Max Webster - A Million Vacations

Max Webster was a pretty big deal here in Canada once upon a time. Between 1976 and 1981 the band would release five studio albums, one live album and a greatest hits package. All of them gold, with the exception of A Million Vacations that went platinum. They had some killer tunes, but to me they were that band Kim Mitchell was in before he went solo. Which is sort of code for I never had any of their albums back in the day.

A Million Vacations is the album that contained "Let Go the Line" and the title track that have become classics over the years. True fans know that Kim Mitchell was not the singer on those songs. Well, I know that too because I they didn't sound like Kim, and now that I have the album I can read the credits.

"Let Go the Line" was one of two songs sung by Terry Watkinson. The other was "Charmonium" which is also pretty good. "A Million Vacations" had drummer Gary McCracken step out from behind the kit and considering it was one of the hits from the album it must have felt pretty good. However, Kim is still the centrepiece and his playing and vocals are what propel the band. Lyricist Pye Dubois who would follow Kim through the golden years of his solo career provided the wordy bits.

I'll be the first to admit that this was a really solid album, it surprised me to be honest. The only other album I'd heard was their live album, an album friends of mine think is one of the greatest live albums to ever be captured on vinyl. As much as I'd wanted to really like Live Magnetic Air, aside from a couple of the songs that were on A Million Vacations, that record just didn't click with me. However this one got me right in the feels. There was just enough weird here to be fun and not irritating, with almost progressive elements mixed in with the rock and roll and pop harmonies. Man, there were so many good songs. From the opening "Paradise Skies" that still rocks, through the other classics, the band was really cooking with gas. However it was some of the deeper tracks that I'd never heard that really caught my attention. Of the deeper tracks I'd never heard, the one I kept coming back to was "Sun Voices" a song so good I can't believe it wasn't pulled as a single. It calls to mind the mood and sonic textures of Kim's "All We Are" from his '84 album Akimbo Alogo. It is a stunning piece of music. Probably my favourite on the album.

I'm always drawn to the pretty songs, it's what pulls me in but there needs to be more going on to keep me engaged, and I have to say a lot of this holds up far better than I expected. I really bought it to hear the couple of songs I was familiar with from my youth and the radio and got so much more.

The band would go out on it's shield after putting out their best album, or at least their more successful album. There would be one more, a greatest hits album that would feature a couple of old new tracks that would come out after the band had called it quits.

I may not have been a big fan back in the day, but I am somewhat of a late convert. It's also a bit back assward as I actually worked my way from Kim's solo material back to the source. I suppose it's more about the journey than the destination, and so long as you arrive safely isn't that what really matters?

The band was included in Canada's Walk of Fame back in 2023 along with a host of other classic Canadian bands which was pretty cool.

Max Webster. Take a load off. Sit, listen and enjoy.

6 Cylinder

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