From the very start of Record Store Tales, to the present day I have been quite emphatic about one fact: My parents did not place any conditions or prohibitions against any kind of music we listened to as kids. We had nosey Catholic neighbours who did on their kids, but my mom and dad were cool. My dad liked that Iron Maiden sang historically accurate songs about World War II, and other conflicts such as the Crimean War. My mom had a younger brother, my long-haired Uncle Don Don, who liked Led Zeppelin and Alice Cooper. What I was bringing home, Van Halen and Quiet Riot, wasn’t much noisier or frightening. We’re talking degrees of separation. I had it easy. I wouldn’t have the collection I have today if they didn’t give me free reign over my entertainment.
That doesn’t mean they weren’t paying attention. They saw stuff on TV about “Knights in Satan’s Service”, and my mom did ask me if that’s what KISS stood for. I remember getting really huffy and saying “NO, it’s just a word!” She believed me and let me go. I think my parents always knew that rock stars did well by generating their own controversy. They witnessed the rise and fall of Elvis Presley, and the explosive career of the Beatles, all accompanied by screaming teens, shaking hips, and suggestive songs. I think they knew I wasn’t going to die on a toilet like Elvis just because I saw David Lee Roth getting arrested wearing nothing but a towel in the “Panama” video. I don’t think they believed in Satan, so much as thought I would go to hell because I saw Ozzy Osbourne dressed as a werewolf in a music video. Maybe it would have mattered if I spent all my time watching videos, but I went to school and did my homework like every other kid. They just preferred Tears For Fears to Tesla.
I can really only remember a handful of talks about music. Once was the question about the meaning of KISS, and one was about the death of Randy Rhoads. I was quick to correct my dad when he said he “probably died of drugs”. “He wasn’t on drugs, but the pilot of the airplane was,” I said. I never got in shit for playing any music. Only the for the volume at which I played it. I played “Big Balls” by AC/DC at the kitchen table one time. Never a word!
There was only one instance in which my mother was simply not impressed with my music. Not at all impressed. It involved the aforementioned Alice Cooper.
I had this second cousin on my mom’s side, Danny. He was a bit older and into all kinds of heavier rock. He was into Alice Cooper, and played me “The Black Widow” in the Winnebago he arrived in. Summer of 1986. The bit with Vincent Price doing his Vincent Price thing really grabbed me. I loved Vincent Price. Alice had a big comeback in the 80’s, with Constrictor, Raise Your Fist and Yell, and Trash. He was once again in the news, but this time for his remarkable return to the forefront of popular rock artists. It was in this climate that I began collecting his music. My mother knew who Alice Cooper was. It was she that gave me Welcome to My Nightmare for Easter 1991. It was weird, and some things were decidedly un-rock…but I loved it! One thing I enjoyed about Alice Cooper’s music is that he constantly forced me to re-define my conceptions about what rock was.
I was still in highschool, and my mom was still doing my laundry for me. One night I was in bed, lights out, with music rocking me to sleep as it did every night. Welcome to My Nightmare was still fresh in my collection, and that’s what was playing when she entered my room that night with a basket of laundry. “The Black Widow” was mid-song. She missed all the cool Vincent Price stuff, which I’m sure she would have approved of. No, this is what she walked in to:
“He stares with a gleam, with a laugh so obscene,
At the virgins and the children he’s deflowered.”
“DID HE JUST SAY VIRGINS AND CHILDREN ARE DEFLOWERED?” asked my mother with a volume in her voice you rarely heard.
I mumbled something about Vincent Price and didn’t attempt to defend the lyrics. I said something about he’s singing about spiders and that’s all I could muster.
To her credit, nothing more was said, and when Alice Cooper came out with his new album Hey Stoopid that summer, she bought a copy for my birthday. Today, she knows the Coop is a man of high character, and approves of my selection!
RECORD STORE “WTF” TALES #1238: “Help Me Get My CD!”
I do not “share” files. If a random person emails and asks me to send them some music files, I will always say “no”. Except in this case. I didn’t know what else I could do to help this one angry customer.
The reasons I will not “share” files are many. For one, I have good relations to many of the artists and labels that you read about here. I enjoy being sent CDs for free. I don’t want that to end, so I do not “share” what I have. Besides, it’s not “sharing”, is it? I don’t own the songs. I don’t own the copyrights. They are not mine to give away. You can ask, but don’t expect anything from me except a lecture about “sharing”. In most cases, I paid good money for those songs. Why should I give away copies of what I bought? Just because I have managed to acquire a song or an album doesn’t entitle someone else to a copy. If you ask, I’ll say no.
Except in this one case.
A few years ago, I reviewed a new CD by a band I liked. I got it directly from the band’s lead singer. It was good; I gave it a positive review. The singer appreciated it and I moved on to another project.
About three months after reviewing the album, I received the lengthy email below from a loyal reader. I didn’t know this reader at all, and while I appreciated their patronage over the years, I found the email below rather baffling.
Hi Mike Ladano,
I’m a huge fan of your site and your influences on the sleaze/glam metal genre for years and years! Please don’t get offended, it’s not about you. It’s about the lead goof singer at [BAND]. I saw your review of his “attempt” to release all his band’s songs on [A CD]. And others’ reviews as well. I loved their music in the past. I was anxious to buy it period. One problem, [SINGER]. He’s a timewasting unreliable goof who will send you back random incoherent messages on Facebook (when you ask him over and over and over again to buy his CD), and actually try to discourage you from buying it! He then tells you he needs your home address to send an “invoice”. Then what happens? He continues to send random Facebook messages, trying to discourage your purchase and tells you “I find you asking me for my autograph on the item bizarre”. And then you never hear from this guy again. I tried to buy his CD for months now. I honestly don’t know how you and others who reviewed it were able to get the actual CD in your hands. Because this guy [SINGER] refuses to sell the fucking CD to you. He never sent me any “invoice” and he just disappeared forever. His “company” [DELETED] is a joke, just like his so called business acumen obviously. I am very disappointed in him and the [BAND], as I have no way to buy this CD. I can see why there are none available anywhere on Earth. This guy refuses to actually sell the CD to anyone. I even tried to login to Facebook with another account and the goof did the same thing to me again. Again, I am disappointed in [BAND] and I can now see why they never got signed to any major label deals. If [SINGER] was in charge of business for the band, they would (and did) go absolutely nowhere commercially. If you can help me get my [CD] compilation I would be very appreciative. Again, this is no attack on your awesome site and your own awesome personal reviews of amazing bands over the years. Thanks.
There have been CDs that have been difficult and annoying to acquire over the years (see: Scrap Metal, Helix). I don’t know of any singer from any bands who outright refused to sell a CD. There must be more to this story! Was the singer somehow offended by the request to have the CD signed? Many artists coordinate their sales via Facebook. I have bought discs from Evil Elvis and Mitch Lafon on Facebook. It’s usually a matter of payment, and making sure they have your mailing address. Never an issue!
I’m not sure how this customer wanted me to intervene. Did they want me to talk to the singer and say, “Hey, so-and-so wants you to send a CD, can you do that?” I’d rather not get involved, especially since this story probably has more details that I am not privy to. There has to be a reason why the singer was dismissive of the customer, if the story is indeed true. Was the customer talking to a scam artist on Facebook? Possibly.
So, I broke my own rule. Not knowing how to help this reader, I offered to send them the files.
Thank you to Marco D’Auria for inviting me for this special episode of the Contrarians! What are my Top Five Encounters when I was working at the Record Store? I mulled it over and told some stories. (I did mess up a couple minor details but nothing major.) This fun 35 minute video highlights some of the funniest highs and lows of working at a Record Store for 12 years! Many of these stories involve “live wire” customers! Some are about some really rare CDs that I scored back in the day.
Working in used CDs during the Golden Age of the CD was an experience not many people get to have. I am grateful that I am one of the few. I will never forget it. Please enjoy the show!
RECORD STORE TALES 1237: Good Times Don’t Get Better Than This
Do you ever have a song that you really like, so you show it to your friends, in hopes that some will also dig it? It’s nice when a song connects, but sometimes it is more memorable when it doesn’t. Many times people say “Sure, it’s OK, not for me though.” That’s easy to understand. We’re all different. What can really stick in the memory is any time a song you like elicits a violently negative reaction.
I’m thinking back to 2004. I was working one afternoon with my full-timer, Kevin. We rarely saw eye to eye on music. He was into…I don’t know, I guess you’d say he was into “Indi” music? He’ll hate me forever for not remembering anything about his musical tastes. I remember a band called Death Cab For Cutie and I’ll always associate that name with Kevin. What happened was, I was really enamored with the Helix documentary 30 Years Of Helix. A very slick and well made DVD, I watched it many times that summer. The end credits went to a Brian Vollmer solo song called “Good Times Don’t Get Better Than This”. It’s an upbeat acoustic song from the Vollmer solo album When Pigs Fly. I hadn’t played that album in ages and had forgotten all about the song, until I saw that DVD. The song was in my head; stuck in a good way.
I put the song on a mix CD, one of my “integrity mixes” (which my old co-worker Kam called generally “quite great”). One night I was playing the mix CD with Kevin, and asked him to listen to the Vollmer song. There is a whistling part at the end that just killed me.
It was a dark time in my life and to find music that made me feel good and positive was rare. Maybe that’s why Kevin just didn’t appreciate “Good Times Don’t Get Better Than This”. For me, it allowed me to envision myself camping outdoors, by the fire, with the best friends, and playing a great song. I hadn’t had that experience yet, but it seemed like a cool setting for a great song.
“What do you think? Great eh?” I asked him
“That…was not good,” he told me bluntly.
“You don’t like it at all?” I asked.
“No, that was a terrible song! It was so cheesey! It sounded like bad campfire rock!”
I was shocked at just how much he hated it. Genuinely shocked. Crushed, even? Maybe it was the campfire singalong quality, but that song was definitely not his thing. I really hoped he’d appreciate it but you can’t force people to like things that they just don’t like. After all, I didn’t like Death Cab For Cutie, and I definitely disliked that Franz Ferdinand they were always playing.
Funny these things that stick in our memories over 20 years later. I can’t remember a single song from a mix CD that he made for me in ages past, but I remember that one song he hated. Psychologists, have at it.
“Good Times Don’t Get Better Than This” lyrics
From When Pigs Fly (1999)
(Gadd, Palleschi, Vollmer, & Weir)
And I said hey! I can’t complain, I’m lucky to be here, With all my friends, good times, Don’t get better than this!
I’ve got a friend, His name his Ed, He accidentally lost his head, You’ll never see him with a frown, ‘Cause he’s positive the negative will never get him down.
And he says hey! I can’t complain, I’m lucky to be here, With all my friends, good times, Don’t get better than this!
And then there’s Joe! He sold his soul for rock and roll, The devil made him do it, Can’t you see? He ain’t gettin’ rich, uh-uh, But he gets around, And there’s a winkle on his face for every road that he’s been down.
And he says hey! I can’t complain, I’m lucky to be here, With all my friends, good times, Don’t get better than this, ah!
(Whistling)
And I said hey! I can’t complain, I’m lucky to be here, With all my friends, good times, Don’t get better than this! And I said hey! I can’t complain, uh-uh! I’m lucky to be here, With all my friends, good times, Don’t get better than this! Well they don’t get better than this!
I am a full time caregiver. It is my blessing, but it is also undeniably a taxing role. I love my beautiful epileptic, and I have come to know the signs when it comes to her health better than my own. I would not trade this role with anyone else, because I would not trust this role to anyone else. There was only ever one other person I trusted to take care of Jen, and that was her mom. Now the job falls solely upon me.
Seizures come in a variety of flavours. Some are simple “zone outs” or absence seizures. Some involve the more stereotypical convulsions. The worst ones involve serious falls and injuries. The ones I have grown to hate the most are what I call “wandering seizures” or “zombie seizures”. In a trance-like state, Jen will wander around the apartment, trying to find an exit. Sometimes she collides with furniture or tries to walk through a wall. In these cases I find myself trying to keep her from injury and guide her back to the bed. This is often impossible. When Jen is in one of these seizure states, she can be all but unstoppable. Even if I am physically blocking her path, she can still manage to unlock and partially open doors in an attempt to get out. She is very strong. In one of those seizure states, she is also very determined. It can take an hour for her to come out of it. That is a long time to keep watch, keep guard, and try to physically keep someone safe.
This week was a bad one. On Saturday, as usual, I struggled with sleep. I wanted to wake up early and get to work on my many creative projects. And so, I did. I was up before 5:00 AM. By 2:00 PM, I needed to crash for a nap. Jen snuggled me to sleep for a bit and then went to go watch the sports coverage on TV. About an hour later, I groggily woke, not fully rested but at least better than before. I heard a banging on the bedroom window and I knew immediately what it was. Most people would be scared shitless. “Who is banging maniacally on my bedroom window?” For me, experience told me what had happened, and a look out the blinds confirmed it. Jen was stuck outside, in the mud and snow wearing just socks on her feet. Her hair was a mess and it was clear she had a zombie seizure. It took what seemed like forever to find a pair of pants and my keys. (I need the keys to get back in.) I threw on some Crocs and ran outside. Jen had already wandered the full length of the parking lot, all the way to the road. A few neighbors were watching – I ignored them, ran to Jen and spun her around 180 degrees.
“What’s going on?” she asked, but I didn’t say much.
“Getting you back inside.”
“To the car?” she asked as we walked past our vehicle.
“No, to bed. Come on, let’s go,” I nudged.
We even have bells attached to our door, so that if Jen walks out unexpectedly, I can hear the door open. Unfortunately this doesn’t help if I am asleep. You can only prepare so much. You can only safeguard so much.
We slowly got ourselves inside, got the socks off, and got her into bed. It felt like forever. I have no idea how long it really took.
I was physically exhausted and sore after only those few minutes of activity. A neighbor knocked on the door to return a blanket that Jen had dropped in the snow. I spotted two cop cars outside, so I knew someone had called 911. Strange that it was two cops and no ambulance.
It often takes me a solid 24 hours to recover from a zombie seizure experience. It takes Jen about the same. Sometimes I feel like a zombie at work, when it happens on a work night.
She’s OK. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in that state. She won’t remember any of it. I will remember it all. Someone has to. Someone has to accurately tell the neurologist what happened when we see him again. It’s my job to make sure.
RECORD STORE TALES #1235: Revisiting Trillion Dollar Treats
Three years ago, I wanted to replace my old Technics tape deck. The belts were worn out and I don’t have the skill to replace them. I headed over to Max the Axe’s Garage Sale, AKA “Trillion Dollar Treats” and bought a Kenwood. That Kenwood lasted a couple years, but started to act up and crackle when playing tapes recently. I decided to go back to Trillion Dollar Treats and see what Maxie had for sale this time. Max collects old tech, and he had three decks for me to look at.
Unfortunately, Max, our rock star superhero, is recovering from an augmentation. His brand new titanium hip is causing him some pain, but we still managed to find a good tape deck in the collection. Max also had some “not for sale” goodies that I just had to take pictures of, for the memories.
The new tape deck was the mission. I own several things on tape that don’t exist on CD (though as reissues become more comprehensive, that list gets shorter every year). I want to be able to play and archive my cassettes (and any new ones that I buy) without crackle. As time goes on, there are fewer and fewer tracks that only exist on cassette, but I also seem to acquire more tapes as the years go on. I still like the option to play them, and archive the tracks digitally.
Max had several decks, including a rack-mounted one, but I made my choice after only one quick demo. I picked the Onkyo pictured below, and it does indeed sound great. I am considering putting a Helix rarity that I own online, that has now been archived in better quality. Of course, the issue there is, if I put it online, it’s no longer a rarity, is it? Still, my Helix tape sounds better now than in the past 35 years of playing on other decks.
After purchasing my new deck, for which Max threw in two sealed Maxell blank tapes, I had a look around Trillion Dollar Treats to see what else Max had in his collection. While not for sale, the below items tickled my fancy enough to share with you.
NEW! As seen on TV! Curl-A-Dog hot dog slicer. Because who doesn’t need this? Bonus 20 hot dog recipes, in case you’re cooking impaired.
Alterego Voice Decoder! Three different vocal effects for you to use: “Monster”, “Alien” and just an amplification. Masks pictured but not included.
Light-Up Shoelaces! For those who thought my Croclights were cool.
Electric Plane Launcher. From Middlesex University! I do wish I was better at folding paper airplanes. Maybe that is a new hobby I should look into this summer. This can launch them up to four meters! But the warning states, this is NOT a toy.
Golf Selfie Clip. I know Max does enjoy golfing, but now I expect selfies when his hip heals up.
Best of all… the Flying Bat. Only takes 2 AA batteries. I would like to see this baby take on my drone.
Even though all of these things are totally awesome and hilarious, Max did dig up one more thing that is not for sale… yet.
In storage, Max found an old reel to reel tape, a master recording of six songs. It weathered the elements over the decades by remaining sealed in plastic. The tape contains Max the Axe recordings, including versions of songs that we have never heard before, along with some familiar classics: “Please Please”, “Magnum P.I.”, “6 Gun”, “Why Do You Talk” and “401”.
The tape appeared to be in good shape, but later that day, Max acquired a working reel to reel player, just to hear them and hopefully do a transfer. Ultimately we hope these songs will be mastered for release.
It was a great morning spent with Max the Axe at Trillion Dollar Treats. Stay tuned as there should be more music coming in the months ahead, from Max the Swingin’ Axe! Stay tuned, for if we are lucky, more music is coming soon.
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!
RECORD STORE TALES #1232: Let the Music Do the Talking? The List of Bands that Made it…and Some that Didn’t
At the end of the day, does it really matter why we got into a band? Just as long as we did discover any particular group, if it turned into true love, then the “hows” and “whys” really don’t need to be defended. They can be interesting stories, or even just an anecdote, but if you got into Kiss because you thought they looked cool, or Iron Maiden because of Eddie, it really doesn’t matter. It’s the fact you love Kiss, or Iron Maiden, that matters.
So, here are some stories and anecdotes that may give you a glimpse at how shallow I was as a metal kid in the mid-1980s. Image mattered more than music sometimes.
I had a list, an actual list, of the bands I “liked”. If I “liked” a band, that meant I’d be interested in getting an album, and would record any music video I found on MuchMusic. I still love all those initial bands that I “liked”. Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Helix, Kick Axe, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Dio, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Van Halen, ZZ Top, Triumph, AC/DC, Accept, Lee Aaron, and oddly enough, Kim Mitchell were all in the original lineup.
I remember hearing about a band called Hateful Snake. I didn’t know who they were, except they were supposed to be good. They had a cool name at least. As it happens, Hateful Snake were a Toronto band that got some video play on Toronto Rocks in 1983. Toronto Rocks was the pre-MuchMusic show of choice before the Pepsi Power Hour existed. All the kids watched it, and it had a huge influence in my neighbourhood. The Hatedful Snake video for a song called “Are You Ready” was low budget but incredibly fun, and you can hear the band had potential. With a New Wave of British Heavy Metal sound and feel, and a capable lead singer with that high voice, I get a Diamond Head feel. Brian Simpson was the voice. They also had the chops, as the lead guitar player shreds a cool AC/DC style solo while snaking his way down Yonge Street in Toronto. I would have liked Hateful Snake, had I ever seen the video.
I never did see it. Hateful Snake were all but a blip in my world. Just a pair of words whispered from one rock friend to another and eventually to me, without ever having a chance of catching that music video. Still, I added Hateful Snake to my list of bands I liked, on a tentative basis, just to beef it up a bit.
It was a pretty exclusive club, and all but one artist (Kim Mitchell) would be classified as “heavy metal” at the time. Now those of you who have been reading since the beginning know that Styx was in fact the first rock band I ever liked; what happened to Styx? In my exclusivity, I removed Styx from the list and excised my copy of Kilroy Was Here from my collection. That’s why I don’t have it anymore. It probably got filed with my parents’ records and sold at a garage sale, because they don’t have their records anymore either.
It was a game changer when MuchMusic entered the music video game in 1984. Suddenly, there were more bands: Other bands joined in as I discovered their music, such as Killer Dwarfs, Thor, Autograph, Loudness, Armored Saint, Anvil and Queensryche. Loudness and Queensryche may have been the first metal groups I discovered on my own, without the help of my friends in the neighborhood. There were some bands that definitely did not make my list. Venom: Far too heavy. Motorhead: Heavy, and scary. Metallica: Mythical. I never had the chance to hear their music, because they didn’t have any music videos.
Given that I was sitting there in my basement watching music videos, it is inevitable that some bands made my list for trivial reasons. Superficial, even silly reasons.
Aerosmith: Joe Perry had a transparent plexiglas guitar in the music video, and I never saw anything like that before in my life. I knew Bob Schipper would love it. I hit the “record” button on my VCR.
Sammy Hagar: The Ferrari! “I Can’t Drive 55” was also a hilarious video, but it was the car.
Cheap Trick: The five-neck guitar that Rick Neilson wields in “The Flame”. Five necks! I had to have that in my VHS collection.
David Lee Roth: He had removed himself from my list when he did “California Girls” and left Van Halen. This wasn’t rock! But he got himself back in when I saw him in the smokin’ “Yankee Rose” video. If Roth didn’t return to rocking, he wouldn’t have been on the list.
Lionheart: This British band made it on the list as one of the first “side project” expansions to the list. The band included Dennis Stratton, the guitarist who appeared on the first Iron Maiden album and in the “Women in Uniform” video. That allowed them entry onto my list, the first of many such expansions.
Yngwie J Malmsteen: Reputation alone. The announcers on television said he was the next big thing, so I thought I better get this guy on tape. He could play.
The exclusive club that was my list grew and grew. Today it’s not so exclusive. Yet, like a band, there’s something about those original members. Listening to the original member bands of my list is always a rich, nostalgic experience. I tend to back to the originals a lot. Any chance to relive the golden years, if only for the length of an LP!
RECORD STORE TALES #1231: 20 Years Ago, I Left the Dream “Record Store” Job
I woke up on Wednesday, January 4 2006 knowing it was the last time I’d be opening that Godforsaken record store. The job I once loved so much that I’d show up an hour early to review new stock had become my nemesis. It was like a chain, pulling me down every single day. I looked forward to the end so badly. The day truly flew by.
It started with the management putting out a statement that, after 12 years at the store, I was leaving. Shocked messages flooded my inbox. I was considered an original, a “lifer”. Many people thought I’d never leave. Those truly close to me knew the time was coming, but when the announcement was made, the shockwaves rippled through cyberspace. That warmed me up a little bit on that cold winter day.
The boss took me out to lunch. East Side Mario’s, if I recall. Memories of this are of a good final talk, but it also reminds me that I never truly felt comfortable around him. Never felt like I could be myself. He talked of parenthood and what that was like, and I just felt tense even as I tried to relax.
It wasn’t a memorable day otherwise. I have no journals from that day about customers throwing pencils at my head, or throwing other varieties of hissy fits. I handed in my key, walked out the front door at 5:00 PM, and I was a private citizen once again. No more discount. And they lost all the power they held over me.
I was given a giant “goodbye card”, which I kept. There are sentiments inside that I found surprisingly angering today. Comments about “cheese metal” and unflattering nicknames. Good intentions, but proof that very few people that I worked with for years truly knew me.
But you can see for yourself. For this special 20 year look back, I made a video. Please join Dan Chartrand and myself for this look back at that fateful final day, 20 years ago.
RECORD STORE TALES #1230: 101 Dumpsters: 2025 In Review
Dear friends and strangers,
As we gather and recall the past year, it is important to remember the many times we have sat here together before. Most years since 2018 have been years of change. 2025 is no exception. Always setbacks, losses and triumphs! Let’s have a look back the good, the bad, and the awesome!
Part the First
2025 represented a personal shift away from writing and more towards videos. The reason for this is two-fold:
1.The Community changed from primarily writers, to YouTubers. Whereas I used to do writing collaborations, now I am invited onto YouTube shows. Collaborations abounded in 2025! I became a regular on The Contrarians Live, with a total of 27 episodes in 2024-25 (Full list of 27 episodes can be found by clicking here). Many of these included Martin Popoff – pinch my younger self! I also did several episodes of Rock Daydream Nation with Peter Kerr, My Music Corner with Johnny Metal, Tim’s Vinyl Confessions with Mr. Durling, Darcyska with D’Arcy Briggs, Grant’s Rock Warehaus with Mr. Arthur, Slogan’s Rock and Metal Extravaganza with Sidney and sometimes Logan, Rock Show Critique with Joey Suto, Off the Charts with Dan Chatrand, and of course, a couple amazing episodes on The Collection with Mr. John T. Snow (more on that later). The biggest channel I appeared on in 2025 was Pete Pardo’s Sea of Tranquility. I did two episodes with them, both hosted by Jamie Laszlo. This has kept me well busy!
2.50 Years of Iron Maiden. We debuted on January 10, 2025 and are still rolling with the Maiden! We’ll be done mid-2026.
It has been an incredible year creatively. There is a lot to be proud of. Videos appeal to a different audience than written articles, and so we’ve lost people along the way, but one must always follow their creative muse. I have been making videos since 1989. With the tools we have now, it is an old burning passion that is now easy to follow. There were still written some reviews in 2025, and there will be in 2026, but I must go where the wind takes me. I’m not fighting it or questioning it anymore. I’m just doing what I want to do. Music always finds its way into everything I do.
Part the Second
We can’t talk about 2025 without talking about our dive back into interviews! Lacking confidence, I swore them off a while ago. Not including people that I consider friends, such as Robert Lawson and Tim Durling, 2025 was primarily dominated by six interviews, in chronological order:
1.Blotto: Early in the year, I reached out to Blotto about an interview for their new movie, Hello! My Name Is Blotto! The Movie. To my surprise, I got the whole band and movie director Rob Lichter as well. This went so well that it created lasting friendships, our own “Blotto” names (Kitchener and Blocko Blotto), and a second interview coming in 2026. This gave me the confidence I needed to do more.
2.Alan Niven: Thank you John T Snow from 2Loud2OldMusic for inviting me to co-host his interview with former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven. It was for his book Sound N’ Fury which has still not come out. John and I were fortunate enough to read it before “someone” had the plug pulled…and you can certainly guess who is probably responsible. What a great interview experience this was! Alan puffed his cigar and answered our questions thoughtfully and with considered wit. A formidable man who treated us with nothing but thanks and gratitude.
3. Next Up was Bob Cesca from Camp Chaos, though this did not air for a few months after we recorded it, as it was slotted in for 50 Years of Iron Maiden episode 25: Visions of the Beast. Bob was responsible for those “NAPSTER BAD!” cartoons in the early 2000s, and his love of science fiction and Rush made him one of the easiest conversations we’ve ever had. Talking to Bob gave us another confidence boost. I said to Harrison, “We should get in touch with the Blaze Bayley camp…”
4.Blaze Bayley is our proudest achievement to date, collectively and personally. With very little notice, we were given an early morning recording time on a Monday. What resulted is an interview that Harrison and I felt no hyperbole in calling “The Best Blaze Bayley Interview You’ve Ever Seen” From Iron Maiden to mental health to science fiction and punctuality, Blaze was everything we hoped he would be and more. To say we have interviewed someone from Iron Maiden, is a bucket list item we can check off. A lifetime of wishes come true. They say “Don’t meet your heroes?” Harrison and I both disagree.
5.Rick Hughes from Sword was another big one. Here is a guy who I have been listening to since 1987; even longer than Blaze by a good margin. Dan Chartrand and I were both offered Rick, but rather than duplicate each other, we decided to team up. The subject was Rick’s new solo album Redemption, but we went everywhere with this interview. Opening for Motorhead, reuniting the band, and writing with Aldo Nova: we covered it all on this excellent interview with a Canadian metal legend.
6.Tom Harper, known professionally as Harper, was a fun way to end the year’s interviews. The only thing that can compete with anyone from Iron Maiden is a guy who played on a Kiss record. Harper played bass on “Shandi”, and had a million stories. Check out the episode that my mom called the “best ever!” Even Broadway Blotto agreed!
Part the Third: Top Five Albums of 2025
The part everyone waits for every year! There is also an accompanying Tim’s Vinyl Confessions episode to go with my list, but for those who prefer to read… read on!
My music list this year is a delightful mix of genres and bands. I love that a band well over 50 years old can put out my #1 album of 2025. On the opposite side of the age gap is a hot young band out of Toronto. In the middle is a British band that debuted in the early 2000s. All of these albums are worth checking out, but please note my #1 pick is particularly special.
Here’s to the best of 2025!
5.The Beaches – No Hard Feelings
The Toronto quartet rolls on with another hit-filled new album. Cutting edge rock & pop from a feminine perspective.
4.Ghost – Skeletá
Another band that simply rolled on with another album full of memorable classics… it’s Ghost!
Another contender for Album of the Year. Reaching highs not heard since the early 1990s, Harem Scarem have a sound that they have mastered, and they continue to find new ways of writing catchy hard rock.
1.Styx – Circling From Above
When I finally got my hands on the new Styx, I knew immediately that the Battle of 2025 was over – finished!! New(er) members Terry Gowan and Will Evankovich have brought fresh sounds to the first rock band I ever liked. That’s three incredible albums in a row from Styx! Progressive rock and beyond.
Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 754: Best Albums of 2025
Part the Fourth: Personal Stuff
Another years of highs and lows on the personal front. My Aunt is in a care facility; she has a hard time remembering us. We also lost our beloved elder. Losing Grandma shortly after her 101st birthday was surreal. She’d had so many health scares and recoveries, that I mourned her multiple times in the last five years before she finally passed. I was so happy to see her make 101 years. We saw her on her birthday, and that was the last time we saw her. I gave her eulogy, and some people say it’s the best public speech I ever gave. Highs and lows!
There were a ton of big changes and challenges at home in 2025. Renovations, which I’ve been talking about for years, have finally commenced! New windows and doors are installed, and more purging of belongings we didn’t need. I established a home office for working remotely. That is probably the biggest change at home in 2025. I haven’t commuted anywhere in a month now. This has drastically altered my mental health, as I navigate new routines. Fingers are crossed!
2025 also represented a new personal peace. Trying to be a better person year after year, I endeavored to put the past behind me and reach out to some old friends. To my surprised delight, one of them reconnected with me, and we are friends again. The one that I once publicly said would never talk to me again, has been back in my life for a year. Another declined my olive branch, but I’ll take this win. Working towards a more peaceful life is a good goal to have, and it doesn’t mean you can’t still listen to angry heavy rock! Though I certainly can’t rock physically as hard as I used to.
One thing that I am slowly learning is that years tend to get harder as you age. We lose people, and you can never predict that the the next year will be a year without funerals. The last part of 2025 has been dominated by physical pain and anxiety. Painfully, I am forced to realize that the body breaks down as we abuse it, year after year. Physically, though I am taking care of myself by trying to eat better, and practice better mental health, my body is betraying me. New pains become familiar pains. Some go away for months and surprise you with a return later on, always at inconvenient times. This year was the year I dropped my cell phones into a dumpster, and took a dive for the worse. I am still paying for that mis-step. There are good and bad days for pain. Today is a particularly bad one. Healing must continue in 2026.
Part the Last
In these uncertain times, we can only hope things don’t get worse next year. Nobody can say what the new year will bring, but I do know we’ll have plenty of new music to digest. New tours, as Journey, Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, and even Rush and Triumph roll into 2026.
I don’t want to end the year on a bummer. I can’t promise that 2026 will be the “best year ever!” or that I will reach newer and higher accomplishments. I can only promise that I will continue to follow my creative muses. I have many creative hats. I’m a videographer, a podcaster, a writer, a drone pilot, and a cook. You’ve been with me as I’ve shared my journey, on these subjects and more. Journey on, I will. More adventures. More food. More new discoveries. More MUSIC! Even years ago, when I “quit” writing about music, it still found its way into my work. Every drone video has a kick-ass soundtrack, and every fictional story I’ve ever written has a soundtrack to it (whether you can hear it or not). Music has been my life since 1977, when John Williams first opened my ears with the bombastic sound of brass, percussion and strings. It’ll never go away.
I end this year with a message of hope.
I have learned that nothing is permanent. The present sometimes feels like it, but nothing lasts forever and soon our new “normal” will be quite different from today. If I can reconcile with the most unlikely of old friends, then there is always hope. Hope for the future. Happy 2026, and let’s continue to break new ground…together.
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