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!
RECORD STORE TALES #1141: 100 Years Old and Counting!
Weekend Report – Parties Complete, CD Re-organizing Continues
It’s official! Grandma turned 100, and she had not one but two parties. Seems appropriate given the circumstances! It was a whirlwind of a weekend and difficult to sum up.
Friday afternoon began with a reunion of cousins! I have not seen Cousin Geoff in over 10 years and I swear he is still growing. I gave him a big hug, and the chitter chatter did not cease for the entire time. It was like no time had passed, even though we had so much to catch up on. He’s now a dad with two kids.
That day, we had a birthday party at the home for Grandma. She was fashionably late, as is her right. She received some nice gifts and plants, but was not impressed with her letter from King Charles. The plants she got from people she knew meant a lot more than the King. I am sure that Charles is now weeping at this rejection. He certainly tried!
Funny thing about 100th birthdays. They are very difficult to find cards for. In fact, Grandma received three identical cards due to lack of selection!
We had a barbecue for family that night, and resumed the 100th birthday party the following day. This party was for family only, which didn’t stop a couple people from the old folks’ home from trying to gatecrash! I can’t say I blame them. The food and cake were incredible. The cake was probably the best I ever had, while I also stuffed myself with six sandwiches. By the end of the celebrations, I think I was as exhausted as Grandma. But that wasn’t the end of the weekend for me.
Who knew that a 100th birthday party would be so exhausting? I’ve never even met a centenarian before, let alone partied with one. I can tell you that centenarians like cake.
As for me, I had CDs to file. I bought a third shelf, assembled it, and began filing. I am done A and B, moving onto C.
It feels good to have all of A and B on shelves again. I keep finding the odd A and B within the rest, but we’re getting closer every week. I’m going to buy a couple more shelves in the near future, but here’s what the situation looks like this week.
I have also repaired my Metallica Live Sh*t box set lid.
It’s not perfect, and you can see the glue from the inside easily, but it’s solid again.
Things are finding themselves in order again, though it will likely take the rest of the summer to get everything organized again. Which is good, because when Grab A Stack of Rock returns for its 3rd season in the fall, I’ll be really ready to grab stacks of rock once again – in alphabetical order!
Next party: mine! Join us Friday at 3:30 PM EST. Let’s keep it rolling.
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.
DEEP PURPLE – “Pictures of You” (2024 EARmusic)
Deep Purple’s first new album with Simon McBride on guitar will be out July 19. Called =1 (“equals one”), the music seems to heading into a riffy direction. The band have just released a new CD single, something of a tradition for them during the Bob Ezrin era in this late part of their career. This single includes two tracks from the album, including the recently released “Portable Door”, and two live tracks with Simon recorded in 2022. Let’s have a listen and hear what the Purples have in store.
Track one, “Pictures of You” has a pretty cool and weighty riff. Backed by Don Airey’s organ, it’s one of Purple’s catchiest riffs in recent years. The chorus follows the riff melody. “These pictures of you are too good to be true,” sings Ian Gillan. Ian’s voice is pushed to its current limits, which is often the thing you hear people moaning about the most, but it’s really no issue. Simon comes in with a wicked catchy solo, before the whole song detours into a dainty Don Airey piano part with Simon doing volume swells overtop. Though only 3:50 long, “Pictures of You” packs a lot into a short time.
Without a gap, the band breaks into something completely different, ominous and heavy: “Portable Door”. Ian Paice is the backbone, always smooth, always identifiable, infallible. With Ian Paice on drums, Deep Purple will always sound like Deep Purple. Don Airey’s organ really dominates the solo section, as it should, and Simon’s guitar work is sublime. As for the tune itself? Top notch.
The live tracks were recorded October 17 2022 in Milan, Italy. These tracks will not be on the deluxe box set version of =1, and are exclusive to the single. First up is the classic blues “When A Blind Man Cries”, and we get to hear Simon do what Simon does. Perhaps more interesting though, the arrangement includes a new lounge-y into with piano. “Blind Man” feels slower than usual, but Ian Gillan is in fine voice. Simon takes center stage on the guitar solo, and it’s so phenomenal that you can hear the audience break into applause at its conclusion. It’s slow and passionate until he lets rip. Having Don Airey follow is almost anti-climax. Welcome to Deep Purple, Simon McBride!
The more recent “Uncommon Man” closes the disc, with a beautiful guitar solo backed by heavenly keyboards. As one of Purple’s more regal songs, it sounds great on stage. Roger Glover gets a little bit of the spotlight just before Simon’s solo, but this is a pretty faithful version. Most importantly, it is good to see that Deep Purple do not drop songs from the latter part of their career out of the setlist. (There are three other live versions of this song with Steve Morse available on other releases: Celebrating Jon Lord the Rock Legend, To the Rising Sun in Tokyo, and the Now What?! Live Tapes Vol. 2)
With only 5000 copies worldwide, this is sure to be a collector’s item.
4.5/5 stars
Even since the LeBrain Train days, I loved a good intro video to a live show. Not too many YouTube shows do intro videos these days, but it has always been something I liked. Even back in the Train days, I wanted an intro video with every guest we ever had appearing in it. That carries over to Grab A Stack of Rock. The only problem is, the intro video was 1:14 minutes long, and it was getting harder and harder to cram everyone in. I had to sacrifice a lot of Harrison’s Lego art in order to fit everyone.
The other problem with the intro video were the lyrics. There was one line that was relevant when the show started, but not anymore. I figured the only thing I would be able to do was hire a band (I had one in mind) to re-record the entire song from scratch.
Fortunately, audio wizard and author Tim Durling had a quicker, easier, and cheaper solution. He made some minor edits to the original track and voila!
This new version of the song is extended by nine seconds, an absolute eternity in some ways, and enough to pack in a lot more Lego art and show cameos. The new version includes the latest guest to appear on our show, Mr. Matt Phillips.
With this new show intro, we’ll be able to keep adding guests for the next year. Thank you so much Tim for doing this. As Johnny Walters used to say, “the cheque is in the mail!”
Please enjoy and let me know your feedback!
No show today, as we celebrate this centenarian!
RECORD STORE TALES #1140: Happy 100th Birthday to my Grandma
100 years ago, Doris Ann Drumm was born. With a name like “Drumm”, I suppose it’s no wonder that my sister and I grew up to be so musical! In fact, my grandmother can trace her family line to Alsace-Lorraine, and musicians on her side of the family. As for her, even though she likes singers such as Michael Buble, she had no problem buying me Ozzy Osbourne and Van Halen tapes when I was a teen. Later on, she’d just write me a cheque for my birthday. “Buy one of your CD records,” went the inscription inside one birthday card.
The pandemic was hard on my grandma. In the first three months, we lost my Uncle Don Don. That was difficult for everyone, but especially her. She still lived in her own home at age 96, and losing Uncle Don Don left her lonely. Due to pandemic rules, we couldn’t hug her when we went to visit on her back porch. At age 96, you simply don’t want to take any chances. Though she survived two rounds with Covid, she got depressed and we nearly lost her three times. The last time she came so close, I took half the day off work and wrote her obituary. That’s how bad she was, February 23 2023. Fortunately now she’s now in a good senior’s home where she doesn’t miss meals or medication.
Today, she’s happy living in her new home, and making new friends. She still misses her old house, and her old cottage, but she recognizes that it wasn’t sustainable.
She likes to sit with us out in the courtyard of her building, in the shade, enjoying the weather. She enjoys watching the Blue Jays on TV, even when they’re not doing so well. She loves to talk! All she needs is an ear to listen. I enjoy bringing over my cottage videos, and watching them with her. She hasn’t been to the cottage in a decade.
I’m so happy we made it to this incredible milestone. It seemed like it was not going to happen. But it did and here we are! She’ll be receiving a letter of congratulations from the King, and family is flying in from Alberta to celebrate.
People always told us that grandma looked like the Queen. To us, she is the queen! Leave a happy birthday wish for my grandmother, and celebrate with us on this special day!
LAWRENCE GOWAN – …but you can call me Larry (1993 Anthem/Columbia)
Lawrence Gowan was clearly making changes for his first album since 1990’s Lost Brotherhood. He was now going by his full name, Lawrence Gowan, though long-timers had a hard time not just calling him Gowan. He assembled an ace crew of musicians including Robert Fripp and Tony Levin from King Crimson, Ken Greer from Red Rider, Jann Arden, and drummer/producer Jerry Marotta, who goes back with Levin. The result is a more organic album playfully called …but you can call me Larry. The sound is pure 1993, in the best possible way.
Tinkling acoustics open “Soul’s Road”, a far cry from from the synthesizers of a decade ago. This great song soon kicks into gear on the chorus with the crackling electric guitars and the cry of a pedal steel (by Greer). It reverts back to acoustics and piano on the verses. Gowan employs just a touch of rasp in his voice for an earthy vibe. It has just the right balance between hard and soft. Great opening track, and should have been a hit.
“When There’s Time (For Love)” features Colin Linden on guitar, and stays in the acoustic zone. This slow song is loaded with melody and passion, and once again really comes to life on the excellent chorus. This is a ballad for a quiet night in, but it isn’t lifeless at all. The drums keep it moving, and the musicianship on all instruments is absolutely stunning. Such a full, rich mix. You can really feel the bass. That’s Paul Northfield’s mixing work, done at Morin Heights in Quebec, where the album was recorded.
Co-written with Jim Vallance, “Innocence” goes for a different vibe, with a tense little piano line soon giving way to a powerful chorus. Tony Levin shares bass duties with Terry Gowan, who is currently touring with his brother in Styx. This rocker still maintains a touch of acoustic guitar in the background, but this is a rock song with just a hint of nocturnal menace.
Back to ballad territory, “Your Stone Walls” has a folksy sound, beginning with minimal instrumentation and letting the acoustic guitar carry the weight. It gradually builds, adding organ and drums, but the folksy sound remains. It’s an exceptionally beautiful song, especially as it continues to grow into something more epic, with soulful backing vocals and keyboards.
Things really pick up on the moving “Dancing On My Own Ground”. Levin’s bass has a lot to do with why this one moves with such an incredible pulse. Upbeat and bright, this acoustic rocker is probably the album highlight for those who like feel-good music. There’s a violin solo to boot. Gowan’s music always includes outstanding musicians, often from the progressive rock genre. It’s no wonder he ended up in Styx with that kind of experience.
By contrast, “Cry On My Shoulder” is the opposite; a somber piano ballad. (Was the idea of having two “On My…” song titles in a row a coincidence?) This one features ample cello parts, and a stunning slide guitar part by Ken Greer.
Things go suddenly retro on “Moonchild’s Psychedelic Holiday”. Using sitar became more common in the early 9os, and of course that combined with the word “psychedelic” means we’re going back to the era of free love. There are only slight Beatles-isms incorporated, but Jim, both Hendrix and Morrison, are cited in the lyrics. It feels a little corny and contrived, but others may think it’s the best thing on the album. Enjoy some purple haze and see what you think.
The somber acoustics of “You Never Let Go” feels like we’re back on track. Yet, it’s poweful. The lyrics tell a tale of a friend, a bad seed, that Gowan can see the other side of. Even though it is mostly a quieter song, there is an undercurrent. A drive. A power. A tension. It’s all released at the halfway point when the electric guitars kick in. One of the more impressive songs on the album.
Larry goes upbeat again on “(In The) Wild Summer Night”. It never goes too hard or heavy, but this rocker has some rhythmic piano, great drums, and a bouncing chorus to keep the party going. If you can criticise …but you can call me Larry for anything, it would be that the album gets burning too rarely. There is nothing here as bouncing as “Strange Animal” obviously, but “(In The) Wild Summer Night” gets the blood flowing. The soul singing comes back for the outro, as the drums just light it up. Get out of your chair!
“Last Laugh” features Jann Arden, slide guitar, dobro, and hand percussion. This laid back acoustic song really breathes when Jann joins Lawrence on the second verse. Most songs on this album seem to have a feature or two that makes them stand out from the others. In this case it’s Jann Arden. Though it is not a loud song, it’s very powerful. “We’ll have the last laugh, now…” they sing.
Album closer “Little Face” is the one with Robert Fripp. Even so, I would have held this song for last anyway. It is meant to be a closer, with a tension that builds and builds as the song goes on. Impressive drums here, and a dark powerful vibe with exceptional guitar work by the King Crimson mastermind. A burning closer with a great chorus. “Little Face” is the cherry on top of an impressive record.
One look at the covers, front and back, and you know immediately that the design is by Hugh Syme. Hugh did a number of albums in 1993 with similar fonts and marble designs: Rush, Coverdale-Page, and Def Leppard too. In fact this CD layout is virtually identical to Retro-Active by Def Leppard. Hey, if it works…
4.5/5 stars
Thank you Aaron for this copy!
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 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!
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