Joni Mitchell: Miles of Aisles (1974)

This is a live record, with the backing band LA Express. This is a record Joni fans will want, and probably have. That's all I have to say.

Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark (1974)

As a Canadian, I should be a big fan of Joni Mitchell. In truth, I like what I have heard, but I have never felt the need to investigate further. I paid a buck, or so, for this record. I played it not too long ago, probably on a Sunday morning. It's likely her best record and it contains some of her best-known work. Oddly, I have the first US pressing rather than a Canadian pressing.

The Mission: Gods Own Medicine (1986)

The Mission was known as The Mission (UK) in the USA. In Canada, we knew them as The Mission. The band included Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams, who were both once members of The Sisters of Mercy. Now, how hard is it to use an apostrophe? The lack of an apostrophe ruins the album title. Anyway, The Mission were a goth band, but not my favourite goth band. I liked them, but I preferred other goth bands much more. Still, I listened to this record recently, and I still like it.

I have the non-gate-fold UK pressing from 1986. Oddly, this is not a valuable record. Even the first UK pressing is only worth a few bucks. Real goth records, from Bauhaus and Siouxsie have maintained their value.

Minutemen: 3-Way Tie (For Last) (1985)

This is the fourth and last record from Minutemen. D. Boon, the lead singer and guitarist, died on December 22, 1985 in an auto accident. That's sad. This record was released many times in the US on cassette, CD and LP. The only other country in which this record was released was the UK on vinyl. Although Toronto is far closer to the ISA, I have the UK pressing. There are a nube of cover versions on this LP.

Here are some timely lyrics from The Big Stick

This is what I'm singin' about
The race war that America supports
Indians will never die
They'll do just fine if we let them try
And I hold, we're never told that peace is in our hands
If we stop there is time to heal the scars we've caused
To heal the scars we've caused
To heal the scars we've caused

Ministry: Burning Inside (1989)

As far as I can tell, only one version of this maxi-single was ever released, and it's from the USA, which makes sense. I would argue that this is my favourite later Ministry track. It might be number 2 overall, after Over the Shoulder. Of course, now that I just listened to the track, I may have to put it in the number one slot :)

Tracks:

Burning Inside (12" Remix)
Thieves (12" Remix)
Smothered Hope 

From Discogs:
"Smothered Hope" is a rendition of the Skinny Puppy song, recorded live in Chicago, 1988.

Ministry: Twelve Inch Singles, 1981-1984 (1987/2021)

Oddly, this didn't get a vinyl pressing until 2014! The original was released on CD in 1987 (but it had far fewer tracks) and a year later it was released on cassette. They even did a another cassette release in 1994! WTF? Why not press vinyl in 1987? 1987 was really for CDs. The 2014 release was on clear vinyl. My copy is the 2021 limited edition repress on silver vinyl, which I admit I got from Amazon on a Limited Time Deal for an excellent price. Here are all of your early Ministry favourites. 

A1 Everyday Is Halloween
A2 Nature Of Love
A3 All Day
A4 Cold Life
B1 Halloween (Remix)
B2 Nature Of Love (Cruelty Mix)
B3 All Day (Remix)
C1 Cold Life (Dub)
C2 Same Old Madness
C3 Primental
C4 I'm Falling
D1 Nature Of Outtakes
D2 I'm Falling (Alternative Mix)
D3 Overkill
D4 He's Angry
D5 Move (Original Mix)

Ministry: The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989)

As with most of Ministry's work, the album's lyrics deal mainly with political corruption ("Thieves"), cultural violence ("So What"), environmental degradation, nuclear war ("Breathe"), drug addiction ("Burning Inside") and insanity ("Cannibal Song"). [source]

I really really love this record. To me, this is the best thing Ministry did, and it might be the best industrial album ever recorded.

Ministry: The Land of Rape and Honey (1988)

From 1958 to October 2015, Tisdale, Saskatchewan's slogan was "The Land of Rape and Honey," a reference to the area's canola crops. Canola oil is derived from rapeseed. I guess years and years of complaints finally convinced the town to dump that slogan. Anyway, Ministry adopted that slogan for this album's name. And what an album this is. They moved headfirst into what I guess could be described as Industrial Metal.

The Wikipedia entry suggests that Al Jourgensen viewed this record as the "first true" Ministry album, though the author provides no citation. The same entry adds this, about the disturbing cover image:

The album cover is an electronically processed image of a burned corpse in the Leipzig-Thekla subcamp of Buchenwald. Jourgensen took a picture of the holocaust from a documentary on television and distorted the image himself. According to Jourgensen, it was originally rejected by the record label but they later changed their mind after Jourgensen presented a head of a roadkilled deer he had found on the road; he cut off the head, put it in his truck, drove from Austin to Los Angeles, went into the Sire Records building, threw the deer on the desk of the head of the art department and said, "here's your new fucking [album] cover. [source]

I absolutely love this record. I can see that it would not be for everyone. I recall putting a track from this record on a mixed tape that I gave to a friend. I think the other tracks were also heavy. He asked me why I had become an angry young man. I just liked the sound and fell of it all. I am, by no means, interested in metal.

Ministry: Twitch (1986)

Twitch was the first full-length Ministry record I ever owned. The record has a much darker and heavier sound than the earlier synth efforts. I really liked the direction the band took with this release and it remains one of my favourite Ministry records.

Bill Rieflin joined the band for this outing. If you are a King Crimson fan, like me, you will also know him from a later incarnation of that band, as well as his work with a number of industrial bands and also R.E.M.

The CD version of this record -- which I also own -- includes the 12" version of Over the Shoulder along with Isle of Man (Version II). Turn it up.

Ministry: Halloween (Remix) / Nature of Outtakes (1985)

This is the USA 45RPM version with a die cut sleeve. There is a version with a solid sleeve. The remix of Halloween is damn good.

Ministry: The Nature Of Love (1985)

Here is more synthpop from Ministry, before they adopted a raging industrial metal sound. It's not a bad new wave synth tune. I still really like this. At around this time, I had buried my head in Skinny Puppy, Cabaret Voltaire, Killing Joke, etc.

Ministry: All Day / Everyday (Is Halloween) (1985)

Oddly, the a-side is All Day, and the b-side contains the smash club hit, Everyday (Is Halloween). I suppose both were popular tunes, but I prefer the track on the flipside better. I think that Everyday (Is Halloween) was played without fail at the club I used to attend every time I went.

This 12" was released in blue, green, yellow, or red sleeves. I have a blue sleeve.

Ministry: Over The Shoulder (1985)

For quite some time, Over the Shoulder was my favourite song. I played it for everyone. It was one of those tracks which really connected with me, probably because it is so weird. I think my dad heard it once and he must have wondered if there was something wrong with my stereo system.

This 12", which was pressed in Canada. has:

Over The Shoulder (12" Version)
Isle Of Man (Version II)
Twitch (Version II)

I believe that the US and European pressing had the same tracks. This might still be my favorite Minitsry song.

MInistry: Cold Life (1981)

I've read that Al Jourgensen doesn't like to think about or even admit that this happened. I've also read once that the record label wanted him to play this sort of genre, against his will. I've also read that that the last statement is garbage. I've also read that Al simply doesn't like the first LP. Still, I do like early ministry, and I love later Ministry, It's all good. Much later, he explored heavier industrial territory, which almost approached metal, in some ways. The other tracks from this 12" are I'm Falling, Primental, and Cold Life Dub.

The Steve MIller Band: Circle of Love (1981)

Although I was never a huge Steve Miller fan, I do like some of his music. This, though, is a bizarre record. Perhaps I should get rid of this one. The lead off track is probably the best on the record.

Steve Miller Band: Greatest Hits 1974-78 (1978)

I have the Canadian Columbia House Club edition of this record. I'm not sure if that means it's inferior. Sometimes, The club releases lacked printed inner sleeves, so I will have to check and see if it is there. This record is probably the only one you need from the band. I mean, unless you want to go way back in the Steve Miller catalogue, to that unknown psychedelic period, this is the one. It has all the hots from Fly Like an The Joker onward.

Steve Miller Band: Abracadabra (1982)

Clearly, the band was past its prime by this point. Ages ago, I jettisoned Circle of Love from my collection, and this one should follow. It's like Miller decided he wanted to be a new wave star.

The Steve Miller Band: Book Of Dreams (1977)

This record also makes me think of my sister. Jet Airliner, Swingtown, and Jungle Love are the big hits from this record. Evidently, this was the band's biggest success. I haven't listened to this in ages, but it always takes me back.

Steve Miller Band: Fly Like An Eagle (1976)

The Steve Miller band is a group I strongly associate with my sister. I listened to a number of records from this group in her bedroom, sitting on her black bean bag chair. So, there are strong memories attached to this music. Had it not been for that association, I would probably not own any records from Miller. Still, I think I can say confidently that I genuinely like some of these tracks.

M1ke + The Mechan1c5 [Mike + the Mechanics]: M1ke + The Mechan1c5 [Mike + the Mechanics] (1985)

There was a time when I was a big fan of Genesis, and so that led to me acquiring some Phil Collins records (some of which were way better than others) and this record, by M1ke + the Mechan1c5 (or Mike + the Mechanics or Mike and the Mechanics). The band features Mike Rutherford, of Genesis, along with other famous and semi-famous peeps, meaning that this is sort of a supergroup.

But, I have to say that I only got this record after a woman who lived in residence with me told me how much she liked Silent Running. That's not a bad track at all. I had no idea that they recorded nine more records! The other notable track from this LP is All I Need is a Miracle, sung by Paul Young (but not that Paul Young), but it's just not as good as the lead-off track, sung by Paul Carrack.

The only other song I know after this record is The Living Years from the album of almost the same name.

By the way -- since we are in the M section -- I used to own some Pat Metheny records, but I got rid of them.

MG [Martin Gore}: MG EP

This is a double 12" release, all mastered at 45 RPM, except for side B, which is 33 1/3 RPM. Other motes from Discogs say:

"This vinyl release comes supplied with a digital download code that gets you the digital version of the EP, consisting of all 5 tracks from the vinyl version plus extra track "Featherlight (Mantra Of Machines Remix)", as MP3 and FLAC bundle"

Again, I think this is great.

MG [Martin Gore]: MG (2015)

MG is Martin Gore, of Depeche Mode. This record (spread over 2 discs) comes with the full album on CD.  Discogs notes this: "Released in a textured gatefold sleeve with debossed lettering, and includes a digital copy on CD in card sleeve." The description from Allmusic is very good:

...this eponymous album finds Gore further exploring instrumental electronic music, but instead of the straightforward techno of VCMG, it comes closer to early-'90s Artificial Intelligence-era IDM, with only a few excursions into buzzing industrial techno. Tracks like "Islet" come close to sounding like Autechre circa Incunabula, as well as the more experimental moments of Kraftwerk albums such as Radio-Aktivität. The songs' brief running times (only a handful of them are over four minutes) and ominous melodies give the album a cinematic feel, recalling '80s soundtracks by Vangelis or John Carpenter. "Crowly" and "Brink" have upfront 4/4 techno beats and growling sawtooth bass, but they still seem primed for an action sequence rather than the dancefloor. Highlight "Europa Hymn" combines unconventional patterns of crunchy beats with simple yet expressive melodies, creating something original and affecting. "Stealth" is a bit more sneaky and mischievous, starting out with an earworm melody that snakes its way throughout the track, then gradually recalling the combination of darkness and soul-searching that made Depeche Mode's best work so moving. MG is an intriguing diversion that might appeal to Depeche Mode fans who were put off by the pure, minimalist techno of VCMG, and it could also come as a surprise to listeners who aren't DM fans, or haven't kept up with their later work. [source]

What I can say is that I love this record. In fact, I might like it more than anything Depeche Mode ever released.

Messenjah: Rock You High (1983)

Messenjah are (were?) apparently the most successful Canadian reggae band of all time. This, the debut LP, was originally released independently on Phonyx records, and the re-released on WEA, which is the version I have. There was also a cassette version. It was only ever released domestically, and never on CD, as far as I can tell.

I think I paid $1 for this, but I think it could be found for $10-$15.

Scott Merritt: Gravity is Mutual (1986)

Somehow, Scott managed to get Adrian Belew to play on three tracks on this record. I assume that he had to pay Belew, but what do I know? I had never seen this video before.Again, this is a very good record that most people know nothing about.

Scott Merritt: Serious Interference (1983)

Scott Merritt is under-appreciated and probably unknown to many people. That's a huge shame because he recorded some really interesting music. By the way, how many young people today even know what a transistor is? There was a time when I carried my transistor radio everywhere.

This record was re-released in 1985. I have the original pressing, which is probably worth $4 or $5, which is less than I paid for it.

Here's the scoop from Wikipedia:

Scott Merritt is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer. Most prominent in the 1980s, he was a shortlisted nominee for Most Promising Male Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1986.
Originally from Brantford, Ontario, in the late 1970s Merritt launched a career as a folk music singer-songwriter, performing both locally and on the folk festival circuit. His debut album Desperate Cosmetics, released in 1979, was engineered by Daniel Lanois.

He followed up with Serious Interference in 1983, supported in part by a cultural exchange tour of the United States with artists including Brent Titcomb and Tamarack. However, the album was not particularly successful, and Merritt began to pursue a more rock-oriented sound.

He signed to Duke Street Records in 1985. The label rereleased Serious Interference in early 1986, released his song "Transistor" as a single, and sent him out on tour as an opening act for Jane Siberry. He followed up later the same year with his third album Gravity Is Mutual, which was produced by Roma Baran and included guest contributions by Adrian Belew. That album's lead single, "Overworked and Underprivileged", became Merritt's most successful song on radio.

I like this record.

Mental as Anything: Cats & Dogs (1982)

"Formed on a whim by a group of bored art students in search of free drinks, Australia's prankish Mental as Anything went on to forge a career spanning several decades, their tongues remaining planted firmly in cheek throughout the duration of their existence." [source]

This isn't bad. I keep think about Doug and the Slugs when I hear Too Many Times. 

Mendelson Joe: Born to Cuddle (1988)

The band on the record is none other than The Shuffle Demons, plus Colin Linden. This is anther pleasant record from Joe Mendelson or Mendelson Joe. 

Mendelson Joe [Joe Mendelson]: Not Homogenized (1979)

Mendelson Joe? Joe Mendelson? If you lived in Toronto during a certain period of time, this man's name -- in whatever the arrangement -- was often seen in the letters-to-editors sections of various newspapers. These letters partly expressed his outspoken political activism. In addition, he is a painter, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, His birth name was Birrel Josef Mendelson, later shortened to Joe Mendelson, and then rearranged as it stands now. I put it under M, just because. This is the same Mendelson who co-founded the band McKenna Mendelson Mainline, which many Canadians will know.

The engineer on this record is none other than Daniel Lanois. Amazing.

Men Without Hats: Folk of the '80s (Part III) (1984)

This LP is fine, though perhaps not as good as the debut. It's really the same formula, and it is enjoyable, though I predict some will see the repetition as a bad thing. I am on the fence.

Men at Work: Cargo (1983)

I have never listened to this record. When I pulled out this record, I wasn't even sure I had heard any of the tracks, though Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive did sound familiar when I listened to it on Youtube. Wait, I just listened to Overkill on Youtube too, and I have heard it before too. Wow, I have heard It's a Mistake too. I guess these tracks got radio play. Maybe I should listen to the record.

Men at Work: Business as Usual (1982)

I have a memory of listening to this album many many times, but when I played it a while back, the only songs I could recall were Who Can it Be Now?, Be Good Johnny, and Down Under. Is it possible that the other tunes simply faded from my memory? Maybe the songs are really that unmemorable.

In reviewing the Wikipedia entry for this record, I discovered something I did not know:

In February 2010 a Federal Court judge in Sydney found that the flute riff from "Down Under" had been plagiarised from the Australian song "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree", written in 1934 by Marion Sinclair. The Federal Court determined that the copyright was still current (Sinclair died in 1988) and had been assigned to Larrikin Music. The judge found that "a substantial amount of the original song" had been reproduced in "Down Under". Larrikin Music had suggested 60% of the royalties would be appropriate compensation, but the court decreed they shall receive only 5%, and only on mechanical rights for the song since 2002, and on future profits. [source]

Amazingly, I am familiar with Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree, and I feel somewhat puzzled by the fact that I didn't hear the similarity.

I still quite like the track Down Under.

John Cougar Mellencamp: Scarecrow (1985)

I hated Small Town the first time I heard it. I don't hate it so much now. I think one could say that this was the best thing he had ever done, to this point. The record did not make me a huge fan, but I can say that I liked it, for the most part.

John Cougar [John Mellencamp]: Uh-Huh (1983)

I think I found this in a dollar bin or in a thrift shop. While I was not a big fan of American Fool, for some reason, I thought that Authority Song was OK, so I wondered if the rest of the record was OK too. Let me just say that I hated Pink House with a passion when I first heard it, but it offends me less today. If there is one thing I have learned it's that John's music got better as his career progressed, and I think this is a better record than anything that came before it. I have to say that the cover image really freaks me out.

John Cougar [John Mellencamp]: American Fool (1982)

After two records under the stage name Johnny Cougar, John Mellencamp shortened his name to simply John Cougar. He recorded three records as John Cougar, then a fourth as John Cougar Mellencamp. he then returned to his birth name, John Mellencamp. I think I got that right. In reading the Wikipedia entry, I learned that the name change to Cougar was not his idea, but that of his manager, who insisted "that the bumpy German name "Mellencamp" was too hard to market." [source] That's lunacy, but I guess if you are a struggling artist, you will take steps to sell records. It's too bad he had to spend so much energy shedding the Cougar part.

So, American Fool is the fifth record from John Cougar. I acquired a copy when it came out, because I thought that I liked the record. I loaned my copy to a friend in residence, and I never got it back. I was not too distressed at the time, because I came to despise the record. Another copy flowed into my collection sometime later, and I have held onto it, but I haven't heard this record since since soon after it came out.

Even today, with sentimental feelings of nostalgia for days gone by, I do not want to hear the record, mostly because of the song Jack & Diane. I really cannot put into words how much I detest that song. I had this feeling that he was attempting to channel the heartland sound of Springsteen, and coming up short. Who knows? I might like the record if I put it on now. The only tracks I can remember are the aforementioned Jack & Diane, Thundering Hearts, and Hurts so Good.

Later music by Mellencamp seemed better to me, so maybe that is reason enough to listen to it.

Ian McCulloch: Candleland (1989)

By 1989, it seemed that Echo and the Bunnymen were dead. The last album came out in 1987 but, in 1991, the band reformed with a different singer. It wasn't exactly the same band without Ian, who had set out on a solo career.

Candleland, from 1989, is a great record and as good as much of the stuff that Echo released. It's too bad Will Sergeant wasn't on the record, though.

Ian McCulloch: September Song (1984)

Ian, of course, was and is the lead singer of Echo and the Bunnymen. In fact, he released this solo single while still with the band, which he later rejoined. The European pressing of this 12", released on Korova, has three tracks:

September Song (Long Version)
September Song (Long Version)
Cockles And Mussels

Lou Reed, as I mentioned previously, did the other memorable, and far more upbeat, cover of this track. The flipside  -- Cockles And Mussels -- is a song my dad would often sing around the house, though I think the title is really Molly Malone.

Don McLean: American Pie (1971)

For me, the day the music died was when John Lennon was assassinated. I was not alive when Buddy Holly et al, died. But, I have seen La Bamba (and even have the soundtrack). I can repeat that watching this film was a profoundly sad experience.

I'm sure that everyone is familiar with the title track. I've have heard it hundreds of times.If you know only one other track from this LP, it's probably Vincent. I know absolutely nothing about McLean's other records.

I have a water-damaged Canadian pressing, found in a dollar bin somewhere, sometime, for a buck.

Bob & Doug McKenzie: Great White North (1981)

This is a comedy record, but it contains some music, most notably, Take Off, featuring Geddy Lee of Rush. If you are a Rush completest, you need this one, but you probably already knew that. The other popular tune is the Twelve Days of Christmas, which is a reworked hoser version. This record might have been funny at the time, but I think it has lost something as the years passed.

My mom wanted to call me Doug, but my dad, thankfully, managed to change her mind.

Malcom McLaren: Swamp Thing (1985)

This is contractual obligation at its worst.

"Swamp Thing is the third album by Malcolm McLaren released in 1985. It is composed of out-takes recorded between 1982 - 1984. Tracks often built upon material previously recorded - for example, "Eiffel Tower" repurposed lyrics from the Bow Wow Wow song "Sexy Eiffel Towers" with the rhythm track of "Punk it Up" from his previous album Duck Rock, while another track from that previous album, "Soweto," found its instrumental hook reused in the track "Boom Boom Baby." The album was released to fulfill a contractual obligation with his record label. "Duck Rock Cheer" was the sole single released to promote the album. Neither the album nor the single met with commercial or critical success, though "Eiffel Tower" had earlier been featured on the soundtrack for the 1984 Jerry Schatzberg film No Small Affair." [source]

Malcolm McLaren: Fans (1984)

I've never been sure how to describe this record, so I will defer to Wikipedia:

Fans is a 1984 album by Malcolm McLaren. It was a successful attempt at fusing opera with 1980s R&B and contains adaptations of pieces from famous operas such as Madama Butterfly and Carmen. The opera recordings were made at the Unitarian Church, Belmont, Massachusetts by Stephen Hague and Walter Turbitt. [source]

And that just leaves the question of how one might describe Malcolm McClaren himself? Again, I defer:

Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English impresario, visual artist, performer, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner, notable for combining these activities in an inventive and provocative way. He is best known as a promoter and manager of bands such as the New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols. [source]

I think most  people who know him, know of him because of his relationship with the Sex Pistols. Of course, much happened there, including the death of Sid Vicious and the court case with John Lydon, but that is probably another story.

Paul McCartney: Give My Regards To Broad Street (1984)

Give My Regards To Broad Street is a soundtrack to the film, Give My Regards To Broad Street, a film I have never seen. I know absolutely nothing about the film. This record contains No More Lonely Nights, which was a big hit for McCartney. That track features David Gilmour, of Pink Floyd, on guitar. The record also has reworked versions of some Beatles tunes (Good Day Sunshine, Yesterday, Here, There and Everywhere, For No One, Eleanor Rigby, and The Long and Winding Road). I view this record as a total failure, apart from David Gilmour's guitar work.

Paul McCartney: Pipes Of Peace (1983)

Good lord, how did this end up in my collection? I must have paid about a dollar for it. I have never been a Michael Jackson fan and I find some McCartney solo work to be very suspect. I once turned down a free copy of Thriller. As everyone knows, MJ and Macca had a huge falling out in later years. The title track, perhaps the best tune on the record, is not terrible. The rest leaves me cold. Check out this review, from NME, quoted in Wikipedia:

Reviewing the album for the NME, Penny Reel described Pipes of Peace as "A dull, tired and empty collection of quasi-funk and gooey rock arrangements ... with McCartney cooing platitudinous sentiments on a set of lyrics seemingly made up on the spur of the moment." Reel opined that the "one decent moment" was the title track, which he found to be "a Beatlish soiree surely destined as a Christmas single", before concluding: "Even here, however, a note of insincerity in the vocal finally defeats the lyric's objective." [source]

That is scathing, to be sure. Also, the cover image sucks. I just cannot include the video for Say Say Say. I just can't.

Max Webster: The Bootleg (2018)

The bootleg disc appeared on the 2017 Max box-set, which included all Max records plus the first Kim Mitchell EP. The bootleg disc was later released as a separate album. It has very boring sleeve. I have to say that if I were curating a selection of live Max Webster tunes, I would not have come up with these choices. I mean, I like it well enough, but it could be better.

Max Webster: Diamonds Diamonds (1981)

Diamonds Diamonds is a compilation with:

Gravity
High Class In Borrowed Shoes
Diamonds Diamonds
Summer's Up
Blowing The Blues Away
A Million Vacations
Let Go The Line
The Party
Hot Spots
Paradise Skies
Overnight Sensation
Lip Service
Hangover

It's a good collection and a good place to start. Hot Spots and Overnight Sensation were previously unreleased. While it's not a bad place to start, there are so many good tracks missing. I have to say that I think it's odd that no tracks were chosen from the band's last record, Universal Juveniles. Surely, one could have made the cut.

Even weirder is the CD compilation that was released in 1989. It was credited to Max Webster Featuring Kim Mitchell ‎and ponderously entitled The Best Of Max Webster Featuring Kim Mitchell. Check and Battle Scar (from Universal Juveniles) were added along with one Kim Mitchell tune, Kids in Action. It's a bizarre compilation.

Max Webster: Universal Juveniles (1980)

I lost interest with Max Webster when this record came out. I did buy it, and then I sold it, and then I found a cheap copy somewhere and picked it up again. I do like some of the tracks, but I think they had lost the plot by this point. Well, maybe that's what I used to think. I listened to this recently, and liked it better than I thought I did. Maybe I was reacting to the departure of Terry Watkinson (who appears only on Battle Scar). In fact, the only original members left are Mitchell, and Dubois, if you consider him to be a member. This record might really be a Kim Mitchell solo record, especially if you consider the cover image. I could never have worn anything like that.

Rush fans, of course, will need to have a copy of this LP because of the track Battle Scar, a tune that features all members of both bands. That means, two singers, two drummers, two bassists, two guitarists, and a keyboardist. I wouldn't say that this is top shelf Max Webster, but if you like the band, I guess you need to own it.

By the way, I have always been irritated by later CD releases which included the "featuring Kim Mitchell" on the cover. I mean, I get it, but I wish they would have had more respect for the original cover. I wonder if Kim approved of that move.

Max Webster: Live Magnetic Air (1979)

Here's a live album. It's pretty good.

Those of you following the band will know that a box set was released in 2017. It includes all of the band's records, a limited edition bootleg, and the debut solo Kim Mitchell EP. I wonder why they included the EP. I did not consider buying the box set, because I already own the vinyl copies of everything, apart from the Limited Edition Bootleg. There were only 250 produced, but I have to assume that remasters of the individual vinyl records will be, or already are, available.

Max Webster: A Million Vacations (1979)

A Million Vacations contains the fourth moon tune, Moon Voices, which is an instrumental piece.  Incidentally, the title track -- A Million Vacations -- is not sung by Kim Mitchell. Instead, Gary McCracken (the drummer) takes over, which makes sense, because he co-wrote the track with Pye Dubois. 

Terry Watkinson sings lead on two tracks, Charmonium and Let Go the Line. In fact, Watkinson wrote two tracks and co-wrote another with Pye Dubois, sung by Mitchell. And then he left the band. I find that weird, since he wrote Let Go the Line, the best song on the record, and one of the band's best known and most enduring track.


Paradise Skies is arguably the band's biggest hit, even making it onto the UK charts. Although this record moved a bit into commercial territory, the last two tracks reclaim the earlier weirdness of the band.

Here is part of Let Go the Line:

Max Webster: Mutiny Up My Sleeve (1978)

We're just musicians
Here to thin the thickness of your skin

Mutiny Up My Sleeve may be the best Max Webster record, and it contains perhaps the best Max song, Beyond the Moon, the third moon song. Oddly, none of the moon tunes appear on the Diamonds Diamonds compilation from 1981. This record introduces Dave Myles, the new bass player. I think he did the job. Even though this might be the best Max record, my fav is still the debut.

Watkinson wrote two tracks -- Astonish Me and Let Your Man Fly - but doesn't sing either, which seems odd.

The Party, one of my top five Max tunes, appears on this record. 

Max Webster: High Class in Borrowed Shoes (1977)

"Oh war, it's been done before
That's what they say
I wasn't there, they say there's one today
I don't care, I'm not there today

'Cause I'd say fuck you instead of thank you
Your choice under your breath
Oh, say go to hell, I'll go American Express

Oh war, history says you are in it
Your sister's boyfriend's in it
So so long soldier, wash your socks and guns and just remember
If you don't see a profit you sell your stocks and run"

I'd say that the second record from Max Webster is almost as good as the first. They had a drummer change between records, for whatever reason. This record is probably the best introduction to Max Webster, but that doesn't mean it's the best one from the band, though I'd place High Class in Borrowed Shoes in my top five max tunes.

For the first time, Terry Watkinson sings lead on his own composition, Rain Child.

If you are paying attention, you will note that there is a song called Coming Off the Moon on the debut record, This LP contains a tune called In Context of the Moon. This is maybe the best song on the record. It's like a short prog song. There's an anti-war song (Oh War!), which is a killer tune. It contains a couple of f-bombs (a term I hate), which may have kept it off the radio.

The record cover might be the most interesting thing about this record. It's some mad stylin' for sure. It sort of looks like glam, even though the music doesn't match that label.

The bass player - Mike Tilka - left after this record.

Max Webster: Max Webster (1976)

Here's a band that so many people (especially non-Canadians) have probably never heard of. Because of the band's name, they are often misunderstood to be a person. As I have already mentioned, the same is true of Matt Bianco, which is also a band, not a person. Even in the 21st century -- again, as I have already mentioned -- I see records for both groups misfiled in record stores, with Max Webster under W and Matt Bianco under B. In my mental list of best Canadian bands, I would include Max Webster. By the way, I would exclude The Barenaked Ladies.

Max Webster's prehistory took place in Sarnia, a small town on the Canadian side of the St Clair River, almost 300 KM west of Toronto. By 1973, they had shifted to Toronto and settled on a name. The mighty Max featured a massively underrated guitar player. Later, Kim Mitchell achieved greater fame as a solo artist, and then he started a radio career, but I think he was overlooked as a guitarist. Some have compared Max Webster to Frank Zappa, and I have read that Zappa liked the band. I can accept that comparison. Allmusic, summarized the band as follows: "Toronto's Max Webster blended metal, prog, and rock elements into a genre-defying blend that won the group a cult following in the mid- to late '70s." [source] I can accept that too, but I think using the term metal is misleading.

I was lucky enough to have seen the band when they played my high school. My school also booked Teenage Head one year, and I loved that show too. I thought that was awesome until someone told me that Rush played their high school. Rush were big Max fans, and they often shared the bill with them and even recorded a band duet on Max Webster's final LP, Universal Juveniles. The two bands were label mates on Anthem records, as well.

The first Max record contains the wacky Toronto Tontos, and I think therein lay the problem for the band. Some of the music was too strange to make any commercial impact, which is fine with me. Later, the band became a little more accessible, bust still managed to be interesting. In the USA, this debut LP carried the title Hangover, even though that song was only ever released as a b-side to the first single, Blowing the Blues Away, which is really a rather pleasant tune.

One interesting thing about the band is that it had an unofficial fifth member, Canadian poet Pye Dubois, who functioned as the band's lyricist, and he wrote some really bizarre lyrics. Of course, this should remind you of Pete Sinfield, who wrote lyrics for King Crimson between 1969 and 1971. People unfamiliar with Pye Dubois may have heard some of his lyrics without even knowing it. He co-wrote Rush's Tom Sawyer with Neal Peart.

Max Webster begins with the poignant Hangover:

Tomorrow don't be here today
Take a cruise take a holiday
Cold morning and the drums
Blue eyes in the window sun

I don't feel you but I know you're around
I can feel you cause i feel the sound
Cold morning and the drums
Blue eyes in the window sun
Alka-Seltzer, Tang and a 50
It's all over
Hangover

Some non-Canadians are probably wondering what a 50 is. "Labatt 50 is a 5% abv [alcohol by volume] ale launched in 1950 to commemorate 50 years of partnership between the grandsons of the brewer's founder. The first light-tasting ale introduced in Canada, Labatt 50 was Canada's best-selling beer until 1979 when, with the increasing popularity of lagers, it was surpassed by Labatt Blue. Labatt 50 is fermented using a special ale yeast, in use at Labatt since 1933." [source]

Yes, I have had a few bottles of Labatt's 50 over the years, but none for ages, as I can no longer drink regular beer.

"Embedding disabled by request." That's dumb, so watch this or just watch this entire broadcast of a Max Webster concert from the Roxy Theatre in Barrie. It was simulcast on CITY TV (when it was still Channel 79, I think) and CHUM FM. I watched this at the time. Ah, memories. (Hangover starts at 41:00, if you are curious, but the whole thing is interesting to see).

Here are the crazy lyrics to Toronto Tontos:

Bonjour aux amis de malheur
Nous sommes fous
Radio Moscow U.S., audio bandits
Sweden Solo, London Soho, candids

Free publicity is not free when it's public
Put down a little life from a morning cosmic

Bonjour aux amis de malheur
Nous sommes fous, c'etait plust fort que moi
Pas de chas pas de deux, nous sommes fous
Put down a little life from a morning cosmic

Toronto tontos, Vegas babies, transit
Arctic market, frantic Spanish onions

Free publicity is not free when it's public
Put down a little life from a morning cosmic

Bonjour aux amis de malheur
Nous sommes fous, c'etait plust fort que moi
Pas de chas pas de deux, nous sommes fous
Put down a little life from a morning cosmic
Bonjour aux amis de malheur
Nous sommes fous

I've got no fire on me
I got no fire on me
No cigarettes, no matches

I can't think of another song that sounds anything like this. It's truly odd and cool.

The rest of the album has some really catchy tunes, like Summer's Up, Coming off the Moon (the first of the four moon songs), Only Your Nose Knows, etc. I would rank this as one of the best records from Max Webster.

The only thing that pisses me off is that the centre label on my copy is adhered incorrectly, and so the stylus will careen across the label when it hits the run-out groove. I have to linger around the turntable when the record approaches the end. That is so irritating.

The cover image is a reference to an iconic Canadian beer store experience.

Matt Bianco: Matt Bianco (1986)

Once again, we have a band who choose to issue a self-titled record on a record that was not the debut. I wonder why that happens. The record contains, what was for me anyway, the band's best song, Yeh Yeh. It has an infectious groove. Oddly, it is a cover version. You should really check out the original. This LP contains the 12" mix, rather than the single mix.