When you have a guest like Spencer Rice on the show, you gotta add him to the show intro – pronto!
This intro will run with the next episode of Grab A Stack of Rock, tentatively scheduled for this Friday at 7:00 PM.
Man…I still can’t believe I had Spenny on my show!
One does not question the mighty Max the Axe why he has three kites (and one has propellers). One simply walks into his garage and purchases two of the kites. And a CD to boot.
I don’t understand how many of Max’s treats weren’t snapped up by his hordes of fans and followers a few short weeks ago. He did have a kite I was interested in. As a gift, to my sister, Dr. Kathryn. In fact, on my show a couple weeks ago, I told Jex Russell that I was going to return to Max’s and buy one of his kites for my sister. I even said, “She’s not watching this anyway.” But she was, and so she knows she’s getting a new kite. It truly is a beauty.
For $10 each, I took home two $30 (retail) kites. The dragon one, we know it flies — because at Max’s sale, it caught a gust of wind and took off down the street! The other is still sealed in package. And I didn’t buy the one with propellers because it looked pretty complicated and didn’t have instructions.
The CD I bought for $5 was Around the Next Dream by BBM (1994) – Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, and Gary Moore. You might recognize that as the Cream rhythm section but with Gary Moore on guitar instead of Eric Clapton. All these years and I’ve never heard it before now. Good score.
It wasn’t for sale, but I had to snap a picture of Max’s one of a kind signed Sheavy poster. A great band that no longer exists, but really should. A piece of history right there on his wall.
Max is having another sale with his whole neighbourhood next month. Be sure to check out Trillion Dollar Treats on June 17 for more goodies and treasures!
The true champions of the world this week are Spencer Rice and Marco D’Auria! These two magnificent monsters of the squared circle took Mike to wrestling school. Marco had all the signed memorabilia. Spenny had the stories and the memories. From Toronto to Buffalo and beyond, we rapped about golden wrestling memories. One thing is certain: the impression that those characters and storylines had on us impressionable young kids was significant!
We talked a little bit about Kenny Vs. Spenny but mainly focused on wrestling. Spenny’s favourites, such as Bobo Brazil and the (Original) Sheik, received a lot of love, as did mine, Andre the Giant. The 70s, the 80s, the 90s…we tried to touch upon all our golden eras.
Thank you so much Spencer Rice for taking an hour out of your long weekend to geek out with Marco and I. Special thanks to John Clauser and James Kalyn for your video submissions (sorry James I had trouble downloading yours), and thanks to my dad for the notes and videos. And to Marco for kicking total ass!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man presents:
Episode 20: SPENCER “SPENNY” RICE talks Rasslin’ with Mike and Marco D’Auria
Anybody who knows Kenny Vs. Spenny already understands that Spencer Rice is an aficionado of wrestling. He may not be the best wrestler (Kenny won that competition by cheating), but Spenny is the real fan. He knows the names, the places, the stories. I’m proud to present the one and only Spencer Rice, tonight on Grab A Stack of Rock.
Joining me will be another diehard wrestling fan: Marco D’Auria from the Contrarians! We also have a video submission from John Clauser (The Contrarians), and some notes from the 1950s from my dad.
“Let’s talk rasslin’!” said Spenny. And talk we shall. Tonight!
Friday May 19 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
A spontaneous Grab A Stack of Rock on a chilly Wednesday afternoon!
Thanks to Dave Lizmi for watching me unbox this awesome new Van Halen – LIVE: Right here, right now vinyl RSD reissue. It’s gorgeous. Bonus track!!
Written and posted on Facebook in 2010 after Ronnie’s death. Reposted here for the first time unaltered. Rest in peace Ronnie.
My exposure to Dio was initially due to MuchMusic. They played the video for “Holy Diver”, and I was quite frankly into ANY metal video where the band and/or singer had a sword and was on some kind of mission. (See: “Queen of the Reich” by Queensryche and “Can U Deliver” by Armored Saint for two more videos of this genre from the exact same time period).
However that song was undeniable. I remember having it my head for an entire day in 8th grade. It was the only thing that made some days tolerable. As much as I hated my grade 8 teacher and classes, it was always OK because I constantly has this kick-ass song playing on repeat in my head.
I sit here listening to the live version of “I” from The Devil You Know album. Dio did it again, this time with Black Sabbath. Yet another one of those songs. You only have to play it once, its impact was immediate, and suddenly you could have it playing non-stop in your head while bored to tears in class.
There was no other like Dio. When it came down it, his lyrics were pretty simple thematically. I mean, killing dragons, stopping robots from taking over the earth, fools sailing away…but underneath it all, they had this hidden theme: Don’t take bullshit. In a way that’s all Dio’s songs were ever about, from “The Last In Line” to “I” to “Stargazer”. None of these songs had any characters who ever took any bullshit.
Dio was like that. He was no-bullshit. Dio wore his wizard’s sleeves. Dio had a freakin’ dragon on his album cover in the year 2002! Who else did that? Not many and certainly nobody who got front racked a the local record stores like Dio did. But Dio didn’t care. Dio had his own sound, and he brought that sound to both Rainbow and Black Sabbath. There is a common denominator in the sounds of those albums and it is intrinsically Dio.
And who else can claim such a hardcore resume? Elf, Rainbow, Black frickin’ Sabbath, and Dio itself! Not to mention some of the totally unsung stuff he’s done, not least of which was Hear N’ Aid. Google the video, you’ll understand completely. Nobody else can claim that they’ve done what Dio’s done.
But more than that, Dio has been there with us. Dio’s been at wedddings, funerals, on roadtrips, in basements and bedrooms all over the world. Wherever you were rocking out to “Holy Diver” or “Rock and Roll Children” or “Neon Knights”, if you’re a Dio fan then you know what I’m talking about. If there was one constant in rock, it’s been Ronnie James Dio. You knew he’d never sell out and he never did. He wore his metal on his (wizard’s) sleeves and he made it OK for you to do the same. If you felt like crap because you were the only kid in school with a Black Sabbath T-shirt, Dio’s lyrics and message always said “It’s OK, because you’re onto something that they can’t see.”
Man, I’m gonna miss Dio. Like most of you, I have every album, every Sabbath album, every Rainbow album…I’ve known “Die Young” for 25 years. Now there will be no more. I don’t know if metal has ever suffered a loss like this before. This is certainly one of the biggest losses the genre has ever experienced, and I am including Hendrix in that body count. After all, Hendrix was a spark, here and gone before anybody got to know the man. Dio though…we’ve been following Ronnie James Dio’s career and music for most of our lives. But no more. Now we go on without Dio, yet no matter what…”WE ROCK”.
R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio
RECORD STORE TALES #1061: Musical Flashbacks and Flame Throwers
I know how to pick the tunes.
Trip up: Of course, it had to be High Noon by the Arkells. Had to be. That album has become too important to me. And so we played and I sang along, and really struggled and failed to hit the one “ooo ooo ooo” in “Never Thought That This Could Happen”. One of many signs of my aging body this weekend.
Three day weekends are really special. Sure, we didn’t get to finish everything we wanted to. But we did have fun. For the first time, we checked out a local shop called the Beef Way. We picked up a delicious tomahawk steak and some apple pie jam. Highly recommended. We are all done with Robert’s Boxed Meats in Kitchener. For the second time, he sold us steak that had gone bad. Never again, Robert! Beef Way has our money now. Guy was super helpful.
When we arrived on the front porch, it was all about the music once again. I captured some on video for you to enjoy, and I hope it gives you that “being there” feeling. The idea this weekend was, once again, to travel back in time. Listening to albums in the place I first heard them: the cottage. Priest…Live! Misplaced Childhood by Marillion. White Lion’s Big Game (who Jen understandably confused with Bon Jovi). This time it just made me glow.
The biggest deal about this weekend was the unprecedented spotting of wildlife! I managed to capture all of it either on photo or video. There was a beefy raccoon. We had a turkey. There was a beautiful skunk. Best of all, our fearless little chipmunk friend returned to visit us on both front and back porches. On Saturday we had a Lego session, and he came right out to help.
A word about Lego: It sure has changed a lot since we were kids. Now there are angles for every degree and orientation, slopes we never had before, lots of pieces that have both right and left-handed counterparts, and building techniques that involve going sideways just as often as upwards. It was challenging for both of us. But we’re both making progress! And I thought we’d be done in a weekend….
If YouTube allows the music, then check out my picks.
2023 is off to a banging start!
KEEL – The Right to Rock (1985, 2000 Metal Mayhem Music/bonus track)
From the Gene Simmons Song Factory, heeeeere’s Keel!
Let’s talk about the bonus track first. Anybody could tell you that “Easier Said Than Done” was a Simmons song, just from one listen. Surely enough, scan the liner notes, and it’s Gene and Mitch Weissman, whom fans know from 1984’s Animalize album. Like many Gene Simmons productions, The Right to Rock bears his name on a few writing credits. “Easier Said Than Done” is right down mid-80s Kiss alley. What about the remix? Structurally, it is unchanged. The drums sound different, and on a whole the track sounds a little brighter.
That’s it for extras. The booket is only a single fold-out, with no lyrics. It has a note from Ron Keel, indicating that this is the first CD issue of the album outside Japan.
(The rest of this review was previously published in 2015)
The rest of the non-Simmons songs are basically reworkings of tracks from Keel’s first album Lay Down the Law. That album, like Ron Keel’s debut with Steeler (featuring one Yngwie J. Malmsteen) were on Shrapnel. For the A&M Records debut, they pulled out the big guns. They got Gene Simmons in all his wig-ness, and put out a very corny but tremendously fun music video.
It is “America 1989”, and rock and roll is outlawed. “Those who are apprehended suffer severe consequences.” Can our young teenage Keel lookalike get away from the rock police? Quiet Riot did something similar with their “The Wild and the Young” video a year later. It’s corny fun.
The song too is corny fun. I guess it’s a classic now. It has that stock heavy metal riff that you need: something Motley Crue or the Scorpions would be comfortable with. It has that rebellious rock theme that was so prominent in the 80’s. It has a shout-along chorus. “You got it! The Right to Rock!” Hey, I grew up in a Catholic school. I know what this is about. “Don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life!” I had a teacher call me out on the first day of school for wearing a Judas Priest T-shirt. I could relate to this song in a big way when I was 13.
It should be noted that Gene Simmons, as a producer, is not known for his sonics. The Right to Rock sounds pretty good for the period, but the drums ring shallow and weak. There’s not much presence for the bass guitar, and the backing vocals are the typical rock mush. That’s what you get with Gene behind the console.
“Back to the City” has a good Priest-like chug to it. I think Keel were going for something middle of the road with their music, like Priest-meets-Scorps-meets-Crue-meets-Kiss. If so, this hit the mark. Ron’s vocals are overwrought but that’s his style. If you don’t like that kind of vocal, you won’t like Keel.
Kinda stinky is “Let’s Spend the Night Together”. You know, I still gotta give the guys credit. They have made this into a pretty fine pop metal song. If you didn’t know the song, you’d assume it’s an original, in the pop metal genre. So from that perspective, I think it’s kinda cool. Stinky and cool — like good gorgonzola.
“Easier Said Than Done” was written by Simmons/Weissman, the same team responsible for much of the Animalize album. The lyrics even reference “Russian Roulette”, a song title Gene had been toying with for years. (A song called “Russian Roulette” was finally released on Sonic Boom.) So, guess who “Easier Said Than Done” sounds like? That’s right — it is a dead ringer for Simmons-style Kiss. And it’s actually a pretty good song. The problem is Ron’s Gene impression. I can’t help but chuckle at his dead-on Gene vocals. I dare you to refrain from a giggle yourself. Same deal with “So Many Girls, So Little Time”. Kiss fans will recognize that’s a line recycled from the Kiss song “Burn Bitch Burn”.
Onto side two, “Electric Love” is a Keel original, but you immediately notice that the song isn’t as immediate as the two previous Simmons tunes. “Speed Demon”, another original, sounds exactly as the title implies. Quality-wise, it’s only at “Priest outtake” level (Defenders of the Faith era). Then it’s back to Simmons outtakes, with “Get Down”, the weakest of the Simmons songs by a long shot. “You’re the Victim (I’m the Crime)” is a Gene-like title, but this too is a Keel tune. It’s in the same vein as “Speed Demon”, and the same level of quality.
It’s fun to revisit The Right To Rock periodically…but sparingly.
3/5 stars
You’re on the run from the stun of the flame thrower! AIR GUITAR!
A wise man once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” @MarriedandHeels declined to participate for her scheduled time slot. I booked this afternoon off for her. I won’t mislead you, or her fans, about what happened. We had a disagreement last week regarding her “new direction” (topless Fridays) and my willingness to watch. If you ask her, she’ll tell you the same story. The disagreement was so severe that I had to cancel my Metallica episode that I planned for that night. As for the following week, I had already booked May 12 off for her to do Grab A Stack of Rock. It gets better….
@MarriedandHeels was still welcome to appear on this episode that was meant to be hers, and she declined to show up. Why? Because she scheduled her own stripshow at the same time on OnlyFans. However, the gods disapproved, and she failed due to technical issues! She could have joined me, but karma and the universe worked together to spite her. Oh well! Hope she enjoyed her day at home alone, not making any money or having any fun with us. Yes, I’m a little bitter that this happened. We are still friends, but this has undoubtedly changed our relationship, permanently.
So, this week’s box of chocolates includes some sweet surprise guests! Jex Russell co-hosted, and harpist Grace Scheele dropped by for a bit to talk about her cassette tape Landings. The end result is one of my favourite shows! Top ten?
Max the Axe’s garage sale scores were the main focus of the show, with a second on cottage stories and musical memories. We told the previously unrevealed tale of Max’s carbon monoxide detector collection. We tributed the man himself with song after song, going over two hours!
Best of all: a first. A chipmunk visiting the show, captured on camera, live. Twice. And animal lover @MarriedandHeels could have been there for it.
Life is like a box of chocolates indeed! I say, eat on. The No More Heels tour of 2023 begins!
You must be logged in to post a comment.