Author: mikeladano

Metal, hard rock, rock and roll! Record Store Tales & Reviews! Grab A Stack of Rock and more. Poking the bear since 2010.

WTF Comments: Iron Maiden “Proper 90s” edition

We knew we’d get trolls for The X Factor era of Iron Maiden.  There are lots of Blaze haters out there.  I just didn’t expect the exact type of troll we got in “Proper 90s”, a person who has met Iron Maiden.  This, therefore, makes him an expert.

Proper 90s left three comments during the premiere of The X Factor:

  • “I think you guys have lost the programme.“

I replied “Thanks”, as I often do to nonconstructive feedback.

  • “How about listen to ‘Live After Death‘ and take it from there.”

I informed him that we did Live After Death months ago, and he was now watching Episode 18.

  • “Have any of you actually met anyone from the band? I have. This entire thing is BS.“

We have no idea what we got so wrong.  At that point of the show we were discussing our lyrical interpretation of the themes on the album.  I am guessing he took objection to that.

Everyone told him to fuck off, and he did!

 

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Handy YouTube Playlist:

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: The Coolest Iron Maiden Cassette You’ve Ever Seen!

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode:
Fear of the Cassette?  The Coolest Iron Maiden Cassette You’ve Ever Seen!

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK bonus episode

Lamentably, sometimes we acquire an Iron Maiden goodie well after the episode for that album airs.  In this case, the aforementioned goodie was acquired because of a specific episode.

In episode 15, Fear of the Dark, I showed Harrison an image of the 1992 Canadian cassette edition, which to our eyes, featured a superior front cover design.  Wanting one for himself, Harrison went shopping on Discogs for cassettes.

What he got wasn’t just Fear of the Dark.  He got more.  Alot more.  But enough of our yackin’!  Go check out the episode, which is live now on YouTube as an Iron Maiden bonus this week.

 

Enjoy on YouTube.

 

Handy YouTube Playlist:

Rest In Peace, Ozzy. There will never be another. (John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne, 3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025)

We all knew this day would come.  We just didn’t know it would be today.

Only a couple weeks after his final concert, Ozzy has joined his bandmates in Rock and Roll Heaven.

I really don’t have the words.  You’d think I’d be prepared for this.  I was not.  The biggest loss in metal, ever?

I’ll think of more to say later.

 

Rest in Peace, Ozzy.

I played Bark At the Moon and No Rest for the Wicked on the weekend.  MY albums.  MY Ozzy.

Ozzy – that guy who I thought was “crazy”!  He looked scary to a 12 year old.

Then I saw a picture of him in a cowboy hat.  “He doesn’t look so scary.”

He wasn’t.

Ozzy wasn’t the prince of darkness.  He was the clown prince of metal, and I think he loved it that way.  Joking, pulling faces, making people laugh just as hard as he made them rock.  Ozzy was my companion during the awkward teenage misfit years.  Ozzy was cool without being cool.  He was simply Ozzy.  There was only one.  He couldn’t be replaced in Black Sabbath.  Any time they tried, they embarked on a new journey, because you cannot replace Ozzy Osbourne.

Ozzy had a knack for a melody, and impeccable taste in guitar players.  From Randy Rhoads to Jake E. Lee to Zakk Wylde, he made them famous.

Ozzy’s real talent was as a facilitator of talent.  He brought together drummers, bassists and guitarists.  He formed bands that we still talk about today, from the original Blizzard of Ozz to the Wylde/Butler/Castillo lineup that is my personal favourite.  His knack for bringing people together, both in bands and in audiences was unparalleled.

There will NEVER be another Ozzy.  Only pretenders to the throne.

Rest in peace.

#1200: Birthdays, Castles & Cornfields

RECORD STORE TALES #1200:  Birthdays, Castles and Cornfields

My goal when making drone videos is never to invade privacy, only to make cool videos of the things around me.  Ever since 2022, Jen and I have been driving past this cool “castle” in the middle of nowhere.  We have stopped to take pictures because it is such a whimsical looking place.  I have long wanted to do a drone video of the castle we once called Deke’s Palace.

I woke up around 5:30 AM on my birthday.  I chatted with friends and enjoyed a birthday steak for breakfast.  I thought about driving somewhere to make a drone video.  Around 8:00 I decided to wake up Jen and make a run into town.  I packed up my Potensic drone and made our way up to the castle.  We waited for three cars to pass, and then I was airborne.  I saw no vehicles for the entire flight, but I did soar close enough to the castle to see its ramparts, battlements, and three turrets.  I also hovered over a winding river, and zoomed low over a cornfield.

I always like to try to accomplish something new creatively when I can, and this counts as a brand new location.  I am very happy with the resultant video.

After my flight, we went into the essential hobby store Leisure World, and I treated myself to a birthday gift.

Simply a wonderful birthday, enjoyed in the best place in the world.

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 18: The X Factor with Jake (Not From State Farm)

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 18: The X Factor

With special guest Jake (Not From State Farm)

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #109

For weeks we have been building to this moment.  The Fear of the Dark era ends, and a new singer is required.  After considering Doogie White, who went on to success with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Iron Maiden chose Wolfbane’s Blaze Bayley as their new lead singer.  While Blaze had a connection opening for Maiden, his selection was a surprise to some.  A power baritone, Blaze was not an operatic singer like Bruce Dickinson.  Nor was he a complex punky shouter like Paul Di’Anno.  What would the new Iron Maiden sound like?  We tackle that subject and much more on tonight’s epic episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden.

For the first time since No Prayer for the Dying back in the beginning of June, Harrison and I are joined by a special guest to dissect this album.  You may know Jake (Not From State Farm) from his appearance with me on John Clauser’s Music Corner.  Jake asked for these episodes (the pair of Blaze studio albums) because of his deep love for this era.  Both Jake and Harrison come at this album from the perspective of having a special connection with the music of Blaze.  Mike on the other hand is more simply an Iron Maiden fan, and provides a sense of balance.  We hope.

This is the longest episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden to date!  Why?  Because we have so much to discuss:

  • 14 original studio songs including three Japanese bonus tracks (B-sides elsewhere)
  • Two cover songs (B-sides:  The Who and UFO)
  • The cover art by Hugh Syme (two versions)
  • A deep analysis of the lyrical themes
  • Our personal stories and connections with The X Factor
  • Facts and trivia
  • The tour and setlist
  • The Blaze Bayley interview tracks (B-sides) of which we have five segments to play for you

As usual you can expect us to be comprehensive, and we do not disappoint in this episode.

We hope you can make the premiere tonight where I always try to interact in the comment section!  Up the irons, and into the unknown!

 

Friday July 18 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T.  Enjoy on YouTube.

* I wanna shoot myself for saying the “STATE” of Quebec instead of “PROVINCE” in this episode. UGH. What a mis-speak. So embarassing!

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

Rest in peace, Tommy Morais (1991-2024)

I was sad to learn this week that one of my earliest collaborators, Tommy Morais, passed away last year.  He was only 32.

I first met Tommy when he was just 18.  It was around the time of the release of the “new” KISS album Sonic Boom.  I was writing a complete set of Kiss reviews on Amazon to celebrate.  As it turns out, Tommy was also writing reviews for every Kiss album, and lots more that I was working on too.  I jealously read his writing.  He was good.

Eventually I decided to reach out to Tommy via email, and tell him how great his reviews were.  We became friends.  We didn’t agree on every Kiss album.  Tommy liked Animalize a lot more than I did!  He had the rock star hair and a glam image.  Tommy was no-holds-barred when it came to the music he loved.  He identified with the Kiss song “Freak”:

I’ve got streaks in my hairPeople point at me and stareIf they ask me I say: Yeah! I’m a freakAnd I love the clothes I wearLet them laugh ’cause I don’t careIt’s my cross, I’m proud to bearI’m a freak

Tommy was based out of New Brunswick and eventually moved to Ontario.  Meanwhile, I transitioned my writing from Amazon to WordPress.  Tommy was an eager reader, and was responsible for a couple Record Store Tales and several reviews.  Tommy wanted more Kiss!  So I wrote Part 26 and Part 27 of Record Store Tales by his request.  Tommy also contributed several of his own reviews to this site!  For me, Tommy wrote reviews of:

As you can see for yourself, Tommy was a wise rock fan beyond his years.  Every artist he reviewed for me really peaked long before he was even born.

I never met Tommy even though he was only a short distance away, relatively speaking.  We lost touch shortly after the Europe review.  I was really saddened to hear of his passing.

Gone way, way too soon.  Rest in peace Tommy.  Here’s some Kiss for ya.  I hope you’re rocking up there with Eric Carr.  You were an original.

3 Drone Videos from the Potensic Atom SE

These three drone videos are the edited-down results of everything I shot on the weekend of July 4-6.  All videos were shot with the Potensic Atom SE.  I brought both the Potensic and the Ruko, but as you can see, it was a very windy weekend and I did not want to risk the Ruko.  Next weekend, I will attempt to fly the Ruko again.

Enjoy these magnificent videos, and amazing songs by Deep Purple, Hello Hopeless and the Arkells.

 

#1199: The Springsteen Fan that Couldn’t Math (from guest Robert Lawson)

Robert Lawson is a friend and author Solidarity Forever:  The Art and Soul of Stevie Van Zandt.*  He recently posted this hilarious story on social media and I asked if I could use it. It is good to know there are still new Record Store Tales to be told!

RECORD STORE TALES#1199: The Springsteen Fan that Couldn’t Math 

Bruce Springsteen recently released the second instalment of his Tracks box sets, called Tracks II: The Lost Albums.  It contains seven albums’ worth of unreleased Bruce Springsteen, and has received critical and fan acclaim for the quality of its songs.  Robert recently had an interested customer.

CUSTOMER: “How much is the new Springsteen boxed set, like $200?”

R: “Actually double that.”

CUSTOMER: “It’s $600???”

R: …sigh…

 

* Solidarity Forever is the definitive account of the musical journey of the music legend of Disciples of Soul, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, and anti-apartheid project Sun City fame, Little Steven Van Zandt. Following Van Zandt’s unforgettable sixty-year (and counting!) career from his beginnings with the Asbury Jukes and Springsteen to leading the Disciples of Soul, from touring, arranging, and producing timeless music to playing an onscreen gangster in The Sopranos and Lilyhammer, Solidarity Forever is packed with a level of detail that will impress devotees and enchant new fans.

Every song, every album, every single, live shows; bootlegs, production credits, covers, activism-everything is covered here and presented alongside fascinating interviews of over forty past and present band members and Van Zandt himself. A stunning work of music journalism and love letter to rock ‘n’ roll, Solidarity Forever delivers Little Steven’s story and the timeless messages of his music like never before.

“This is no time to be fighting each other
What we need, what we need is solidarity.”

 

#1198: Happy 101st Birthday to Doris Winter

RECORD STORE TALES #1198: Happy 101st Birthday to Doris Anne Winter

One year ago today, we wished my Grandma Dolly a happy 100th birthday.  She was visited by friends, and family from afar.  She enjoyed cake and balloons.  She legitimately had a good time.  She actually had two parties:  One for friends and neighbors and one just for close family and friends.  She was exhausted by the end of it.  Heck I’d be exhausted if I celebrated my birthday over two consecutive days, and I’m half her age.

Grandma is still with us today despite the odds, and will be celebrating 101 years.  She doesn’t look the same anymore.  The last six months have taken a toll as she has battled time and illness.  Something in her just refuses to give in.  Back in January, I did a special show with John Clauser as a tribute to my grandma, thinking we’d be losing her imminently.  Now it is July.

Today she will just have a few visitors.  There won’t be a lot of celebrating happening.  She’s just too tired and weak.  But she did truck on for another year, hitting another milestone.  101 years.  Imagine being there for the roaring twenties, the dirty thirties, the Second World War and the baby boom.  Picture living through the rapid advances of the 1950s amd 1960s, when television became the norm and Grandpa worked for Bell telephone, connecting all the neighbours with the latest technology for communication.  Grandchildren arrived in the 1970s amd 1980s, and Grandma had a whole new adventure ahead of her, spoiling us.  For us, when we were kids, being babysat by Grandma was a treat.  She’d let us eat Rice Crispies with lots of sugar.

All this and more.  Living through the 1990s when her Grandson learned to drive, and started taking her out on weekends.  She’d make dinner for me every Thursday night when I was at school doing night classes.  Anthropology 101.  I loved that class.  I would arrive stuffed full of her famous pork chops in mushroom soup.  Onto a new millennium, and finally a global pandemic that closed her in as we tried to keep her safe.  She survived two bouts with Covid.  Imagine that.

I’m really proud of my Grandma for hanging on as hard as she has.  We thought she was gone many times over the past three or four years.  I brag about her a lot.  A 100 year old is a rare thing, but a 101 year old is even more so.  It doesn’t look like an easy existence, being 101 years old, but she lives for our visits.  They are the highlight of her week.  Fortunately she has lots of visitors.  My mom goes to see her several days a week and she has friends visiting on the other days.  Where she used to babysit me, now when I visit I sort of babysit her.  She asks for the TV to be changed to the baseball game, or she asks for me to find her glasses.  She can’t see very well anymore, but she likes the sound of the TV.  She still loves her Blue Jays.

You never know what to expect when you go and visit Grandma these days, but I hope she has a good day today.

Happy birthday Grandma.  We all love you.  We just want you to have a nice day today, and we’ll see you very soon.

Mike