#1230: 101 Dumpsters: Top Five & 2025 In Review

RECORD STORE TALES #1230: 101 Dumpsters: 2025 In Review

Dear friends and strangers,

As we gather and recall the past year, it is important to remember the many times we have sat here together before.  Most years since 2018 have been years of change.  2025 is no exception.  Always setbacks, losses and triumphs!  Let’s have a look back the good, the bad, and the awesome!

Part the First

2025 represented a personal shift away from writing and more towards videos.  The reason for this is two-fold:

1. The Community changed from primarily writers, to YouTubers.  Whereas I used to do writing collaborations, now I am invited onto YouTube shows.  Collaborations abounded in 2025!  I became a regular on The Contrarians Live, with a total of 27 episodes in 2024-25 (Full list of 27 episodes can be found by clicking here).  Many of these included Martin Popoff – pinch my younger self!  I also did several episodes of Rock Daydream Nation with Peter Kerr, My Music Corner with Johnny Metal, Tim’s Vinyl Confessions with Mr. Durling, Darcyska with D’Arcy Briggs, Grant’s Rock Warehaus with Mr. Arthur, Slogan’s Rock and Metal Extravaganza with Sidney and sometimes Logan, Rock Show Critique with Joey Suto, Off the Charts with Dan Chatrand, and of course, a couple amazing episodes on The Collection with Mr. John T. Snow (more on that later).   The biggest channel I appeared on in 2025 was Pete Pardo’s Sea of Tranquility.  I did two episodes with them, both hosted by Jamie Laszlo.  This has kept me well busy!

2. 50 Years of Iron Maiden.  We debuted on January 10, 2025 and are still rolling with the Maiden!  We’ll be done mid-2026.

It has been an incredible year creatively.  There is a lot to be proud of.  Videos appeal to a different audience than written articles, and so we’ve lost people along the way, but one must always follow their creative muse.  I have been making videos since 1989.  With the tools we have now, it is an old burning passion that is now easy to follow.  There were still written some reviews in 2025, and there will be in 2026, but I must go where the wind takes me.  I’m not fighting it or questioning it anymore.  I’m just doing what I want to do.  Music always finds its way into everything I do.

 

Part the Second

We can’t talk about 2025 without talking about our dive back into interviews!  Lacking confidence, I swore them off a while ago.  Not including people that I consider friends, such as Robert Lawson and Tim Durling, 2025 was primarily dominated by six interviews, in chronological order:

1. Blotto:  Early in the year, I reached out to Blotto about an interview for their new movie, Hello! My Name Is Blotto! The Movie.  To my surprise, I got the whole band and movie director Rob Lichter as well.  This went so well that it created lasting friendships, our own “Blotto” names (Kitchener and Blocko Blotto), and a second interview coming in 2026.  This gave me the confidence I needed to do more.

2. Alan Niven:  Thank you John T Snow from 2Loud2OldMusic for inviting me to co-host his interview with former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven.  It was for his book Sound N’ Fury which has still not come out.  John and I were fortunate enough to read it before “someone” had the plug pulled…and you can certainly guess who is probably responsible.  What a great interview experience this was!  Alan puffed his cigar and answered our questions thoughtfully and with considered wit.  A formidable man who treated us with nothing but thanks and gratitude.

3. Next Up was Bob Cesca from Camp Chaos, though this did not air for a few months after we recorded it, as it was slotted in for 50 Years of Iron Maiden episode 25: Visions of the Beast.  Bob was responsible for those “NAPSTER BAD!” cartoons in the early 2000s, and his love of science fiction and Rush made him one of the easiest conversations we’ve ever had.  Talking to Bob gave us another confidence boost.  I said to Harrison, “We should get in touch with the Blaze Bayley camp…”

4. Blaze Bayley is our proudest achievement to date, collectively and personally.  With very little notice, we were given an early morning recording time on a Monday.  What resulted is an interview that Harrison and I felt no hyperbole in calling “The Best Blaze Bayley Interview You’ve Ever Seen”  From Iron Maiden to mental health to science fiction and punctuality, Blaze was everything we hoped he would be and more.  To say we have interviewed someone from Iron Maiden, is a bucket list item we can check off.  A lifetime of wishes come true.  They say “Don’t meet your heroes?”  Harrison and I both disagree.

5. Rick Hughes from Sword was another big one.  Here is a guy who I have been listening to since 1987; even longer than Blaze by a good margin.  Dan Chartrand and I were both offered Rick, but rather than duplicate each other, we decided to team up.  The subject was Rick’s new solo album Redemption, but we went everywhere with this interview.  Opening for Motorhead, reuniting the band, and writing with Aldo Nova:  we covered it all on this excellent interview with a Canadian metal legend.

6. Tom Harper, known professionally as Harper, was a fun way to end the year’s interviews.  The only thing that can compete with anyone from Iron Maiden is a guy who played on a Kiss record.  Harper played bass on “Shandi”, and had a million stories.  Check out the episode that my mom called the “best ever!”  Even Broadway Blotto agreed!

Part the Third:  Top Five Albums of 2025

The part everyone waits for every year!  There is also an accompanying Tim’s Vinyl Confessions episode to go with my list, but for those who prefer to read… read on!

My music list this year is a delightful mix of genres and bands.  I love that a band well over 50 years old can put out my #1 album of 2025.   On the opposite side of the age gap is a hot young band out of Toronto.  In the middle is a British band that debuted in the early 2000s.  All of these albums are worth checking out, but please note my #1 pick is particularly special.

Here’s to the best of 2025!

5. The Beaches – No Hard Feelings

The Toronto quartet rolls on with another hit-filled new album.  Cutting edge rock & pop from a feminine perspective.

4. Ghost – Skeletá

Another band that simply rolled on with another album full of memorable classics… it’s Ghost!

3. The Darkness – Dreams On Toast

Vying for Album of the Year, it easily could have been Dreams on Toast.  An exceptionally strong album, and easily their best since Last of Our Kind.

2. Harem Scarem – Chasing Euphoria

Another contender for Album of the Year.  Reaching highs not heard since the early 1990s, Harem Scarem have a sound that they have mastered, and they continue to find new ways of writing catchy hard rock.

1. Styx – Circling From Above

When I finally got my hands on the new Styx, I knew immediately that the Battle of 2025 was over – finished!!  New(er) members Terry Gowan and Will Evankovich have brought fresh sounds to the first rock band I ever liked.  That’s three incredible albums in a row from Styx!  Progressive rock and beyond.

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 754: Best Albums of 2025

 

Part the Fourth:  Personal Stuff

Another years of highs and lows on the personal front.   My Aunt is in a care facility; she has a hard time remembering us.  We also lost our beloved elder.  Losing Grandma shortly after her 101st birthday was surreal.  She’d had so many health scares and recoveries, that I mourned her multiple times in the last five years before she finally passed.  I was so happy to see her make 101 years.  We saw her on her birthday, and that was the last time we saw her.  I gave her eulogy, and some people say it’s the best public speech I ever gave.  Highs and lows!

There were a ton of big changes and challenges at home in 2025.  Renovations, which I’ve been talking about for years, have finally commenced!  New windows and doors are installed, and more purging of belongings we didn’t need.  I established a home office for working remotely.  That is probably the biggest change at home in 2025.  I haven’t commuted anywhere in a month now.  This has drastically altered my mental health, as I navigate new routines.  Fingers are crossed!

2025 also represented a new personal peace.  Trying to be a better person year after year, I endeavored to put the past behind me and reach out to some old friends.  To my surprised delight, one of them reconnected with me, and we are friends again.  The one that I once publicly said would never talk to me again, has been back in my life for a year.  Another declined my olive branch, but I’ll take this win.   Working towards a more peaceful life is a good goal to have, and it doesn’t mean you can’t still listen to angry heavy rock!  Though I certainly can’t rock physically as hard as I used to.

One thing that I am slowly learning is that years tend to get harder as you age.  We lose people, and you can never predict that the the next year will be a year without funerals.  The last part of 2025 has been dominated by physical pain and anxiety.  Painfully, I am forced to realize that the body breaks down as we abuse it, year after year.  Physically, though I am taking care of myself by trying to eat better, and practice better mental health, my body is betraying me.  New pains become familiar pains.  Some go away for months and surprise you with a return later on, always at inconvenient times.  This year was the year I dropped my cell phones into a dumpster, and took a dive for the worse.  I am still paying for that mis-step.  There are good and bad days for pain.  Today is a particularly bad one.  Healing must continue in 2026.

Part the Last

In these uncertain times, we can only hope things don’t get worse next year.  Nobody can say what the new year will bring, but I do know we’ll have plenty of new music to digest.  New tours, as Journey, Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, and even Rush and Triumph roll into 2026.

I don’t want to end the year on a bummer.  I can’t promise that 2026 will be the “best year ever!” or that I will reach newer and higher accomplishments.  I can only promise that I will continue to follow my creative muses.  I have many creative hats.  I’m a videographer, a podcaster, a writer, a drone pilot, and a cook.  You’ve been with me as I’ve shared my journey, on these subjects and more.  Journey on, I will.  More adventures.  More food.  More new discoveries.  More MUSIC!  Even years ago, when I “quit” writing about music, it still found its way into my work.  Every drone video has a kick-ass soundtrack, and every fictional story I’ve ever written has a soundtrack to it (whether you can hear it or not).  Music has been my life since 1977, when John Williams first opened my ears with the bombastic sound of brass, percussion and strings.  It’ll never go away.

I end this year with a message of hope.

I have learned that nothing is permanent.  The present sometimes feels like it, but nothing lasts forever and soon our new “normal” will be quite different from today.  If I can reconcile with the most unlikely of old friends, then there is always hope.  Hope for the future.  Happy 2026, and let’s continue to break new ground…together.

REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – More Balls to Picasso (2025)

For a review of the original Balls to Picasso album, click here.

BRUCE DICKINSON – More Balls to Picasso (2025 BMG)

A time of turmoil!  As Bruce explains in the excellent liner notes within, there was a lot going on in the early 1990s.  Aside from leaving Iron Maiden in order to spread his wings as an artist, Bruce ended up scrapping the new solo album a couple times.  The first was an attempt with the UK band Skin.  Bruce was dissatisfied.  He tried again in America with Keith Olsen, a more pop version that Bruce said was influenced by Peter Gabriel.  Olsen had some issues, and that record too was scrapped when Bruce met a band called Tribe of Gypsies.  Immediately finding chemistry with guitarist Roy Z, Bruce started over again with producer Shay Baby, retaining only the song “Tears of the Dragon” from the earlier attempts.  Most of the Olsen album was ultimately released on B-sides, and on the 2 CD deluxe edition of Balls to Picasso.  The released 1994 album was heavy, and very 90s.  Little did we know, however, that Bruce wasn’t fully satisfied with the final album either.  By the time Bruce reunited with Roy and the Tribe of Gypsies in the late 1990s on Accident of Birth and Chemical Wedding, Bruce was questioning if Balls to Picasso should have been heavier.  More guitars.

Now, you can decide for yourself.  More Balls to Picasso is a remixed version of the album, with guitars added after the fact, and other enhancements made using the original tapes.  Given that the original is considered an important album in Bruce’s solo j0urney, it’s a risky record to revisit in this way.  Yet, Bruce did have a point.  As good as it was, it stands out in the discography as different; a lone rock.

The running order is unchanged.  “Cyclops”, a song more relevant today lyrically, is about living in the camera’s eye.  The sonic changes are immediate.  You can hear the sparse instrumentation of the original mix, but with thicker guitars and an added keyboard part that just shrieks.  It’s a very cool enhancement and the first clue that messing with this album was not a bad idea.  All the original elements are there, from Roy’s sparse guitar to the exotic percussion that often set the stage on this album.  Now there is just more to listen to.  You realize, there was always room for more.

“Hell No” opens as the original did, with more percussion and more guitar chords.  The bass has more thump, and the keyboard licks are a nice touch.  “Gods of War” has an added “war drum” part, along with some keys that sound like howling winds.  This song is one of the more transformed of the lot, though still not drastically so.  “1000 Points of Light” has one of the best enhancements.  In the chorus, you get a sudden guitar and keyboard duo lick that was never there before, and never would have existed in 1994.  It’s much more in line with the kind of metal melodies that Bruce did later in his solo career.  This hook improves the song 1000 percent, but never would have made the 1994 record.

Side two would have come at this point on the original album, which opens with “Laughing in the Hiding Bush”, never a standout song, but similarly remixed with additional atmosphere.  Now, “Change of Heart” is one that shouldn’t be messed with.  You don’t enhance perfection.  The keyboard/string arrangement is a nice touch, but the original is just too ingrained.  Its sparse arrangement was part of what gave it such lonely impact.  Now it sounds less special.  Less unique.  Less like a dark room with a sole occupant.  On the other hand, “Shoot All the Clowns” (which was a single) is much improved.  The song always felt a little cringey, with Bruce doing that rap part.  Now, with a horn section added, it makes much more sense.  A solid improvement.  “Fire”, meanwhile has more going on with the guitar and bass, and feels more engaging.  There are also what sounds like keyboards playing horn-like parts.  Moving on to the blazing “Sacred Cowboys”, this one would be difficult to improve upon.  Bruce’s double-tracked vocal on the original was so hypnotic.  This remixed version sounds strangely nasal.  Finally, “Tears of the Dragon” is another sacred song that you don’t want to mess around with.  The added string-like keys don’t really add.  Once again, the original was already perfect and this new one is like Bruce’s version of Drastic Symphonies.  Some may love it, but the original will remain the go-to for most.

Two added “live in the studio” bonus tracks are included.  Previously unreleased, these are heavy versions that should have been issued last time they released this album!  Bruce absolutely wails on “Gods of War”.  “Shoot All the Clowns” meanwhile gives you something to compare the horn version with, but Bruce’s vocals are very different on the verses.  They’re actually cooler here.

What this sounds like is Bigger Balls to Picasso.  It’s the same album.  With a couple exceptions, what we loved about the original record is still here.   In the liner notes, Bruce talks about being most comfortable in a “band” situation, rather than just with a bunch of hired musicians.  This sounds like the same band, but bigger.  It’s basically the Balls to Picasso band, as if they added a backing guitarist and a keyboardist and went out to play the songs live in the new configuration.  Some songs lose in the exchange, but more end up sounding better.  That’s it in a nutshell.

4/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Sammy Hagar & the Best of All Worlds Band – The Residency (2025)

SAMMY HAGAR & THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS BAND – The Residency (2025 Big Machine Rock)

Chickenfoot are back!  A rose by any other name, right?  Nothing wrong with it.  Nothing at all.  It would have been nice if there was some kind of official Van Halen tribute show, but since nobody else wanted to do it, it’s up to Sammy.  The songs deserve to be kept alive, both Sammy and Roth eras.  There are only two Roth songs here, but we didn’t expect more.  Recorded in Vegas during April and May 2025, the album was produced by Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Chris Lord-Alge.

The truth is that when Michael Anthony sings those backing vocals, things just sound a little Van Halen-y.  Joe Satriani is one of the only guys in the world I’d want to hear play Van Halen songs besides Eddie himself.  Sure, Joe doesn’t play the same.  Eddie was freewheeling and improvisational.  Joe is schooled and plays with forethought.  He is more than capable of pulling Eddie’s tricks and trademarks, but tends to stay away from slavish imitation.  He may do a pick scrape exactly where Eddie did it on “Top of the World”, but he doesn’t necessarily play all the hooks and fills exactly as Ed did.  He usually plays them close enough that the solos are true to the original while not being exact copies.  In other places, he goes off into jazzy territory that wouldn’t have been explored before.  That is really the way it should be when it comes to a tribute to the greatest guitar player who ever lived.  He wouldn’t want to hear Joe imitating him, either.

Kenny Aronoff is one of the best drummers suited around, always in demand.  It would have been nice if Jason Bonham was still around, but Kenny might be better suited to the Van Halen material (listen to him on “Summer Nights”).  Adding those necessary backing keyboards (and guitars and vocals) is Rai Thistlethwayte, from Australia’s Thirsty Merc.  Normally he’s a frontman and hitmaker unto himself, but this is a pretty tempting gig to take.

As for Sammy himself, Hagar is one of the most reliable figures in all of hard rock.  Barely aging as the decades pass, and always releasing new music and touring behind it, Sammy Hagar is rock and roll’s unsung stalwart.  He may often say too much, but on stage, he’s still in great shape.  Now, the songs are detuned a little bit to accommodate the aging human voice.  This is unavoidable.

The live album opens with the tribute to Eddie aptly called “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight”.  (The studio version is on a rare 7″ single that is very hard to find.)   Joe Satriani plays several licks that are in homage to Edward the Great.  Simple but poignant lyrics like “Since you’ve been gone, things don’t feel the same.”  It’s a decent enough song, but likely wouldn’t have attracted much attention if not for the words.  Decent song but only notable for its lyrics and intent.  It would not have been a standout on either of the two Chickenfoot albums.

It soon becomes evident that this album is as much a tribute to Sammy as to Eddie.  There are five Sammy solo hits included:  “One Way To Rock” (which admittedly Van Halen played live on the 5150 tour), “Eagles Fly” (unnecessary), “Mas Tequila!” (almost insulting considering that Eddie disapproved of Sammy promoting his tequila while on tour with Van Halen), “Heavy Metal” (which Van Halen never played live) and “I Can’t Drive 55”.  Contrast this with the two David Lee Roth era songs included:  “Panama”, and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” (which Sammy doesn’t even sing; Rai does!).  Not even “Jump”, which Van Halen released as a live single with Sammy singing.  Throw in Montrose’s “Rock Candy” and it’s clear this isn’t entirely about the mighty Van Halen.

The setlist includes a few delights.  “There’s Only One Way to Rock” gives Joe a chance to really stretch out.  “Humans Being” was neglected by Van Halen, but this band does a great live version of it.  The only shame is that due to the decades past, Sammy doesn’t sing it in that monotone rasp.  Joe though, wow, he really nails the Eddie vibe on the guitar solo!  This version of “Humans Being” really shows why Joe was the right guy for this gig.  Meanwhile, Michael’s bass reminds us of why he was so integral to the band’s sound.  It’s great to hear “5150” (though the title should be in quotes on the back cover).  “Rock Candy” and “Heavy Metal” are awesome, regardless of the shift in focus away from Eddie.  “Love Walks In” is an interesting way to close the album, but it does work.

We always like to complain about setlists for shows like this.  It would probably have been appropriate to drop “Eagles Fly” and “Mas Tequila!” in favour of other songs (definitely not “Little White Lie”).  Anything to represent the Balance album would be welcome.  Sammy even could have included something from I Never Said Goodbye, an album that Eddie played bass on and co-produced.  That said, the album remains a solid listen.

Some diehards (or those who claim to be) won’t give The Residency a chance, but any fan of these musicians will love to hear how they interpret the works of Van Halen.  Pretty satisfying.

4/5 stars

Off The Charts: Least Favourite KISS Songs Per Album

It started with Joey Suto, and our awesome list of Top KISS Songs from every album!  Then Peter Kerr suggested worst KISS songs, and I ran with it, and wrote a controversial list.  Dan Chartrand picked up the ball, and decided to make a video on the subject.  You’ve read my list, but now you can watch an entertaining video list from Dan and Sidney from Slogan’s Rock and Metal as well.

No surprises here – my list is unchanged.  I did however have quite a few questions and comments as to “why” I made my list the way I did.  These are finally addressed in this video.

Slick and fast, we raced through the KISS studio albums in an hour.  A great viewing.  Don’t miss this one.

REVIEW: Mötley Crüe – Cancelled (2024 EP)

MÖTLEY CRÜE – Cancelled (2024 Big Machine EP)

I’ll give Motley Crue credit for two things:  1. Giving us some decent packaging for the Cancelled EP, in the day and age of cheap-out wallets.  This has a full jewel case and booklet.  2. Employing John 5 as their new guitarist.

That’s about it.  John 5 aside, this band has acted shamefully in recent years, and giving us sub-par new material is no consolation.  Sure, it’s great that Motley are releasing new music on CD.  It’s fine that they’re working with Bob Rock again.  It’s not good that these new songs are generic and boring as hell.  This EP feels lazy.

“Cancelled” has a pounding riff.  Vince does a patented “WOAW!” at the beginning.  John absolutely smolders.  Then… the song really starts, but there’s no song here.  The lyrics are actually irritating.  As if Motley Crue ever got “cancelled,” and the less said there, the better!  The positives to the song are the riff and the shredding, both of which can be credited to John 5.  The solo even recalls the classic days for a little while.  Vince is actually singing fine for his age and stage of his career, but he sounds bored to death.  Any spark to this song sounds artificial; either from the production or the hired flashy guitarist.

The single, “Dogs of War” has never stood out.  Same formula.  Slammin’ riff, and unmemorable song.  Production and guitar.  “Don’t let those bastards get you down,” sings Vince, knowing that he’s sailing easily into retirement.

The final abomination is “Fight For Your Right”, the Beastie Boys cover, and it’s actually the best song here.  Why?  Because the Beastie Boys wrote a song!  One with some verses and a chorus that you remember to this day.  Once again though, Vince sounds bored to tears.  As if he’d rather be at another rager than in the recording studio.  Anywhere but where he was right then and there!  Tommy sounds like he’s enjoying himself, and John’s spewing guitar slag out of the speakers in a far more interesting display than anything the singer has on offer.  Whammy tricks and noisy notes galore, it’s great that John 5 is able to loan this kind of playing to Motley Crue.  Does it fit?  Does it sound like Motley Crue?  Not the Crue of old, no.  Mars had his own blues-based style and while John can play anything he wants, he’s not Mars and he’s not trying to be Mars.  If Motley Crue themselves were more interested in writing good tunes that integrate John into an actual band, we’d have potential here.

I really hate when Vince says, “Tommy!  Sixx!  5!  Let’s make some noise!”  It just doesn’t have the same vibe as “My buddies Sixx, Mick and Tom,” even though it does feel like they’re copying themselves.

Final quality control note:  This disc will not play in my brand new PC without horrible background noise, one of only two or three in my collection with that issue.

1/5 stars

🅻🅸🆅🅴: Boxing Day Bash & Christmas Music Hauls with Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation

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

Special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 Episode

Episode 131:  Boxing Day Bash & Christmas Music Hauls with Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation

With bellies and ears full, please join Harrison and I with special guest Peter Kerr, on Grab A Stack of Rock live!  Tonight is the night that we reveal our Christmas musical hauls (and other recent scores).  The pictures in the thumbnail images are just spoiler-proof teasers and placeholders (though time permitted we will look at those recent arrivals too).  We’ll just have to see what the other guys have in store, because I write these posts in advance!  I can tell you that on my side, I have four new discs to discuss, a cherished musical heirloom, a new music T-shirt and more!

I’ll also reveal what I spent my Christmas money on.

Tonight, 7:00 PM EST, the boys are back in town.

Friday December 26 at  7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

#1229: Have You Played Atari 2600 on Christmas Eve?

Nostalgia filled me as I whiled away the afternoon hours.  Christmas Eve was here again, and I wanted to drift back in time.  I am never happier than when I think back to the early 80s, and how wonderful and perfect Christmas Eve was.  Now, so many of us are gone.  Uncle Paul and Grandma have left us, and Aunt Maria is not well enough for Christmas anymore.  By mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve back in 1981, or 82, or 83…I’d be anxious to the point of explosion, waiting to get things started!  We had to kill time, am eternity of time.  Or so it seemed.  What was really a few hours felt like days.  So we’d go down to the basement and try to stave off the combination of boredom and anxiety, by playing Atari 2600.  Meanwhile upstairs, Mom would be furiously preparing for the arrival of guests, while dad sometimes worked or sometimes flipped channels between March of the Wooden Soldiers and A Christmas Carol.

The old Atari 2600 still works, but it’s at the lake awaiting next summer’s fun.  Emulators capture most of the experience, minus the joystick.  And so I cued up some games.  Things that would remind me of the past… the competitive past with Dr. Kathryn, playing the classics.

Time-appropriate music was necessary.  I chose the Brian May Starfleet box set.  Even though I’d not been aware of Brian May or the album back in 1983 when it came out, listening to new music was also a Christmas Eve tradition, and disc two of the set is fresh to me.  The combination worked.

I started out with an old Uncle Paul favourite:  Activision’s River Raid.  Either due to being years out of practice, or the lack of a joystick, I fared poorly.  I remembered all my old strategies, such as slowing down to refuel, but I couldn’t even get past the second bridge.  Let’s try something more fun.

The second game I played was an old “M Network” cartridge, now emulated online, called Frogs and Flies.  It wasn’t rated highly by us back then, but it is strangely playable.  The object is to jump your frog, and catch more flies with your tongue than your opponent (or computer player).  There are only two controls:  one to jump and one to flick out your tongue.  The graphics, featuring the frogs jumping on lilypads in a pond, capture the transition from morning to night.  The game is on a time limit, and once it is night, it ends.  Top score wins.  (I won.)  Well, that was fun.

Brian May and Eddie Van Halen solo’d together as I tried the old Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi – Death Star Battle game.  This is not a game that we owned, but we did rent it at least once (in the summer, actually).  I remembered it being really cool, but I did not destroy the Death Star in 2025.  Unusually for games of the time, it was a two-stage game.  First, you (the Millennium Falcon) must battle TIE Fighters and Imperial Shuttles as you wait for a hole in the Death Star’s shield to appear.  Once through the shield, you must now destroy the Death Star by shooting out blocks, creating a clear shot to the main reactor.  This while being attacked by fighters and the Death Star’s superlaser itself.  I did not do well.  The strategy here is to move to the far right or left, and lure the laser’s sights as far from the center as possible.  Then, zip to the middle and take shots at the Death Star for as long as you can before the superlaser is locked on you again.  You only have a few seconds.  I found this un-fun and only tried a couple times before quitting.  The Empire wins this time.  (No sequel trilogy.)

I searched around for a few games.  I tried Pitfall, considered one of the best games on the console, but bored quickly of repetitive scenes.  I played Vanguard, but it took me over 10 lives just to kill the first Gond.  Then Freeway…chickens literally crossing a road.

Before I knew it, it was just about time to depart and get merry.  I probably spent more time searching for a game that I wanted to play, than actually playing.  Just like the old days.

Pac-Man.  Haunted House.  Frogger!  Damn Frogger, that one had me going all Christmas Day when it came out.  I thought it was the best Atari game ever made.  It may well have been.  Those were indeed the days.  Monopolizing the TV to play Frogger all day.  Food?  A distraction!  Taking away from our Atari time!

Christmas Eve ended with a new set of Uno games.  Something I probably also received from Uncle Paul one Christmas Eve back in the 1980s.

Full circle.  The more things change, the more they stay the same, and that is a comforting sentiment.

The Contrarians Live: Full List of My Episodes

 

All 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
  27. Huh?!? Album Covers that Send the Wrong Message

#1228: XX

RECORD STORE TALES #1228: XX

It was 20 years ago when I finally snapped.  Two decades since that fateful day when I finally reached the breaking point.  The day I ended the most toxic relationship I’d even been in.

December 19, 2005, I quit the Record Store.

The story has been told multiple times, but I have had two decades now to put it behind me.  Perspective changes.  If the “me” of today was quitting that store in 2005, I’d have been a bit more assertive about why I was quitting.  It is safe to say that I left that job for one reason and one reason only.  Even though you can’t change the past, it is sometimes interesting to reflect back in terms of personal growth.

What don’t kill ya, makes ya more strong, as James Hetfield once said.  I am a fucking lion.

There was a lot to love about working in a Record Store, especially the early days.

The most important and lasting impact of the Store is not any of the musical treasures I acquired.  Not my mint condition Shine On box set by Pink Floyd.  Nor the numerous Japanese imports, or the limited edition releases.  None of the things in my collection can compare to the relationships made that lasted the test of time.  I look at my Facebook friend list and count the names.  There is Jade, and Kyle, and Ian, and there is Trevor!  And the Sausagefesters:  Uncle Meat, Joe Big Nose, Tom, and Dr. Dave!  Two Matts, a Pat, an  Ashleigh and a Kate!  And Chris, who I trained and now works at the beloved Encore Records, still selling music to the masses.  Of these friends, I remain close to Uncle Meat.  We’ve had trials, tribulations, and tornadoes in our lives but here we stand.  This list just includes the ones I worked with, but I have friends that I met as customers, such as the infamous Aaron KMA.  Aaron and I will be celebrating our 30th Friendaversary in spring of 2026.

It was unfortunate that it ended the way it did, but I had to hit a moment of rock bottom before I would take the bold move of quitting my job of 12 years.  I’ve never been good at breakups.  Just ask any of my ex’s.   There were the five stages of grief after I left, mixed with a tremendous high of new experiences and new achievements.  The anger stage of grief took a while.  There was fallout, and that’s on me, but like I said…anger stage of grief.  Bridges had to be burned so that I was left with only the positive people from that period in my life.  Many supported me in my journey; some did not, and I’m left with the ones that did.  I am grateful to all of them.

Sometimes I think about what it would be like to still be there, an old dog slinging music from behind the counter.  Part time of course; not manager.  It would be hilarious because I’m not the same person anymore and I don’t take shit like I used to.  The Big Boss Man would have a harder time pushing me around.  I don’t think it would last long.

I still shop there, though the old locations from my day no longer exist.  The staff are mediocre.  I’m not saying that to be mean.  A lot of us were mediocre from day to day back then.  However, I always made sure every customer was at least said “Hello” to, and they don’t do that anymore.

20 years have come and gone in the blink of an eye.  How can I sum it up?  I came out of my cocoon.  “I am, I’m me.”  And I hope the next 20 years reveals just as much growth as the last 20.

Happy XX to me.

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: Top 11 Maiden Art (edited for length)

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode:
Top 11 Maiden Art

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK bonus episode

Original broadcast:  May 12 2021

Back in the pandemic days, long before 50 Years of Iron Maiden was a thing, we used to do three-hour shows.  People needed something to do, and something to watch.  Unfortunately, as good as our lists and topics were, the shows were too long and meandering.  Well, not anymore!  I have toiled away and edited down our epic Top 11 Iron Maiden Art show to a manageable hour.  Now it enters its rightful place as a watchable bonus episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden.

Our group of four picked our favourite Eddies from past and present:  Myself, Harrison, Mr. Books and original co-host Deke. We split our picks from albums, singles, and tour shirts.  Through it all, we saw some epic art from Derek Riggs, Melvyn Grant and others.  A monumental set of lists!  The format was called a “Nigel Tufnel Top Ten”, meaning we went up to eleven!  Check out the picks, some of which are pretty obscure and little-seen!

Thanks for watching, and if you just want to know what Maiden art we picked, check out Aaron’s hand-written list below!

Friday Dec 19 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T.  Enjoy on YouTube.

SPOILER – Do Not Read if you intend to watch the episode.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist: