Max Webster by ROCK CANDY - Vintage Rock Band T-Shirt | Classic 70s Music Merchandise | Perfect for Concerts, Gifts & Rock Fans

I finally got this Rock Candy remaster a couple of days ago and could not be more pleased with what I am hearing! I first came into contact with Max Webster on the night of May 18, 1977 at the Lakeview Arena in Marquette Michigan as they were the opening band for the mighty RUSH. I was totally impressed from the very first note with these guys and have been really into them since. I don't think I had up to that point ever gone out and bought any records as anxiously by any band after seeing a live show as I did with Max Webster...maybe Robin Trowers Bridge of Sighs would be an exception! All the players in this band were absolutely firing on all cylinders that night and I was just blown away to say the least....a worthy band to open for RUSH...who also were on fire that night! The guy who wrote most of the lyrics Pye Dubois had a way with putting words together that was and still is as unique as I have ever experienced in music! Great players all putting everything into every song in a professional manner that made me want to own everything they ever put out...and I do! Get this remaster, forget about how much it costs because I am hearing a lot of different little added goodies I never could hear before like background vocals, guitar and keyboard bits , cymbal taps, Mike Tilkas Bass...etc. As the band that made one the biggest impressions on me at a live show I just had to get these new remasters and if they did the same to anyone else they need to get these...now!Great debut, with three great tracks and a couple of good ones. "Hangover", "Here Among the Cats" and "Toronto Tontos" are the ones that keep you hooked, with "Lily" being the epic tune to end the album. Much ot the rest of the CD is filler - this is the band that did the mid-west circuit, primarily Southern Ontario and Southern Michigan, back in the early mid 70's. Kim Mitchell's fingerprints are all over the material - while Kim went on to more fame a decade later as a solo artist doing more commercial offerings, his very Zappa'esque guitar style was developed on the Max Webster tunes throwing out tasty legato lead lines that rivaled the speed and style of the big names back in the day. This is a must have for Max fans as the remix/remaster really brings out the drums/bass and gives them a lot more definition and funk - solid CD for anyone's collection.Sounds goodLike this DVD a lot great music play it all the time.used to goto the gasworks and the piccadilly tube (both on yonge street) to see max webster. bought this album when it first came out. it sadly wasn't representative of the live band. mitchell's choices of tunes were dubious at best. plus i didn't particularly like mitchell. i liked the band's rhythm section, mike tilka and paul kersey, and terry watkinson was an enjoyably insane keyboard player."toronto tontos" was my favourite track then and still is now.old one!, havent heard in 40 yrs., `thanks!This album was originally released in Canada in 1975 and then it was released two years later in the U.S. and elsewhere with a different cover and a different album title, " Max Webster/ Hangover ". I had the U.S. version on vinyl for years before finally buying this on CD, which has the original album title, " Max Webster " and the the original cover. My LP version had a lyric sheet, while the CD does not....at least the version I BOUGHT doesn't have it.ANYHOW.....in either format, I still think this is the best album that Max Webster had ever done. It may not be their most mature album from a musical or lyrical standpoint, but it IS their most hard rocking. Of the nine tracks here, I don't think there is even one dud....I like or love all of these songs! The album gets off to a whiz banger of a start with '" Hangover ", which begins with Kim Mitchell making some intentionally headache inducing noises on his electric guitar, after which the drums come in and Kim lays into a mighty catchy guitar riff (which I taught myself how to play). A terrific song with many good things going for it, particularly Pye Dubois' lyrics, which do an unusual, but accurate job in describing a typical hangover, especially the lines " cold morning and the drums, blue eyes and the window sun ", " double vision when the bars close down " and " I can't feel you but I know you're around, I can feel you cuz I feel the sound ". This wonderful song is followed by another good hard rocker , " Here Among The Cats", on which Mitchell gets in some mighty fast lead guitar work.Terry Watkinson's sole writing contribution, " Blowing The Blues Away ", is a laid back and catchy hard rock number which contains, like many other songs here, a very singalongable refrain. It also showed that Watkinson was a very capable lyric writer himself. " Summer Turning Blue " is the most mellow song here...very pretty and melodic, with a surprisingly sensitive vocal from Mitchell. This is followed by.........." Toronto Tontos ", which is my favorite Max Webster song of all time and one of the funniest tunes I have ever heard. I love everything about this song, from the silly voices that sing the opening line " Bonjour aux amis des malheur, nous sommes fous " (which translates into something like ' Good day my friends of misfortune, we are foolish '....or at least that's what my high school French teacher thought it said), to the mock dangerous guitar riff, to the drumming, to Watkinson's organ playing, to Mitchell's bass/baritone vocal, to the silly tin whistle and percussion that comes before the verses, to the delivery of the lines " I got no fire on me...no cigarettes, no matches ", etc.... I do not know WHAT this song is about and I don't think I want to know. What I DO know is that Max Webster never did anything remotely like it again..and that's a shame.The second half is mighty good as well (though not as strong as the first half ) and starts off with two very satisfying hard rockers in a row, " Coming Off The Moon " and " Only Your Nose Knows ". Both of them feature outstanding playing from all four band members, though once again, Mitchell's lead guitar playing particularly shines on " Only Your Nose Knows ". I think I may have heard that tune on the radio a few times." Summers Up " is an odd little piece. It's a bit mellow, with some cocktail jazz like piano playing from Watkinson. Mitchell hits some very LOW, LOW notes during one part. A weird, but enjoyable song. The album ends on an unexpected serious note with the seven and a half minute progressive rock number " Lily ". The musical star of this one is Watkinson. Several different musical sections,some complicated time signatures, not a very heavy song. Though it may be my least favorite tune here, it does get better after a few listens.Some very good albums would come afterwards, but overall, I would have to say this album is the best one Max Webster did. Terry Brown helped produce it and the album really sounds great, especially when played VERY LOUD! I really think you should buy this album...really!Max Webster 1976) Back in the day we called this the "Blockhead album".....and no question this album was part of my growing up. My brother and I listened to this album to death and to this day remains a treasure of the 70's Canadian Rock scene ! Max Webster always straddled the line between Rock 'n Roll and Progressive Rock and this debut album is no exception.I also remember buying this album while in Sudbury Ontario at a Records On Wheels shop.......yikes that is a long long long time ago.After hearing this album Kim Mitchell became a household figure and I can't tell you how many times we rocked out to this."Hangover" and "Here Among The Cats" are 2 of the best 70's Canadian rock tracks ever IMHO! Blockheads was remastered magically by the folks at Rock Candy and this is THE best version I have ever heard. Terry Watkinson's keyboards finally get the real treatment here and you can hear just how key his playing was. This mix also brings out subtleties that I have never heard before and has an extra depth that is all new to me. Max Webster was also produced by Rush's Terry Brown so it does have a very good vibe and sound about it! This was a great band and this album is just awesome............if you r a fan of Max then you owe it to yourself to get THIS version............no cigarettes, no matchesI have an original Taurus LP which required a heavy weight (a penny in the 70's) to play. This just jumps off of the turntable. Great songs bringing back great memoriesWow. I was a big fan of Max Webster growing up in Canada in the 1970's. Over the years I stopped listening to CDs and like a lot of people replaced listening to classic vinyl albums with greatest hits CDs. As a result I don't think I've listened to this album in it's entirety in 25 years. Some time back I purchased CD versions of "High Class in Borrowed Shoes" and "Mutiny Up My Sleeve", and these remain my favourite Max Webster albums - and forgot about picking up this one, a mistake I have now rectified. All of this to say - it's easy to forget that their debut was also a classic. My slightly vague memories were mostly limited to the fan favourite Hangover as well as Blowing The Blues Away which appears on the greatest hits package that I picked up. Don't make the same mistake! Listening to this album 35+ years after my initial purchase of the LP brought back the excitement of this band - and refreshed my memories. The CD has pretty good sonic clarity and production values, something you don't always get on '70s re-releases.Stand out tracks include the aforementioned Hangover and BTBA as well as: Here Among The Cats, sounding as fresh as it did it in 1976 and one of my new personal favourites; Toronto Tontos, a madcap tune from the Max machine; Coming Off The Moon, one of the seminal Moon tracks that appear on the first three Max Webster albums (you'll have to get High Class and Mutiny to get the others); Only Your Nose Knows, another classic rocker; and finally the breezy Summers Up.Well worth the purchase price - if you are an old Max Webster fan reminiscing OR just learning about this great band.Buy and enjoy. Four strong stars.Such a great album. Very underratedLoved it takes me back