_ which darn near made Max Webster INTERNATIONAL pop stars. I kid you not. This compilation could have been better served with a one prog.rock classic, especially one of the _Moon_ tracks from their albums HIGH CLASS IN BORROWED SHOES or MUTINY UP MY SLEEVE.

A great start for Max Webster. Features the oddball classic _Toronto Tontos_. How to describe it? Hmmm...The Little Rascals' _International Silver String Submarine Band_(google it) gone electric and embracing the infamous actor from Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES as the vocalist. I'm talking about the actor with the one line: BADGES? WE DONT NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES! Yes, that is _Toronto Tontos_. Also features the annoying _Hangover_. Distorted guitars throughout and lyrics about having a massive hangover and waking up the drunk tank. What a great way to start an album. ;-) 2 aspirin, please.

Best tracks are the two about summer, _Summer's Up_ and _Summer Turning Blue_ giving everyone that late-July/early-August feeling most northern folk know about. Nothing heavy, just great songwriting. Only the band Max Webster can write tracks like this. Very much in the same way Caravan and Wigwam can wite amazing rock/pop. The track _Lily_ shows the Max-machine stretching out with some fine keyboarding by Terry Watkinson - approaching rock/jazz fusion territory much like Germany's Passport (no sax, though) or Steely Dan's ROYAL SCAM. _Here Among The Cats_ would please the hard rock fan, and _Only Your Nose Knows_ would please the lyrically astute. Recommended, but not the starter for anyone with virgin ears to Max Webster. The first is their most bizarre. Still...a solid 4 stars.

A sophomore album from beyond the moon.

Max Webster are somewhat of a strange band as they never lived up to the potential shown by all five of their studio albums. Even with shredder super-ego (and I mean that in a good way: a good stage persona) Kim Mitchell at the helm the band never managed to hit mainstream success outside of Canada until their final album which would have them break up directly afterwards, and even then the success could be mainly contributed to the fact that Geddy Lee would appear on the pseudo-hit Battle Scar. Rush and Max Webster enjoyed a certain amount of kinship in the 70s when they were two hard rock efforts out of Toronto Canada, Webster often being seen as Rush's little brother. Indeed, if Rush had a sense of humor in their music and a lower pitched singer the two would be nearly inseparable!

What we have, as with all of their studio albums, is a combination of top notch musicianship and concise songwriting. Webster's tie into the prog world isn't always totally obvious, although it's especially noticeable on their first three albums which walk the narrow line between Prog-Related and Crossover Progressive music. This album especially shows the band using their trademark keyboard sounds, their trademark moon tunes (which are all very progressive in nature with interesting time signatures and changes) and a multitude of other marks which earn them a prog banner which they flaunt only lightly before rocking out entirely.

Like their debut album, this is charged blues-rock at its best, especially when it mixes in the progressive tenancies. The best songs off this peculiar album are among the best in Webster's catalog, and can even easily compete with the best of Rush's. Take for example the absolutely sublime Gravity which shows Mitchell using the most odd of his vocal patterns along with an amazing and somewhat subtle keyboard arrangement by Watkinson. There's a well placed breakdown in the middle that shows the band temporarily wandering into psych before plummeting back into intelligent hard rock. Another song which succeeds in the same vein is Oh War!, a midpaced thinker which uses some slick riffs to make for a nice song of rebellion with a huge progressive lean. In Context Of The Moon carries on the band's tradition of having a ''moon'' track on each album, and this time it's the lengthiest. At nearly 6-minutes this one is hardly a progressive epic, but when you hear it you'll be surprised just how much these crazy Canadians are able to fit in that amount of time. Highly melodic and very impressive throughout the entire pseudo-epic, and hardly anyone can argue that this is art-rock at its very best.

Some of the songs are strait ahead rockers, and these are still pure gold. Anyone who knows Webster knows that even the most straightforward songs on their albums are still complex and incredibly memorable. The opening tune and title track, High Class In Borrowed Shoes flaunts everything that was great about their very bluesy self titled debut while adding a spice of near metal which makes for a mind blowing start to the fray. America's Veins is the other pure rocker on the album, and while this one may not be as ''high brow'' as some of the other tunes (if that could ever have been said about Webster) it still makes for a killer tune - and is especially excellent on their sole live album Magnetic Air.

Slower, more balladic songs on the album are brief, but effective. Diamonds, Diamonds is a reflective and slick song which is not so much a ballad as it is just slow, but its harmonized vocals in combination with simplistically complex arrangements make for a nice two minutes. Words To Words is probably the softest song on the album, but with well used keyboards sprinkled in for effect the song hardly ever grows old.

While this is a band which deserves way more credit than they ever got the least that anyone can do is check out any one of their very impressive albums. These guys had a ''classic'' streak going on for their first 4 albums, and this sophomore is no exception. Highly recommended for those who like a little more rock in their prog this one is going to get a 4 out of 5. An excellent addition to any prog collection, and very easily accessible as well - there's no trick to these guys. After all, they're just Max Webster, here to thin the thickness of your skin.

My favourite album by Max Webster is _Mutiny Up My Sleeve_. It embodies everything Max Webster set out to accomplish without the fame and fortune...although they were quite popular in the Americans' attic (Canada). Having toured 2 albums and opening for labelmates Rush really seasoned these guys. Produced by Terry Brown, this album has the same kind of sound quality and production feel of Ken Scott's work on Dixie Dregs _What If_. As the Dixie Dregs were to the United States, so too is Max Webster to Canada(both countries' _best kept secrets_). As much as I love Rush(1978-1982), if the chips were down...the Max-machine could dance circles around them, especially the musicianship on this album. For one thing, Kim Mitchell is one the guitar greats - at times sounding like Allan Holdsworth, Steve Morse, Frank Zappa and Larry Carlton in a span of 20 seconds. Check out the track _Distressed_ if you don't believe me. Gary McCracken is as good as Neil Peart, but has an Ian Paice quality about him(he can really swing!) Whenever I listen to this album, it puts me in a place not far removed to Camel's SNOW GOOSE. Whereas, Max Webster rock out quite a bit here, it's the fluid ballad-like tracks such as _Astonish Me_, _Water Me Down_ and the instrumental _Hawaii_(it's the wordless female vocals that send me to the Snow Goose land). _A Million Vacations_ was Max Webster's prog.rock album and probably the best place to start. _Mutiny Up My Sleeve_ is to Max Webster fans as _Countdown To Ecstasy_ is to many Steely Dan fans(arguably their best album). Also worth mentioning is the lyricist Pye Dubois - sort of like a frost bitten Keith Reid(of Procol Harum) without the maudlin tendencies of suicide and sea shanties (oh..stop it, already! -ed.). Pye Dubois has a lyrical fixation on the moon and you get the feeling he was that one weird guy everyone liked to party with but you were afraid to introduce him to your parents. Terry Watkinson comes off sounding like a cross between David Sinclair of Caravan and Kerry Minnear of Gentle Giant(and at times Pete Bardens of Camel... especially _Rain Dances_-era). Max Webster have always been a hard band to pigeonhole, often like Germany's PASSPORT(what are they? Jazz rock fusion, or prog.rock?). Not a bad track on Max Webster's _Mutiny Up Sleeve_. Solid throughout and a Canadian prog.rock masterpiece which stands tall beside FM's _Black Noise_ and Rush's _Permanent Waves_.