A Million Vacations | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 March 1979 | |||
Recorded | December 1978 – January 1979 | |||
Studio | Phase One Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |||
Genre | Rock, progressive rock | |||
Length | 39:10 | |||
Label | Anthem (Canada) Capitol (US, Europe) | |||
Producer | John de Nottbeck and Max Webster | |||
Max Webster chronology | ||||
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Singles from A Million Vacations | ||||
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A Million Vacations is the fourth album by Canadian rock band Max Webster. The record was released in 1979 in Canada by Anthem Records and in the United States and Europe by Capitol Records. The hit songs "A Million Vacations", "Let Go the Line", and "Paradise Skies" remain as Canadian Classic rock radio station staples. The lead track "Paradise Skies" was released by Capitol-EMI Records Britain as a picture disc single that featured "The Party" from their previous album Mutiny Up My Sleeve .
The album was certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. [1]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10 [3] |
The Globe and Mail wrote that "it's satisfying when they're right on, but even more annoying when they fiddle about on the fringes, wasting time on the sort of progressive rock material that is still oozing from the older British musicians on a daily basis." [4]
Chart (1979) | Peak position |
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Canadian Albums ( RPM ) [5] | 13 |
Joseph Kim Mitchell is a Canadian rock musician. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Max Webster before going on to a solo career. His 1984 single, "Go for Soda", was his only charted song on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 86. Several other singles such as "Patio Lanterns", "Rock and Roll Duty", and "Rockland Wonderland", reached the top 20 in Canada.
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn from its inception in 1969 until his death in 2023, April Wine first experienced success with their second album, On Record (1972), which reached the top 40 in Canada and yielded two hit singles: a cover of Elton John's "Bad Side of the Moon", a top 20 hit in Canada; and a cover of Hot Chocolate's "You Could Have Been a Lady", a number 2 song in Canada.
Max Webster was a Canadian hard rock band formed in Toronto in 1972. The band was relatively successful in Canada, with several best-selling albums, and had some minor success in the UK, before dissolving in 1981. They were best known for their high energy stage shows, disciplined musicianship, and eccentric compositions combining elements of progressive rock, folk, punk, and new wave. The band's founder, Kim Mitchell, subsequently enjoyed a long and successful solo career in his native Canada.
"Tom Sawyer" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush, originally released on their 1981 album Moving Pictures as its opener. The band's lead singer, bassist, and keyboardist, Geddy Lee, has referred to the track as the band's "defining piece ... from the early '80s". It is one of Rush's best-known songs and a staple of both classic rock radio and Rush's live performances, having been played on every concert tour since its release.
Mirrors is the sixth studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on June 19, 1979. It was the first BÖC album not produced by long-time producer and manager Sandy Pearlman, instead being produced by Tom Werman.
Pye Dubois is a Canadian lyricist and poet. He has worked mainly with Kim Mitchell and Max Webster, and occasionally Rush.
High Class in Borrowed Shoes is the second album by Canadian rock band Max Webster. The album was released in 1977 and has been certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.
Max Webster was the first record released by Canadian rock band Max Webster. The record was released in 1976 on Taurus Records, a short-lived label created by Rush manager Ray Danniels. The album was re-issued in January 1977 by Anthem Records in Canada and on Mercury Records in the US, with the title Hangover and different artwork.
Mutiny Up My Sleeve was the third album by Canadian rock band Max Webster. The record was released in 1978 in Canada by Anthem Records and in the United States and Europe by Capitol Records. The album was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.
Universal Juveniles was Max Webster's fifth and last studio album, released in 1980 in Canada by Anthem Records. It was released internationally on the Mercury Records label outside of Canada. The album was produced by Jack Richardson who was best known for producing The Guess Who's biggest hit records. It features a guest appearance by friends and fellow Canadian rockers Rush on the song "Battle Scar", recorded live in studio on July 28 1980. It is also the only Max Webster album to not feature Terry Watkinson as a member, though he makes a guest appearance on "Battle Scar".
Live Magnetic Air is a live album by Canadian rock band Max Webster. It was recorded on 13 September 1979 at the Lyric Theatre in Kitchener and 14 September 1979 at War Memorial Hall in Guelph, with two shows played at each venue each night. The album was released on 22 October 1979 in Canada by Anthem Records and has been certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.
Diamonds, Diamonds is a "Greatest Hits" album by the Canadian rock band Max Webster. It was released in 1981 after the band had broken up, and features two new tracks: "Hot Spots" and "Overnight Sensation", which were recorded in 1975 during the debut album sessions. No songs from the band's fifth album, Universal Juveniles, are included on this album. An alternate version of "On the Road" from the High Class in Borrowed Shoes sessions was slated for release but pulled at the eleventh hour.
The Best of Max Webster is an album by the Canadian rock band Max Webster. The album was released in 1989, eight years after Max Webster disbanded. One song from lead singer and guitarist Kim Mitchell's first solo EP, "Kids in Action", is included in the compilation.
Kim Mitchell is the first solo effort from Canadian singer and guitarist Kim Mitchell. Mitchell was the former lead singer and guitarist for Max Webster. This extended play was recorded and released right after the band's break-up.
Akimbo Alogo is the first full-length solo album from Canadian singer and guitarist Kim Mitchell, released on Alert Records in Canada, and on Bronze Records in other territories, including the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan. The album includes Mitchell's only significant solo hit in the United States, "Go for Soda", a song which has been adopted as an anthem against drunk driving. "All We Are", "Feel it Burn" and "Lager & Ale" also received significant airplay in Canada at the time of the album's release and receive airplay on classic rock radio to this day.
Shakin' Like a Human Being is the second solo album by Canadian rock musician Kim Mitchell, released in 1986. This album was released in Canada on Alert Records and on Atlantic Records in the US. The album won the Juno Award for Album of the Year in 1987. It is Mitchell's most successful album to date, being certified triple platinum in Canada. It features the hit single "Patio Lanterns".
Rockland is the third solo album by Canadian rock musician Kim Mitchell, released in 1989. The album was the fourth-best selling Cancon album in Canada of 1989. "Rock n Roll Duty" was second-most played Cancon song in Canada of 1989, while "Rocklandwonderland" was the ninth-most played Cancon song in Canada that year. The album was certified double platinum in Canada. Rockland was released internationally on the Atlantic Records label.
I Am a Wild Party (Live) is a live album by Canadian musician Kim Mitchell and his fourth solo release. It contains six live tracks; five of which were performed at The Oshawa Civic Auditorium in Oshawa, Ontario, and "Go For Soda" performed at The KEE to Bala, on Lake Muskoka, in Bala, Ontario. The album also contains two new studio tracks titled "I Am a Wild Party" and "Deep Dive", recorded live at rehearsal.
Aural Fixations is the fifth album from Canadian singer and guitarist Kim Mitchell. The album was released in 1992 and is certified gold in Canada. This is the first Kim Mitchell album that does not include songs co-written with Pye Dubois.
Gary McCracken is a Canadian musician. He was drummer for the band Max Webster from 1976 to 1981, when the band dissolved. As a member of Max Webster, McCracken played on four studio albums and co-writer and lead vocalist for the band's hit 1979 single, "A Million Vacations". He also collaborated on "Battle Scar" with Rush and drummer Neil Peart in 1980. McCracken has also played with bands including Triumph, Wrabit, Klaatu, and released a solo album, Audioscapes, in 2000.