A few weeks ago, Tim & I tackled a classic Helix album on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions. Check out this 4:07 mini album review, in which we discuss the album and the rare Canadian glow in the dark cassette.
The album should have been bigger than it was, so hopefully we spread some appreciation in the video below.
In 1994, Rush were inducted to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, after a mere 20 years as a recording band. Not bad for three nerds from Southern Ontario. I had my VCR running that night, and this is the whole segment, complete and uncut, with all introductions and fades, unlike other copies on YouTube. Tom Cochrane was selected to induct them.
“Tonight we’re here to blow the lid off our three friends,” says Cochrane.
This 17 minute segment includes interviews with Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart. Tom Cochrane narrates the story of the unstoppable band with the rock solid fanbase. It’s funny in hindsight to hear Neil talking about having fans as old as 40. There is testimony from fans both young and old.
Celebrity fans also appear with awesome stories and tributes:
As a precursor to things Alex Lifeson would say and do in the future, he is the comedy relief here. His son Justin also has a comedic bit, proving it’s in the genes. Poignantly though, Alex wishes for another 20 years…which, sadly, is all they got.
This is a beautiful tribute to Canada’s greatest export. Watch the whole thing; you will not regret the 17 minutes.
The birthdays keep coming, relentlessly as the tides, but Jex Russell ensured that this one was special and different indeed.
This birthday, I was joined by Jex, John Clauser and Tim Durling for a fun Friday afternoon that turned quite epic by the end. Before that surprise unfolded, we took a look at my new shelving and a large chunk at my CD collection. We discussed favourite birthday memories and a movie in its 40th anniversary this year: The Last Starfighter. (This led into a side discussion on Howard the Duck.)
Jen joined us for gifts at the halfway point of the show. She gifted me with two new releases and one deluxe live album. You’ll have to watch the show and see! (Clue: royal rodents and the Phoenix lights.)
As a finale, Jex unveiled his surprise. With the assistance of Tim Durling, it was like an episode of “This Is Your Life”, or a Cameo with all my favourite people. Jex’s presentation included friends both famous and infamous. There was even an acoustic version of the Grab A Stack of Rock theme song performed by Johnny Metal himself. Thank you, John!
Here is Jex’s presentation:
By the end of it, I was flattered and honoured, and maybe my eyes were a little wet. I’m not crying, you’re crying. All my reactions to the kind words and surprise guests are live and unfiltered.
I’m the guy who usually has all the words. I don’t have any this time. If a picture is worth 1000 words, just watch my face.
Thank you everyone for everything. Here’s to another year.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 65: Celebrate Mike’s Birthday on Grab A Stack of Rock – Live!!
(There will NOT be cake)
I was going to take the day off, and just chill on my birthday. No Friday show. “I deserve a break,” I reasoned. We had the Great CD Avalanche of 2024, a physically & emotionally & financially taxing event in recent weeks, and it will be many weeks more before all the CDs are alphabetized again. So, my birthday was going to be spent going out to a quiet lunch with Jen, and then watching Doctor Who and the Acolyte at home.
Then I started to think, that sounded a little too lonely. I wanted to celebrate with my friend Jex. So, I asked.
“Brother, whatever you want to do on your birthday, show or no show, I support you man!” came his response.
I thought about it for two days. I decided that I wanted to celebrate my birthday with Oojaboojagan.
Today’s show is a no-list, no-pressure, just chill-and-join-us event! I’ll be stuffed full of food by that time, and I may even have a birthday drink, so you never know what you will get! There is no theme, but I promise you this much:
Join us this afternoon at 3:30 PM E.S.T. for “Operation: Oojaboojagan”! Seriously, I have no idea what Jex has planned.
Friday July 19 at 3:30 P.M. E.S.T. / 4:30 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
These Gil Moore interviews that I have are all from a MuchMusic Spotlight. Therefore, all the original information about the time and location of the interview are now lost to me. It looks like this was recorded on the west coast, which would make the interviewer Terry David Mulligan (“TDM”). It is some time in the mid-80s. Gil is asked about the “essence” of rock and roll, and he argues that it has a lot to do with the live experience. Check it out!
Short and sweet video here today, featuring Triumph drummer and vocalist Gil Moore. Possibly from The New Music in 1983, in this interview Gil discusses Triumph’s famed light show. In their early days, Moore was the man who brought in the light show, and here he talks a little bit about what it’s like to play on stage with such a complex show, and the dangers involved. Have a look.
RECORD STORE TALES #1139: Bonfire at Lake Water Stones
More people, less wildlife. That’s a rule-of-thumb at Lake Water Stones.
Why “Lake Water Stones“? That was a childhood nickname that I had for Lorne Beach, on Lake Huron. Now in my 52nd summer at the lake, I realize more than ever why it had that name. As before, I took the drone up to the cottage and filmed lots of video. I also took the drone far lower over the water, and through the crystal clear ripples, you can see countless stones…rocks upon rocks upon rocks…as far as the eye can see. There are very few sandy patches at Lake Water Stones this year. It changes from year to year. The winter always brings in a new landscape, and seascape.
Back to the wildlife. On our last trip to the lake, we witnessed our friend the fox, four wild turkeys, and a skunk. There was hardly anybody there that weekend, and it was very quiet. This time, there were many neighbours. The animals made themselves scarce. There was no danger of tripping over a skunk this time. Even our friend the chipmunk was barely to be seen.
On the flipside of this, we had the chance to meet the folks next door, a newlywed couple we’d never run into before. Having a drone is a good conversation starter! Neighbour Danny was treated to the best air show I could offer. I swooped it down closer to the surface, and buzzed him from a safe distance as he swam. Later on, I pulled the same stunt while Jen was swimming, and I came within an inch of crashing into a rock. It was a close, close call and I will not be flying that fast, that close to the water again! It’s all on video.
Danny invited Jen and I to a big bonfire that night with his wife. I’m not usually the social type, and as of my friends who have not even seen me yet this year can testify to. In the interest of doing new things and trying to be social, I decided to go. Of course, I brought my drone to film it from the air. It was an impressive fire. And truthfully, it was nice to be social for a change instead of a hermit.
That was the one new thing we did this weekend, in a summer of trying new things.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the music we played in the car, and on the porch. On the way to the lake, I wanted to try one of the new albums I bought when Aaron and I went to Toronto. I chose Don Dokken’s Solitary, which as I surprised, was an acoustic album. I enjoyed it, but Jen did not like his cover of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” one bit. I’m undecided. I don’t have to decide until I review it. After that, we needed a palette cleanser so I put on Back for the Attack by Dokken. Not one bad song.
On the porch, I asked Jen to pick bands, and then I would pick a song. She started throwing me curveballs by naming bands like Judas Priest. I would then shake it up by playing an atypical song. In Priest’s case, it was “Before the Dawn”. When she picked Guns N’ Roses, I went for “Better”. This fun game kept us entertained for an hour or so.
Saturday morning was spent listening to the best of Kansas, in preparation for the afternoon interview with Tim Durling. Jex Russell and I had the time of our lives talking to Tim about all things Kansas, and he should know! A great show, though Amazon failed to deliver my copy of Point of Know Return as planned. It just flat-out never showed up and they refunded my money. All I had to show off for the interview with Tim was my copy on 8-track, that he gifted me last summer!
Another triumphant weekend at Lake Water Stones. It’s wonderful to be able to keep these memories on video. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: This review is from the perspective of a drone rookie. I recently plunged into the hobby, and found it easy and inviting. Here’s what I have learned in my three weeks as a drone pilot.
Buy the ATOM SE Drone on Amazon!
Potensic ATOM SE GPS Drone With 4K Single-Axis Camera
When I was a young kid, I would come to the beach and watch this older kid fly his remote control airplane over the lake. He never landed it without crashing, with either major or minor damage. I thought it would be cool to fly an RC plane like that, but it looked difficult and expensive. Then, at some point decades later, my dad bought an indoor drone for me. Just a toy. Impossible to control, and it went flying off my wife’s head. Nope, flying things isn’t the hobby for me. Onto the next thing.
Then, one day after browsing Amazon, I decided to buy a real drone and see what difference it would make. You only live once. I chose the ATOM SE by Potensic, which came with two batteries, a remote, all the cables you need to charge and connect it, and a spare set of propellers (with the appropriate screwdriver). It all came in a nice, padded travel case that holds everything. It really is an all-in-one package. You can buy accessories too, including spare batteries and a charger that can do three of them at once (plus the remote). I also recommend picking up a landing pad, which helps keep your drone propellers out of the grass and/or sand. The only thing you will need to provide separately is a micro SD card so you can record all that lovely 1080p video you’re going to capture.
My only complaint: No paper manual. All you get is a pdf file. I gave it a read, but I learn by doing, so one Saturday morning when nobody was around, I took my drone over to the park. Within minutes I was in the air. (Of note: This drone is light enough that it does not require a license, so you are good to go.)
It is intuitive and easy to fly. You just plug your phone into the remote, to act as a screen. Everything fits perfectly. The camera is crisp and clear. For those with a higher budget, the next model up has a 3-axis camera, but this one just moves up and down. I found this plenty good enough. The controller has two (removeable) joysticks (with a clever storage solution). Everything is ergonomic. The left stick controls altitude, and rotates the drone. The right stick controls all movement forwards and backwards, and side to side. It moves equally well in all four directions.
This drone is steady as a rock. Even in a light breeze, it barely moves from where you want it. I took it up to its maximum ceiling of 190 feet, and then right down again to land, and it had only moved about a foot. There are automatic flying modes, such as one where it circles a waypoint (with camera always pointed at the center, a cool feature) and one where it follows you. You can set a home point for it to automatically return to. However, I am more comfortable being in control. That shows you how easy this thing is to use, that I prefer manual controls to automatic.
It’s a fast little drone, and zips right over your head going over 13 mph. It stops on a dime, and is extremely responsive. It is also capable of beautiful, slow movements. The resultant videos are always quality.
When I first bought this drone, a few people were asking me what the heck I would do with it? Check out the videos below and tell me I’m not having fun!
This is an easy 5/5 stars and a solid gateway into a fun hobby. You can get an ATOM SE Drone on Amazon.
Save at Capitol One Shopping, at this link.
RECORD STORE TALES #1138: ‘Twas 30 Years Ago, at Stanley Park Mall
(Story & Video featuring Robert Daniels)
Since 1991, The Beat Goes On was the easiest place for me to buy new music. The selection wasn’t great, and the prices were high, but it was just a 10 minute walk from my house. When Motley Crue released their long-awaited new album in the spring of 1994, I just grabbed it on my way to school. I bought a lot of important music at that store in the early 90s. Mr. Bungle was my first purchase, as I recall, $14.99 on cassette. I picked up the debut by Fight, the Very Special Christmas compilations, and the Wayne’s World soundtrack. No, wait – I got Wayne’s World at Zeller’s because the owner was too busy talking to a girl to help me! When I finally got his attention, he was sold out of Wayne’s World, so I bought it at Zellers down the hall!
I wasn’t the most regular customer for the first three years, because of the pricing. As a small independent store in a mall, rent and overhead was high while margins were low. Then came used CDs.
The owner likes to tell the story. “I came in with a single tray of used CDs and put them on sale,” he said. Initially our prices were $9.99 and $11.99 for used CDs. I walked in one day in early July and bought Kiss My Ass, which was two or three weeks old (June 21 1994 release date). What a steal! I didn’t want to pay new prices for a handful of songs that I wanted. I was impressed. I planned on making my visits much more regular.
Two weeks later, I was working there behind the counter.
Stanley Park Mall was an important location to me, all my life. I had worked there in 1989-1990 at the grocery store Zehrs, and my dad worked at the bank there through pretty much all the 1980s. Now I was calling it home again, as I worked the summer of 1994 at The Beat Goes On, learning the used CD trade and rocking the suburbs. The mall was an ever-changing landscape of stores. When I started, many were already long gone, such as the comic book store and video rental place. Today it’s even more of a wasteland, with very little to attract teen mallrats today. There was once an A&A Records; that closed in 1990. There were once two banks, a diner, a liquor store, a camera shop, a Zellers with a restaurant, even a video arcade once upon a time. The mall is barely recognizable from that day I was hired in July of 1994.
When I started at The Beat Goes On, there were just two of us. I was replacing a part-timer named Craig Herner that was leaving for school. It was just me and the owner. It was a pretty incredible time to be at the start of something. Used CDs were taking off, and we had two tables of them as opposed to one little tray. Grunge was still powering the charts, with Soundgarden and Alice In Chains lingering near the top. Kurt Cobain was dead but the music was still selling like mad. On the other side of the ailes, MuchDance was popular, and there was a new rapper named 2Pac that was making waves. The soundtrack to Forrest Gump was selling steady despite its high (2 CD) selling price. “Somebody’s getting rich off that Gumbo thing!” said an old man who didn’t buy it. It wasn’t us getting rich! April Wine had a new album, there was a ZZ Top blues compilation hitting the shelves, and it was just generally a brilliant time to be alive.
30 years is an eternity, and the mall has changed, but here we are! Recently, Rob Daniels joined me for a stroll around Stanley Park Mall, to see what has transpired. We strolled the hallways, remarked on the stores now long gone, and explored what’s there now. Enjoy this video documentary on the changes endured by Stanley Park Mall over the last 30 years…three decades to the week since my hiring at The Beat Goes On!
Huge thank you to Jex Russell and Tim Durling for spending Friday afternoon with us chatting about Kansas! Tim’s third book, Let It Be Your Guide: The Kansas Album Review, is out now Like his previous two books, you can get this one now on your local Amazon.
Kansas are progressive rock legends, but did they ever get the respect they deserved? They are still making music today, and good music too. This book, and this interview, reflect a love of Kansas that perhaps isn’t seen enough in media (mainstream and social) these days. Tim hopes to change that. His appreciation for the music is sincere. As for Jex and I, we could only sit back and learn.
We had one surprise lined up for Tim, a Grab A Stack of Rock first. In a surprise appearance, TVC bandmate and book cover artist Matt Phillips explains what went into the artwork, and other important details about publishing a book like this. Indeed, there are photos of articles from Tim’s personal collection inside, all laid out beautifully with great care. Thank you Matt for sending in this great video. If you want to know about some of the Easter eggs on the book art, watch this video.
Congratulations Tim on this third book, and please support him by picking up a copy on Amazon. Jex and I will be back from the cottage soon for another Grab A Stack of Rock. Thanks everybody for your viewer questions and comments!
SHOW NOTES
“A FAN’S EAR-VIEW OF WHAT MAKES KANSAS’ MUSIC SO SPECIAL” – Jeff Wagner
Tim, what took you so long to write a third book? Y&T was 7 months ago.
Tell us your point of entry into Kansas. (I do not remember ever seeing Kansas on MuchMusic)
One might argue that you were born to write this book, given your channel “Tim’s Vinyl Confessions”.
During a debate of greatest “Song 1 Side 1” in history among the lead characters in the movie High Fidelity, Jack Black’s character criticizes one of John Cusack’s character’s proposals as “too obvious, like ‘Point of Know Return'”.
Let’s assume you’re talking to Kansas megafans watching this show, who have every album already. Why should they buy this book?
The band is known for clever wordplay in titles, such as “Point of Know Return” and “Leftoverture”. Did you sneak any clever wordplay into this book that you can tell us about?
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