[Album Review] Max Webster | A Million Vacations

A Million Vacations is Max Webster’s studio album that earned the most success. It peaked at 13 on the charts, reached platinum level in sales, and has their only top 40 hit*, Let Go The Line. In Canada, that is. Outside of Canada… well, Paradise Skies charted at 43 in the UK, earning them a spot on Top of the Pops…

Love the ‘its Max Webster Band’ intro. How fun is that? Alright, let’s get to the break down to see what I think.

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Paradise Skies – A+

Happiness is beginning to ride
From the streets into paradise skies

Those are pretty much the perfect words to use to open this album with. A sweet piece of pop-rock that the UK crowd was right to allow on their charts.

Charmonium – A+
Ah, this is a fun, bright song. I like the Deep Purple-ish keyboards, the guitar solos, and anytime it gets proggy. It can sound like Blondie’s Call Me at times, but this predates it by a year or two… so maybe Blondie copied this song. Probably not, but possible!

Night Flights – A
Every great rock record needs at least one solid 3-minute rocker and I like how it keeps a foot in the prog zone with a colourful bridge and coda. Crackin’ album track.

Sun Voices – C-
I do like parts of this song, but the chorus sounds whiney to me. In my chair… gawd.

Moon Voices – B
An instrumental coda of sorts to Sun Voices. I would love it if it were tacked onto a better song.

A Million Vacations – A+

“You can only drive down main street so many times”.

Kim may have been singing about bored teenagers in a small town, but for my wife and I, the line has entered our lexicon to mean ‘there is only so much you can do.’ We use it almost every day, lol. Oh, and the song is good too.

Look Out – A
Love the rolling bass on this synth-driven tune. I think every Canadian journalism tv show in the ’80s ripped this song off in some way. I submit the theme to CTV’s W5 as evidence.

Let Go The Line – A++
The best song Max Webster ever wrote, IMHO. The lyrics can be haunting…

Life has been likened to a poker deal
Or a poor brief candle or a karmic wheel
But all I know is that tonight I might let go the line…

…while the music and melody is uplifting. The happy clown that is sad inside. These kind of songs get me almost everytime.

Rascal Houdi – A+
Following The Munsters sounding intro, we are treated to a fine nugget of prog. Webster goes all out for 3:30. I wish the album ended here.

Research (At Beach Resorts) – C
I’m not a fan of this one. The lyrics about ‘researching’ boobies at Wasaga Beach are below Pye Dubois’ standers. The song meanders around but some of the jammy bits are pretty good. We did not end on a high note.