Let’s Rock Chats With Kim Mitchell

Let’s Rock’s Celebration of Canadian Rock Music

To put it mildly: CANADA ROCKS!

Since the devastating loss of Neil Peart in January, I have been on a serious Canadian music bender, eh!. While Rush, and The Tragically Hip have always been on constant rotation in my cd player, it was so nice to check out all the other bands I grew up with or who have recently made a splash on the music scene in The Great White North. I could spend hours listing the bands and artists who have rocked this great nation. Neil Young, The Guess Who, Bryan Adams, April Wine, 54-40, Alanis Morissette, The Northern Pikes, The Barenaked Ladies, Anvil, Annihilator, The Pursuit of Happiness, The Grapes Of Wrath, Sass Jordan, Sebastian Bach, Sloan and more recently Monster Truck, The Sheepdogs and Crown Lands. Good Lord, the list is endless. Sometimes I think that many of these bands are Canada’s little secret. That bothers me. These bands should be required listening everywhere in the world.

Part 1 – Kevin Kane/The Grapes Of Wrath

Part 2 – Moe Berg/The Pursuit of Happiness

Part 3 – Bif Naked

Kim Mitchell has been a staple on Canadian radio and stage from his days fronting Max Webster through his solo career. Max released five studio and one live album between 1973 to 1981. From the quirky Toronto Tontos to Hangover, The Party to Let Go The Line, Diamonds, Diamonds to Paradise Skies, they glided seamlessly through a wide array of styles and moods yet were always recognizably Max Webster. The breakup of Max Webster in the spring of 1981 was devastating to Eighteen Year-old me, but like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, November 1982 saw the release of the self-titled Kim Mitchell EP. Kids In Action, Tennessee Water and Big Best Summer heralded the continuation of his musical prowess. Nineteen Year-old me was very happy again. From his first full-length solo album Akimbo Alogo in 1984, through Shakin’ Like A Human, Rockland, Aural Fixations, Itch (Thirty-four Year-old me’s favorite), Kimosabe, to Ain’t Life Amazing, Kim was always there. Canadian radio gems like Go For Soda, Patio Lanterns, Rock and Roll Duty, All We Are and many other classics will never stop bringing a smile to fans of all ages. From his songwriting days with Pye Dubois, to his always energetic stage presence with Ottawa’s Peter Fredette, Kim is a monster songwriter, a monster guitarist, and a true Canadian treasure. And what is a summer without a Kim Mitchell show? Oh wait…..crap! Kim talks about his current single, Wishes, from his upcoming album The Big Fantasize, dealing with the entertainment shutdown, and the joy of owning a rescue dog. Always gracious, always with his trademark easy humour, Let’s Rock presents……Kim Mitchell.

THE FULL INTERVIEW