Grab a Stack of Rock / LeBrain Train

Books That Rock! Grab A Stack of Books with Mike and Jex

What a show!  Thanks for watching!  Jex and I had a blast going through a selection of my favourite rock (and a couple other) books.  What a variety of books too!  Many genres of music, and a few outside the musical box.  Jex’s books are currently in storage, so what we did instead was watch a Youtube video from his channel CineBrosSupreme.  In 2016, Jex went through his music book collection, and we screened that and commented on it as well.  (Jex has not aged since 2016, and a few viewers mentioned this!)

Tim Durling’s new 2nd edition of Unspooled is available now at Amazon.

It was amazing to me how many of these authors I know personally.  I am such a lucky guy.

My pick for Book You Need Immediately:  Frank Zappa’s Real Frank Zappa Book.

Off the top of the show, we unboxed two classic 80s metal/hard rock albums.  We also took a question from Tim, to Jex.

 

Mike’s books covered (Author or Band):

  • Brian Vollmer / Helix
  • Dale Sherman / Kiss, Alice Cooper
  • Mick Wall / Iron Maiden
  • The Beatles
  • Neil Peart
  • Stephen Adler / Guns N’ Roses
  • Nikki Sixx
  • Motley Crue
  • Aaron Lebold
  • Robert Lawson / Cheap Trick, Nazareth
  • Michael D. LeFevre
  • Brent Jenson
  • Martin Popoff / Black Sabbath, Scorpions, Van Halen
  • Dr. Kathryn Ladano
  • Tim Durling
  • Les Stroud (Survivorman)
  • Robert S. Vuckovich / Kiss and Philosphy
  • Spinal Tap
  • Ian Gillan / Deep Purple
  • Frank Zappa
  • Sean Kelly
  • Jon Collins / Marillion
  • Alice Cooper
  • Aerosmith
  • David Lee Roth

Thank you Jex, and thank you to everyone who watched!

Jex and Mike Grab Stacks of Rock Books from the Front Porch, this afternoon at 3:30 PM EST!

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Jexciter

Episode 33:  Reading on the Porch!

“Back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad I’m not a fool…”

As the kids come home from their first week back in class, Jex and I will be back on the porch for the first time in a month!  There’s nothing better than talking music from the front porch of the cottage on a Friday afternoon.  To go with the “back to school” theme, I’ve packed a number of my best music books.  They only scratch the surface, but there are a bunch here that you may never have seen before.

As for Jex?  You never know what the mighty Jex Rambo is packin’ up his sleeve(less).

It’s always a great time so don’t miss out.

 

LIVE Friday Sept 8 at 3:30 P.M. E.S.T. / 4:30 P.M. Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

Grab A Stack of Bonus Tracks that Should Have Been on the Album! – Mike, Jex, Harrison & special guest Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation

This week’s show was so crazy, you could call it Unspooled!  As a last minute arrival, the 2nd edition of Tim Durling’s excellent book Unspooled: An Adventure in 8-tracks has come!  It is available on Amazon right now, so don’t miss it this time out.  This excellent story about a guy who collects and catalogues music is a must-have for its warm nostalgia, fact-based lists, and beautiful page art.  We unboxed this book at the top of the show and I encourage you all to check it out.

As for our lists:  tonight we looked at a number of bonus tracks that should have been on the albums!  B-sides, import or format exclusives, and other assorted sources comprised our selections of bonus tracks.  And mighty they were!  Our panel tonight:

  • Yours truly on bass.
  • Harrison Kopp on drums.
  • Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation on lead guitar.
  • Jex Russell on lead vocals.

With that lineup, we came up with some wicked lists and I encourage you to watch the whole show.  Some artists made multiple appearances, although no actual songs did.  Most, but not all, were in the hard rock realm.

Great responses in the comments, thanks to all who watched and participated!

My picks:

Van Halen – “Crossing Over” (Balance 1995)
Marillion – “The Release” (Seasons End 1989)
Ratt – “Scattered” (Infestation 2010)
KISS – “Got To Choose” (MTV Unplugged 1996)
Van Halen – “That’s Why I Love You” (3, 1998)

 

What Bonus Track Should Have Been On the Album? Grab A Stack of Rock – Mike, Jex, Harrison & special guest Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation

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

Episode 32:  What Bonus Track Should Have Been On the Album?

Our first episode since August 11!  Thanks for your patience, and I hope tonight’s show rocks your socks off!

One of the reasons we haven’t done a show since August 11 was the fault of one of tonight’s guests.  Please welcome Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation to the show for the first time!  Last week, we were busy recording his excellent episode on Coverdale-Page.  (The week before that was simply a weekend off at the cottage.)  This week he’s returning the favour, and we’re so happy to have him on for the first time!  Two Canadians vs. two Australians!

Harrison the Mad Metal Man suggested this topic.  Knowing my love of bonus tracks and B-sides, he asked What Bonus Tracks Should Have Been on the Album?  A great question that I have often pondered in my own reviews.  It’s a Cinco de Listo Top Five list, and it was a real struggle to make my five picks count.

Also joining us tonight will be Jex Russell from Jex’s Vinyl World, who kindly set aside parental duties to take part.

Bonus tracks from singles and imports will all be on the table for tonight.  Which ones would really have enhanced the albums?  Let’s find out.

 

LIVE Friday Sept 1 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

 

Rock Daydream Nation: Coverdale Page – Is this Led Snake?

This is what we were up to Friday night, hence no episode of Grab A Stack of Rock.  Worth it!  I had a great time on Rock Daydream Nation with Peter Kerr, Tim Durling, John Clauser, and Reed Little.

This time we took a fairly deep dive into Coverdale-Page, the 1993 album and project featuring Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and David Coverdale of Whitesnake.  We discussed the history, the rumours, the tour, the performances, and of course the songs.  Was it more Led than Snake, or vice versa?  What were our first impressions when we heard Page and Coverdale were teaming up?  What songs would we choose to spotlight?

We also spent a moment honouring the fallen Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake).  Rest in peace, Bernie.

All this and more.  Hope you like it.

No Show Tonight: Taping with Rock Daydream Nation!

Did you enjoy the Vinnie Vincent Invasion episode we did with Peter Kerr on Rock Daydream Nation?  If so, you’ll be happy that I’m recording with him again tonight!  Yes it’s true…I get around the YouTube like the town bicycle.

I’m thrilled to be joining another Rock Daydream Nation show about another super-secret topic, this time with a serious cast of characters!  Tim Durling, John Clauser, Reed Little and I will be alongside Peter to discuss one of the most talked-about albums of the early 90s.  A personal favourite.  In fact, Deke and I interviewed the co-producer several years ago, on the LeBrain Train.

I’ve narrowed it down for you…now it’s time to guess!

Mike Fraser takes us inside the recording studio on an epic LeBrain Train

Another reason I’m excited is that this is my first official show with John Clauser, who I like very much and have been looking for a chance to work with.  Can’t wait to chat, John!  Check out John Clauser at My Music Corner on Youtube.  This outta be good.

Grant’s Rock Warehaus: Helix – Part Two: Back for Another Taste w/Tim Durling & Mike Ladano

Here’s one of the super-secret tapings I’ve been talking about! Helix – Part One was the Capitol Years with Martin Popoff and Tim Durling.  I twisted Grant’s arm and talked him into covering the rest of the Helix story.  In Part Two, Tim and I joined Grant to discuss everything Helix from Over 60 Minutes With… to Live in Buffalo.  There’s a lot of story there, from Paul Hackman’s unfortunate death to the lineup changes that followed.  Some great music too:  Back For Another Taste, It’s A Business Doing Pleasure, Half-ALIVE and B-Sides being some of the highlights we discussed.

In Part Three we’ll finish the story, going from Rocking In My Outer Space to “Brother From Another Mother”.  We will also discuss the first two Helix albums in detail since some killer reissues fall in these years.

Gimme an R and check out Grant’s Rock Warehaus!

Rock Daydream Nation: Rock Court: In defence of Vinnie Vincent Invasion

One of the “super-secret” tapings I was involved with is finally ready for your viewing pleasure!

In this courtroom drama, I played the role of the prosecution, with Peter Kerr as the defense.  Judging was the honourable Reed Little (The Contrarians), who had to choose whether or not he was going to buy Vinnie Vincent Invasion, based on our testimony.

I have not seen the final episode myself, but I look forward to watching how I did with a couple weeks distance!  This show was a lot of fun, and I’ll be back on Rock Daydream Nation again this fall, defending a band I love!  (Or at least, an era I love from a band I like!)

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions: Ep. 445: Flash Gordon (Movie and Soundtrack review)

FLASH! AH-AH, SAVIOUR OF THE UNIVERSE!

Today we wish Sam J. Jones a happy birthday, on a very special Tim’s Vinyl Confessions. Join Tim, Jex and I with Robert Daniels in his first-ever Tim’s Vinyl Confessions. Only this time we’re not confessing vinyl! Not really anyway. Yes, Queen did the soundtrack, but our focus was more on the celluloid.

Apologies in advance for any Flash Gordon fans who will automatically hate my perspective on this show.  At least it was funny…

Top TV Show Theme Music on Grab A Stack of Rock with Robert Daniels, Harrison and Jex

Thank you Rob and Harrison for an awesome stack of lists tonight!  Jex could not make it, as having two young kids can tend to tire one out at the end of the day.  He did send in a Top 5 list which Harrison read, and the rest of us saluted!

The lists were awesome and diverse.  If you don’t want to watch the show, I recorded the lists for your reading pleasure below.  Note the minimal amount of crossover, but also note the similarities between Rob and Jex!

We fielded an “Ask Harrison” question tonight from Jazz King, who we hope will be asking more questions of the Mad Metal Man in the coming weeks!

Great lists, and almost as impressive were the runners up!  Check them out at the end of the show.

Cheers and see you next time!

MIKE

11. Trailer Park Boys (Blain Morris) – the Hawaiian guitar version from the Christmas Special
10. The Flinstones (Hoyt Curtin, Joseph Barbera and William Hanna)
9. The Simpsons (Danny Elfman)
8. Cheers – “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” (Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart-Angelo)
7. All In The Family – “Those Were the Days” (Lee Adams (lyrics) and Charles Strouse (music))
6. South Park (Primus) – it cost Matt Stone and Trek Parker only $74.
5. Beverly Hillbillies – “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” (Paul Henning, and recorded first by bluegrass musicians Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs – vocals)
4. Cops – “Bad Boys” (Inner Circle)
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Dennis McCarthy)
2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (Jerry Goldsmith)
1. Star Trek: the original series (Alexander Courage) – made immortal for me by Wayne’s World

JEX

5. The (Je)X-Files
4. Unsolved Mysteries
3. The Twilight Zone
2. Knight Rider
1. Stranger Things

HARRISON

11. Dilbert – “Forbidden Zone” by Oingo Boingo
10. Miniscule
9. Air Crash Investigation (Mayday)
8. Top Gear -“Jessica” by the Allman Brothers
7. The Transformers: Cybertron
6. Gotham
5. Walking With Dinosaurs
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003-2009)
3. Deltoro Quest
2. Clone Wars
1. Primeval

ROB

11. S.W.A.T.
10. Game of Thrones
9. The Jeffersons
8. Mission: Impossible
7. Knight Rider
6. Space: 1999
5. Dr. Who
4. The X-Files
3. Hardcastle & McCormick
2. Battlestar Galactica (2003)
1. Star Trek: Voyager*