We have had a solid rain in Kitchener, Ontario. Not only are the banks of the Grand swollen to the limit, but there has also been a steady rainfall of new arrivals at LeBrain HQ! Summer has officially arrived, and what is summer without new rock?
First we have some gratuity for Mr. Geoff “1001” Stephen. Some surprise mail arrived from him this week: two 7″ singles and some Leafs memorabilia. As Mrs. LeBrain said, “Thank you Geoff Stephen for the wonderful surprise this morning. The calendar brought back so many memories of my favourite hockey year. Go Leafs Go!”
For myself, a Kiss “Christine Sixteen”/”Shock Me” single, which alas is too late to fit into my Love Gun re-review! Those two songs make it virtually a double A-side. The other single he sent has a similar standing: Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town”/”Jailbreak”. Two singles, four amazing cuts of rock history.
On the same day, I received this from a Discogs seller in Japan: a CD that has been on my wishlist a long time. Despite the long wait, I managed to hold off from buying the domestic edition of Ghost’s debut Opus Eponymous all this time. A sealed copy finally came up on Discogs within my buying threshold, so I jumped at it. For my rewards, I got “Here Comes the Sun”, Ghost’s Beatles cover…and a very different one it is.
We will jump briefly to new arrivals in the toy department. Thanks to J. at Resurrection Songs we recently covered the ins and outs of Third Party products. Behold! Badcube has released their take on Masterpiece Transformer Insecticons. These are heavy, heavy toys with lots of diecast and G1 accurate insect modes, with robot modes an homage to the cartoon. Check them out with their leader Megatron (third party Apollyon) and their original 1985 toys below. These, by the way, are deluxe collector’s editions with clear plastic and chromed parts for added value. I’d love to compare them to an official Hasbro Masterpiece Insecticon, but such a thing does not exist. That’s why third party companies have a niche. Labels by Toyhax.
Apollyon by X-Transbots with Evil Bug Corps by Badcube
Badcube Claymore and Transformers G1 Shrapnel
Badcube Hypno and Transformers G1 Bombshell
Badcube Kickbutt and Transformers G1 Kickback
Last new entry in the toy Department: I found some new Star Wars Black Series 6″ releases kicking around at the local Toys R Us on Sunday. I should have grabbed more of the Imperial AT-ACT driver, that one being a Target/TRU exclusive, but sometimes you find those to still be warming the pegs a few weeks later. The Imperial Death Squad commander will look great with my Stormtroopers, but I feel to ask $30 for one little tiny Jawa figure is a bit much. They should have included two Jawas or a droid in there for that price.
The same day as the Toys R Us trip, I also dropped in at the newly re-opened Sunrise Records at Fairview Mall, which is really starting to come along with great customer service and an improving selection. I couldn’t browse long, so I leaped immediately to the metal section and grabbed two CDs that I was missing by The Sword: Low Country (2016) and the new live album Greetings From… (2017). I am slowly getting caught up on that band — loving everything I have heard so far.
A wonderful week to be sure, but it’s time to stop buying music and toys for a short while, and get ready for Sausagefest 2017. I finished recording my parts yesterday, and I have inside information that suggests that this Sausagefest countdown will be pretty awesome.
Stay tuned.
Wow! Christmas came early this year!!
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Big time! Road tunes for Sausagefest.
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What a load of treats.
PS. Any post that includes the phrase “two Jawas or a droid” is all right by me.
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Look at that Jawa and tell me I’m wrong.
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You are SO right. The force is entirely with you. My boy salivated.
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Do you find these kinds of figures down in Australia? I know people are frustrated by how regional these seem to be distributed.
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They are uncommon (at best) Mike. I think people who crave them have to resort to negotiating with the bandits of eBay.
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Bastards. I hate having to do that. I’m sure shipping from the US is prohibitive as well.
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It is. Postage is basically why I don’t use Discogs for vinyl purchases.
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The last paragraph should read
A wonderful week to be sure, but it’s time to stop buying toys, therefore having extra money to buy music, and get ready for Sausagefest 2017….
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No can do. Car needs more work or Meat will be hitch hiking.
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Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.
;)
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Wowzers, what a haul! Fantastic stuff Mike! I mean, Geoff strikes again?! That dude’s on fire in the community! Ghost and Sword is awesome. Love the Transformers though I know nothing about them. I was shocked that the Star Wars figures are $30 each when I found that one guy for you. That’s crazy. When did it go from being for kids to being for grown-up kids with jobs?
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Just for you I made sure not to take a picture of Jen’s new fidget spinner so you wouldn’t go nuclear.
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Owen Sound has just sounded a yellow alert.
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The Emergency Broadcast System has sounded the warnings, school children are being given iodide pills, and the Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed.
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It’s funny because I just knew Aaron hated those things. I predicted his reaction to that post and I was right! Mr Books can be read like one sometimes!
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No way, man. I’m totally mysterious.
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All fidget spinners are on lockdown.
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They oughta be in the garbage.
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Nope. My wife loves hers.
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Let him know they are endorsed by many people on the radio and he’ll be good.
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Lol! There’s another taboo subject between us.
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It’s not taboo. I just happen to have a differing viewpoint. ;)
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Well….
Remember last time you went off on such a tangential tirade I said I wasn’t going to mention radio anymore and said Craig worked in “newspaper”.
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I was tempted to buy one today!
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They’re neat. I was enjoying playing around with it yesterday. It’s just a toy, but simple and fun toys are always a nice find.
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I can imagine it being an ideal stress ball replacement.
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I wouldn’t go nuclear. I just don’t see then need of those things, is all.
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What they really need is a cassette tape/widget spinner combo.
:)
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Of course it already exists.
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Ass plug widget spinner.
My buddy Sarge saw a vape spinner online…LOL
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…and advertise it on the radio with Celine Dion singing.
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Fallout warning reported in Owen Sound!
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A bear has been spotted in Owen Sound.
Apparently, a Kitchener resident has been poking it.
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Lol! Teasing, poking…same difference!
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That cassette spinner is awesome.
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ASS PLUG SPINNER. I’m telling you.
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It’s not my bag baby
(In my best Austin Powers voice)
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Bag spinners! Get off while spinning!
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Very cool haul! I didn’t know Ghost has covered a Beatles song. Just checked it out and it sounds great. Also, The Sword is fantastic. Looks like you had an amazing week! :)
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Great week and weekend. Summer has come! Get ready for lots of rock.
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That’s some neat stuff there.
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Thanks Vinnie!
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Your blog is unending in how entertaining it is.
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Awwww thanks.
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Lawd ha’ murcy! That’s a trove of delights there! The Sword are awesome, huh? I still need to pick up a bunch of their stuff, but I love Age Of Winters. Unreservedly so.
Those Transformers look ace… and I’m remembering the days when I bought Star Wars toys with my pocket money!
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Just finished listening to Low Country. I prefer High Country obviously but I don’t think that’s the point.
The Transformers toys are awesome! This post gives you an ever better idea of why they are so popular. Total G1 accuracy and Hasbro don’t have an official version.
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Nice score Mikey funny how less than two weeks ago I knew of Ghost and as of today I’m a fan due to there live show.
Nice to get stuff in the mail and not bill’s!
Lawd ha’ murcy! To quote Mr J!
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Lawdy lawdy!
Uncle Meat will tell you this is their best album…and it was him who got me into Ghost. We were on my porch recording for Sausagefest 2013, and he said “You have to hear this band called Ghost.”
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Thats cool. My brother as soon as he got Maiden tix back in January told me right away he was stoked as well to see Ghost on the bill. I’m to old school to change most of the time but Ghost did it, Great songs period!
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Ghost are very old school. Their music is a hybrid of all kinds of classic metal, but it so happens it all seems to be the kind of metal I like. It took me a while to wrap my head around the lyrics. They are pretty wild. They certainly sell their own image very well.
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Yeah I agree. I tried watching the clips on YouTube but I didn’t get it until the live show. Now I get It.
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From live Youtube clips I’ve seen Papa looks like he jokes around a lot between songs now. He’s lightened up his image a bit it seems!
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Yeah he had a few good lines at the show …bit of a comedic angle in introducing the songs. But the musicianship was off the charts! The two Ghouls on guitar were a show amongst themselves. They carried the live show lots….
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I wonder if any of the ghouls are original. Since we now know a bunch of them are suing Papa and I think the bassist ghoul is female…at least they had a female bassist recently….
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Not sure Mikey. But they all could play. The Keyboard player was all over the place. Loved it when he jumped out front with the Keytar. Not once but twice!
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Who doesn’t love the keytar? I like that Dream Theater do that too.
Personally I hope that Ghost never do a “take off the makeup” moment like Kiss, even if we do know who Papa is now. I like the image of what they have, and the idea that the singer changes from album to album but it’s actually the same guy. I love all that stuff, I think it’s unique and adds a lot to the mystique of the band. I especially loved with Papa was “Papa II” dressed like an old man.
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Yeah I had no idea there was a bunch of Papa’s hahaha…great gimmick…creative as well…
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I absolutely love the cover of the Sword live album.
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Space ships, dude. The classic hook.
God forbid Nickelback ever put a space ship on an album cover.
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They did. It’s a very rare, Japanese import. It even has an ultra rare bonus track with absolutely no cliches or hints of sleaziness.
The band of course has tried to hide its existence.
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LOL.
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Spaceships never get old
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Nice haul Mike.. I got one today also. Samson box set. Nicky Moore era. Soundgarden Superunknown. First time buy. Rainbow live at Birmingham Nec 2016. Bad Company Burning Sky Deluxe and a cheap Sabbath comp called Iron Man, for the car. Gonna order some Kiss Shm discs from Japan soon. Lick It Up, Creatures and Animalize. Ghost are definitely worth investigating. Their latest album is magnificent.
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Samson BOX SET???
I want that Rainbow too, but wow…that Samson box set has me intrigued. Nicky Moore was awesome.
The only Shm KISS CD I have is Rocks Vegas.
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I am just going to pick up Kiss Rocks Vegas on vinyl/dvd today.
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Why vinyl? I dunno if it’s the kind of thing to spend that kind of money on unless you collect Kiss. Go for vinyl of Alive.
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I really was not going to buy this album at all, but I got a deal I could not refuse.
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Ah ok. That makes sense. Beware Paul’s voice!
I saw a video of Peter Criss’ final solo gig last week. A good farewell. But it’s sad when I can say Peter is now a better singer than Paul. By far.
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Getting old sucks sometimes
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Yeah and he’s done so much damage to his voice now. He’s actually the worst singer in Kiss. The current Paul is the worst singer they ever had.
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I ordered the Samson box from Amazon Uk. Beware the Rainbow though. It’s a soundboard recording and sounds rather limp.
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Meh, I’m a completist and would need that Rainbow anyway.
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What a haul!!
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Nice score. I just finished playin lego star wars The Force Awakens on vita, does that count? I’m listening to Soundgarden Ultramega Ok at the moment. Have a good trip! No, better make that have a great trip!!! Take plenty of pictures, kill tons of mosquitos, go easy on the sausages and beer(imported or domestic?). Wish we could all go.
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I loved the Lego Star Wars games. I have a few on the Wii. I was hoping my wife would be into them and we could play together, but nope!
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My pleasure Mike – I like when the singles are so strong that there really isn’t an A/B, like you said, a double A!
Glad to hear the Sunrise re-open is looking promising so far too – it looks like our mall is getting a store ‘now and then’ where HMV was, it had a filmstrip & LP in the logo, I’m optimistic!
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Cinema One? Is that the store?
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I’ll have to go back to confirm!
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