# Max Webster: Tell Me About Their Music



## keto (May 23, 2006)

i know a few of the radio hits. I know Kim Mitchell fronted - saw them live in 1979 (Harlequin-Max-Eddie Money-Burton Cummings, first outdoor show I ever saw). Don’t know how many records they had, or what were their best, but considering diving in just for something new. My sense is their music maybe complex and take a lot of ‘hard turns? Sorta art rock, no?


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2018)

They and Rush used to take turns headlining New Years Eve shows at Maple Leaf Gardens way back.
In the 70's, everyone would bump into Kim on Yonge St some Friday nights.
Urban legend was that they covered Frank Zappa before writing their own.


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)




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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)




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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

A Million Vacations is their most commercial, and most keyboard oriented album.

Universal Juveniles has amazing guitar playing on it, and Rush joining the band on Battlescar.

Mutiny up my Sleeve is probably the best cohesive Max album IMO with Beyond the Moon and The Party.

But I love all their albums and have listened to them 100s of times.


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

Paul Gilbert once stated that _In the World of Giants _was a huge influence.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

SG-Rocker said:


> Paul Gilbert once stated that _In the World of Giants _was a huge influence.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I like all of the Max Webster albums, but recently I’ve been favouring Universal Juveniles.

Some great hard hitting tunes and excellent guitar work there.

I first saw Max opeining up for Rush down in New Brunswick, must have been 76ish.

Great live show. Kimbo’s the man.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

NB_Terry said:


>



Wow, my comments were unnecessary, LOL.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2018)




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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

They played a lotta high schools and bars in Richmond Hill.


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## John Fisher (Aug 6, 2017)

Ritchie Blackmore told Mitchell, "hey you are pretty good but you should be playing a Strat" LOL


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Great thread. Gonna have to check out Universal Juveniles and a bunch more stuff. I'm only familiar with a few choice Webster tunes like Battlescar, Hangover, Diamonds Diamonds etc...Very familiar with his Solo stuff though.


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

Kim Mitchell is a national treasure, the guy was literally the soundtrack to Canada in the 80s.

I've seen him quite a few times and not once did he ever call in a show, regardless of the size of the venue.


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

I saw Webster a lot during the 80s. Small venues, stadia, and everything in between. Always a great show, and the band really sounded great live. Terry Watkinson is one of the rock keyboardists most deserving of greater recognition in my opinion.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I liked the Webster stuff a bit better than Mitchell's solo stuff.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Among my guitar playing friends, we all agree Kim is a hugely underrated player. He has some incredible licks! Personal favorite is _Check _off_ Universal Juveniles. _. Love the outro solo.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Most of the tunes mentioned so far I have heard at one time or another, my brother owned Battlescar. Did grow up with a very solid local fm station, 92CITI in Winnipeg, so would have heard most (at the very beginning of me and fm) of them when they were new now that I think about it. Thought there might be some earlier catalogue to explore but Wiki tells me not much. Still think will make some my next music purchase, though 2 locations of Sunrise don’t have any, yes I am still buying probably half my music in physical form these days and think this would be worthy of that. 

EDIT just bought an 8 CD box set for $71 on amazon. Ain’t the internet great?

Always did like most of their radio stuff, just not well enough to buy in my early formative years, then they fell off my radar in any real way for years.

When I saw them in 79, Let Go The Line was at probably radio peak, and I wasn’t a big fan but...walking away from the show they were easily my favourite. Harlequin were a rough bar band getting a break, nothing like their later commercial sound. Eddie Money had a good band, but he’d already had his big hit. Burton was meh for me, he was sorta Elton John ish at the time, feather boa, full white jumpsuit. I’d have paid to see EJ do it, not so much BC.

Thanks for all the input all, and feel free to chime in with more.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Holy crap, @laristotle , that vid in the second post! I’ve never seen that, don’t know the tune, but wow! Anyone who wants to see hard hitting art rock, lots of twists and turns and 4 SOLID musicians, get back there and watch it. It’s not ‘radio’ Max Webster, more like stuff a band who had covered Zappa might do, as again Larry had mentioned possible earlier.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

keto said:


> Did grow up with a very solid local fm station, 92CITI in Winnipeg, so would have heard most (at the very beginning of me and fm)


You probably remember bro jake and his disco destruction army then.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

jb welder said:


> You probably remember bro jake and his disco destruction army then.


Sure as hell do. He’s still doing that schtick on fm radio afternoons in Vancouver, I get out there once in a while.

Man, that was a bad song.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

My brother the bass player just sent me this he said took him forever working on. Says he’s right up there with Geddy in his eyes, for Canada rock bassist.


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

Always like this song.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Wardo said:


> They played a lotta high schools and bars in Richmond Hill.


Yup. Saw them at my high school a few times (Georgetown). I saw their first "big time" show at Massey Hall sometime around 1974 or so too.


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2018)

One of the few Max tunes that I can play.
Also one of the few with understandable lyrics. lol.


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2018)

Always loved the outro on this.


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## Johnny Spune (Sep 15, 2014)

I just love that opening riff for “Check”.
Kim Mitchell was/is a huge influence. Great guitar player. Creative, technical yet spontaneous and off the wall. Kind of prefer the Max Webster stuff though but it’s still all good.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Does anyone know what gear he was using! That infinite sustaine and slightly cocked wah tone is great. I was surprised to see a semi-hollow in post 2!

TG


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

traynor_garnet said:


> Does anyone know what gear he was using! That infinite sustaine and slightly cocked wah tone is great. I was surprised to see a Gretsch semi-hollow in post 2!
> 
> TG


I saw Kim playing live with a Strat at times, and with a Gibson ES-345 or 355 at other times. IIRC, he was playing into a Fender Twin.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Merlin said:


> I saw Kim playing live with a Strat at times, and with a Gibson ES-345 or 355 at other times. IIRC, he was playing into a Fender Twin.


I thought he had a SF amp with him on stage. If that is a twin, he must be using a pedal for his dirt sound. I wonder what it is?


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

traynor_garnet said:


> I thought he had a SF amp with him on stage. If that is a twin, he must be using a pedal for his dirt sound. I wonder what it is?


I thought it was a SF Twin, tipped back at him, monitor style. Wish I could find the original B&W negatives to check out all the gear.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> Does anyone know what gear he was using! That infinite sustaine and slightly cocked wah tone is great. I was surprised to see a semi-hollow in post 2!
> 
> TG


AFAIK, Kim used two Fender silver face Deluxe Reverb amps back in the 70s with MXR pedals. 

In the 80s he was using white JCM800 heads, and eventually Glen Morris modded a few of them. 

Kim was using a Rockman into the front end of the amps for awhile. 

Kim then went back to stock Marshalls and used Boss pedals. I posted a pic years ago of his pedal board from a 2005 Calgary show.

Lately he's using boutique amps, guitars and pedals, but his usual old Blue Strat, etc..


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

keto said:


> Holy crap, @laristotle , that vid in the second post! I’ve never seen that, don’t know the tune, but wow! Anyone who wants to see hard hitting art rock, lots of twists and turns and 4 SOLID musicians, get back there and watch it. It’s not ‘radio’ Max Webster, more like stuff a band who had covered Zappa might do, as again Larry had mentioned possible earlier.


Yeah that is one of the classic Max tunes. I had almost forgotten how freaking awesome Max Webster was. Can you like a post twice?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

laristotle said:


> Always loved the outro on this.



Pye Dubois, WTF buddy?

Itunes....downloading now.

Freaking out on electric meat?

Acid warped the global fetus......


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

NB_Terry said:


> AFAIK, Kim used two Fender silver face Deluxe Reverb amps back in the 70s with MXR pedals.
> 
> In the 80s he was using white JCM800 heads, and eventually Glen Morris modded a few of them.
> 
> ...


Just found this from an old interview:

"On stage, what works for me is two stock Fender Deluxe Reverbs, 22 watts each; a basic MXR distortion unit; a Strat with PAF super distortion pickups; and a great booster built by the guys at The Music Shoppe in Thornhill (outside Toronto). I call it the LSD booster because I've never been able to figure out what makes it work so well."


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Wardo said:


> They played a lotta high schools and bars in Richmond Hill.





Sneaky said:


> Yup. Saw them at my high school a few times (Georgetown). I saw their first "big time" show at Massey Hall sometime around 1974 or so too.


1974 ...grade 11. I was the social convener for the Catholic high school in Oshawa. For the big dance of the year I booked Max Webster. The nun principal did not understand what a smoke machine was...... stopped the band dead in the middle of a song to find out what was going on.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

laristotle said:


> Urban legend was that they covered Frank Zappa before writing their own.


Definitely have detected a Zappa influence in his playing at times

Never saw max Webster live, but caught him live solo--and high energy show-and this was n the last 6-8 years


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

zontar said:


> Definitely have detected a Zappa influence in his playing at times
> 
> Never saw max Webster live, but caught him live solo--and high energy show-and this was n the last 6-8 years


I know Paul Kersey, Max's first drummer. Paul left the band because he wanted them to push the Zappa influence but Kim wanted to go more solid mainstream rock. Paul went on to form The Hunt and make a few albums. Kim did pretty good for himself too


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Got the box set yesterday, I have to do a lot of driving the next 2 weeks (5-6K km) so should get to hear most of it.


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

Kim, high as frig @ 2:04

LOL


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> Just found this from an old interview:
> 
> "On stage, what works for me is two stock Fender Deluxe Reverbs, 22 watts each; a basic MXR distortion unit; a Strat with PAF super distortion pickups; and a great booster built by the guys at The Music Shoppe in Thornhill (outside Toronto). I call it the LSD booster because I've never been able to figure out what makes it work so well."


Wow, Deluxe Reverbs and a Strat just don't sound like they would be able make his tone.


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