GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 43: Top 5 METALLICA Deep Cuts
It is finally time to do Metallica some Justice!
We planned to do a Metallica show back on May 5, but regular readers know what happened that day. I had to cancel, and deal with a former co-host instead. There always seems to be something getting in the way of Metallica. This week we lost my dear Uncle Paul, but the show will go on, and I will pay tribute to this great man on Friday night.
Cinco de Listo is back! We wait with baited (Motor)breath to see what Top Five Deep Cuts our expert panel will be presenting this time! On hand will be:
Of course, Mike and the Mad Metal Man (Harrison Kopptulu)
Plus a special guest list. A Meaty list.
We are going simple with the rules. A “deep cut” in this case simply means a non-single. There will be lots of complaints I’m sure, but let’s focus on the great songs instead! Hopefully we will name some tunes you absolutely need to hear.
Will Justice be done? Our Merry Band of Metal Fans will do out best tonight at 8:00 PM sharp, Eastern Standard Time.
A week off next week — super secret regal recording with Peter Kerr instead! We’ll be back December 15.
LIVE Friday Dec 1 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 9:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy onYouTube or onFacebook!
Three cheers for the Mad Metal Man! For over a year of co-hosting Grab A Stack of Rock, he has earned the right to pick his own show topic! His punch card is full, witness below and see for yourself! And what did he pick with his full punch card? He picked Blaze Bayley! And he doubled down. Foregoing the rules (again), Harrison didn’t pick a Nigel Tufnel Top Ten. No, Harrison technically picked 22 songs. All Blaze or Blaze Bayley-branded versions.
I chose songs from all three eras of Blaze: Wolfsbane, Iron Maiden, and solo.
Harrison and I only had one song in common. That means combined we have given you 32 songs to check out. Harrison and I also provided a lot of context and background to our picks (Harrison more so than I!) and we hope that this episode is in-depth enough for the Blaze diehards. And we know there are Blaze diehards out there.
We also took a look at some physical rarities: Two Iron Maiden X Factor Japanese CDs, an X Factor singles box set, two lenticular Virtual XI CDs, a “Holy Grail” live album, one CD that Mike needs, one CD that Harrison needs, and a Wolfsbane cassette.
I sincerely hope you take the time to watch this passionate, insightful episode about a singer that deserves more of your attention, Blaze Bayley.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 42: Top 11 of the Silicon Messiah, Blaze Bayley!
This time Harrison’s not here by contractual obligation only. The Mad Metal Man is in the driver’s seat for one of his favourite artists of all time: Blaze Bayley!
From his time in Wolfsbane, to his two underrated Iron Maiden platters, and his exceptional solo career, tonight we’ll be talking all things Blaze! There will be a Nigel Tufnel Top Ten tunes, and as an added bonus, Harrison will break down all the Easter eggs in his amazing Blaze Bayley show art. How many can you spot? Leave them in the comments, and check out the show tonight to see if you were right.
Blaze Bayley has two studio albums with Iron Maiden, plus a double greatest hits compilation. As a solo artist he has released ten studio albums and seven live albums. Wolfsbane did five studio albums and a number of singles and EPs. He has toured with Paul Di’Anno, Geoff Tate and Ripper Owens. There is a lot of music to choose from.
WARNING: There will be shenanigans.
Blaze Bayley – “Born as a Stranger”, yet sharp as “Steel”! Long may he reign. Appreciate the man and the music with us tonight on Grab A Stack of Rock.
LIVE Friday Nov 24 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
Here is the latest in a series of super-secret collaborations I have been working on! Peter Kerr invited me back onto Rock Daydream Nation to discuss Bon Jovi’s landmark breakthrough, Slippery When Wet. Did this album essentially ruin hard rock for the next four years? Peter and I took opposing views, though hardcore Bon Jovi fans will be happy with neither of us after watching this episode.
The thing I disagreed with Peter the most on was his assessment of the talents of Richie Sambora. I encourage Peter to check out some of the tracks I mentioned in this episode to appreciate the talents of the guitarist (and vocalist).
I hope we don’t get killed by mobs of angry Bon Jovi Karens for this video. Proceed with caution!
And the cradle DID rock, for tonight, four rock music fans revealed their Top Five Van Halen bangers. ‘Twas brilliant to see. Harrison Kopp was in classic Kontrarian mode as you will see with his list. The first disqualification in the history of the show! Harrison redeemed himself later, and his #1 pick was one I was onside with.
The new guy PLA brought with him a love of music that goes back to the teen years. Jex’s good friend was a blast on the show, and he is welcome back any time. The wonderful thing here is that years ago, Jex had the foresight to record PLA’s reaction to the Van Halen banger “Get Up” on video. We ran that video tonight, and it really captured the spirit of what a Van Halen banger does.
We dug deep with deep cuts and hits. We showed off rare CDs, vinyl, and even a cassette. I presented my dream Best Of All Worlds setlist. We discussed the tour, pros and cons, and our panel was mostly pro. The comments were divided. Peter Kerr was anti-tour, while Chris P was very pro.
Van Halen praise, love, and appreciation were in plentiful supply on this episode. Take a glimpse at our collections and please enjoy our lists. There were a number of duplicate songs, and some brilliant picks. If you are interested in Van Halen but don’t know where to start…grab a coffee and listen to us blather on all night about a band we really love.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 41: BEST OF ALL WORLDS! Top Five VAN HALEN BANGERS with Jex & PLA
We’re back! Harrison and I took a couple weeks off to recharge and work on some other creative projects, but here we are, back in business again with Jex Russell and PLA! But who is PLA?
PLA is from the YouTube channel PLA Addiction. He’s a music nut and close friend of Jex. These guys have been a creative force on YouTube for years and I’ve been wanting to get them together live on Grab A Stack of Rock for a while now. Tonight we run through our “Top Five Van Halen Bangers”! Why? You’ll have to see for yourself tonight, but I’ll drop you a teaser.
The real reason I wanted to get PLA on the show is that a few years back, Jex made a “reaction video” of PLA hearing the Van Halen song “Get Up” for the first time. After seeing that video, I knew I wanted to get these two guys together on my show to talk Van Halen. It was a priceless video, and we’ll run it tonight on the show.
We absolutely have to discuss the Sammy Hagar Best of All Worlds Tour with Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, and Jason Bonham! I will be revealing my dream (buyt realistic) setlist tonight on the show.
Get up and make it work, because tonight it’s Top Five Van Halen Bangers with Jex and PLA!
LIVE Friday Nov 17 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 9:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
First off, apologies to Jex Russell and everybody I forgot to thank in this video. Still running on the high from Friday night’s show. I went from that, to taping a great Tim’s Vinyl Confessions at 6:30 AM Saturday morning, to video making and editing.
For those who watched, the most grievous error I made Friday night was forgetting to open up this KISS shirt that I got from Aaron KMA.
Please enjoy this video I made in gratitude, and the YouTube shorts from Friday night as well.
Mike unboxes Love Gun shirt from Aaron KMA
“Sammy Hagar” grills Mike on 5150 (by Tee Bone)
Harrison laughs on a loop 5 times
New Grab A Stack of Rock show intro, featuring Jen, John Clauser, and a laughing Australian
Every once in a while, we do a show that was so much fun, that I literally can’t sleep afterwards. That was tonight.
Some context. On October 28 2022, Harrison and I went live to grab some stacks of rock.
Tonight, Harrison and I celebrated the anniversary live with some friends. Since it was our one year anniversary, the theme was Top Five Songs About the Number One.
Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation once again broke new ground with some artists who have never been featured on the show, one in particular. Quite a few stonkers! There may or may not have been a “Little” drama, regarding whether or not I bribed Judge Reed when we did our Vinnie Vincent episode. The jury is out.
All the way from Birmingham Alabama, 1st timer John Clauser from My Music Corner gave us a sneak peak at that new 7 Savage W.A.S.P. set with one of his picks. Johnny definitely brought the metal! Thank you so much for coming on, John — we will do it again.
Robert Daniels from Visions In Sound brought a couple soundtracks, of course, but he was not the only one tonight. He also picked a “royal” one that I liked a lot. Thanks Rob for celebrating tonight.
Tim Durling from Tim’s Vinyl Confessions had 8 tracks, 7″ vinyl, and Canadian content – the trifecta! He also gets bonus points for poking Jex Russell in the side with his #1 pick.
Harrison the Mad Metal Man represented Australia with the majority of his picks. He also audibly laughed when I announced my #1 pick, and the proof is on video and I might just have to make a loop of it and play it on repeat.
Tee Bone Erickson, our music guru, submitted an “Ask Mike” question at the top of the show, and probably his best video for us yet: in the guise of “Sammy Hagar”! Tee Bone also submitted his own unique Top Five list: Top Five Van Halen songs with “One” in the title, in chronological order! He also asked Mike to list his Top Three Van Hagar songs, which I did.
Fun fact: Two of the albums picked tonight had some of us thanked in them: one thanking me, one thanking Johnny Metal!
Rest in Peace to W.A.S.P. and L.A. Guns drummer Steve Riley. That was not fun news to break to Johnny Metal today. We spoke a moment about Steve at the top of the show.
We’re taking a couple weeks off to work on some secretive side projects. However, we will be back November 17 with a brand new guest. It will be Jex and PLA here on Grab A Stack of Rock, and there will be dancing!
Thank you for watching, and let’s make this second year as fun as the first…or even top it. Rock n’ roll!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 40: Happy One Year! Top Five Songs About the Number One
Our one-year anniversary happens to coincide with Show #40! One year ago (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 our of weeks for the last year. I can’t wait to see what another year will bring.
We started out as a casual show 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. Harrison and I will also be joined by Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation, Tim Durling, and Robert Daniels. 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!
LIVE Friday Oct 27 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
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.
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!
mikeladano.com 