Hot on the heels of the fallout from our Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years critique, I was invited back on Peter Kerr’s Rock Daydream Nation along with John Clauser and Steve Deluxe, to review the debut album by Tuff. I’d never heard What Comes Around Goes Around before, so it was a little “tuff” for me to get up to speed with the other guys. I listened to the album intensely for a week, and then we recorded this show. It is a show of which I am extremely proud.
The goal here was to be fair and honest. I think we were. I will tell you one thing: one of our panel members went in with a negative perspective, but had it changed after playing the album today. I highly recommend you check out this excellent episode. Even if you don’t like the band Tuff, or the hair metal genre in general, what we have here is a thoughtful and sometimes hilarious discussion about music that, for a little while at least, was one of the most popular genres in the world.
This is what Peter has to say about the show.
Rock Daydream Nation featuring John Clauser (My Music Corner), Michael Ladano (Grab a Stack of Rock) and Steve Deluxe (Rock and Metal Invasion) talk about Hair Metal in the 90s and specifically the Tuff debut album What Comes Around Goes Around (1991)…
For those who like it saltier, stay tuned for my written review which goes up tomorrow. It’s a little spicy.
Thank you to Todd Evans and Uncle Meat for a full two hour extravaganza of Marillion love! Despite some connection issues, the Meat Man persevered and brought with him an interesting and sometimes surprising list for his Top 11 Marillion albums of all time.
Only three albums did not get listed by anyone. Others appeared on all three lists. In fact, all of us picked the exact same #11.
One thing is clear: Each of us has an emotional connection to these records that we picked. The music is personal. It’s important to our personal history. There was a lot of love for all eras of Marillion on this night. Highlights:
Discussions on the making of certain records, such as Holidays in Eden and Seasons End.
Marillion’s knack for epic closers.
Concept albums, double albums, and live albums.
One album that made a list that isn’t technically a studio album.
Moments that make your skin vibrate.
Love for later albums including a lot of praise for An Hour Before It’s Dark and Marbles.
The mid-show break was a music video by Jacob Moon: his cover of “Kayleigh”.
Sounds that can’t be made, and songs that should have been on the albums.
Remix albums and EPs.
Bonus tracks, B-sides and box sets.
and one vintage 2004 Front Row Club t-shirt!
Please enjoy this excellent love letter to Marillion, with lots of physical product on three formats (cassettes, CD and vinyl). Thank you for watching!
Next week: We are back at the cottage with another list show: Top 5 Childhood Music Videos with Jex and Dr. K!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 58: Marillion Ranked! Top 11 Marillion with Todd Evans and Uncle Meat
It has been almost a decade since we’ve ranked the Marillion albums, and Meat only did five back then. Now we’re doing 11, and we’re doing them with the Contrarian that may know them best: please welcome Todd Evans to the show!
I know that my list will not be the same as the one I did in 2015. I have a strong feeling of Meat’s top six, but beyond that? Your guess is as good mine! As for Todd? I expect nothing less than intelligent and thoughtful picks from this veteran Contrarian.
Marillion is a band I’ve been passionate about for half my life, but this is the first time we’ve ever covered the band on either the LeBrain Train or Grab A Stack of Rock. Be there for this historic show, and as always we will be chatting in the comments!
Friday May 3 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or onFacebook!
Friday afternoon and we’re off to the races! The Summer 2024 season of Grab A Stack of Rock has commenced and Jex Russell was there to ring in this happy tradition. The theme(s) for this week are: Top 11 Albums & Songs to Play with the Windows Down! Summer is the time for rocking the road, and Jex and I brought the thunder with two excellent Nigel Tufnel Top Ten lists!
Highlights:
Music on four of the major physical formats: CD, vinyl, cassette and 8-track!
Lots of Canadian content: Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, & Quebec represented!
Stories of years gone by: 1991, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2023 and today.
There was a quick discussion of the new Motley Crue song “Dogs of War”. Who’s the weak link in Motley Crue?
The debut of the Fire Pit on Grab A Stack of Rock
This show was dedicated to my Uncle Paul, and my mother in law Debbie, who inspired some of these picks. It’s also in the spirit of friendship and good memories with Jex’s friend Lucas, and my friends Peter, Bob and Trev.
See you next week for Top 11 Marillion albums with Todd Evans and Uncle Meat!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 57: Top 11 Albums to Play with the Windows Down – with Jex Russell
Show & Tell on four formats: CD, cassette, LP and 8-track
Long we have waited, but Spring is here and the traditional outdoor afternoon Grab A Stack of Rock is back too.*Jex Russell joins for this happy cottage tradition. Last year, these afternoon outdoor shows were incredible fun! If you were there last year, you know! If you weren’t, join the rock and roll party today at 3 PM E.S.T. It’s our first live show in almost a month, after several weeks of popular re-runs!
The theme this week is a “Nigel Tufnel Top Ten” list: Our 11 favourite albums with play with the windows down! There are so many to choose from, this list is literally wide open. What are you choosing to play this spring with the windows down? Many of my picks are traditional favourites with stories attached.
Now, due to a miscommunication on my part, I will do top 11 albums, while Jex will do top 11 songs! This will give us plenty of variety in the lists. Expect plenty of show & tell.
This episode is dedicated to my late Uncle Paul, whose beloved ‘Cuda appears in the show art. He loved music and cruising, and we spent many summer hours in his car with the take deck going! Will Van Halen make these lists today, or something else? Tune in and join the fun! We always chat with the comments section, live.
What are your top 11 albums or songs to play with the windows down? Drop a comment today, on Grab A Stack of Rock.
Friday April 26 at 3:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 4:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or onFacebook!
This weekend on Grant’s Rock Warehaus, we tackled a band that needs and deserves more attention: Canada’s Kick Axe!
“Nobody’s talking about Kick Axe!” said Grant. We aim to change that with this show. Please give it a watch! What are your favourite Kick Axe songs?
This show almost didn’t happen. I wanted an expert on Kick Axe, so I asked Derek Williamson of Thunder Bay Ontario, who saw Kick Axe live back in the day and also interviewed the guitarist Larry Gillstrom. He stonewalled me three times, so we decided to do it without him.
Show notes are below, if you want the Cole’s Notes version, but you’ll have to watch the video to get our album rankings.
Formed 1976, Regina Saskatchewan as “Hobbit”.
Original lineup:
Victor Langen, bass, vocals
Gary Langen, drums
Larry Gilstrom, guitar
Ray Harvey added on guitar.
Moved to Vancouver BC, Gary Langen leaves band replaced by Brian Gillstrom, Charles McNary hired as vocalist.
1981 – Playboy Street Rock – live track called “Reality is the Nightmare”.
1981 – Weekend Ride / One More Time (Harvey on vocals).
Produced by Bill Henderson and Brian Too Loud McLeod of Chilliwack.
Wrote “Heavy Metal Shuffle” which opened Vices later on. Attempted to record an album but never released it.
McNary replaced by George Criston, who brought in power, range and soul as well as a unique sound.
1984 – Signed to CBS in Canada, approached Spencer Proffer to produce because they wanted the same sound as Metal Health by Quiet Riot. Proffer liked the band personally and thought highly of their musicianship. Album Vices released on Pasha in the US.
Recorded existing material (2 songs re-written with Proffer) in Hollywood at S.I.R. 30 Days in the Hole – a cover, like Cum On Feel the Noize, but not intended to be a hit, just a showcase for their talents. Released on the soundtrack to Up the Creek.
Ran into Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler – supposedly approached Criston to replace Ian Gillan in Black Sabbath. Proffer was working with both bands.
Vices is their best album. Proffer intended it to be a concept album about vices. Not a bad song. Bangin’ backing vocals. Music video for On the Road to Rock made major impact in Canada, with the comedic video attracting attention. The Vices mascot was one of my first “rock buttons”.
Vices did not perform to expectations, but Kick Axe wrote three songs for the next Black Sabbath album: “Wild in the Streets”, “Hunger”, and “Piece of the Rock”, later recorded by W.A.S.P. and King Kobra. Kick Axe did not want to lose Criston to Sabbath. “Piece of the Rock” is one of the rarest Kick Axe tracks, only released on a 2005 issue of Rock the World.
1985 – Second album – Pasha wants band more streamlined for radio. Brought in Pasha staffer Randy Bishop to help on lyrics. Co-wrote 5 songs and co-produced Welcome to the Club. Some of the heaviness is blunted, in favour of better song structure and melodies. Recorded at Metalworks in Toronto. Cover art by Hugh Syme, which the band never understood the meaning of.
Band brought in cover of Joe Cocker’s version of “With A Little Help From My Friends”. Rik Emmett, Lee Aaron, Andy Curran, Alfie Zappacosta and more on backing vocals. Very cool music video made of the recording session.
Pretty solid album, though not as banging throughout as the original. The cover tune is completely different, but really excellent.
The band and Proffer blame lack of sales on parent label Epic. No support. Toured with Autograph, Krokus, Night Ranger, Helix and Triumph.
1986 – Ray Harvey returns home to deal with family matters. Joins Rock & Hyde as touring guitarist (Bob Rock & Paul Hyde).
The Transformers soundtrack released. Hunger, and Nothing’s Gonna Stand In Our Way released as Spectre General. All done by Proffer, without knowledge of the band. Due to pseudonym used, no benefit to band happened.
Still signed to CBS in Canada. Next album picked up by Roadrunner in US.
Rock the World (initially “Fuck the World”) recorded as four piece. Self-produced primarily by Larry due to lack of funds provided by CBS. Recorded at Right Trak in Vancouver. Also forced to mix the album themselves. The cover tune this time is The Chain by Fleetwood Mac.
Band breaks up – sherrifs seize equipment due to unpaid debts. Later immortalized in the song Rocking Daze on Kick Axe IV.
2002 – Kick Axe reunite with Gary Langen returning, this time on lead vocals. George Criston remains active in country and more soulful music. Has expressed no interest in returning to rock. Has not participated with reissues. Has worked as a guitar tech for Sarah McLachlan, Dido, Avril Lavigne, and k.d. lang.
2004 – Kick Axe IV self produced. Best song Rockin Daze written by Brian Gillstrom. Decent album but not memorable long-term except for Rockin Daze. Gary Langen has a style of voice reminiscent of Phil Naro.
2008 – Gary Langen leaves band, replaced by Daniel Nargang.
2023 – Run to the Thunder, first new song in decades, to be followed by new album.
Record Store Day is already said and done in Australia, and Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation has returned with reports, and bounty.
Peter presents to us some exclusive Thin Lizzy, Motorhead, and some acts that are a little more regional to his neck of the woods. I show off a bit of my favourites from past years. We also discuss the value and collectability of RSD releases in general. Give it a watch!
If anyone wants to do me a solid, I’m looking for:
Thank you to Jex Russell for helping me present this brand new “Faces” shirt from Grab A Stack of Rock! (Shirt pictured provided by Mike Semeniuk.) These have been popular, probably due to the handsome mugs on ’em! This new shirt features some popular guests. In order: Mike Slayen, Johnny Clauser, Peter Kerr, Jex Russell, Dr. Kathryn, Spenny Rice and Harrison Kopp.
Don’t forget, you can choose not just to support me, but the other wonderful creators in this community.
Tim’s Vinyl Confessions
2 Loud 2 Old Music
Visions In Sound
The Contrarians
Grab A Stack of Rock
Every shirt, sticker or coffee mug keeps us going. I say this factually.
Please give the video below a watch – trust me it’s worth it! – and consider supporting us on Teepublic.
If you weren’t following back from 2012 to 2019, you may have missed all the Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto excursions!
From 2012 to 2015, Aaron and I went to “Taranna” every year to go hunting for CDs, records, books and more. We always made our regular stops: Sonic Boom, BMV and Pauper’s Pub. Some years, we hit up shops like Kops Records, Paradisc Bound, and Moonbean for coffee. I missed 2016 and 2017 to go to TF Con in Toronto instead. There are only so many dollars! Aaron and I returned in 2018, at the behest of my late mother-in-law, who was dying of cancer. “Go with your friend,” she insisted.
After her passing, Jen and I decided to spend the summer of 2019 at the cottage. We were not able to go at all in 2018. We made up for lost time, but in 2020 the pandemic hit! Aaron and I were not able to return to Toronto together since.
I always documented and edited these trips into videos. I recently compiled all these videos (and some bonus stuff) into two live streams that you are able to watch below! Both streams have bonus footage! The first has a musical unboxing from Aaron. The second stream has a brand new chat with Aaron that you have never seen before!
Aaron and I will be returning to “Taranna” in 2024. Watch this space…
The Jexter Bunny brought an early Easter surprise this year. Unbeknownst to me, Jex Russell and Uncle Meat had conspired to surprise me with Meat’s first live appearance on Grab A Stack of Rock since 2022! The topic: Top Five Albums from our birth years! The presence of Uncle Meat enabled us to do albums from three consecutive decades.
Uncle Meat drew 1969
I had lucky 1972
Jex had a rocking 1985
Additionally, Metal Roger sent in a thrashing guest list covering 1988, while Harrison Kopp submitted a Blaze-heavy list spanning 1998-2000. Because he’s our unicorn.
We looked at a variety of vinyl releases, CDs, and box sets. I brought multiple copies of mine. The genres ran from doomy to thrashy, Beatles to Black Sabbath, soul, progressive rock, and beyond. We had a great discussion on a classic album cover, and went in-depth on a Deep Purple album that was just reissued this week for its 50th anniversary. Meanwhile, I had a nice 40th anniversary edition of that album to show off.
One of my picks from 1972 enabled me to rewind to an old clip from my earliest YouTube days, featuring Uncle Meat. The irony is I picked this clips days ago and certainly not before I knew he was showing up live on the show! Jex really slammed it out of the ball park with this surprise. And Jex knows I don’t really like surprises! Thank you Jex Russell for setting up this epic and surprising reunion. Long overdue. The man who essentially inspired this show to exist in the first place is beloved here, and I will always love him. Thanks for doing this Meat Man.
Finally, Jex…Jex Jex Jex! When I took my headphones off for 30 seconds to change my shirt, you happened to take to a shot at my former chesty co-host from last year’s Good Friday show. Well played, sir. Well played.
Next week is a re-run of the last two Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto trips, with brand new content with Mike and Aaron in the present day. Hope you enjoy this week and next week’s shows!
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