Mike’s Sausagefest 2020 Audio Collage – Catch Phrases, Uncle Meat & Night Ranger

Every year at Sausagefest, I would create an audio collage of random bits and samples of music, movies and TV Shows. I don’t know if the 2020 version was ever used, but here it is.

Happy Birthday Dan! Off The Charts: Dan’s Birthday Live Stream

Happy birthday to my friend and collaborator, Dan Chartrand from Off the Charts.

Though February 22 is his birthday, Dan celebrated online last night with a listening party full of friends.  I was happy to be invited, and so I joined Dan, Steve Deluxe and a couple new friends for some songs.  Each guest picked a song to play that had some kind of connection with Dan.  Of course, having interviewed Rick Hughes of Sword with Dan, it made sense to pick a Rick song from his new album Redemption.

Thanks for inviting me Dan, and happy birthday.

 

VHS Archives #160: Queensryche Spotlight

Here are all the interview segments that I recorded from the Queensryche Spotlight on MuchMusic, around late 1991 or early 1992.

1. Queenryche introduce the MuchMusic Spotlight (Chris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate)

2. Why did Queensryche cover “Gonna Get Close To You” by DalBello?  Geoff Tate 1986.

3. Let’s Talk About Seattle with Geoff and Chris in 1991.

4. The whole ooint of doing Operation: Mindcrime with Chris and Geoff 1991.

5. Putting on a good show with Geoff and Chris 1986.

🅻🅸🆅🅴: Top Ten Songs of Queensrÿche

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man

Special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 Episode featuring guest Tim Durling & Uncle Meat

And guest list from Jake

Episode 138: Top Ten Songs of Queensrÿche

Raise ’em up!  Uncle Meat wanted to count down the Top 10 songs from Queensrÿche, a band we have yet to tackle on Grab A Stack of Rock.  So, we looked into the Eyes of a Stranger, placed Hand on Heart, and tried to shed some Nocturnal Light on these songs.  But it wasn’t Just Us!  Along for the ride is terrestrial DJ Tim Durling, and we will also have a guest list from Jake (Not From State Farm).

Spanning the EP all the way to Digital Noise Alliance, Queensrÿche have a lot of songs to sift through.  For this special episode, Mike even went as far as to acquire a copy of Frequency Unknown, the album that Geoff Tate made before he lost the rights to the Queensrÿche name.  (For added fun, this copy was gifted by Matthew Phillips, who had three remixed CDs sent to him by Cleopatra records.  This is not the retail Billy Sherwood remix, but the rare mail order only version dubbed “we remix, you decide”.)

Even though Queensrÿche arguably had a “dark period” with some albums that didn’t ignite the fire in fans, they also had a strong comeback with Todd LaTorre on lead vocals.  Will any Todd songs make the list tonight?  We’ll be Breaking the Silence to reveal all!

Friday February 20 at  7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

#1234: The Legendarium of George: The Official CB Dictionary

Part Four in the Legendarium of George Trilogy

  1. #1182:  The Legendarium of George
  2. #1184: The Legendarium of George: Gene Simmonsarillion
  3. #1186: Reunion of the Legendariumites

 

RECORD STORE TALES #1234: The Legendarium of George: The Official CB Dictionary

“George is a stealer!” said Michelle Szabo from across the street.  It was a well-known fact by the mid-80s.  George was first caught stealing when he was just in grade school.  He stole Play-Dough from Crestview school.  He was caught and shamed via the gossip that spread down the street.  I already knew he was a thief.  He stole some of my Lego pieces from before I was even old enough to go to school.  Eventually, George’s shoplifting became an open secret.  He would boast of things he took.  You’d always wonder if that new “whatever” that he was showing off, was in fact stolen.  He had the balls to steal John Schipper’s bicycle and then store it in his open garage.  I believe he received a righteous pummeling from John over that.

One day he showed up on the front yard while the rest of us were playing, with his latest acquisition:  the Official CB Dictionary.  It was a red hard-cover handbook with gold writing on the front.  It translated CB radio slang into English, and from English back into CB.  Why he stole it, and from where it was stolen, I know not.  But stolen it was.  I suppose he thought it would be entertaining.  None of us owned a CB radio, but every once in a while you could get a trucker on your walkie-talkie if you were lucky.  George had no need for a CB dictionary, but steal it he did, followed by showing off later.

At some point in the book’s history, it was acquired by me.  I don’t know how anymore, but it was probably one of several items that George traded me in exchange for something he wanted.  Indeed, my first Kiss albums were acquired from him in a complex series of trades that, in the end, netted me Kiss Alive! on vinyl, an Iron Maiden single, a Black Sabbath Paranoid cassette, and a Walkman among other scores.  The CB Dictionary probably came into my possession in such a trade.

I thought I could use the book in my fiction writing, but not once did it come in handy for that.  In my younger years, I took it upon myself to write adventure fiction based on similar concepts to GI Joe and the Transformers, but with a heavy metal image.  Alas, my characters never spoke CB.

All these decades, there was only one slang phrase that I remember.  It’s a good one at least.

I remember being confused and befuddled when I opened the book to “A”.

Abuse it:  masturbate

That haunted me for the rest of my days.

Thanks George.

REVIEW: Helix – 50: The Best Of (2025 LP + CD set)

HELIX – 50: The Best Of (2025 Crown X CD/LP)

In 2024, Helix celebrated their 50th anniversary as a band.  In 2025, they marked it with a new compilation album, at least their 11th to date.  Much like the legendary Rush, they went with a simple title for this milestone:  Helix 50.

This was a frustrating set to finally buy.  All I wanted was the CD, which has three extra tracks on top of what the vinyl has.  I don’t know if the CD was ever available separately but I never found one.  Then I waited and waited for the CD/LP combo set to show up at one of my preferred retailers and it never did.  I decided to order it from the Helix store with some Christmas money, and it took a month to arrive.  Weirdly, it was “in stock” when I ordered it, but when I emailed to ask about my order after almost a month, I was told they were awaiting more signed stock.  Then, it arrived three days later at my house.  Brian Vollmer’s autograph is in silver pen on top.  (Gold pen would have looked amazing!)

This CD/LP combo of Helix 50 has a gorgeous looking record inside, but is bare-bones packaging-wise.  The set came with a Helix guitar pick and a turntable mat, but lacks the booklet and liner notes that a 50th anniversary compilation deserves.  (I’m always available to write guest liner notes, boys!)  It comes housed in a gatefold sleeve, with the CD tucked inside the front cover.  There are roughly 45 monochromatic photos in the inner sleeve, celebrating the classic era of the band.  The album itself consists of 11 tracks, plus three bonus from the 1993 It’s A Business Doing Pleasure album.  (The first of several mistakes on the liner notes:  the songs are credited to ‘It’s A Pleasure Doing Business (1993)’, but that re-issued title actually came out in 2024, while the original It’s A Business Doing Pleasure was 1993.)  Of the songs, here is how they break down:

  • Seven are re-recordings of classic hits from the EMI years 1983-1987.  Two of these are unplugged re-recordings.  Only “Rock You” is new.
  • One track is from 1990’s Back For Another Taste unaltered.
  • Another track is a single mix from Back For Another Taste, previously released on other compilations.
  • One song is from 2009’s Vagabond Bones, unaltered.
  • Four are from 1993’s It’s A Business Doing Pleasure.
  • One is a “Radio Remix” of 2025’s download-only single “Stand Up”.  (At least we think so – on the back cover it says “Radio Remix”, but in a misprint, on the label it simply says “Remastered”, not “Remix”.)

In some more mis-prints, on the back cover “Heavy Metal Love”, “Deep Cuts the Knife”, “Wild in the Streets” “Make Me Do Anything You Want”, “Dream On” and “The Kids Are All Shakin'” are listed as “2025” versions, but these appear to be the previously released 2006, 2010 and 2011 recordings.  Only “Rock You” appears to be a new 2025 version.  The other versions were only “remastered” in 2025.  Some of the remasters leave something to be desired.  “Good to the Last Drop” sounds blunted compared to other offerings of it.

According to the internet, “Rock You” includes three special guests: Phil X (Bon Jovi) on guitar, Todd Kerns (Slash) on guitar and Brent Fitz (Slash) on drums.  In a tragic omission, none of this information is included in the Helix 50 package.  The only way you’d know is by Googling it.

The acoustic songs have been released before.  Of these re-recordings, it is the power ballad “Deep Cuts The Knife” that packs the most punch.  They went to great effort to replicate the keyboards and backing vocals of the original.  The songs also stay faithful to the original Doerner/Hackman solos.  This acoustic version of “(Make You Do) Anything You Want” is breezy and lighter, and Brian Vollmer absolutely nails everything about the vocals.  It’s a different, slightly softer take on the old classic.  It must also be pointed out that bassist Daryl Gray is an articulate musician with chops, who always finds the right notes.  An under-appreciated bassist.

The remix of “Stand Up” is the first physical release of this standalone download-only single.  The new mix sounds muffled compared to the 2024 version, which is still unreleased on CD or vinyl.  It’s a good song with blazing guitars and a melodic chorus.

Standouts include “The Animal Inside” from Vagabond Bones, which snarls out of the gates.  The acoustic numbers offer subtlety, but there are too many soft moments that don’t really reflect the full gestault of 50 years of Helix.

There are no songs representing the legendary first two albums (Breaking Loose and White Lace & Black Leather) which really takes the bite out of the Helix 50 concept.  “Billy Oxygen” would have been more than welcome.  Only two songs come from the last 30 years of the band, a period in which Helix released plenty of great unrepresented albums and singles.  Notably missing from this period:  Standalone download singles “Brother From A Different Mother” and “Not My Circus, Not My Clowns” which should have been included as bonus tracks.  As of 2025, there is no physical release with those two songs.  Helix 50 easily could have been a double!

One final mis-print:  “The Kids Are All Shakin’ Unplugged (2025 Unplugged)”.  Not only is it actually the 2010 version, but “Unplugged” is printed twice.  Not quite a misprint, but it is weird that guest players Lee Aaron and Kim Mitchell are not credited on the back cover.  (A booklet with credits would fix this issue.)

The classy cover art, with the Helix 50 logo and sparks, is perfect to represent this golden anniversary.  The track listing offers less value to the fans who have been here for 50 years.  The band is limited by what versions of what songs they have access to, and vinyl is limited by run time, but the CD has room for at least five more songs.  Had the full length of the disc been utilized, a more well-rounded representation of the last 50 years of Helix could have been realized.  Ultimately, Helix 50 will please most casual fans who don’t have any Helix on vinyl (which is stunningly gorgeous in black and gold), but leaves a taste of disappointment for those of us who have been here the whole time.

3/5 stars

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 29: A Matter of Life and Death with Uncle Meat

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 29: A Matter of Life and Death

With special guest Uncle Meat

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK episode 137

“I love work. I can sit and watch it for hours.” – Nicko McBrain

Our longest episode of the entire series, A Matter of Life and Death is a special album in the Maiden arsenal.  Bringing back one of Maiden’s most popular lyrical topics, the album largely focused on warfare, with a sideline into religion and social commentary.  There might even be an original fictional tale or two here, sprinkled in with the cold historical reality.  A Matter of Life and Death is a high water mark, we will argue, and hope you’ll listen to what we have to say.

Original Grab A Stack of Rock alumnus Uncle Meat returns for an album that he picked, because he was fortunate enough to see this tour.  That will become important later on.  Along with Mike and Harrison, each of the 10 new songs are broken down musicially and lyrically, with historical and personal context added for colour.  An album laden with highlights, we take our time to appreciate the minor details.

We’re only just getting started:  This album has a whopping 11 assorted bonus tracks and B-sides to discuss, plus a vital bonus DVD.  The extra tracks come from many formats:  A magazine CD tribute album to Deep Purple’s Machine Head, a DVD single, several CD singles, a 7″ and 10″ vinyl, just to get all the tracks.  There is also an additional promo CD single to mention, and an exclusive live track that you can’t get anymore because it was a download-only.  Bummer.

When we’re done all that, and have discussed the included documentary DVD in detail, we move on to the tour(s).  And oh, what they did nearly tore fandom apart.  As illustrated on Mike’s bootleg CD, Revenge Is Living In The Past, Maiden played all 10 album tracks in sequence before getting to a smattering of classic hits (including of course “Fear of the Dark”).  Uncle Meat was there when it went down in Toronto, and not knowing what we was in for, he describes his immediate impressions.  As a group, we tackle the tour’s historic importance, and the fallout that came next.  The next time around, Maiden had cut the 10 songs down to just five, and added more classics back into the set.

This 1 hour 38 minute episode includes the last musical B-sides or bonus tracks we’ll get from Maiden, save one RSD picture disc we’ll discuss later on.  The bonus tracks are a wonderful, confounding collection to complete.  We hope you enjoy the level of detail we went into for this episode.  We felt the album deserved nothing less.

 

Friday February 13 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T., 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

 

 

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

VIDEO: Francis Buchholz (Scorpions) Tribute (1954-2026) by Cretin Classics

My good buddy Davey Cretin from Noo Yawk has done a wonderful tribute video to the late Francis Buchholz, long time bassist for the legendary Scorpions. There was a lot of info here that I did not know about Francis, such as his post-Scorpions output. Davey also relays his experience of seeing Francis live twice with Scorpions, including the 1988 Monsters of Rock festival.

I was pleased to have provided some info for Davey from my collection of MEAT Magazines from the 90s.

Check it out and rest in peace Francis Buchholz.

#1233: Mötley Imposter – Inside Scoop!

A sequel to Record Store Tales #978:  Mötley Imposter

RECORD STORE TALES #1233: Mötley Imposter – Inside Scoop!

On December 12, 2025 5:54 pm, I received the email that could shake the very foundations of Motley Crue.

I jest, of course.  I debated whether to post this or not, but ultimately decided to release it to the public.  I have removed the sender’s name for privacy, but I have not edited their text in any way.

This follows up an article I wrote in 2022 called “Mötley Imposter”.  It is the story of Matthew Trippe,who claimed to have replaced Nikki Sixx in Motley Crue at one point in the mid-80s.  Though it follows that story, the email I received is about four different bass players, not Trippe!

According to Trippe’s tale, he was hired to “be” the new Nikki, but was fired when the “real” Nikki returned to the band.  The year was 1988 and Trippe (reported in some articles as Matthew Von Trippe, getting his middle name John wrong) was featured in an issue of Kerrang.  Matthew’s claim was that the real Sixx had a dibilitating car accident in 1982, and so a lookalike (Trippe) was hired to play bass and write music with the band, with no one in the audience being any the wiser. Trippe had tattoos similar to Nikki, and dyed his hair black.  The real Nikki Sixx was having his own issues, but being replaced in the Crue was not one of them.  Kerrang broke the story in March of ’88, with lawsuits a-flyin’.  Trippe wanted compensation for what he claimed were two or three years in Motley Crue.

The lawsuits went nowhere because there was only ever one real Nikki Sixx, but the story has gone on to have a life of its own.  Trippe did go down in history as the subject of a Motley Crue song called “Say Yeah”, which is better than he probably deserved.  We covered the story on YouTube with Canadian author Brent Jensen, but that was not the last I heard about Matthew John Trippe.

The unedited email I received is below.  Apparently the real Nikki Sixx died in 1981 and was replaced by four other bassists in succession.  The current Nikki started in 1987.   Dig in below…and try not to think too hard!

hello Mike, im emailing you in regards about NIKKI SIXX, The Sixx in Motley Crue today since 1987 -present is not the original Nikki Sixx, the original sixx was Killed in a barfight in 1981, in los angeles , He was replaced by a guy named Pat Searle or sears, who isnt a good bass player but a poser. then Pat had a car accident in 1983 after the US Festival , he was replaced by other understudies which was 3 others , the first 2 of them was from Blackie Lawless previous bands SISTER AND CIRCUS CIRCUS, One is a guitar player named Randy Schatz & A bass player named Joey Palermo , they both have been friends with motley crue since the early days and the other guy is from Vince Neils former band rock candy ,he was the bass player whos tall and skinny and looks like a rock star before the 80s glam look..the guy from Rock Candy definitely was in motley crue as nikki sixx i have photos to prove it.. I dont know his name and his name isnt Joe Marks because Joe Marks has been accounted for in recent years.. the others are ghosts.the bass player from vinces former band rock candy is on google images ..he married Brandy Brandt,see his pictures without make up .,hes also in the Don”t go away mad video” hes the Sixx with the pony tail walking with tommy and mick. im not trying to dog nikki sixx or expose there secrets but the truth must come out sometime..matthew trippe was not in motley crue..he was an obsessed fan with mental issues who kind of stalked the band on tour during those days.,he did get some things right about this present nikki sixx has blue eyes not green..ive seen nikki sixx with green eyes and black or brown eyes in color pictures and it was not nikki sixx. i hope this information helps..None really cares about this information anyway..but is just food for thought. i also have pictures of these guys before motley and during motley . They all got let go becuase the Sixx we see today got stated back in the band in the late early or late 90s to play live because he sucked at playing bass and couldnt keep his time. i hope this helps..and the all probably signed NDAs too. im sure they didnt make alot of money playing that role of nikki sixx..

 

As for Trippe, who died in 2014, he never came clean about his ruse.  He did go down in history as the subject of a Motley Crue song called “Say Yeah”, which is better than he probably deserved!

Grab A Stack of Rock theme video – Updated with Harper, Oscar Award, Robert Lawson & Darcyska

Music & vocals by Tee Bone, remix and guitar solo by Tim Durling.  Writting by M Ladano, J Ladano, T Erickson

Not including myself, 53 people have been on Grab A Stack of Rock to date since its debut on October 28 2022.

Cool things still to come.  More interviews lined up in 2026, and 50 Years of Iron Maiden rolls on.  We have two NEW series that we have started recruiting guests for, and many more surprises lined up.   Because the song is now over two minutes long, we are using it as our outro video instead of intro.  It will debut on the February 20 episode of Grab A Stack of Rock – Top 20 Queensryche songs!

Stick around!

 

  1. Blaze Bayley
  2. Harrison Kopp
  3. Mike Ladano
  4. Eric “Uncle Meat” Litwiller
  5. Aaron KMA
  6. Tim Durling
  7. Rob Daniels
  8. John T Snow
  9. Marco D’Auria
  10. Grant Arthur
  11. Brian Richards
  12. MarriedandHeels
  13. Kevin Simister
  14. Dr. Kathryn
  15. Jen Ladano
  16. Grace Scheele
  17. Jex Russell
  18. Spencer “Spenny” Rice
  19. Nurse Kat
  20. Peter Kerr
  21. John Clauser
  22. Erik Woods
  23. Jason Drury
  24. Pierre-Luc Allard
  25. Len Labelle
  26. Reed Little
  27. Metal Roger
  28. John the Music Nut
  29. Mike Slayen
  30. Pete Jones
  31. Todd Evans
  32. James Kalyn
  33. Angie Moon
  34. Ryan Gavalier
  35. Chris Preston
  36. Dan Chartrand
  37. Glen “Archie” Gamble
  38. bicyclelegs
  39. Davey Cretin
  40. Melissa Nee
  41. Sidney Cini A
  42. shley Geisler
  43. Martin Popoff
  44. Bert Blotto
  45. F Lee Harvey Blotto
  46. Bowtie Blotto
  47. Broadway Blotto
  48. Jake Not From State Farm
  49. Bob Cesca (Camp Chaos)
  50. Lana Teramae
  51. Robert Lawson
  52. Harper (with Oscar)
  53. D’Arcy Briggs
  54. and (briefly) Max the Axe