Harrison Be Thy Name: 50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 13: Maiden England post-show summary

Clash of the Titans!  Mike and Harrison disagree sharply on one song on Maiden England ’88 and you’ll see it happen in this live episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden from Friday night.

In this celebratory episode, we dissect this double CD song by song, including all the encores.  We discuss, and show off, different releases.  We talk about the mix, the video, the cover art, and all the usual details.  We also allow Slash from Guns N’ Roses a minute of showtime to talk about touring with Iron Maiden.  His answer angered some Maiden fans on YouTube.

The lively comments section allowed us some back and forth, and a looseness that we don’t get with the pre-recorded episodes.  For that reason and more, this was a very fun episode!  Check it out if you missed it.

See you in two weeks, for No Prayer for the Dying with Reed Little.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHOW NOTES:

 

Recorded 27–28 November 1988 Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham

Released 8 November 1989 (VHS) 1994 (CD/VHS)

Length 95:00 (video, approx.) 74:27 (audio) 100:30 (2 CD reissue)
Label PMI / EMI
Director Steve Harris
Producer Martin Birch

1. “Moonchild”

Recorded intro is from album.  New track up for #1 and a great opener it is.  Bruce’s voice is absolutely stunning here, as he goes slightly off album format and lets it rip without rasp.  Baby crying represents birth of the seventh son and is new audio.

2. “The Evil That Men Do”

New track up for #2 and Bruce still powering through, and not an easy song to power through.

3. “The Prisoner”

Back to Beast for #3, and the audience is all there for it, punctuating the riff with “YEAHS”!  Adrian sounds great on backing vocals – integral to the live version.

4. “Still Life”  (single B-side)

Finally a live version of Still Life!  It is everything you want it to be, if you are a Piece of Mind fan.  Heavy parts are faster and heavier, Bruce’s vocals are more off the hook.  He messes up the second last line:  “Coming all the time, now we rest in peace!”  Should be “Always after me”.

5. “Die with Your Boots On”

Solid workmanlike version.  Bruce has a little more fun with varying the vocal line than on Live After Death.

6. “Infinite Dreams” (single A-side)

Wisely alternating new and old material.

7. “Killers” (single B-side)

“Gimme some bad dreams, this one!”  One of the best live versions of Killers on CD.  Absolutely vicious and perfect for following Infinite Dreams.

8. “Can I Play with Madness” (VHS only)

Backing vocals are flatter live (Steve?) but this is the first live version released of this now-classic single.  Bruce throws in lots of extra “yeah yeah yeah-hah” lines.  Set tends to focus on newer songs for the next batch.

9. “Heaven Can Wait”

A song for those who might be worried about their ultimate disposition up there or down below!  Top notch live version of this now-overplayed song.  It was fresher back then.  Faster; drags less especially in the woah oh oh section.  (I also like “That’s it – end of the song!” at the end.)

10. “Wasted Years”

And finally a live version of Wasted Years!  First real time Bruce struggles with the song, but it still sounds brilliant.  It’s a challenging song of course.  Minor differences in Adrian’s solo too.

1. “The Clairvoyant”

This single sounds great live; tad faster.  This is not the live version from the previous single A-side.

2. “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”

Without any introduction, we go forth into the concert epic.  Replacing Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the song proves its mettle in filling that role.  Perhaps superior to the album more?  More drive, Bruce more off the chain?

3. “The Number of the Beast”

Back to the classics not much to say here.

4. “Hallowed Be Thy Name”  (VHS only)

Vocally awesome – Bruce holds that one note nice and long.  Equal to the Live After Death version?  Vocally Bruce is weaker, but singing it more “straight” without weird accents.  Davey’s solo – bonkers!  Adrian’s – composed intensity!  Pick scrapes galore!

5. “Iron Maiden”

“Yeah let it rip!”  Oldies to the end, with plenty of Di’Anno era rock.  This operatic version of Iron Maiden is fast and fun.

6. “Run to the Hills”  (2013 CD)

Abrupt sonic shift; you can hear  that these are the “bonus tracks”.  The obligatory Run to the Hills is here and there’s not much more to say.

7. “Running Free” (2013 CD)

Great version here.  Pay special attention to Nicko’s drum fills, which are animated and plentiful.  Bruce says this is the biggest indoor crowd they have played to in England.  Bruce does tell them that they are recording a video.  No big long “I’m Running Free, yeah!” section – just a couple times.

8. “Sanctuary” (2013 CD)

A smashing closer!  Steve’s bass is perfect in the – prominent enough to hear his upper neck melodies but not dominant.  Bruce does a short “Yeaaaaah” thing, but not as annoying as before.  Lets the crowd do it.

🅻🅸🆅🅴 50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 13: Maiden England

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 13:  Maiden England

A special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 episode

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #103

50 Years of Iron Maiden arrives at the cottage for the first time!  Like we have for past live albums such as Live At Hammersmith and Live After Death, Harrison and I will be doing this episode for Maiden England as a live broadcast.  Much like Live At Hammersmith, this album often falls under the radar.  It was recorded for a home video release, directed by Steve Harris.  Unusually, this home video spawned one single, “Infinite Dreams” live.   A live album was an afterthought and was not even released as one until Bruce Dickinson was out of the band in 1994, and even that CD was missing two songs from the VHS for time reasons.  It was finally reissused as a full show in 2013; an expanded 2 CD set with the encores restored.

The band were recorded on the Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour, over two nights in Birmingham, playing a number of new songs from the album.  They also resurrected a couple from Somewhere In Time, and Piece of Mind, that were a delight to hear.  Reaching back to the Di’Anno years, they provided a pleasing setlist full of fresh songs and refreshing oldies.  Harrison and I will break it down for you, and hopefully entice you to give it a listen.

For physical media, we have a CD copy of the “Infinite Dreams” single from the First Ten Years box set, the 2013 double CD reissue, and the 1994 CD/VHS combo pack.

Please drop in and say hello for this special live analysis and appraisal!

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Friday May 23 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T.  Enjoy on YouTube and Facebook.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

The Contrarians Live: Turn It Down! Album Covers You Can Hear!

We have a busy week here at Grab A Stack of Rock HQ, and it all starts tonight with my 25th appearance on the Contrarians!

From the mind of Martin comes “You Can Hear This Cover!”  Album covers that feel like you can actually hear what’s going on.  There are a variety of albums from many genres that you will hear all about on tonight’s live show.

Then tomorrow, John Snow and I have an epic interview to record, that we can’t tell you about…

Friday we’re going live with 50 Years of Iron Maiden…from the cottage!

And Saturday we’re recording with Tim’s Vinyl Confessions!

It all starts tonight.  Don’t miss any of it!

THE CONTRARIANS – Turn It Down! Album Covers You Can Hear! – Wednesday May 21 –  7:00 PM EST

My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!
  25. Album Covers You Can Hear
  26. Album Covers You Can Smell

#1189: Aglio e Olio

RECORD STORE TAILS #1189: Aglio e Olio

Growing up in an Italian family, we ate a lot of pasta.  Usually it was the tried and true spaghetti and meatballs.  Even though she’s not Italian, my mom makes a mean lasagna.  These were always treats and delights to have for dinner, but as far as pasta went, nothing topped my Aunt Maria’s aglio e olio.

It’s very simple yet requires knowledge and the perfect touch.  Aglio e olio is simply spaghetti in olive oil and garlic.  It’s usually served with chili flakes and parsley or other herbs.  As simple as it gets; no red sauce and no meat.  If you do add meat, I recommend medium rare steak or garlic shrimp.  It’s up to you; my sister Dr. Kathryn likes hers with mushrooms.

We looked forward to aglio with Aunt every time there was a special occasion.  My aunt would often make a meal for the rest of the family, such as a ham, but also make a batch of aglio special for me.  We had it for birthdays and we had it for visits.  Try as we might, we never could quite get the recipe right at home.  The recipe had been passed down from her mother, and she made it better than most restaurants.  There were tricks to it, as it turns out, that I had completely missed.

Aunt never added meat to her aglio.  She never had to.  The garlic was always soft and golden, and the overall gestault of the pasta gave an aura of umami even without meat.  You could add kalamata olives if you wanted to keep it vegan but add even more saltiness.

I attempted many variations of this at home, all failures.  I tried cheating and using garlic olive oil, or enhancing the pasta with garlic powder.  Awful!  I added vegetables and cheeses in the effort to bring in more flavour, never matching my aunt’s perfection.  I would phone them at their home in Stratford and ask for tips.  Obviously something was getting lost in translation, because it always came out bland.

And they said it was the simplest one!  Indeed, look at an Italian restaurant’s menu and aglio e olio is always the cheapest of the spaghettis.  There’s hardly anything to it.

I thought the secret was to make sure you added some hot, starchy pasta water to the oily mixture of garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  Simple enough.  What I didn’t really understand until Saturday, May 18 2025 was that I was doing everything right, just not enough.

I was determined to get it right this time.  I asked Jen to pick up a nice steak and some spaghetti and I was going to get aglio e olio right for a change.  For the first time.

Dutifully she came home with a beautiful strip loin with a nice cap of fat, at 50% off because she knows exactly when during the week the meat goes on sale.  I rubbed it with olive coil, sea salt, ground pepper, and a little Montreal steak spice for Jen.  She likes it; I can do without except in light moderation.  I chopped up a whole bulb of garlic into different sized chunks, for a variety of flavours and textures as you found them on your fork.  I smooshed some.  It varied.

Using my cast iron pan, I seared that steak on medium high on all four sides, and then let it cook a little longer after turning the heat down.  I chopped some parsley and let the steak rest.  It was a perfect medium rare, as I’d discover at the end when I finally sliced it.  It was also perfectly seasoned.

I set a pot to boil, adding a little olive oil to the water (I understand this helps keep the spaghetti from sticking), and a lot of table salt.  Not sea salt; table salt.  I didn’t measure, but it was a lot.

“Aglio can’t be too salty;” I reasoned.  Every time I made it in the past, I sought ways to up the saltiness, be it with meat or olives.  Salting it at the table didn’t work.  What I learned was, you have to salt the pasta by salting the water, generously.  This is what will give the aglio its flavour later on, enhancing the garlic and finally making its presence known.

Once the water is at a vigorous boil, I throw in a whole package of spaghetti.  I cracked the noodles in half and dumped them in the water.  I put the lid on and they cooked quickly.

I already had a saucepan full of olive oil going at medium heat.  Exactly three minutes after I put the spaghetti in the water, I dumped all my garlic in the olive oil, stirring frequently and ensuring it didn’t burn.

Always taste your spaghetti frequently to make sure it’s not going to be overcooked.  That’s the worst.  Instead, take the spaghetti out of the water about a minute before it’ll be at the perfect done-ness for you.  As soon as I took my first taste of the not-yet-cooked noodles, I knew I was close.  I hadn’t tasted that since my aunt made aglio at the cottage.  It was so familiar.  When the spaghetti was done, I drained it immediately.  Key here is to save at least 1/2 cup of that salty, starchy pasta water, because you’re going to immediately transfer all the pasta into the saucepan with the garlic oil.  Pour in the 1/2 cup of water and mix everything together in the saucepan, ensuring you coat every strand of spaghetti with that starchy garlic oil.  Throw in some chili flakes and parsley.  Add Parmesan cheese at the table to taste.

I threw some beautiful steak slices on top and served.  My aunt’s recipe had been saved.

You see, my aunt has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for many years now.  She can’t cook and wouldn’t be able to tell us the recipe anymore.  It would have been lost.  I saved it today.  Let it be known, that on May 18 2025, I saved the Maria Ladano (Festoso) recipe for aglio e olio.  It lives again.

I know that my aunt doesn’t understand what is happening to her right now, but I hope that her spirit would be gladdened to know that I have saved this classic recipe for all time.  Here it is.  I just wrote it down.  It can never go away now.

Thank you Aunt Maria.  For all the toy trucks, GI Joes and Transformers and CDs and tapes, the spaghetti was the best gift.

#1188: I Wanna Be A Lifeguard: Long Weekend at the Lake – May 2025

RECORD STORE TALES #1188: I Wanna Be A Lifeguard: Long Weekend at the Lake – May 2025

Jen and I were fortunate enough to spend a long weekend at the cottage, arriving Thursday night (May 8).  As has been my goal for several seasons now, I try to do new things each time, when possible.  This time, it was something out of the box.

Having become more comfortable working from home thanks to the pandemic, I asked my bosses if I could work from home Thursday afternoon, saving me 30 minutes of commute time and accumulating traffic, and getting to the lake that much faster.

“That’s a great idea, you should do that,” came the first response.

“Why don’t you just work the whole day from home?” came the second.

I was pleased to receive so much support.  With that plan in motion, we hit the road at 4:30 sharp.

Unfortunately traffic was slow, and it took over two hours to get there, but imagine if we didn’t have that extra time.  Music on the way up included Sing the Sorrow by AFI, to prepare for that Saturday’s show with D’Arcy Briggs, an album in review.  Once we arrived, I hit the porch and rocked out to “I Wanna Be A Lifeguard” by Blotto.  I delighted in emailing Broadway Blotto the video footage.

With coffee and snacks in hand, we were well prepared for a great weekend.  Though cold, I did manage to spend a lot of time outdoors, with hoodie protecting me from the bitter breeze.  All the snow was gone now, though only recently.

The next morning I went for a fly down to the river with my drone, and captured some wonderful footage.

Music: Blue Rodeo – “Dragging On”

At 8:15 AM, we headed out to get the best choices of steaks at the Beef Way.  We chose two T-bones, some fry-pies, and for me, lake trout and duck legs.  The duck legs made for a tasty lunch that afternoon.  I wanted to do some kind of potato in duck fat, so I boiled two potatoes in hot water until they were soft, but still solid.  I then got a grooved aluminium tray, and laid slices of potato in the grooves.  I placed the seasoned legs on top and seasoned everything.  When the duck fat started to render, the potatoes fried in it, making them so crispy with a pleasant accent to the flavour.  In short, the best fries I ever made.  And the duck legs weren’t bad either.

Sometimes at the cottage when it’s cold, you have to force yourself to be outside, so I pulled out some old Transformers toys (some vintage, some reissues) and did some fun photos on the front porch.  I even experimented with filming one of the big ones from the air with my drone.

I had more changes to fly on the weekend, capturing incredible images of Lorne Beach, on the western coast of Lake Huron.  The footage was some of the nicest I’ve managed to take.


Music: Bruce Cockburn – “Lovers In A Dangerous Time”

It is always fun editing these drone videos to music.  This time it was all Canadian content and nothing too hard.  There’s a line in “Lovers In A Dangerous Time” that has long resonated with me:

“Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight, got to kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight.”

Playing the song on the front porch that afternoon, I dedicated the song to a couple of friends who are dealing with health struggles.  Raise your goblet and send some love to these friends.

I watched a lot of Doctor Who, ate too much meat, and had a great time feeling like a kid again.  There was one eerie moment of déjà vu, and I absolutely love when these moments come.  Usually the come when music was the trigger, but this time it was Doctor Who.  I was watching some classic Tom Baker era episodes on Tubi, on my laptop on the front porch.  As a kid, I always associated Doctor Who with Sunday nights.  There would be a few episodes to watch (either Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker) before bed time, and back to school the next morning.  As the day grew late and I started working on dinner, it felt like a Sunday night again.  Family dinner as the sun was getting low.  It was actually Friday, but the feeling of Sunday was uncanny.  Do you ever get the Sunday blues?  It was like that, but warmer because it was Friday and just a memory of happy childhood.

We didn’t see any wildlife, which was disappointing, but there’s always next time.

Seeking to avoid a Monday crash, I tried to place my mind in the right set.  We drove home without much talking, but a steady soundtrack of Kiss.  Rock and Roll Over, Love Gun, and Dynasty.  When I really need to feel good, Kiss are usually a good band to go to.  Nothing but good memories with Kiss.

As for the cottage, it is always sad saying goodbye, but we came home on Mother’s Day and had a nice visit with the folks, and a dinner on Dad.  We’ll be back soon enough.  And in fact, when we do return, we’ll be doing our first live episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden from the cottage.  Little things like that get me excited.  I’ve already started packing.

Allons-y!

Check out the cottage video below.

Music:  Blotto – “I Wanna Be A Lifeguard”

A Far-Ranging Chat: The First Ten Years box set and More…

I’m a bit of a perfectionist.  I felt our episode on The First Ten Years box set by Iron Maiden was longer and more comprehensive.  Harrison also felt the episode deserved some expansion.  That’s why we did a live post-show chat after 50 Years of Iron Maiden last night.

An informal but semi-formatted chat, Harrison and I showed off a Japanese printing of the Purgatory / Maiden Japan CD that we forgot to show on the actual episode.  We also brought you some interesting facts from the fine people at Reddit.  This live bonus chat really is an essential part of the actual bonus episode.  That sounds confusing, but you know what I mean.

We also delved a little into the solo careers of Blaze Bayley (thank you @darcyska for the question) and Bruce Dickinson.   That tangent took us to the Ripper era of Judas Priest, and a discussion of the bleak 1990s.  We foreshadowed some coming episodes in 50 Years of Iron Maiden.  Next week will be a live show, and the first 50 Years of Iron Maiden episode to come to you live from the cottage.  We are doing Maiden England next.

As an added bonus we, re-told the story of how I acquired this holy grail of a box set.  We also ran a clip (Inception-style) that didn’t make it into our 100th episode, and finally a very special video showcasing the comedy of Jex Russell.

Thanks for watching, a shout-out to Henry Wright, John Clauser, Chris Sarre, Melissa Nee and D’Arcy Briggs for the comments.  We’ll be back for more soon.

Check out the full show below.

In 1990, Iron Maiden reissued all their 20 singles/EPs (except The Soundhouse Tapes) individually, on CD and vinyl.  Each CD and record held two singles/EPs.  The only missing track was “Wrathchild” from Maiden Japan, which will be discussed in the episode.  But what about the box itself?  You could send away a special coupon for the box that holds them all, for either CD or vinyl formats.  As the fortunate owner of this box set, we has to cover it in this bonus episode.

 

 

 

 

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Running Free” & “Sanctuary”
1. “Running Free”
2. “Burning Ambition”
3. “Sanctuary”
4. “Drifter” (Live in 1980)
5. “I’ve Got the Fire” (Live in 1980) 3:14
6. “Listen With Nicko! Part. I”

“Women in Uniform” & “Twilight Zone”
1. “Women in Uniform”
2. “Invasion”
3. “Phantom of the Opera” (Live in 1980)
4. “Twilight Zone”
5. “Wrathchild”
6. “Listen With Nicko! Part. II”

“Purgatory” & “Maiden Japan (EP)
1. “Purgatory”
2. “Genghis Khan”
3. “Running Free” (Live in 1981)
4. “Remember Tomorrow” (Live in 1981)
5. “Killers” (Live in 1981)
6. “Innocent Exile” (Live in 1981)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. III”

“Run to the Hills” & “The Number of the Beast”
1. “Run to the Hills”
2. “Total Eclipse”
3. “The Number of the Beast”
4. “Remember Tomorrow” (Live in 1981)
5. “Listen With Nicko! Part. IV”

“Flight of Icarus” & “The Trooper”
1. “Flight of Icarus”
2. “I’ve Got the Fire”
3. “The Trooper”
4. “Cross-Eyed Mary”
5. “Listen With Nicko! Part. V”

“2 Minutes to Midnight” & “Aces High”
1. “2 Minutes to Midnight”
2. “Rainbow’s Gold”
3. “Mission From ‘Arry”
4. “Aces High”
5. “King of Twilight”
6. “The Number of the Beast” (Live in 1983)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. VI”

“Running Free” (Live) & “Run to the Hills” (Live)
1. “Running Free” (Live in 1985)
2. “Sanctuary” (Live in 1985)
3. “Murders in the Rue Morgue” (Live in 1984)
4. “Run to the Hills” (Live in 1985)
5. “Phantom of the Opera” (Live in 1984)
6. “Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)” (Live in 1984)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. VII”

“Wasted Years” & “Stranger in a Strange Land”
1. “Wasted Years”
2. “Reach Out”
3. “Sheriff of Huddersfield”
4. “Stranger in a Strange Land”
5. “That Girl”
6. “Juanita”
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. VIII”

“Can I Play With Madness” & “The Evil That Men Do”
1. “Can I Play With Madness”
2. “Black Bart Blues”
3. “Massacre”
4. “The Evil That Men Do”
5. “Prowler” (1988 Version)
6. “Charlotte the Harlot” (1988 Version)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. IX” McBrain

“The Clairvoyant” (Live) & “Infinite Dreams” (Live)
1. “The Clairvoyant” (Live in 1988)
2. “The Prisoner” (Live in 1988)
3. “Heaven Can Wait” (Live in 1988)
4. “Infinite Dreams” (Live in 1988)
5. “Killers” (Live in 1988)
6. “Still Life” (Live in 1988)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. X” McBrain

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: The First Ten Years box set

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode

The First Ten Years box set

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK bonus episode

 

Welcome to a short episode this week, as we already covered every one of these songs in our comprehensive series to date.  Without going over all the songs again, Harrison and I revisited the best Iron Maiden box set that money could buy:  The First Ten Years.  

In 1990, Iron Maiden reissued all their 20 singles/EPs (except The Soundhouse Tapes) individually, on CD and vinyl.  Each CD and record held two singles/EPs.  The only missing track was “Wrathchild” from Maiden Japan, which will be discussed in the episode.  But what about the box itself?  You could send away a special coupon for the box that holds them all, for either CD or vinyl formats.  As the fortunate owner of this box set, we has to cover it in this bonus episode.

Check it out and let us know in the comments if you’ve ever seen this box set before in the flesh!

Airing Friday May 16 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube.

BONUS!  Harrison and I will be LIVE tomorrow night at 7:15 PM E.S.T. after the show airs, to talk to you, add information, and tell more stories about this incredible box set!  Don’t miss the post-show chat!

Live stream launches Friday May 16 at 7:15 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:15 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube and Facebook.

 

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

 

 

 

“Running Free” & “Sanctuary”
1. “Running Free”
2. “Burning Ambition”
3. “Sanctuary”
4. “Drifter” (Live in 1980)
5. “I’ve Got the Fire” (Live in 1980) 3:14
6. “Listen With Nicko! Part. I”

“Women in Uniform” & “Twilight Zone”
1. “Women in Uniform”
2. “Invasion”
3. “Phantom of the Opera” (Live in 1980)
4. “Twilight Zone”
5. “Wrathchild”
6. “Listen With Nicko! Part. II”

“Purgatory” & “Maiden Japan (EP)
1. “Purgatory”
2. “Genghis Khan”
3. “Running Free” (Live in 1981)
4. “Remember Tomorrow” (Live in 1981)
5. “Killers” (Live in 1981)
6. “Innocent Exile” (Live in 1981)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. III”

“Run to the Hills” & “The Number of the Beast”
1. “Run to the Hills”
2. “Total Eclipse”
3. “The Number of the Beast”
4. “Remember Tomorrow” (Live in 1981)
5. “Listen With Nicko! Part. IV”

“Flight of Icarus” & “The Trooper”
1. “Flight of Icarus”
2. “I’ve Got the Fire”
3. “The Trooper”
4. “Cross-Eyed Mary”
5. “Listen With Nicko! Part. V”

“2 Minutes to Midnight” & “Aces High”
1. “2 Minutes to Midnight”
2. “Rainbow’s Gold”
3. “Mission From ‘Arry”
4. “Aces High”
5. “King of Twilight”
6. “The Number of the Beast” (Live in 1983)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. VI”

“Running Free” (Live) & “Run to the Hills” (Live)
1. “Running Free” (Live in 1985)
2. “Sanctuary” (Live in 1985)
3. “Murders in the Rue Morgue” (Live in 1984)
4. “Run to the Hills” (Live in 1985)
5. “Phantom of the Opera” (Live in 1984)
6. “Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)” (Live in 1984)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. VII”

“Wasted Years” & “Stranger in a Strange Land”
1. “Wasted Years”
2. “Reach Out”
3. “Sheriff of Huddersfield”
4. “Stranger in a Strange Land”
5. “That Girl”
6. “Juanita”
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. VIII”

“Can I Play With Madness” & “The Evil That Men Do”
1. “Can I Play With Madness”
2. “Black Bart Blues”
3. “Massacre”
4. “The Evil That Men Do”
5. “Prowler” (1988 Version)
6. “Charlotte the Harlot” (1988 Version)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. IX” McBrain

“The Clairvoyant” (Live) & “Infinite Dreams” (Live)
1. “The Clairvoyant” (Live in 1988)
2. “The Prisoner” (Live in 1988)
3. “Heaven Can Wait” (Live in 1988)
4. “Infinite Dreams” (Live in 1988)
5. “Killers” (Live in 1988)
6. “Still Life” (Live in 1988)
7. “Listen With Nicko! Part. X” McBrain

Poison’s Best Songs: A Deadly Discography – Slogan’s Rock and Metal Extravaganza

Thanks to Sidney from Slogan’s Rock and Metal Extravaganza for inviting me to send in a video for this Poison-ous episode!  (Logan declined to appear – not a Poison fan!)  I was recently asked to participate in this list show, picking my favourite songs from each Poison studio album.  Of course, I had to do something different, so I included Swallow This Live too, so that I could use one of their best singles “So Tell Me Why”.  You will also get a list from Tim Durling in this video featuring Sidney and his guest Joseph Suto.

It’s pretty easy to slag Poison; I should know as I get enough troll-y comments about them.  However, as you will see below, Poison have plenty of great material.  You could make your own “best of” from these lists that are better than the ones you can buy at retail.

BONUS video:  Some Poison-ous backstory with Sidney and some OCD…

 

VIDEO: How far can a TRANSFORMERS G2 Rotorforce toy actually fire?

Some long-awaited TRANSFORMERS content for you today!  Yes, it has been a few years since we’ve done a posting on those robots in disguise.

My main focus in collecting is Generation 1 (1984-91) and Generation 2 (1992-95) Transformers toys and characters.  “G2” began with a lot of recolours and reissues of G1 toys, but new molds started arriving in the early waves.  Many of them were gimmicky, with firing weapons being a popular accessory.

In 1994, Hasbro issued the Rotor Force:  four toys (two on each faction) that featured firing rotor discs.  I managed to acquire a couple nice samples of two figures with rotors intact.  Each toy came with two, in case you lose one.  I have one with two rotors, and one with a single rotor remaining.

The idea was you wind up the mechanism, twist, and fire!  But how far could those rotors fly?  Today’s scientific experiment featuring Dr. Kathryn will tell us.

 

 

Bon Jovi don’t deserve all the hate! Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 654

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 654:  In Praise and Defense of BON JOVI

 

If there is one band who takes the lion’s share of derision in the rock community…it is probably Poison. If there is one band that takes all that derision unfairly…then we come out in defense of New Jersey’s favourite sons, Bon Jovi.

There is much to say in criticism of Bon Jovi. Are they a real band? Is Jon the best singer in his own band? There are already plenty of videos about that, so here is one that takes the opposite tack: in praise and defense of Bon Jovi.

Joining Tim in this episode are myself, Chez, Jose, Chris Preston, John Snow, Drew, and Steve Deluxe. Enjoy the hardy defense!