Max Webster
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Commodore Ballroom
April 22, 1978


This is a reseed of the definitive version of the Vancouver show, sourced from two recordings of the FM broadcast.

Original notes below:


01. *DJ chatter & recorded intro (Charmonium) 2:48 (Audioarchivist source starts @ 2:29)
02. High Class In Borrowed Shoes 4:02
03. Oh War! 5:00
04. Here Among The Cats 4:28
05. In Context Of The Moon 6:01
06. Gravity 5:20
07. Coming Off The Moon 4:49
08. Diamonds Diamonds 3:25
09. Toronto Tontos 8:21 (Pillar/Pentagruel patch @ 7:39 to 8:02)
10. Rain Child 5:11 (Pillar/Pentagruel patch @ 4:26 to 4:36)
11. Astonish Me 5:21
12. Waterline 5:16
13. The Party 5:40
14. Beyond The Moon 7:12
15. Hangover 7:55 (Pillar/Pentagruel source starts @ 6:25)
16. *America's Veins 5:19
17. *Let Your Man Fly 3:39
18. *Research (at Beach Resorts) 5:31

19. **Kim & Pye Interview April 1980 10:20

Total time: 95:18

Audioarchivist source except * - Pillar/Pentagruel source

** Found while rummaging around in taurus' archives

Lineage:

Source 1 (audioarchivist)
Max Webster live onstage > Commodore Ballroom mixing desk > ? live feed to radio station ? > FM stereo radio broadcast > Doug's unknown receiver and cassette deck > Doug S. Memorex MRX-I low-noise master cassette > Audioarchivist tape shell re-housing and repair > Denon DRM500 playback deck (Dolby OFF, Normal tape, Azimuth specifically re-adjusted) > Sentrek analog EQ (high boost, bass shaping) > Toshiba Satellite laptop > Wavelab 3.0 (tracking, repairs, and fades) > CDR > EAC secure > TLH Flac 8 > YOU!

Source 2 (Pillar/Pentagruel)
Lineage: reel @ 3.75 ips > reel @ 3.75 ips > reel @ 7.5 ips
Encoding: CDWave > flac frontend > flac
Taped by: Harry Pillar
Transfered by: Pantagruel

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Original notes for Source 1.....

Details:
My old friend, boss, and sometime business partner, Doug S., recorded this live from his radio one night back in 1978. Was it on CFOX?

Doug had the tape for years. I borrowed it from him for years and years. I finally got to ReMaster it, and found out it needed work. The original housing the tape was in had to be changed, due to the decomposing sponge pad that is usually a felt covered spring behind the tape. Once the tape pancake was re-housed in a more modern shell, I re-aligned my tape heads to match Doug's recording, attentively sweetened the sound with some careful EQ adjustments, and played it into a borrowed laptop running Wavelab 3.0. I put track separations for songs, and also for most of Mr. Mitchell's introductions/commentaries. I repaired some level fluctuations that were caused by live mixing adjustments; Doug's original recording level changes; and tape dropouts on the 25+ year old cruddy Memorex 'low-noise' worn tape. I didn't catch them all, but I fixed most of them. I made some quick fades at beginning and end and at the tape flip point, and burned a few audio CD copies. I gave one back to Doug with his repaired master tape, I gave one to another friend, one for me, and I gave the fourth copy to Kim Mitchell when I met him in 1996 on a Max Webster reunion tour (which I also taped)...

Stereo radio broadcasting's audio fidelity limitations aside, it's a pretty sweet show. There's an ever so slight little bit of radio interference noise fuzz, and 25 years or so of tape degradation, but still a fine stereo soundboard mix, for sure! I didn't do much of anything to digitally clean up the sonic qualities of this recording, I just got as close as I could to good with my trusty analog EQ when I played the tape in...

This being one of my earliest attempts at ReMastering, and using a borrowed computer (Thanks Condor!) I only managed to make a few audio cdr copies of this, of which I only have one left. I never managed to make any data archive of this. I do it much differently, now! I've been extra careful with my 'cdr master' and gently cleaned it before EAC secure extracting it for you now. I've listened to the files, and they seem fine to me. It seems fitting to get this out to everyone right now, as Max Webster just celebrated it's 30th anniversary with a big party/concert/radio broadcast this week in Toronto. So here's a very early radio broadcast to bookend the Max Webster radio legacy!

With this being a hand-made homemade recording from start to finish, I don't have any artworx covers for this, but I'd love it if you made some and shared them back with me! I don't have the master tape to scan anymore, but I will include my handwritten 'master cdr' cover for your amusement. Feel free to share this with anyone and everyone you can for free, but only ever in lossless formats. Burn audio CDR copies for buddies, trade the original FLAC files (add any artworx you find), even make some cassette copies for gifting - I don't care. Do not EVER sell or buy this recording! Do not EnCrap to mp3, except for limited and restricted personal use in combination with an appointment with an audiologist. Please go and get your hearing tested if you think that eMPty3 player really sounds that good. To paraphrase my old english teacher that hated the television, "Smash your IPood, you festering nerd!"

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Original Notes for source 2

I wish this sounded just a bit better. The performance is so intense that it derserves to be heard.
If anybody out there has a better source, bring it on! There are various flaws: tape flips and the like,
but the live music is intact. In the very first track, the station loses the remote signal just as
the band is introduced and the recorded intro begins. Don't panic, it comes right back. After that,
it takes a little while for the mix to get sorted out.

For those who don't know Max Webster, they specialized in Zappa-esque, prog-ish compositions with
heavy-metal muscle and decidedly strange lyrics. Kim Mitchell is a thoroughly under-rated
guitarist. He shreds mightily. Check out his solos -- they are wild. Terry Watkinson composed many of
the more prog-sounding tunes, and his keyboards provide a perfect backdrop for Kim's blazing solos.
The rhythm section of bassist Dave Myles and drummer Gary McCracken drive the whole thing with agile
intensity.

I'm hard-pressed to name highlights from this show, it's so strong. However, Kim's "station break" cracks
me up every time!

Hope y'all enjoy it! GO OUT AND BUY ALL MAX WEBSTER'S COMMERCIAL CD's!

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Additional comments by taurus...

This is a collage of the 2 previously seeded sources to make an "as complete as currently (Dec 2007) possible" version. Let's all hope that a pre-FM version pops up some day, as this show, imo, blows the doors off of the official "Live Magnetic Air" live album.

Updated artwork included.

Enjoy

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Enjoy, and please keep it lossless (and don't bootleg this - particularly rockinconcerts.com; if you are the person who runs that website, you are pure scum).

Images for all shows as well as full size images for this show.

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