Unsung
114 PLANET ROCK
“WHICH ONE’S Max?”, people would sometimes ask. But just
as there is no Jethro in Jethro Tull, and no Molly in Molly Hatchet,
there was no Max in Max Webster. Formed in Ontario, Canada in 197 3 ,
the band was largely a vehicle for the songwriting partnership of
frontman/guitar ace Kim Mitchell and bilingual poet Pye Dubois, a
registered psychologist who wasn’t actually in the band. While the
Websters hatched the music for some wonderfully eccentric hard/prog
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of Ray Daniels, manager of Canuck rock grandees Rush,
who signed them to his Taurus Records label in 1976.
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porting Rush at the Glasgow Apollo in 1979; Rush proĥ
moting Hemispheres, and the Websters promoting their
fourth LP A Million Vacations. Mitchell and co’s electric
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on every seat that night worked their magic, and soon
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prise UK Number 4 3 ‘hit’ Paradise Skies. The band’s atĥ
tendant Top Of The Pops performance is on YouTube;
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alongside Bungle, Zippy and George.
Despite their sarWRULDOJDɱHVLWKDGORRNHGOLNH0D[
Webster were about to break in the UK on some level, but
alas no. Universal Juveniles was largely made without keyĥ
boardist Terry Watkinson and bassist Dave Myles, both of
whom soon departed. Still, with Mitchell, Dubois and
drummer Gary McCracken enlisting some crack session
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You can tell they no longer gave a fuck. The cover shot
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says as much, as does the way he leads in dazzling opener In
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declaring, “We’ll buckle your seat/Slam you to the concert
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spare...” There’s a breathless intensity and a tangible spontaĥ
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Voya g e
Showing some love to those underrated
albums: This issue: Eccentric, esoteric,
Rush-assisted power-prog from cult
Canadian collective. By James McNair.MAX WEBSTER
Universal Juveniles
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In Rush lore, the story of the day the band descended upon Phase
One Studios in Toronto during a thunderstorm to perform with Max
Webster is well documented. Neil Peart later described
the “Wagnerian tumult’ that ensued as the two bands
locked antlers on Battle Scar. As Kim Mitchell and
Geddy Lee duet on the song you can sense a healthy
competition, anG5XVKIDQVLQWKHNQRZRIWHQÀDJ/HH¶V
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also sense that for Rush in particular, who were about to
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gent and premeditated circumstances, the glorious freeĥ
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was a gas.
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Battle Scar was the portal through which many a curious
Rush fan entered Max’s curious world. Once there, they disĥ
covered that the rest of Universal Juveniles more than held
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Desire and Cry Out Your Life, or the uncategorisable,
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Disillusioned by their masterwork’s lack of success
abroad, perhaps, Mitchell dissolved Max Webster in April
1981 after a support slot with Rush in Memphis. Great
friends though the two bands were, it was tough for the
Websters to be in Rush’s shadow, despite a fair degree of
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and has since gone on to make seven solo albums. From
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songs such as Tom Sawyer and Between The Sun & Moon.
An extensive Google search while writing this piece yielded
no information whatsoever on his current whereabouts.TRACKS
In The World Of Giants,
Check, April In Toledo,
Juveniles Don’t Stop,
Battle Scar, Chalkers,
Drive And Desire, Blue
River Liquor Shine, What
Do You Do With The
Urge, Cry Out Your Life
PERSONNEL
Kim Mitchell (vocals,
guitar), Dave Myles
(bass), Gary McCracken
(drums), Pye Dubois
(lyrics), Doug Riley (piano,
clavinet), Terry Watkinson
(keyboards), David Stone
(keyboards), Alex Lifeson
(guitar), Geddy Lee
(bass), Neil Peart (drums)
PRODUCERS
Jack RichardsonNot so juvenile
delinquents: Max
Webster, with Kim
Mitchell (second
left), 1977.