Max Webster - High Class In Borrowed Shoes (1977) (1995)

This group was simply known as Toronto's best-kept secret, and it was not for trying to reveal this group to international status. Sadly, when they did reach it, their career was all but over. Hailing from a small city Sarnia, north of Toronto, this group started out as a quartet that evolved from two high school groups Yeomen and Grass Company. By searching well into bassist Mike Tilka's previous band, he also played with Daryl Struemer (first JL Ponty, then Genesis).

During the second half of the 70's, they would release a quartet of superb albums, much in the spirit of the times, using a progressive rock that can be reminded of early Queen crossing with inventive pop writings and a slight glam-rock visual touch (in the Sparks or Roxy music tone). Albums like High Class In Borrowed Shoes or Mutiny Up My Sleeve were full of extremely clever and well-crafted tracks, so inventive, that even if they were not really as progressive as their label-mate Rush, that they were, at least in spirit, very prog rock.

After a slightly quieter A Million Vacation album, they released a live album, Magnetic Air, which broke the string of excellent releases. At the start of the 80's, the group was falling apart, but Kim Mitchell forged on ahead and recorded Universal Juveniles; which attracted them international notice on the strength of the track that was recorded with Rush - "Battle Scar". Sadly, this did not stop the band from imploding, leaving leader and main-songwriter Kim Mitchell to pursue a solo career, which will be rather more straight ahead and commercial.