Author: mikeladano

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

REVIEW: Hello! My Name Is Blotto – The Movie!

HELLO!  MY NAME IS BLOTTO – THE MOVIE! (2025 – 1 hour 44 minutes)

Directed by Rob Lichter

I am a firm believer in documenting music history.  There are many groups throughout rock history that have had hits, fans, and stories to tell, but with scarce documentation.  One such band was Blotto – until now.

In 2025, director Rob Lichter (also known as Bert Blotto) finally released the long-gestating Blotto documentary film, Hello! My Name Is Blotto – The Movie!  This film has been a labour of love, and that love comes across in every frame.  Meticulous attention to detail, comprehensive live and TV clips, and extensive interview footage with all the band members make up the bulk of this loving look at Albany’s greatest…comedy rock band?  Rock comedy ensemble?  What are Blotto anyway?  This is a question that comes up during the movie several times.  Why didn’t the record labels get what Blotto were selling?

“We were not musical enough to be a musical band, and not funny enough to be a comedy act!” sums up guitarist and singer Broadway Blotto.  “We wanted fame with a living wage.”

“We weren’t rich and famous; we were solvent and well known,” responds guitarist and singer Bowtie Blotto.

Starting out in the early 1970s as the Star Spangled Washboard Band, three of the founding members of Blotto first began playing comedic bluegrass music.  They used costumes and aliases:  “Broadway Harris” for example (no relation to Bill & Emily).   The roots of Blotto were forming, though in a genre far removed from rock.  You’ll see early TV appearances, featuring Bowtie’s much bigger hair, and some music that was later rocked up into Blotto songs, such as “High School Honey”.  The Star Spangled Washboard Band earned great reviews and plenty of laughs.  Their knack for quick comedy was evident, as the chemistry between Sarge, Broadway and Bowtie blossomed.  It’s possible that I saw the Star Spangled Washboard Band on television back when I was a child, as they appeared on programs like the Mike Douglas Show, which was a TV staple in our house.

From the bass-playing hotspot of Ballston Spa, New York, came Cheese Blotto, a gifted musician who had a knack for groove.  The Washboard Band never launched into super-stardom though, as misfortune derailed a big New York City gig.  The band broke up in 1978, but of course, they couldn’t stay apart forever.  Working as a bartender, Cheese was eager to be on stage instead of serving drinks, so he called his old buddies for a jam.  They didn’t even have a name, but washboard was out and rock was in.

The band acquired singer Blanche Blotto, who started as a fan (a “Blottette”), and became a key member, singing lead on “Stop (In The Name of Love)”.  Finally, they found drummer Lee Harvey Blotto, who fit in like a glove from day one.  “You’ll know the songs better than they do,” he was assured.

Blotto wisely decided to record some demos.  “I Wanna Be A Lifeguard” became a hit, earning radio play in New York City, and crucial airtime on the fledgling MTV.  “Lifeguard” was in fact the 36th song ever played on MTV, on day one.  Did you know the video was filmed on a freezing cold April day?

Shortly after “Lifeguard”, Blotto secured a recording with legendary producer Bob Clearmountain, which yielded two songs in one overnight session.  Unsurprisingly, they sounded great.  Sadly, it never led to a major label deal as they hoped.  “I think Atlantic Records is going in a different direction than Blotto,” went one heartbreaking rejection.

The film is divided into six sections, each one covering an era of the band.   It is augmented by interviews with the people who were there at the time, including MTV VJ Martha Quinn to talk about “Lifeguard” burning up TV screens nationwide.  Buck Dharma, who shared their sense of humour, appears to discuss the hit “Metal Head”.  We even get to see outtakes from the innovative music video.   This movie is packed full of facts, fans, and perspectives from Albany New York, where they became local heroes.  Sadly, the talented Cheese Blotto passed away in 1999, and only TV footage remains of him.  Though we lost Sarge in 2019, plenty of interviews with him remain.  Past members Chevrolet, Hammerhead and Clyde Blotto also appear, fleshing out the documentation of the different lineup changes.

“Chevrolet Blotto, our newest Blotto, was auditioned mainly on the strength of his last name,” jokes Broadway in a vintage interview clip.

There are clips of unreleased songs such as “I Love You Calvin Klein”.  There are so many stories; hilarious stories.  Detailed stories about the creation of the songs and the album covers.  There are tragic stories of loss, and bizarre tales of Blotto haters.  Who could hate Blotto?

This is the only unanswered question that the film leaves open.  Who could hate Blotto?  Though the labels had no idea what to do with them, the fans kept coming back through theme nights, Blottoweens, reunion gigs and new members.  The band never really packed it in.  They moved on; got other work.  Lee Harvey even did double duty as a lawyer and a lifeguard.  But they never really stopped being Blotto.  As Blanche says, it’s always a part of them.

Though I laughed throughout the film, there are tears to be shed as well.  Both Cheese and Sarge went too soon, and it is clear that they are missed.  Each member of the band brought something to the table.  Sarge was not just a singer, but also an artist.  Cheese’s disco grooves were magically delicious, and his decision to go bald brought a new visual dimension to the band.  Their quick wits are on sharp display in the vintage footage.

I have always felt like the world needed more Blotto.  Their small treasure chest of tunes is easy to devour in a sitting or two.  Now, we finally have more Blotto, and a serious addition to the catalogue it is.  Hello! My Name is Blotto – The Movie! is a constantly entertaining deep dive on a band that we needed more of.  A band that the world needs to hear.  Anyone who likes music would enjoy this film, and maybe become a new fan, just a few decades late.

5/5 stars

 

GUEST REVIEW: Twisted Sister – Love Is For Suckers (1987) by Tommy Morais (and remembering A.J. Pero)

My old friend and collaborator Tommy Morais passed away in 2024, but miraculously, I found this 2015 email from him.  It contained a complete review of Twisted Sister’s Love Is For Suckers album that we never published, and a memorial for Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero, who had recently died.  I am please to finally publish this final review that Tommy sent me to post.  Rest in peace Tommy.

TWISTED SISTER – Love Is For Suckers (1987 Atlantic)
by Tommy Morais – written March 28, 2015
“The ‘Soft & Filler’ album…”  Bought in 2012 in France for something like 17 euros!

Twisted Sister’s fifth and final studio album Love Is For Suckers (unless you count the band’s 2004 Still Hungry, a collection of re-recordings of Stay Hungry) is one that tends to divide people. Some hardcore fans dismiss it as too pop and lacking much substance, while others have a soft spot for it and thought it was an enjoyable release at the time. There’s some claims to be made about both opinions. The main problem with with Love Is For Suckers is that it really isn’t a Twisted Sister album. “Wake Up The Sleeping Giant” is deceiving in that it almost sounds like classic TS. Yet only Dee Snider as an original member remains, and then there’s Joey “Seven” Franco who was in the current lineup on drums. It really should have been a Dee Snider solo album which is what it was intended as and truly was, but instead the record company pressured this to be released as a Twisted Sister album.

Then it is plagued by a few big issues, besides the absence of the classic lineup. Did you ever see Reb Beach and Kip Winger receiving credits on a Twisted Sister album? Well, they played on this. Probably not a happy thought for most Twisted Sister fans, as it ended up taking an ultimately softer and a more pop direction. Then you have to consider that it may have been competitive and cutting edge in 1987, but Love ls For Suckers has not held up well with time. Also for an album title that claims love “sucks”, it’s ironic that most of these songs are well… love songs.

What’s with the drum sound?! The songs are wimpy but with a thunderous, big drum sound which leads to question that maybe Joey was a good drummer who ended up playing on the wrong album. The production by Beau Hill is about what you’d expect, very “1987” and time has not been too kind to its sound.

Opener “Wake Up The Sleeping Giant” is misleading. 1) It sounds like Twisted Sister and 2) It’s the best song on the album, and it leads you to think (and hope) the rest may be up to this standard. “Hot Love” was and is a great candy rock piece tailored for 1987; cheesy but fun and a good overall choice of single. It’s one of the most memorable songs (remember the video that went along?). The title track is actually not a bad rocker at all, it’s consistent as Snider does a good vocal performance and it’s somewhat catchy. This is where the album takes a slide in the quality department with “l’m So Hot For You” and “Me And The Boys” (this one especially is embarrassing) being generic filler tracks that halt any momentum the album had going for it. Sandwiched in between those songs is the slightly better rocker “Tonight” which showcases some aggression; not a bad tune at all. “One Bad Habit” is more filler material. “I Want This Night To Last Forever” has a Van Hagar feel to it, especially during the chorus but is nothing to write home about either. “You’re All That l Need” tried to be a big power ballad but it failed during the chorus, even though it had a nice build up. The keyboards prevent it from being a strong ballad like “The Price”, and as a result it sounds a little too soft and thin. The closing “Yeah Right” ends thing on a more positive note. It’s a solid upbeat rocker and one of the heaviest songs on an album that could’ve used more songs of this calibre.

I own the remastered version with four extra songs. “Statuary Date” is the worst of the bunch. “Feel Appeal” is better than some of the songs that made it onto the actual album, it’s more straight up rock and a little catchier. “I Will Win” is rocking but the chorus doesn’t get it right; close but no cigar. “If That’s What You Want” became “Me And The Boys” although it’s earlier incarnation was stronger and had better lyrics. If you ask me this version should’ve made the album instead!

There you have it. Any way you slice it, Love Is For Suckers is definitely, without a doubt, the worst Twisted Sister album. It suffers from the production, is full of fillers and it doesn’t feature Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza, A.J Pero (who left before this was released), even though the liner notes say they were a part of it (minus Pero, replaced by Joey Franco). The first two songs, and the album cover, are the only things that are truly memorable about LIFS. The rest is really unfocused and sub-par. Twisted Sister’s decline had already begun with their previous effort, 1985’s Come Out And Play which would show cracks of the band’s implosion, but this one was a commercial disappointment failing to reach gold status or chart successfully. Simply put, Twisted Sister was no longer a band at this point and the album did nothing to stop them from breaking up and was quite frankly just not very good.

2/5 stars

Mike liked this album slightly more.  Click here for his review.

REMEMBERING A.J. PERO by Tommy Morais

It was grade six.  I was 11 years old, and it was the Friday before a holiday, which meant the whole class got to do nothing but chill and watch a movie. For the rest of the day our teachers let us hang out and do nothing. We each brought pop, chips or both to share. One of my friends Maxime brought one of his dad’s CDs. That CD? Twisted Sister’s greatest hits. He asked the teacher if he could play it for us, and the rest is history. I was introduced to my first taste of Hard Rock and Metal. I distinctively remember telling one of my friends “this is not bad huh?”, to which he agreed. I glanced at the album cover. It said “Twisted Sister Big Hits & Nasty Cuts“. Then l proceeded to tell Maxime that this (ugly) “girl band” was pretty good. I wasn’t familiar with Glam/Hair/80’s metal at that point and even less so with the look. Truth is l had been exposed to some AC/DC, Loverboy and Metallica prior to that but this was the first time it really clicked.  Maybe it was just just the right age, the right time. There you have it, Twisted Sister was the first band I recall really taking a liking to. From then on l discovered my dad and his brother’s LPs and played them on the turntable (I remember digging the first Van Halen a lot).  I definitely have a soft spot for Twisted Sister.
It is with sadness that I learned of longtime drummer and classic lineup member A.J. Pero’s unfortunate passing. Pero was a crucial part of the band and its sound, and a great drummer too. I approached Mike about maybe doing something Twisted Sister related on his blog to which he was very enthusiastic. I wanted to review something AJ played on, like Come Out And Play as l plan to review all of TS’s material in the upcoming days, but with time restraints l had to settle for my (still brand new) Love ls For Suckers. The band has said that were to make some big announcement next week. One can only assume that it is regarding Twisted Sister’s future as a band. Jay Jay said on social media that they were already thinking about hanging it up prior to Pero’s passing. Then Dee Snider said it would be profitable to the Pero family if the band kept playing and that they were thinking about winding down in 2016 for the band’s 40th anniversary. I’m not against them continuing performing live and going out on a final tour to honour AJ and the anniversary of the band just as l am not opposed to the band calling it quits. I have a feeling they’ll at least play a few more shows and maybe do one last concert CD/DVD (that would be cool). Rest in peace A.J., the rock world lost a great drummer.

 

Found Musical Treasures! Last Video Before House Renos! [VIDEO]

At long last, it is time for house renovations!  We are receiving new windows and doors, as Phase One of this long awaited project.  It begins today, July 28 2025.

In preparation for this project, I have dug up and rediscovered some cool treasures.  We will be taking a look at more of them at a later time, but for this video, I decided to take advantage of the calm before the storm.  Before the dust starts a-flyin’, let’s have a quick look at some fun re-discovered items in the Grab A Stack collection.

This video is for fans of toys, cassettes, Harrison Kopp, Kiss, Tim Durling, or country music.  That’s a lot of people, so I hope you check it out!  It’s live now on YouTube, so give the link a click!

 

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 687: Night Ranger Deep Dive #12 (High Road)

Please join Tim Durling and myself for this deep dive into Night Ranger’s fabulous 2014 album, High Road.  This is a really special CD to me, with some great tracks including the title song, “I’m Coming Home” and “Don’t Live Here Anymore.  Jack Blade, Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy, Joel Hoekstra and Eric Levy really made a special album with this, and a pinnacle of the reunion era if you asked me.

Tim is doing this series of deep dives to celebrate his new book, Sing Me Away: The Night Ranger Album Review.  You can get it on your local Amazon and check out an analysis of every Night Ranger album from a panel of experts.  Including me!

Check out this episode of Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, which will premiere later today.

Ozzy’s Impact: Peter Kerr, Ashley Geisler, and Jake discuss Osbourne’s Albums

For the love of the Ozzman, friends gathered together to mourn and celebrate the unique talents and charms of one John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne.

Peter Kerr stated, if you walked up to an average person and asked them to name one icon of heavy metal, they’re likely to answer “Ozzy Osbourne”.  As a founding member of Black Sabbath, whose 1970 debut is generally credited for creating “heavy metal”, Ozzy was on the ground floor as the voice and face of the founding fathers.  Ozzy deserves far more credit than we could shower on him in just 80 minutes.

Joining me was Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation, his fellow countryman Ash Geisler, and Jake (Not From State Farm) in his live debut on Grab A Stack of Rock.  Each of us brought parts of our collections and stories of the ways in which Ozzy impacted our lives.  We also had a special video clip from Uncle Meat, on Ozzy’s effect on his life trajectory.

Each of us had some stacks of Ozzy rock to show.  Ash had some cool radio broadcast stuff and some interesting early CD pressings of Sabbath classics, not to mention a rare early Sabbath single in a picture sleeve.  Peter and Jake brought their Diary/Blizzard box sets, and some favourite records.  Mike provided Japanese imports, box sets, bonus tracks, and stories of discovery.

Peter came to us with some perspective from Bob Daisley, who he interviewed on Rock Daydream Nation.  Ozzy’s vocal prowess in the early days was emphasized, and we also addressed that final concert that everyone is still talking about.

We ended the show with Uncle Meat’s performance of “Fairies Wear Boots”, with his old band Heavy Cutting.

On a sad note, we also paid tribute to a cast member of the Grab A Stack Gang that we lost this week.  Yes, we didn’t just lose Ozzy, Hulk Hogan, Malcolm Jamal Warner, and Chuck Mangione.  We also lost the beloved, fan favourite Gimley the Cat.  I said a few words for Gimley, who was always by Rob Daniels’ side on his every appearance.  I am sorry for your loss Rob.

Thank you for joining us on this very special episode of Grab A Stack of Rock.  Next week:  back to 50 Years of Iron Maiden.

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Memories of Ozz

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

With special guests Peter Kerr, Ash Geisler and Jake NFSF

Episode 110: Memories of Ozz

We had no plan for this.  Tonight’s episode was supposed to be a regular, old-fashioned Grab A Stack of Rock, where we grab a bunch of albums and talk about them at random.  Unfortunately the Metal gods had another plan, and they called upon Ozzy Osbourne to join them in Rock Heaven.  And so our plans were upturned.

Peter Kerr and Ash Geisler remain on the guestlist to talk about Ozzy Osbourne.  Favourite memories, favourite albums, favourite songs.  Things that mean something to us.  Ways in which Ozzy touched our lives.  Peter has interviewed Bob Daisley and John Sinclair, and has that perspective to add.  Unfortunately Harrison Kopp the Mad Metal Man felt unqualified to join, so in his stead will be Jake (Not From State Farm) for a special appearance.

I will never forget my Grandma buying me an Ozzy tape as a gift.  I don’t think she picked it herself, given the cover art.  I will always smile when I think of road tripping with my friend Peter, to the sound of the early Black Sabbath stuff.  Specifically, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” from the recently acquired Ozzy Osbourne Years box set.  Or, my dad discovering Ozzy in the 2000s when he made his mainstream TV debut.

Jake, Ash and Peter will bring their own stories to the fore.  Join us tonight as we salute the original Madman of Metal, on Grab A Stack of Rock.

Friday July 25 at 7:00 PM EST, 8 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

 

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.