Max Webster - Mutiny Up My Sleeve (1978) (1995)

This album is really among the strongest by the Toronto-based group. There are no real standout tracks, but that in itself is a bit of a tribute to the quality of all the material present here. The album is consistently good while showing off a wide variety of musical styles and influences. Max Webster was always a group that took mainstream rock leanings, threw in a healthy dose of progressive rock along with a sense of humor, and came out with something unique and quirky. Certainly that is what this album is all about. The leanings toward the music of Frank Zappa are obviously present, but there is no one common denominator here, with fusion-type songs being followed by Southern rock and then more mainstream prog. As an example of the diversity present here, the disc opens with a high-energy prog-ish rocker that has its emphasis on fun, and then by track two changes to intricate and lush ballad-based mode. Indeed, no two consecutive songs here are in the same style. That diversity really adds a lot of strength and repeat listenability to the CD. Yes, Max Webster can be a bit weird at times, but their style of weirdness is sure entertaining.