Record Store Tales

#1097: Why We Always Liked Christmas Eve Best – An Uncle Paul Story

RECORD STORE TALES #1097: Why We Always Liked Christmas Eve Best – An Uncle Paul Story

Christmas was always a big deal in our family.  It was a multi-stage affair:  many dinners and many gifts at several residences.  In my earliest years, the Christmas festivities would begin in Guelph, Ontario.

The Ladano clan originated in Amalfi, and then Sicily.  When they came to Canada in the early years of the 1900s, they settled in the largely Italian town of Guelph.  This is where my grandfather lived, and we would make our way to his house in the snowy afternoon of December 24.  We journeyed from Kitchener, and my Uncle Paul and Aunt Maria came from Stratford.  The first round of gifts would be given.  A lot of “dinky cars”, Hotwheels and Matchbox.  Eventually we would fall asleep, and at the end of the night, we’d be loaded in the car for the drive home.  We would probably have slept in the car too, if not for my dad’s shenanigans from the driver’s seat.  He always had us on the lookout for “Rudolph”.  We had to beat Santa home to the house!  “Rudolph” was in fact a red light atop a radio tower, but look for him we did.  Radio stations would egg us on with “Santa sightings” on their radar.  We’d always make it home before Santa arrived.

After my grandfather died, Christmas Eve changed.  My uncle and aunt would arrive mid-day at our house from Stratford.  This is where my strongest memories begin.

My sister and I would already be on holidays and we could not — COULD NOT! — wait for Christmas Eve!  Whatever old Atari games we had were boring compared to what we thought was coming.  Killing time was the name of the game.  We watched whatever Christmas specials were on, good and bad.  It seemed like an eternity, and it felt like those days crawled by like months.  Then, finally, December 24 would come, and Uncle Paul and Aunt Maria would too!  And they always brought the best gifts.  No clothes from them.  Only fun.  Candy, puzzles, games, books, and toys only!  We had to be showered and dressed, because they’d be here any minute!

We’d stare out the front window at every car.  Nope, not them.  Nope, not them.  Wait!  That’s them!!  Their car would slowly turn through the snow into the driveway.  Then they’d get out and start unloading the gifts!  “Look at the size of that one!” I’d cry.  “I hope that’s for me!”  My mom would interject.  “It’s not for you, now go down and help!”  And so we’d race down the stairs and hug them and carry the bags and bags of gifts upstairs.  They also brought food and treats.  My aunt’s home-made pizza would be lunch for the following day.

There was one year that was so snowy, we didn’t know if Christmas Eve would have to be cancelled or not.  It seemed unimaginable!  The snow that night was some of the deepest I had ever seen.  Uncle and Aunt had never missed a Christmas Eve before!  No blizzards ever stopped them.  One year, they came by train, but they never missed.

Once Uncle and Aunt arrived, it felt like Christmas had really started.  Then and only then.  Before that moment, there was tension and anticipation.  My mom had so much to do in the kitchen before they got there!  “If you’re not going to help then stay out of the way!” she would scold.  We’d run to join my dad in the living room, waiting patiently watching old black & white Christmas specials.  But then Uncle and Aunt would pull into that driveway wearing their warm sweaters, and Christmas would really begin.

After we got our first Schnauzer, the doggie would go crazy when they appeared in our driveway.  The dog would bark and bark and bark from the front window, and then race down the stairs to greet them first.  Of course, this happy was greeting was conditional upon treats, which were ready in pocket.  The dog would wind around our legs as we tried to carry gifts up the stairs.

Uncle and Aunt’s gifts were always opened on Christmas Eve, just like they were back in the old days in Guelph.  And they got us the best gifts.

My uncle would always tell us, “be patient!” but we couldn’t wait to rip into their gifts.  As the 80s wore on, the nature of the gifts evolved.  At first they were Star Wars guys and Atari games.  Soon after, GI Joes and Transformers.  This gave way to music.  Cassettes first, and then CD, with some VHS tapes mixed in for good measure.  There were never socks.  No button-up shirts, no mittens, no slacks.  They never bought us clothes, and they were proud of it!  Stratford has some interesting toy stores, so we often received unique 3D puzzles and brain twisters.  Stratford also has the best candy stores, and we would often get special treats too.  They were so generous to us.

After a few gifts were relieved of their wrapping paper, my dad and uncle would go for a drive — an annual tradition.  They would go check out the new cars for sale at the local dearlerships and admire the vehicles, imagining which they would buy next.  The rest of us thought this was the most boring Christmas tradition ever!  For a few years in the mid-80s, my sister had a paper route.  For those years, the tradition was that my dad, uncle and I would pile into a car and help her deliver the papers door to door.  One year the snow was so deep, it felt like we were blazing new trails through the Antarctic glaciers.

Dinner was always a fun affair.  My uncle had a few beers by then, and was even more playful than usual.  My sister and I would fight over who got to sit next to him.  (My mom came up with assigned seating at one point, probably because of us.)   He was always curious about our gifts.  If it was music, he wanted to have a listen to a song or two.  If it was a toy, he wanted to watch us put it together, or see how it worked.  We received so many cassettes from them during the tape era!  I can’t remember the exact tape, but I remember one store sold a cassette to my aunt with the big clunky security case attached.  Let me tell you people, it took two grown men, one teenager, and two pairs of scissors to get that rubbery plastic shell off my Judas Priest.  (It wasn’t Judas Priest, but I like the way that sentence sounds.)  There was also a store in Stratford that could get unusual special orders, and my aunt often secured rare musical gifts that I couldn’t find in town.

The early 80s were particularly frantic.  The years of Star Wars and Atari.  So many games!  Haunted House was responsible for one pretty fun Christmas Eves.  During the Atari era, my sister and I would disappear into the basement for long stretches of time playing all our new games.  Then we’d wake him up early Christmas morning, because they slept on the fold-out bed right in front of the TV!

Uncle Paul didn’t know or care a thing about Star Wars or Star Trek.  He was a car guy.  He gave his own names to our toys.  “Tauntaun” became Toto.  The nine-armed FX-7 medical droid was the “coffee maker”.   We loved this about him.  It didn’t matter that he didn’t know an R2 unit from a protocol droid.  He didn’t care that we didn’t know our cars.  Sometimes, we would just quietly sit next to each other without saying a word while we let others do all the talking.  Then he might nudge me in the side and laugh.  Those were good Christmas Eves.

Christmas Eve hasn’t been the same since my uncle fell sick.  We’re older too, and a Star Wars figure doesn’t elicit the same tear-the-box-open kind of excitement.  Plus, who can afford Star Wars figures these days?  And don’t get me started on GI Joe.  I know there are a multitude of reasons why Christmas Eve isn’t what it once was, but I can’t help but feel that a huge part of that is Uncle Paul.  Their arrival on December 24 was the official commencement of festivities.  Without him, everything seemed so much more…adult.

Over the years, my sister and I would invite friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends to join us on Christmas Eve.  No matter who was joining us that night, there was one universal constant:  everyone loved Uncle Paul.  He was kind, attentive and most of all, he was fun.  He was always the most fun of everyone.  Even if he was just sitting quietly next to my dad, every so often you’d hear his distinctive laugh and know they just shared an inside joke.

That’s just Christmas Eve.  Our Christmas was a long affair, involving a special Christmas Day, and a visit to Stratford on the 27th every year.  But those are tales for another day, and as I remember my Uncle Paul, one memory triggers a cascade more.  Of these, the many Christmas Eve memories are the strongest.  And that’s why we always loved Christmas Eve best of all.

#1095: Mental Health Plan: Gutterballs! (Jen Kicks Mike’s Butt at Bowling – with video)

RECORD STORE TALES #1095:
Mental Health Plan: Gutterballs! (Jen Kicks Mike’s Butt at Bowling – with video)

Part of my mental health plan this winter is getting out more.  Movies, dinners, that sort of thing.  Jen loves bowling, so she took me out bowling for the first time in many years.  Five pin bowling is her jam.  Her lanes at Towne Bowl just closed, but Victoria Bowl isn’t far.  We rolled in to roll, right at noon.

Now, it’s no secret I’ve been having problems with my right arm.  You’ve seen it on Grab A Stack of Rock all wrapped up in braces and Tensor bandages.  There’s some serious pain going on there and sometimes even working on a mouse all day can leave me in agony.  So, this was a big test for me.  Can I bowl for an hour?  Is this a viable option for spending time in the winter?

The answer to both questions is yes (sorta), and yes.  Sorta, because though I could bowl for an hour, I got noticeably worse after about 30 minutes and Jen proceeded to kick my entire ass.

Jen had the best score of her bowling career to date.  I started strong, but pulled one of my worst scores on my last game.

We had a lot of fun.  Because we were so early in the day, we had a whole side of the place to ourselves.  We were at ease and because there was nobody else around, I filmed a bit of it.  I’m always at my happiest when I can be creative, and I was able to bring that side of it into the game.

My elbow is paying for it now, and my right hand and wrist are a bit rough, but that’s how you build up strength and get past this stuff.  Next time I’ll stretch first, though – that was a mistake.  My thighs….

But we did it, and we had a great time doing it.  Mission accomplished.

Kicking winter’s ass one pin at a time.  Let it begin.

Music:  The Last Train by Tee Bone Erickson

 

You can see my score decline as the pain set in.

#1094: Sanchez

RECORD STORE TALES #1094: Sanchez

“There was one customer in Cambridge who hated selling to me, he always asked where “the regular guy” was. He asked my name and I told him it was Sanchez. When T-Rev came back, we had a laugh over the employee named “Sanchez” who was apparently low-balling this customer for his dance CDs.” – Record Store Tales #526: Location, Location, Location

 

The year 2000 wasn’t a particularly happy year at the Record Store for me.  My good buddy T-Rev, who normally managed our Cambridge location, was also a talented guy with a hammer and saw.  The boss sent him off to the GTA to build one of our new stores.  This left his location unmanaged for several weeks that summer.  Because I had a car, I was often the go-to guy to fill in for others.  This meant pulling double duty, managing two stores at the same time.  Sometimes I’d be working the morning in Kitchener, and the evening in Cambridge.  I remember the boss promised to make it “worth my while” but never did.

Another manager had to do two stores at once, and thought I shouldn’t be complaining about my lot in life.  My answer:  “You do you!”  I’ll complain if I like.  It took them weeks/month to pay my mileage, so yes, I’ll complain.

Each location had its own quirks.  Some stores had customers that were more into dance, others had customers that liked classic rock.  Cambridge appealed to the lowest common denominator.  We had just as many customers asking where the strip club was, as were looking for classical music.  (An exaggeration, but a funny one.)  Cambridge also had regulars who were used to dealing with T-Rev, aka “the regular guy”.

Here’s how it went one night in Cambridge.

Dude walks in with a box of crappy dance music.  “Hey, is the regular guy in?”

“No, I’ll take a look at those for you,” I’d respond, although I really didn’t want to have a look at them.

“The regular guy usually gives me a good price,” came the answer.

“Well, we have a pricing scheme that helps us give you consistent pricing, so I’ll take care of that for you.”

“OK…” was the reluctant response.

I’d go through the CDs, which were often scratched and/or outdated, mixed in with a few things of higher value.  I’d sort through.  Put them in piles of things that were scratched vs. in good shape.  Check to see if we had too many copies already.  Check the scratched ones to see if they could be fixed.  Price them accordingly.  Call the guy back to the counter to show him what I found.

This particular guy wasn’t happy, of course, and was sure that the “regular guy” would have done better.  (I would make sure I called “the regular guy” and tell him what I offered so this guy wouldn’t be doing any better when he returned.)

He passed on the offer.  “When is the regular guy back?” he asked.  I told him two weeks or whatever the answer was.  He then asked my name, because of course he would complain.

“Sanchez,” I answered.  It was my standard answer for when an asshole asked my name.  I looked nothing like a Sanchez.  I was as pale as a sheet of paper.  I also had tried to bleach my hair, which came out kinda orange.  Sure enough, this guy returned to the store and complained about “Sanchez, with the orange hair,” who low-balled him on his dance CDs.

I had already discussed this guy with T-Rev, and so when he came back, he didn’t really offer much differently than I had.  But because he was the “regular guy” and not “Sanchez”, the guy took the money and we got the CDs.  We had to do twice the amount of work to get them, since T-Rev had to repeat everything I did, but we were fairly consistent.

T-Rev called me.  “Hey Mike!  I just had a guy in here complaining about somebody named ‘Sanchez’ that lowballed him for his dance mixes?  Said he had orange hair?”  We had a good laugh about that.

I didn’t have to use the name Sanchez often, but I did use it!

 

 

#1093: What Are the Earliest Pieces of Music You Remember Loving?

RECORD STORE TALES #1093: What Are the Earliest Pieces of Music You Remember Loving?

We are all shaped by our earliest experiences, whether we admit it or not.  What were the first songs and pieces of music that you remember loving?  Let’s have a look at 10 of mine, from my pre-heavy metal years!

10. The Doctor Who theme.

I grew up with the third and fourth doctors:  Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker.  In particular I remember the Baker years as the most important to my childhood.  I asked my mom to knit me a long brown scarf like Baker’s Doctor wore.  I also remember sitting in front of the TV and recording the intro music to Doctor Who, so I could rewind and play that tape whenever I wanted to.  The music was all synth, and entirely spooky, cool and catchy.

9. John Williams’ scores.

Star Wars was first.  Empire was second.  Raiders was third.  Those three soundtracks made up the majority of my musical listening for years.  I didn’t own any other records.  Just John Williams.  When you consider the impact that Holst’s The Planets had on Williams, and heavy metal too, it is no wonder that heavy metal music would later speak so clearly to me.

8. Joey Scarbury – “Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)”

My earliest musical loves all came from TV or cinema.  This was the first non-Williams record I owned, on a 7″ single.  Mike Post co-wrote the song, and he would figure into the career of Van Halen much much later.  “Believe It Or Not” was a pleasant pop song with an irresistible chorus.  The B-side was a ballad called “Little Bit of Us”.  I hated it.  I remember playing the single at 78 RPM to see if it would make the song any better.  It didn’t.

7. Magnum P.I. and The A-Team theme songs.

Here’s Mike Post again, with the theme music to Magnum P.I. starring Tom Selleck.  Funky electric guitar hovered behind a bouncing string section playing the theme.  It was like my John Williams soundtracks had collided with rock instrumentation.  I would sit in bed and hum these themes, singing myself to sleep.  And guess who was behind the A-Team’s music?  Also Mike Post!  Military drums and more symphonic theme greatness.  I was well on my way, wasn’t I?  These two themes were critically important to the whole action TV show genre.

6. Michael Jackson – “Beat It” and “Thriller”

Like every kid in the mid-80s, I loved Michael Jackson.  It would not be an exaggeration to claim that every kid in my grade liked Michael Jackson to a certain degree.  He had a number of hits on the radio, including “Say Say Say” with Paul McCartney, which I was frustrated to find was not on my Thriller cassette.  Of course, I had no idea who Eddie Van Halen was yet, but he was in my head, playing the “Beat It” guitar solo without my knowledge.  Michael’s songs were perfectly written and produced.  His videos were groundbreaking, but I hadn’t seem them yet.  I wasn’t even sure what he looked like at first.  Tabloid photos always showed a gaunt Jackson hiding from the cameras.  Once we saw his videos, I was shocked at how effeminate his speaking voice was, for a guy who sang so powerfully.  Yet, I only played two or three songs on the tape.

5. Culture Club – “Karma Chameleon”

Hot on the heels of Jackson was Boy George.  “Karma Chameleon” was impossible to forget, and I could care less about any of his other hits.  I had the Colour By Numbers cassette and never played it except for one song.  The album cover shocked me!  I thought Culture Club was synonymous with Boy George – a one-man band.  I had no idea there were other members, or what they looked like.  I liked the tune, but this band was not for me.  Eventually I would erase both Jackson and Boy George, and record other things on their tapes.

4. Styx – Kilroy Was Here

“Mr. Roboto” was the song that hooked me, but the album itself was pretty good:  “Cold War”, “High Time”, “Don’t Let It End (Reprise)”, “Heavy Metal Poisoning” and “Double Life” were awesome rock songs!  As before, I had no interest in the ballads.  I played them once or twice, and just skipped them from then on.  Styx were the first band with multiple singers that I liked:  Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, and James Young.  I wonder what influence this would later have on my love of KISS.  Styx were bombastic and huge.  The gatefold album came with lyrics, which I studied as if they were containing deep hidden meaning.

3. AC/DC – “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”

I recorded this song from my best friend Bob, along with “The Mighty Quinn” by Manfred Mann, and if memory serves, “Ooby Dooby” by Roy Orbison.  I might be wrong on that last one, but AC/DC was the one I kept playing over and over, sometimes to irritate people.  I remember distinctly telling people I liked the chorus because the singer sounded like “he had a frog in his throat”.  My classmate Alan Runstedtler said “I like songs with the guy with the frog in his throat!” and so did I.  It was pure comedy and novelty to me, but the guitars lay the groundwork for what would come later.

2. John Fogerty – “The Old Man Down the Road”

MuchMusic had arrived!  I had no idea who Fogerty was, or that he was in a legendary rock band called Creedence Clearwater Revival.  All I knew was that he had a really, really cool music video on TV, and I couldn’t stop watching it.  The upbeat bluesy song with rattling slide guitar seemed cool to me.  I decided that I liked John Forgerty based on that one song.  I was slowly discovering rock music, and the last song on this list was the last one I loved before going full-metal in 1984.

1. Quiet Riot – “Cum On Feel the Noize”

I didn’t know what they looked like.  I didn’t know anything about their prior history, the two Japanese albums, or Randy Rhoads.  All I knew was I had finally found “my thing”.  My sound.  Bombastic, big, loud, catchy, well-written, and perfect.

Without Quiet Riot, I may never have taken my next tenative steps:  Helix, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and W.A.S.P.  All much heavier than Quiet Riot.  Without Styx, I might never got gotten into Quiet Riot.  Without John Williams, I might never had dug into Styx.  Who knows?

I loved Quiet Riot well past their best-before date.  I remember other kids at school making fun of me for calling Quiet Riot my favourite band.  “They’re out!” laughed Ian Johnson.  “Duran Duran are current!”

Fuck Duran Duran.

My journey into metal was natural and organic.  I don’t know if those kids from school even listen to music anymore.  Their loss.

#1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 4)

RECORD STORE TALES #1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 4)
A recap of all our shows to date as we gear up for the first anniversary

Recap 1:  Episodes 1-10
Recap 2:  Episodes 11-20
Recap 3:  Episodes 21-30

Show #31, Aug 11 2023, featured another Nigel Tufnel Top Ten list!  Harrison said to me, “I think we need to get Rob Daniels back on.”  Rob said “OK!  How about TV Show Themes?”  With Harrison and Rob, we counted down our Top 11 Themes.  List shows are proven to be popular, but this one was really cool.  Jex Russell sent in his own list to read, and we had minimal crossover.  You’ll be shocked to learn that Star Trek ranked high on my list.  For “Ask Harrison”, we featured the debut of musician Jazz King asking the question!

This was a very busy period, and I had no choice to take some time off the show so I could do some other significant collaborations.

For Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, we premiered a previously-recorded special on Flash Gordon with Jex Russell and Rob Daniels!  For Grant’s Rock Warehaus, I was honoured be Martin Popoff’s replacement on his Helix special, covering the years 1990 to 2003.  I also returned on Peter Kerr’s Rock Daydream Nation for a discussion on Coverdale-Page.  This was my first time working with John Clauser, who figures into the story later on.

Show #32, Sept 1 2023, allowed me to bring on Rock Daydream Nation’s Peter Kerr for the first time.  Also for the first time:  two Australians in one show!  The topic, chosen by Harrison, was What Bonus Tracks Should Have Been on the Album?  A very popular list show, this one also had Jex Russell on board.  Peter shared the link far and wide which helped with the views.  I personally think it’s one of the best lists we’ve ever done.  Lots of love for Black Sabbath here.  We also unboxed the second edition of Tim Durling’s book, Unspooled!  You can get yours on Amazon right now.

Show #33, Sept 8 2023, was another personal favourite.  It took place on the cottage porch on a beautiful afternoon, with Jex Russell!  The subject this time, in honour of Durling’s second edition, was music books!  I hauled up to the lake a huge box of my music books, hardcover and softcover alike, signed and unsigned:  Sean Kelly, Martin Popoff, Michael D. LeFevre, Robert Lawson, Dale Sherman, Neil Peart, Aaron Lebold, and so many more!  Jex didn’t have any of his books on hand, so instead we ran an old video from his YouTube channel CineBrosSupreme featuring his collection.

Show #34, Sept 15 2023, featured a first-timer!  All the way from Ramsgate UK came interviewer and soundtrack specialist Jason Drury!  I’ve been trying to work with Jason on a live show for over three years, but the time zones made that difficult.  Finally, he was back in Canada and we got him on board with his friends Rob Daniels and Erik Woods.  For Erik, it was his first time on the new show as well!  Harrison joined us for a fun discussion about Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and more.  Jason provided his Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Star Wars movies (basically ranking them all in order) to go with the lists that the rest of us did in 2022.  It was wonderful to finally get to chat with Jason in real time. Another very popular show.

At this point, my hair was getting unruly.  I hadn’t cut it since March and it was time.  Therefore, I planned a stunt.  A repeat stunt albeit, but a stunt indeed:  I shaved my head live on the show!

Show #35, Sept 22 2023, came as a surprise to Kevin the Mars Man who was not informed in advance of my shenanigans!  All he knew was that we were doing another list show:  Top Five Bald Artists! Harrison couldn’t attend this afternoon cottage show, but I honoured him by putting Blaze Bayley at the very top of my list. Kevin and Jex also brought awesome lists. Importantly, we spotlighted the courage it takes for an artist to go bald publicly, like Joe Lynn Turner did.

Show #36, Sept 29 2023, was a night off for me!  I relaxed at the cottage while Jex and Harrison went “LeBrainless” again!  Harrison wanted to get the show “back to basics”.  Grabbing and showing off stacks of rock!  I popped on at the very end to show off my Aerosmith Greatest Hits 6 CD set from Japan, which took a healthy critiquing.  Jex and Harrison showed off some Twisted Sister, Paul Di’Anno, Alice Cooper, Concrete Blonde, Slade, Judas Priest and a batch of DVDs.  A lot of interesting items in this stack of rock.

Show #37, October 6 2023, was largely in honour of Eddie Van Halen who we lost three years prior to the day.  John Snow had his new Hagar Years box set on hand.  Tim Durling and Rob Daniels also joined Harrison and I, with rare books, 7″ picture sleeves, rare soundtracks, and…José Feliciano!?  You never know what you will see on Grab A Stack of Rock!

Show #38, Oct 13 2023, was a special one to commemorate Friday the 13th!  Harrison, Rob and I were joined by Peter Kerr for our Top Five Songs about Monsters.  We chose actual classic monsters, and some metaphorical monsters as well.  Jex Russell had a written list, as did John Snow. Greed, addiction, werewolves, space aliens and more! We hope you like our choices. We tried to go outside the box and bring you songs you might not have thought of yourself, though Ozzy and Alice were expected and did appear!

Show #39, Oct 21 2023, was the third LeBrainless episode, at a special time.  Jex had spent the day with Tim Durling at a Record Faire.  Meanwhile, Harrison had recently attended a record show too.  On a Saturday night, with Aaron “Mr. Books” on hand, the pair showed off some of their recent finds.  There was some cool stuff here, on CD, cassette, DVD and vinyl.  I came on at the very end to unbox the new Sven Gali Bombs and Battlescars, and a disc by Toronto’s Evil Elvis!  A fun way to finish off the last cottage weekend of the season

 

…And that’s it for recapping, as we look towards the future.  We have lots planned, and no intention to quit this time.

Our one-year anniversary happens to coincide with Show #40, October 27 2023.  One year before (on the 28th, to be exact) I was feeling the itch to go live once again, and so I messaged Harrison that morning.  “Are you free if we decide to go live tonight?”  We didn’t have a name, a theme song, or a plan.  Grab A Stack of Rock was born.  Despite the highs and lows of 2022-2023, it was a bright spot of our week for the last year.  I can’t wait to see what another year will bring.

We started out as a casual gathering, to show off our music collections.  It’s currently more than that, with lists and special guests once again.  In fact this week we’ll have a new one who has never been on the show before, John Clauser from My Music Corner!  Tim Durling, Peter Kerr, Rob Daniels and Harrison will also be back.

Because it’s one year, we’re doing Top Songs About the Number One.

Thanks for Grabbing a Stack of Rock.  Hope to see you celebrating with us!

 

#1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 3)

RECORD STORE TALES #1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 3)
A recap of all our shows to date as we gear up for the first anniversary

Recap 1:  Episodes 1-10
Recap 2:  Episodes 11-20

Show #21, May 26 2023 was chock full of guests!  I had more scores from Max the Axe’s Trillion Dollar Treats to show.  John Snow, Tim Durling, Harrison Kopp, Jex Russell, and Dr. Kathryn (via video) all had new stuff, including brand new releases and rarities. This was a cottage show once again, and plenty fun one at that.

Show #22, June 2, 2023, was one we did for ourselves.  My wife Jen has found Lego to be helpful in her healing, and so we have started to buy Lego again.  With that in mind, Harrison, Rob and Dr. Kathryn came on board to show off Lego and toys.  Jen returned as well, with her Spice Girls Lego set!  Dr. Kathryn revealed the secret to identifying Lego blind minifigure packs, though this is now obsolete due to Lego transitioning to boxes.  This show was tremendous fun despite the limited appeal.

Show #23, June 9, 2023 happened at the cottage!  For that reason, my co-host Jex and I decided to do a special list show.  After many comments and requests, the Nigel Tufnel Top Ten lists were back.  With Rob Daniels sending in a list via email, Jex and I counted down the Top 11 Albums to Play at the Cottage! Jex debuted his new moustache for this episode, giving Harrison a run for his money.  “We’re back, baby!” I announced.  This popular show proved that lists were still a viable way to go forward, and they would be critical for the rest of the year.

Show #24, June 16 2023, almost never happened.  Jen had a bad seizure and face-planted on the sidewalk.  Her entire face was black and blue (and not like the rock band).  “The show must go on,” she insisted, and so it did.  A huge thank-you to Aaron and Harrison for carrying the show that night.  Jex Russell did a brief cameo to show off some rarities, but otherwise the topic was one of our most popular historically:  Iron Maiden!  We looked at rarities, vinyl, bootleg CDs, beer and menus!

Jen needed some time to recover.  Her face was a total mess.  The community came together with support and eventually her beautiful face returned to its normal colour.  No broken bones.

Show #25, June 23 2023, was another very special one with a brand new guest.  I wanted to talk about my new favourite band, the Arkells!  What’s an Arkell?  Watch this show and find out.  Live from the cottage, Aaron and I were joined by megafan Nurse Kat.  She saw the band in four different countries 13 times in just 18 months, and has since added many more concerts to her resume. I provided a Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Arkells tracks list. With Kat’s concert footage and fan photos, this was a night to remember.

Show #26, June 24 2023, was the second show in one weekend!  A morning show at that!  Jex Russell joined me to look at a giant box of cassettes that I found in my parents’ basement.  This turned out to be a popular one with the physical media crowd. Inside that box were a number of store-bought cassettes, and ones that I had recorded with home made cover art.  It was a real trip of discovery, and only one cassette was destroyed in the process.

For laughs, we parodied a former cast member at the start of the show.  All in good fun.  Strippers are people too.

Show #27, June 30 2023, we celebrated Canada Day at the cottage with Jex, one day early.  We chose our Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Canadian bands that are little-known outside of Canada.  This turned out to be the most popular non-heels episode we’ve ever done. It is certainly an episode that I am very proud of. The Spoons, Varga, Teenage Head, National Velvet, the Beaches, Kick Axe, and more. This is a show you definitely want to catch up on if you missed it the first time. I even created a graph for it.

After that much activity, I took another break on July 7, but only to gear up for another busy week!  I had a taping with Tim’s Vinyl Confessions on the 8th, with Rob and Jex.  On July 13, I did a show with Grant Arthur on the Stone Gods and Hot Leg for Grant’s Rock Warehaus.

Show #28, July 14 2023, was a brand new thing for me and something I had been wanting to do a long time.  For the first time ever, Harrison was host as I took the night off for the first “LeBrainless” episode!  Harrison and Jex Russell tacked their Top Five Alice Cooper albums, a well-overdue list show.  They did a great job without me, and it was a joy for me to just watch Grab A Stack of Rock for a change instead of hosting it.

Show #29, July 21 2023, was back at the cottage!  We had Tim Durling, Grant Arthur, and Aaron KMA on hand to celebrate the birthdays of Harrison and Mike.  I showed off my massive birthday hauls and recent arrivals. I also ran a fun slideshow of old birthday party photos from the 70s to the 90s.  This was the first birthday show since 2021, since by this time in 2022 I had quit live streaming.  A wonderful way to have a birthday party with friends far away.  Tim Durling played guitar for us!  We also unsealed the new Grab A Stack of Rock 7″ picture disc by Tee Bone Erickson, from vinylart.co.  Tee Bone’s first ever music on vinyl!

I took Friday July 28th off to do a super-secret taping with Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation.  This ended up to be our “rock court” episode on Vinnie Vincent, with Reed Little as judge.  A very rewarding show that led to more tapings in the coming months!

I wanted to do something special for Show #30, which I called “The Dumbest Thing You Will See on YouTube.”  Why?

Show #30, Aug 4 2023, featured me breaking the seal for the first time on my Metallica Master of Puppets box set, purchased four years earlier and still sealed. This was something I wanted to do on camera, because it’s not every day that some idiot unseals a box set that goes for up to $1600 online.  We also looked at new arrivals in stickers, vinyl, and Alice Cooper deluxe CDs.  Max the Axe attempted to drop in, but was thwarted by technical issues.  We’ll try again one day.  Perhaps the coolest thing about this episode was showing the brand new Paul Shortino cameo for Grab A Stack!

To be continued…

#1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 2)

RECORD STORE TALES #1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 2)
A recap of all our shows to date as we gear up for the first anniversary

It has been a heck of a year…but it has been a year already!  Grab A Stack of Rock debuted with no name, on October 28, 2022.  It was an impromptu decision to go live, and fortunately Harrison and Uncle Meat were on board.  This week, we are celebrating one year of Grab A Stack, with a special list show and special guests.  More on that later.

We recapped the first ten shows earlier this year, but let’s look back at everything since!

Coming off the biggest show we ever did, Show #10, which has over 1200 views currently, we decided to get nerdy next!

Show #11, Jan 13 2023, saw Rob Daniels, Tim Durling, and Kevin “Buried On Mars” Simister beamed down with Harrison and I to talk Star Trek!  It was Kevin’s first time with the new format, and he really brought the Trek. Tim and I were both in uniform, and Harrison had some cool MAD Magazines to show. This was a really fun episode to do, even though that uniform isn’t very comfortable!  Soundtracks, books, action figures and much more were shown!

Show #12, Jan 20 2023 was the debut of Dr. Kathryn, and what a debut it was!  This was a Karate Kid / Cobra Kai talk, with Rob Daniels and Harrison Kopp.  Dr. Kathryn blew everyone away with her expertise on the subject, while showing off some cool stuff including a video from actor Sean Kanan.  The stories that night were absolutely incredible.  Any fan of Cobra Kai needs to check out this chat!

Show #13, Jan 27 2023 was a brainchild of Tim Durling:  Reissue record labels!  You know that Tim is a format head, and one of his passions is comparing different printings of albums.  Many record labels make their fortunes on reissues.  Rock Candy, La-La-Land, Sony Legacy, and so on.  We took a good look at some cool things from our collections.  Rob Daniels and Harrison Kopp were on hand once again!

Show #14, Feb 3 2023 was MarriedandHeels episode 2.

I took a couple weeks off, but did some informal mini-episodes (un-numbered) while I rested and recuperated after several weeks without a break.

Feb 11 2023 featuring the debut of Jen on Grab A Stack of Rock!  I wanted to get her more involved within her abilities.  She can’t look at a screen for very long without feeling some effects from it.  In this short episode, we unboxed my Marvel Legends T’Challa (Black Panther) figure, just for fun.  Jen was a natural! This was a test stream to see how it would work with two of us on one computer, and it worked great!

Feb 19 2023 was another fun mini-episode.  I had just received the excellent cassette, Landings, by Grace Scheele.  An instrumental concept cassette (cassette!) about the moon landing, Grace hand-packaged each one in aluminium foil.  I had to unbox it live, and I had to have her on hand when I did it.  Thanks for coming to hang with me, Grace!  People, check out this episode and see what love and care looks like when it goes into a physical product.

Show #15, Feb 24 2023 was monumentally important, for it featured a new guest that would have a huge impact on Grab A Stack of Rock.  This was the foreshadowing of a new era, because Jex Russell (or the “Friendly Frenchman” as I called him back then) came on board for the first time.  Nice to meet ya!  We had John T. Snow back on, for the first time since 2022.  Tim and Harrison also returned for this musical gathering of fans.

Show #16, March 3 2023 was MarriedandHeels episode 3, with Harrison Kopp.

March 10…now, that was a night.  I had my guests lined up.  Jex and Harrison were coming back to do a test stream.  Streamyard added a new feature, allowing guests to stream the show to their own social media.  About 30 minutes before showtime, I barfed.  10 minutes later, I barfed again and cancelled the show!  I barfed seven more times that night and drank about four large things of Gatorade.

Show #16.5, March 24 2023, was not an official episode.  We did the test stream, successfully!  John Snow, Rob Daniels, Jex Russell and MarriedandHeels joined in.  We unboxed some Japanese imports, and we covered Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Kiss, Star Wars, and more.  Most importantly, we successfully streamed to the guys’ Facebook pages for the first time.

March 31 was a week off.  Why?  Because apparently when we went live on March 24, I had Covid!  You certainly could not tell!  Watch that episode and tell me if I look like a guy with Covid.  The following morning, I felt tired and scratchy, so I tested myself.  Yep:  positive!  While I never really got sick (just tired), Jen sure got it bad.  I was negative the following week, and back at work.

Show #17, April 7 2023, was the final MarriedandHeels episode, with Jex Russell.

Though her shows were excellent for views, I didn’t pick up new readers or viewers.  It was a failed experiment, like putting a big round peg in a little square hole.  At least I tried.

I took April 14 off so I could do an excellent discussion on the Neurotic Outsiders, with Grant Arthur, on his show Grant’s Rock Warehouse.  We also opened the cottage that weekend, meaning the first ever front porch shows on Grab A Stack of Rock were about to happen!  Following this, we took April 21 off.

Show #18, April 28 2023 was the cottage show I had been waiting all year to do!  It was another simple one:  new arrivals.  Kevin the Mars Man was back, as was John T. Snow and Harrison Kopp.  Thankfully those guys carried the show, because I was checked out that night.  And everything came to a head the following Friday.

Show #19, May 5 2023, was supposed to be Metallica with Kevin, Tim and Harrison.  I was going to show off my Black box, but the show was cancelled last minute when drama finally exploded into its inevitable conclusion.  The “heels era” was over, and we were about to get serious about music.

Show #19, May 12 2023, was the first of the new era!  New life was breathed into the show on this day.  My planned co-host (see above) crapped out and didn’t show up, but thankfully Jex Russell did!  I also invited Grace Scheele back on, because we did a demo of her cassette!  I had a whole box full of treasures that I picked up from Max the Axe’s garage sale, including a Kenwood tape deck.  Grace’s cassette sounded awesome on it.  Additionally, this was a test of a new time slot:  3:00 PM on Friday afternoons in the summer.  To my utter disbelief, views were high!  The show went on for two whole hours, as I spun classic Max the Axe videos.  It was a fantastic show, and the time slot worked.  I was worried I could not get enough viewers on Friday afternoons.  I was wrong…very gladly wrong!  From this point forward, most cottage shows would be in the afternoon, and Jex would co-host them.  I called it the “no more heels tour of 2023”, and it was off to a hell of a start.  We even had a chipmunk sighting on camera!

May 17, 2023 happened when I received the new Van Halen Right here, right now live album on vinyl.  I had taken the afternoon off work, and I thought, why not go live?  Dare I say why not?  It was a mini-episode unboxing, and it too was a success despite the fact that most of you should have been working!

Show #20, May 19 2023, was another first for the show:  our first star interview!  Spencer “Spenny” Rice of Kenny Vs. Spenny fame agreed to talk wresting, and talk we did!  Co-host Marco D’Auria really rocked this one, with his encyclopedic knowledge of so many eras of wresting.  Spenny may have been the star, but Marco was the star!   All I could do was sit back and enjoy!  Thank you Spencer Rice for doing this, and thank you Marco for killing it.  It was an honour for me to share the screen with you.

 

 

To be continued…

#1091: Believe it or not, when I say I won’t “share” files, I mean it!

RECORD STORE TALES #1091: Believe it or not, when I say I won’t “share” files, I mean it!

I get that not everybody collects music the way we do.  I get that, to some people, music isn’t really something physical that deserves their hard earned dollars.  I truly do understand.  I have lots of friends like that.

What I don’t understand is why any of these people would approach a perfect stranger like me, and ask me for free music out of my collection.

This is a problem I’ve had since I started posting my writings in 2012.  The first song that excited the internet about my collection was the download-only “Trooper” by Iron Maiden, recorded live in 2005 from the Eddie Rips Up the World tour, in Reykjavik, Iceland.  I made the mistake of sending the file to the first person who asked, thinking I would earn myself a loyal reader.  Instead all I earned were dozens of messages from similar people wanting free music.  Eventually I took the review down and reposted it, so they’d all have dead links.

Pro tip:  None of these people turned into loyal readers.

Most recently, in February, one asshole named Gaby asked for my Deadline mini-album from 1992.  There were copies available on Discogs, but he wasn’t interested in anything that wasn’t free.  He informed me he was one of the “best music collectors in the world”, but apparently he only collected files?  When I refused (and informed him that he had two bands with the same name confused), he proceeded to “thumb-down” bomb my YouTube channel, and told me I am “not good to live“.  Thanks, cheapskate.  Blocked!

The most recent offender, from Brazil, contacted me on Instagram, after finding my Instagram account on my “About” page.  This is what it says on my “About” page, two lines below the Instagram link:

NOTES: Nothing seen on this website is for sale, trade or barter.  I will not share files as I value the good relations I have with the artists.  Check Discogs for other copies.

He had to see that to get to the Instagram link.  He then sent the following message (name edited out):

“Friend”…just like Gaby addressed me.  I’m starting to think that word means nothing anymore.  Always cool to discover music that you like on YouTube, but….

I informed him that my copy of Harem Scarem’s self titled debut was not for sale (it’s autographed!) but there were lots on Discogs.  Not good enough!

FLAC or WAV file?  Would you like my butler to hand deliver it to your inbox while we’re at it?  I notice a lot of these music freebie guys are looking for lossless files, but are not willing to shell out $7 for a CD.  He’ll burn his own CD, but won’t pay for an actual copy?  He can’t like the music that much, I guess.  Additionally, the album is available on iTunes.

He never responded to my message, where I advised him that there were cheap copies on Discogs.  Shipping to Brazil can’t be much worse than shipping in Canada, and you don’t see me asking people for freebies.  I even suggested that, if he likes the music, he could choose to support the band by buying the music directly from them.

I will state it again, for the record, though I should not have to:  Do not ask me for free music.  You will not get it, and you will have to put up with me lecturing you about it!

The sad thing is that this guy will ask for the tracks again and again until someone gives them away.  Not me, at least.

#1090: Three Random Messages

RECORD STORE TALES #1090: Three Random Messages

Cleaning out old messages, I found some gems dating back to the 4 O’Clock 4-Play days and even before.

April 19 2007:  From Dave Elgie whom I don’t know.

“Hey man, I may have the wrong guy, but are you a wrestler?”

That is the first and only time I have been mistaken for a wrestler.  He definitely had the wrong guy.

Nov 13 2013:  Mike Forbes, whom I encountered in the comments section, didn’t comprehend that the word “retarded” isn’t an acceptable name to call someone.

“Retarded is retarded…remember the meaning of it? Stupid…dumb…ya know…retarded.  2013 and all its political correctness can kiss my fuckin’ asshole!”

And most baffling came this one, from the inbox for this very website.  I wish I could say I was in a band, but I’m not.  I’m not in Sugar Ray, I’m not Mark McGrath, or anyone who ever played with Mark McGrath.  Gin Blossoms opened.  I’m not in Gin Blossoms.  I’m flattered though!

September 5 2023:  From Luca.

#1089: The Introvert Goes Out! (To Encore!)

“One does not simply walk into Encore. The back door is guarded by more than just books.  There is music there that does not sleep, and the big speakers are ever playing. It is a rich treasure trove, riddled with finds, and vinyl and accessories; the very air you breathe is bathed in music!”

RECORD STORE TALES #1089: The Introvert Goes Out! (To Encore!)

I have so much music in the house, still sealed, unplayed, that you could argue I never need to go to a record store again.

Some of that sealed music came from Encore, during the pandemic, by mail order.  I have two unopened John Norum Rock Candy remasters.

The reality of it is, I’m in an introvert who prefers staying home and ordering online, so I have to be in the right mood to go out, even record shopping.  However, one of my mental health goals this winter is to get out more, and Encore Records is an obvious easy choice.  Thanksgiving Sunday was cold, wet and winter-like, so we bundled up and drove to a deserted downtown Kitchener.  Encore’s rear parking lot was empty.

Jen found the stairs challenging, but front or back, Encore has stairs.  The challenge was met and we were greeted by old friend Al King, still slinging vinyl in downtown Kitchener, over three decades after I bought my early scores from him at Sam the Record Man.

There were plenty of new releases to decide upon, but I immediately chose the new Darkness Permission To Land…Again 20th anniversary box set.  20 years?  Can it be?  It has been 20 years since those bastards at the Record Store killed my soul.  The Darkness was one of the few bands that got me through that era of my life.  We talked about this with Al a bit.  There was a bit of a one-sided rivalry with Encore and the Record Store at which I used to work, back in the early 2000s.  One of our employees (that I trained on buying) left us and went to them.  My understanding is that a phone call was made, a tale that they still tell today….

Anyway, the Darkness 4 CD / 1 DVD box set has all the bonus tracks, demos, B-sides, single edits, and three live gigs (on two live CDs).  Very thorough.  It also has all the music videos, and even the 2004 remake “Get Your Hands Off My Woman…Again” which really falls into the One Way Ticket era better.

Even when I worked at the Store, there was always more at Encore that I wanted to buy.  They just got better stuff.  Prove me wrong.  I began to browse…

Even though this was a quick impromptu visit to pick up a new release or two, I ended up spending $200.

On the new release rack:  King Kobra – We Are Warriors!  Check out this lineup:  Carmine Appice and Johnny Rod, original members of the band, on drums and bass.  Paul Shortino of Quiet Riot and Rough Cutt on lead vocals, and still sounding strong!  Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot and Ratt on guitar!  Rowan Robertson of Dio on guitar!  That’s a lineup with some pedigree folks.  The album sounds good.  It rocks hard and it’s heavy.  The best song is the “bonus track” called “Side By Side”.  Just classic all around.

Also on the Encore front rack was the new Coney Hatch, Postcards From Germany.  Amazon fails again:  I cancelled my “pre-order” (now weeks late) right in front of Al and bought a copy from him instead.  It will be cool to hear their first new studio tracks since the Four album all those years back.  Not to mention there are songs on this live album that were not played at the El Mocambo for that prior live release.

One does not simply walk into Encore. The back door is guarded by more than just books.  There is music there that does not sleep, and the big speakers are ever playing. It is a rich treasure trove, riddled with finds, and vinyl and accessories; the very air you breathe is bathed in music!  Al was playing some Gentle Giant that really ticked my fancy.  That is a band I will need to investigate further down the road.  I found the musicianship challenging and strangely appealing.

I didn’t buy anything on vinyl, though Encore had a good chunk of the Kiss studio albums that I still need to add to my vinyl collection.  Vinyl is so expensive these days.  $36 for albums I used to buy for $10.  Especially considering I’m not going to play the record very often, and I already have the music many times over.  However, when I want them, Animalize, Asylum, Rock and Roll Over and the self-titled debut are all awaiting me.  There were also quite a few in the Arkells vinyl section that called my name.

The used CDs offered many temptations.  I could have filled up on Saga.  Frank Zappa beckoned me over, but I started in the A section and made my first questionable buy.  Why, after 25 years, am I finally buying Aerosmith’s Geffen-centric live album A Little South of Sanity?  Because I can’t justify spending $150 on the Japanese Greatest Hits with three exclusive live discs, and not patch up these glaring holes in my live Aerosmith collection.  I’ve played A Little South of Sanity a number of times at the Store when it was new, and I know I don’t like it.  Too many backing tapes.  You can hear two or three Tylers singing together at once.  Jen hears it too.  I’ll probably play this once for review, and never again.  Collecting!!

In the “G” section, I decided to finally start my Glass Tiger collection.  I wanted Diamond Sun on vinyl initially, but when CDs are right there for eight bucks, you can’t say no.  Diamond Sun is a wonderful album, I discovered, with a couple serious deep cuts such as the epic “It’s Love U Feel”.  Impressive musicianship, and a tad on the progressive side at times, even though this is ultimately a pop rock band.  I also picked up the compilation CD Then Now Next.  This includes a variety of single versions, unreleased songs and new stuff including a Beatles cover!

Over in Journey, I found the remastered version of Steve Perry’s 1994 solo album For the Love of Strange Medicine.  All these years, I’ve never played this album.  I’m sure it’ll be mellow, even though he has members of Winger and Hardline in his band.  In the liner notes, Perry is very bitter about his treatment by record label executives.  The remaster has five bonus tracks (some of which were on Greatest Hits + 5 Unreleased), two of which are exclusives.

I also snagged a CD that I thought I needed, that I didn’t, that I will gift to a friend.

The winter season is often commenced by Thanksgiving.  I would consider this a good start.  We plan to see more of Encore this season.  I look forward to it, in fact, which is not something I usually say about going out in the winter time.

Moderation, though.  Moderation.  Need to absorb all this new music, which will take time!  Until next time…