#1112: Comfort Albums (ft. Peter Kerr)

RECORD STORE TALES #1112: Comfort Albums (ft. Peter Kerr)

Pulling into the driveway, you breath a sigh of relief after a long day at the grind.  Walking in the front door, removing your shoes, you begin to feel human once again.  Nobody is home and the place is yours.  After a stressful day like today, no more TV or news would help you relax.  You set about preparing dinner, and select some new albums to listen to.  More recent music, relatively speaking  Comfort albums.  Albums that feel like an old slipper, that remind you of a past era.  Familiar sounding music that just isn’t made this way anymore.  What do you choose?

I have a few records that fit this bill for me.  The latest is Invincible Shield by Judas Priest.  It is remarkable that this band have had such highs and lows, but still manage to put out a career-high record 50 years after their debut.  There are throwbacks a-plenty, of very high quality.  Some riffs or choruses bring you back to the 80s and Defenders of the Faith.  Several sound of the Painkiller era, particularly because of Scott Travis’ double bass.  Others pulls back to the 70s and Hell Bent for Leather.  Though the modern production and vocals of Rob Halford keep the album in the present, it otherwise sounds akin to the records I love so much from my youth.  They are of the same blood.

It takes a lot for new music to get my blood pumping the way my old favourites do.  When I play Invincible Shield, I’m 15 or 16 years old again, excited for this new album and rooting for my heavy metal heroes on a job well done.  It’s a comfort album.  The warm air of nostalgia blows through my window as another amazing outro guitar solo fades into silence.  I half expect to have to get up and flip the tape soon, so far back am I taken.

Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation, who suggested this topic, had his own example.

“Black Ice,” he said.  “AC/DC did not put an album out for eight years.  “I bought it, and played the first track ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Train’.  It was like a comfort album…big smile on the face!”

Indeed, I remember hearing that song on the radio myself and just being happy to hear a new song that sounded like AC/DC.   Perhaps once upon a time, new AC/DC music was just expected regularly, like your tax bills.  Then there came a time when we had to cherish a new AC/DC album.  Black Ice was the first one where I felt like, “Let’s savour this one this time.”

Another album that had that comforting effect, but not because it’s by a heritage band, is 2022’s Impera by Ghost.  Now here is a band that loves throwbacks, but are not content to stick to any particular style or direction.  Listening to the Ghost discography was like rapidly traveling forward in time, until Impera seemingly brought us to the year 1987.

Impera is one of my favourite albums to play on my way home from work.  With the sun sometimes right in my eyeline and impatient drivers zooming from lane to lane, the commute home is best assuaged by good music that helps me decompress.  “Spillways”, “Watcher in the Sky” and “Griftwood” are the three that specifically warm me like a favourite blanket on a cold day.  They simply don’t make music like this very often anymore.  Oh sure, lots of bands try to do that “80s thing” but few can really trick your brain into thinking you went back in time.  Ghost do it, and they do it frequently.  Not just Impera, but also on Prequelle with songs like “Danse Macabre”.  The single “Kiss the Go-Goat” sounds like something from 1970 and might have a similar effect on someone from that era.

You feel the strain leave your body as you tap your feet to the song.  Comfort music often gets you to move.  I can’t help but play air guitar or air drums to real comfort music.  That’s just good, healthy activity!  I’m speaking about a certain age group here, but as it gets continually more effortful to get up and rock a bit, music like this becomes more and and more precious.

Here I am, as my back aches and my right shoulder reminds me it’s healing from injury, and I’m playing vigorous air guitar to the lively “Fight of Your Life” by Judas Priest.  I cannot throw shapes like I did in my bedroom at age 15, but I do OK, and it feels alright.  Until my elbow says “no more” and my knees falter!

The music feels good.  You can use any number of words:  nostalgic, warm, energising, recapturing…there is something unique about a true comfort album that just makes you say “Thank God this exists.  I needed this, to make me feel this way.  Thank you for the music!”

REVIEW: Faster Pussycat – Faster Pussycat (1987)

FASTER PUSSYCAT – Faster Pussycat (1987 Warner)

Here is a band that I ignored for decades.  When the music video for “Don’t Change That Song” came on ye olde Pepsi Power Hour on MuchMusic, it was just a step beyond how far I wanted to go.  I had made allowances and let Poison into my life, but Faster Pussycat seemed less goofy and more sleazy.  The gender-bending was there with Taime Downe’s makeup and nail polish, and the truth is I could not tell if Brent Muscat was a man or a woman.  I figured if the Bangles had a member named Michael that was a girl, then who’s to say this Brent person couldn’t also be a girl?  Greg Steele looked cool with the 5 o’clock shadow and headband wrapped with care, but very early on, I decided that Faster Pussycat were not for me.  It was a confusing time to be a young teenager discovering rock music.

Produced by Ric Browde, who also recorded Poison’s debut, Faster Pussycat’s debut is a rock-em sock-em ride through the gutters of California, with smiles all around.  It’s as if Aerosmith got a one-way ticket to Hollywood, bought some punk records, and went all-in on the debauchery.

Indeed, Aerosmith are the easiest comparison, especially vocally.  Taime Downe sounds like he’s fronting an outtake from Done With Mirrors on “Don’t Change That Song”, nailing every squeal and shriek just as Steven Tyler might.  Second track “Bathroom Wall” takes this further.  Faster Pussycat lack the manual dexterity of Perry and Whitford, and so we get a punked up version of the ‘Smith without the schooled knowledge of boogie and blues or clever wordplay.  This is Aerosmith: The Next Generation, after the punk wave had its impact and imparted a sense of who-gives-a-fuck.  And every note is tastier for it, like hard rock candy sharp enough to cut your teeth.

Third track in, and we hit our first serious deep cut:  “No Room For Emotion”.   It’s a slower groove that drawls seductively across the chords of classic rock and roll.  The Stones are the prime influence here, with just a hint of early Bon Scott-era AC/DC.

We all know Taime Downe ran the Cathouse club with Riki Rachtman, and so it seems natural that “Cathouse” is one of the better tracks.  High speed piano hammers away behind a breakneck rock and roll riff.  Taime takes the Tyler-esque screaming to its natural extremes on this track, which reads like an advertisement for the club.

Perhaps the first misstep is “Babylon”, seemingly a re-write of “You Gotta Fight For Your Right to Party” by the Beastie Boys.  It’s definitely in the same pocket.  There’s an annoying “pussy-pussycat” sample and an undeniably similarity of vibe.  Though it’s a bit of a classic for the band, it sounds a bit like they’re trying too hard.

In a classic case of packing all the hits on side one, side two must stand on the strength of deeper cuts.  “Smash Alley” is a tough little number, with cliche lyrics about gutters and back streets.  As for deep cuts, “Shooting You Down” might be the biggest one to be found.  An indelible chorus is matched with a simple riff and plenty of sneer from Taime Down.  It’s a brilliantly catchy deep cut and probably should have been considered for a single.

“City Has No Heart” continues with a series of somewhat soundalike music, though this one has soulful backing vocals atop a punky tune.  A good tune with a solid chorus, though at this point the Faster Pussycat sound starts to wear on the ears a bit.  You start to crave something a little different on side two, just as side one had “No Room For Emotion”.  There is no such change of pace on side two, and so we close out with “Ship Rolls In” and “Bottle In Front of Me” which rock us to the end.  “Ship Rolls In” has a Sex Pistols vibe on the chorus.  Then they go back to the Aero-vibe on closer “Bottle In Front Of Me”.  It leans into the funky sound of Aerosmith, circa Rock In A Hard Place, quite successfully.  It’s definitely a memorable closer, going full-on by the guitar solo.  Taime Downe shreds every last vocal chord, pushing it to the limit.  You’ll either love it or hate it, but if you love that screamin’ Steven Tyler on songs such as “Draw the Line”, then you’ll appreciate the lengths to which Downe pushes it.

The production of the album is of its time.  The snare drum sounds plastic and there’s a flat, two-dimensional vibe.  You can’t expect too much from an album released in 1987, folks.  People were listening to music on different devices and had different preferences back then.  Still, there are worse sounding records from this era and Faster Pussycat is worth of repeat listens.  Just take an Advil if a headache sets in by the end of side two.

3.75/5 stars


Rock Daydream Nation: Faster Pussycat – Best Hard Rock Debut you’ve never heard of!

Sort of a followup to our controversial roundtable discussion on The Decline of Western Civilation Part II: The Metal Years, this time Peter Kerr invited me back to talk about a band I never listened to before:  Faster Pussycat.

John Clauser went into this show with a negative opinion after some not-so-great live gigs.  I went in with almost virgin ears.  I knew the songs Faster Pussycat had in the movie, and I liked them.  Peter challenged John and I to listen to the whole album and discuss our conclusions.  The results may surprise you!

See if you can spot my subtle jab at Tuff singer Stevie Rachelle who accused us all of being “probably Rush fans” when he didn’t like our Decline episode.

Here’s Peter’s description of the episode:

Rock Daydream Nation featuring John Clauser (My Music Corner/The Contrarians) and Mike Ladano (Grab a Stack of Rock) go back to 1987 and put a spotlight on the self titled debut album from ‘Faster Pussycat’. Is this the best Hard Rock Debut album you’ve never heard of? Part classic rock with a dash of glam with a hint of blues…. We do a song by song analysis and talk all things Faster Pussycat…Remember, don’t change that song and check out the show! (There is even a Faster Pussycat video on the show)

I bought the CD specifically for this show, and my written review will go up Monday the 11th.  Enjoy the show!

REVIEW: Judas Priest – Invincible Shield (2024 Deluxe with bonus tracks)

JUDAS PRIEST – Invincible Shield (2024 Epic Deluxe with bonus tracks)

I don’t usually write “first impressions” reviews, because I like the albums to have time to sink in, and to consider my opinions.

I’ll break some rules this time.

Invincible Shield tops Firepower and could be the best Priest album since Defenders.  Or maybe even before that…

The highlights are many and the riffs are strong.  Rob’s voice has not changed in 20 years and he is still of the same power and range as Angel as Retribution.  As one goes deeper in, the songs continue to gain strength.  “Invincible Shield” didn’t really jump out at first, but does now with a very Maiden-y outro.  “Devil In Disguise” is another early highlight.  “Crown of Horns”, “Escape From Reality”, “As God is My Witness” are instantly likeable, with hooks aplenty and the odd adventurous lick or detour.  Richie Faulkner has been a godsend to this band, injecting them with new songwriting life, metallic riffs and speedy leads.  Meanwhile, you can hear Glenn Tipton too, illness be damned!  He trades off with Faulkner just as is Priest’s trademark.  The classical guitar solo on “Giants In the Sky” is something completely new for this band and a surprising delight.

Invincible Shield has most of the longer material stacked to the top of the album, with the short songs going on side two.  Even with 14 songs, the album is only just over an hour with bonus tracks, not overstaying its welcome, and inviting to repeated listens.  There’s no point in getting a version of this album without the bonus tracks.  You’d be missing out.  You can get them at Target, Sunrise, or Amazon in Canada.  They are “Fight Of Your Life”, “Vicious Circle” and “The Lodger”.  “Fight Of Your Life” might be the most necessary song of the album, as it really hearkens back to the early 70s albums like Sin After Sin.  It could be the deep cut of the record.

Lyrics have always been a shaky point in Priest history, and there are some cringey ones on Invincible Shield, but I doubt they will impede anyone’s enjoyment of this album.  It has summer written all over it, as we await the coming of the sun and the highway months.

Production by Andy Sneap sounds great to these ears, with Ian Hill’s bass rich and deep, and Scott Travis’ drums livelier than ever.  There are flashes back to the 70s and 80s, and some of Priest’s highest peaks of the past.

Martin Popoff may be right, but I’m not going as far as he did.  Still…

Album of the year.

5/5 stars

“Hella” Great Show? Too Much Music Part 3 on Grab A Stack of Rock!

A huge thank you for watching this show with me last night!  It so happens that John and Henry in the comments are currently buying Alice Cooper albums, and I showed off a few of ’em on this show.  In other timely circumstance, I also had on hand a rare Slash CD, in time for Slash to put out his new video on the same day, for “Killing Floor”!  Lots of great stuff happening in music right now.

In this episode we also looked at the very obscure “Vinyl Disc” format with a release from the Hellacopters.  We dove into huge chunks of Deep Purple, King’s X, Faith No More, and Marillion.  Indeed, when it came to Purple and Marillion, we ran into live album after live album, which simply have not received the time and attention they deserve.  Why?

Too much music.

I hope you enjoyed this show!  Look for a new episode of Rock Daydream Nation featuring John Clauser and myself this weekend, and a live episode of Grab A Stack next Friday.  Cheers!

 

A Music Fan’s Nightmare? Too Much Music Part 3 on Grab A Stack of Rock!

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

Episode 54: Too Much Music Part 3

Welcome to the third (and final?) “Too Much Music”, a series on Grab A Stack of Rock where I simply grab a stack of nearby random CDs and show them to you, the rock fan!  Inevitably, I run into multiple discs that have never been played, or have gone unplayed in years.  That’s why we call this series “Too Much Music”!

On this show, we will dig through some of the following:

  • My favourite album of all time
  • Marillion box sets, remix albums and singles
  • Deep Purple reissues
  • Compilations
  • Soundtracks and rare promos with rare tracks
  • Blaze
  • More Canadian content
  • Lots of King’s X
  • Alice Cooper
  • Dio
  • Catherine Wheel
  • Queen
  • Loudness & more Japanese imports
  • Scorpions
  • April Wine
  • Faith No More
  • Steve Vai
  • Pearl Jam
  • Brant Bjork
  • Tribute albums
  • Deluxe editions
  • And a look at a really weird format called Vinyl Disc

All this and more.  I do not think I will be able to do the comments section due to illness.

 

Friday March 8 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube, or (HOPEFULLY) Facebook!

The Writer’s Room: Outside the Writer’s Room

The Writer’s Room: Outside the Writer’s Room

Each one of the four was holding John T. Snow down by a limb.  The normally kind southern gentleman was struggling to escape.

“I’ll kill them!  I’ll kill them both!  Let me go!” screamed Snow.

The friends each struggled to keep him stable.  Mike had the left arm, Harrison the right.  Meanwhile Aaron and Metal Man had a leg each.  Each man grunted at the strain of holding John Snow down.

“I don’t understand!” protested Aaron.  “He’s gone crazy!  What happened?”

“He he hasn’t been the same…urgh!” Mike strained under the strength of John Snow’s left arm.  “He hasn’t been the same since he returned from that weird portal!”

“I fear something terrible has happened,” added Harrison the Mad Lego Artist.

“I second that,” said the 80s Metal Man as he gasped for breath.  “I can’t keep holding him!”

“Let…me…GO!” screamed John Snow again.  “I’ll kill them both!”

“No more Simmons soda for this guy,” joked Aaron.  Nobody laughed.

Suddenly the board room doors slammed open.  A team of Police ran in, guns out, and fanned about the room.

“Everyone stand back and release the suspect!  He’s coming with us!”

With quick and efficient movements, the experienced crisis team swiftly had the manic John Snow restrained, and they escorted him to an adjacent room.  It was over in what felt like seconds.  Everything happened so fast.  Before long, Snow was calmed and seated.  The Police Captain came to speak to Mike.

“We’re taking him to hospital for observation and questioning,” informed the Captain.  “He will be safe and in good hands.  You are all welcome to follow and wait there for results.  I don’t think there’s any reason to press charges.  That doesn’t seem to be appropriate for this situation.  We’ll get your friend some medical help and we’ll go from there.  The hospital will keep him in custody for the time being.”

“That sounds good to us,” said Mike.  For some reason he was picturing himself as a Police captain in a strange Noir-like universe where Harrison had a long handlebar moustache.  A funny vision.  He snapped back to reality.  “Thank you officer, Harrison and I will go.  These guys can go home to their patient families!”  He then paused a moment and looked across the room at John Snow.  “Can I…can I go speak to him a moment?”

“Just a moment,” answered the Captain as he motioned Mike to speak to John.  Mike walked across the room and put him arm on Snow’s shoulder.

“Hey buddy,” he said in a calm voice.  Snow nodded back in acknowledgement.  He was sweating.  He looked scared.  “These guys are going to take care of you, but don’t worry.  We’ll be at the hospital if you need us.  We won’t be far.  We’ll be following in my car.  OK man?”

John nodded again, but said nothing.  The Police escorted him while Mike and Harrison prepared to leave.

“If eternity should fail, we have his back,” said Harrison as he fastened his jacket.  “I’m ready.”

Mike and Harrison were exhausted.

It had been 16 hours.  They were told nothing except that John Snow was undergoing emergency surgery.  That was last night.  It was now past noon.  Mike had managed to get four hours sleep, but Harrison was having trouble adjusting to this time zone.  He fidgeted nervously with some Lego bricks he had in his pocket.  Mike was slouched so far down in his chair that he was all but horizontal.

A doctor emerged in mask and scrubs.  There were traces of blood on his tie.  He saw the pair slouching in their plastic chairs.

“Are you gentlemen here for John Snow?”

“Yes doctor!” answered Harrison immediately while Mike slowly got himself up into a more dignified position.  “What has happened?”

The doctor held up a small metallic oval.  It was egg-shaped, but longer and narrow.  It gleamed like a mirror with no visible markings or seams.

“We removed this from his skull.  There was no entrance wound.  It’s not a bullet.  We have no idea how it got in there.”

Mike’s jaw dropped, as if he could identify the object.  Harrison listened intently.

“The first thing we did when you first arrived was schedule a brain scan.  When sudden, violent behaviour happens unexpectedly, we look for brain trauma.  That’s when we found this.  We spent 12 hours extracting it.  Mr. Snow is unconscious in recovery.  He is going to be fine.  You may see him when he awakes.  But this…this is extremely troubling.

“May I?” asked Mike as he got out his camera to take a photo.  The doctor nodded and Mike snapped a shot of the silver object.

“This is going to Police headquarters for analysis,” said the doctor as he placed the object in a baggie.  “You guys may as well go get some rest and come back in a few hours when John is ready to be moved.  We’ll call you if there are any developments.”

“Thank you doctor,” said Mike and Harrison in unison.  They both looked exhausted and hungry, but with relief now entering their bodies as the adrenaline faded away.

Mike and Harrison sat with their drinks.

“So, Harrison,” asked Mike after a sip from his straw.   He held up his phone, and opened it to the photo of the silver capsule.  “Do you know what this is?”

Harrison squinted but shook his head.  “I must confess I do not.”

“I do,” dropped Mike like a bomb.

“Do tell,” said Harrison.  He sprinkled some candy sprinkles on his bagel to make his own form of Australian Fairy Bread.

“You’re not going to believe this…or maybe you will, given we’re seemingly seeing our stories come to life,” began Mike.  “This object is impossible…it is fictional.  It does not exist.  It is…” he paused for dramatic effect, “…a cerebro shell.”

Harrison’s expressionless face was without reaction.

“A cerebro shell.  From Transformers Generation One?  The Decepticons used them to control people.  The Insecticon named Bombshell would insert these into a victim’s brain, and control that victim with it.  Very hard to remove surgically, which is why it took so long.”

Harrison laughed.  “No, really, what is it?” he responded.

“I’m telling you what it is!” answered Mike.  “That, my Australian wunderkind, is a cerebro shell from the Insecticon named Bombshell.  A Transformer has entered our universe from theirs, and attempted to take control of John T. Snow, of our writers’s room.  And you know what that means.”

Harrison did indeed know what that meant.

“That means…they are trying to influence the story we are writing!  The Adventures of Tee Bone Man!  John said he wanted to kill ‘both of them’!  The Decepticons want Tee Bone Man and Superdekes dead!  But…why?”

“Don’t you see?” answered Mike.  “They’re real!  All of them!  And we’re writing the final battle of their reality!  Tee Bone Man and Superdekes, in some universe somewhere…they exist!  And their stories are playing out exactly as we are writing them!”

“We can’t let them lose,” answered Harrison.  “Tee Bone Man and Superdekes could be the only thing holding the evil back from invading our universe!”

Mike put his coffee down.  “Dear God…Harrison…you’re right!  The ultimate stakes here could be our very universe!”

Harrison thought a moment.  He had an idea.  “Last time we talked, I suggested we shut down Tee Bone Man and stop this mess.  What happens if we do that?”

“I fear utter disaster awaits,” said Mike gravely.  “If we stopped writing Tee Bone Man, there is nothing stopping them from finishing the story for us, with his death!  And then nothing would stand between them and our universe!  Every universe!  Harrison…the entire multiverse may depend on us writing this story to its very end.  And it has to end with Tee Bone Man and Superdekes winning.  No matter the cost.  We have to finish!”

Harrison wiped sprinkles from his moustache.  “Then that is what we shall do,” he said with great resolve.  “I suggest we begin to move our pieces into position for the coming battle.”

Mike nodded.  “I agree.  We have characters to introduce, others to bring home, and events to set into motion.  Now’s the time.”

Mike’s phone buzzed.

“It’s the hospital.  John is awake.  Let’s go.”

John was seated in his bed, white bandages over his head.  He was sipping a Gene Simmons ginger ale from a bottle with a straw.  He smile grew wide when he saw the two friends enter his room.

“Harrison!  Mike!  Am I ever glad to see you guys!”

“We’re glad to see you too!” said Harrison.

“We were worried!” added Mike.  The two took seats on opposite sides of Snow’s bed.

“Do you guys know what happened?” asked John.

“I do,” said Mike, “But let’s not worry about that right now.  You need to rest.  Harrison and I have the situation in hand.”

“You do?” asked John, turning his head from Mike to Harrison in search of answers.  “What situation?”  Mike and Harrison exchanged glances, but chose not to say too much.

“Everything is going to be fine,” calmed Harrison.  “You’re safe.  Nobody will be messing with your brain again.”

“And we brought you a gift!” exclaimed Mike while removing something from a bag.  “You’re going to love this.”  He handed Snow a small package.

“What is it?” asked John as he tore the paper open.

“It’s a new mini-sized Gene Simmons Vault!  All the songs at a fraction of the cost!”

Snowman looked at his gift and smiled.  “Do you guys know how much I paid for my original Simmons Vault?”

“Well now you have two!” said Harrison.  “One to look at, and one to play!”

“Thanks guys,” said Snowman.  “Sincerely.  My goal is to collect at least two copies of everything Gene ever made.   Thank you.”

A nurse popped her head in the room.

“Sorry folks, visiting hours are over.  You can come back tomorrow.”

“See ya, John.  Have a good rest.  We’ll be back.”  Mike and Harrison said their goodbyes, and exited into an empty corridor.

“We have a big problem,” said Harrison as the two walked.  “We stacked the deck against the super heroes in our story.  We have Satan, Trump’s clone, Shinzon, Darth Tyranus, who has the Force I must remind you, and of course the Eater of Worlds.  Now, we just introduced Doctor K as the latest villain.  I don’t think anyone has faced such danger in the history of fiction!”

“Then it’s time we even the odds,” answered Mike.  “Let’s bring them back.”

“Bring who back?” answered Harrison, puzzled.

“Us!  Bring us back!  The heroes need Moustachio and the Brain again.”

“But the Brainiac is dead,” said Harrison.  “You insisted we kill him in dramatic fashion.”

“You think there’s only one Brainiac in this multiverse?” chided Mike.  “Let’s get plotting!”

“Now that’s a sentiment I can get behind,” said Harrison.  “Off to the Toys R Us store.  I need bricks.  Lots and lots and lots of bricks.”

“Let’s go!” said Mike.  “You know, the real life Toys R Us store in Kitchener is the location where we first introduced your clone, Shinzon, in our stories?”

“I do remember that detail, yes,” answered Harrison.

“I knew you would.  To the Lego section!” said Mike.  “Allons-y!”

And with that, the two friends set about their business, as forces of both good and evil began to align for the final battle.

To be continued….

THE ADVENTURES OF TEE BONE MAN:  PHASE ONE – THE SQUIRREL SAGA 

THE ADVENTURES OF TEE BONE MAN:  PHASE TWO – THE MULTIVERSE SAGA

 

 

THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF EDIE VAN HEELIN’

THE WRITER’S ROOM

 

 

 

 

 

Grab A Stack of Rock: Brighton Rock Collections with Len Labelle, on CD & Vinyl

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and Len Labelle

Special Edition Episode:  Our BRIGHTON ROCK Collections

Established in 1984 under the name Heart Attack, from Niagara Falls Ontario came the mighty BRIGHTON ROCK!  Powerhouse screamer Gerry McGhee, Greg “Shredder” Fraser, Stevie Skreebs, Martin Victor and Mark Cavarzan comprised the original lineup.  Johnny Rogers joined in the by the first album on keyboards, and the band began making their footprint in rock history through an EP, three studio albums, a live CD and a handful of standalone recordings.  We walk you through all of it from start to finish.

Joining me for this special episode is longtime friend Len Labelle, a local collector whose history with Brighton Rock goes back to the debut.  Len talks first impressions, a brief encounter with a band member, and favourite songs.  We played two vintage MuchMusic interview clips with the band and talk about a VHS tape that we believe never came out.  Towards the end, we detoured and took a great look at A World With Heroes, a Kiss tribute album featuring Brighton Rock.  We returned course and talked about the final Brighton Rock recordings, and the present day with Storm Force.

We hope you find this episode fun, informative, and full of love.  We lost Gerry McGhee to cancer in 2020, and fans continue to miss him.  I hope we did Gerry justice.

Please enjoy this special episode of Grab A Stack of Rock with Mike and Len.  If you know anything about that Brighton Rock home video, please leave a comment or drop us a line!

Discussed this episode:

  • Brighton Rock EP (1985)
  • Young, Wild and Free (1986)
  • Take A Deep Breath (1988)
  • “Hangin’ High & Dry” 12″ single (1988)
  • Unreleased home video? (1989)
  • Love Machine (1991)
  • Room For Five Live (2002)
  • “Creatures of the Night” (2013)
  • “End of Time” (2019)
  • and Storm Force Age of Fear (2020)

REVIEW: Brighton Rock – “Can’t Wait For the Night” (Remix) (1986 single)

BRIGHTON ROCK – “Can’t Wait for the Night” (Remix) / “We Came To Rock” (1986 WEA single)

Niagara Falls’ Brighton Rock had a knack for rockers and ballads in equal measure.  Though “ballad” was often whispered as if it were a dirty word, Brighton Rock released a couple as singles over their career.  “Can’t Wait For the Night” was the first.  With a soft keyboard backing, the guitar melody by Greg Fraser sketches out the hook of the song.  Gerry McGhee shows a tender side to his voice, while unleashing the scream on the chorus.  His voice takes on a third texture as the chorus goes out, a grittier version.

On the 7″ vinyl format, the song was given a remix and an edit.  It was taken down from 4:25 to 3:56, and labelled as the “single mix with guitar solo”.  Presumably all that means is that the guitar solo wasn’t chopped for the edit, since the album version seems to have the same solo.  The edited music is mostly outro, and it’s hard to discern exactly what the remix adds.  Keyboards and guitars seem to be the same.  Vocal is the same.  But here it is; the “single remix with guitar solo”!

On the B-side is the rocker “We Came to Rock”, which to me was always the “first single” because of the great music video they used to play on Much.  This dramatic little number mesmerized us as kid.  It began soft and ballady, with keyboards and the sound of violins seemingly being plucked on the verses.  Then, Gerry McGhee released the beast that was his scream on the captivating chorus.  McGhee’s voice had tremendous diversity within single songs, and this is a prime example.  Finally you get to Greg Fraser’s solo, which as always was a composition unto itself.  This is the standard album version.  Simply awesome as-is!  It is one of those rare songs that is a treat to play on repeat.

This awesome little picture sleeve single isn’t hard to find nor expensive to buy.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5 stars

Tomorrow on a Grab A Stack Special Edition, new co-host Len Labelle and I go through our entire Brighton Rock collections. Don’t miss this!

Top Five Ozzy Tunes on Grab A Stack of Rock with Peter Kerr, Mike Slayen and John Clauser

Hot on the heels of his excellent interview with bassist Bob Daisley, Peter Kerr suggested we run through the Top Five Ozzy Osbourne solo songs, and a brilliant idea it was!  Ozzy’s solo career is rich, especially in the early years, with beautiful ballads and incendiary metal.  There are heavy progressive moments, advanced arrangements, and brilliant lyrics. We gave Ozzy’s career a solid listen this week and extracted our lists, and not without difficulty!

Your panel this week:

  • Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation with loads of insight and some great picks.
  • John Clauser of My Music Corner, with a guest list from Jake Not-From-State-Farm.
  • The “Dude” Mike Slayen, from San Diego, home of Jake E. Lee, and that little bit of extra guitar knowledge we needed.

I bought a guest list from Jex Russell, and the combined six lists covered a lot of ground!  Hits, deep cuts, lots of ballads, and almost every lead guitarist who played with Ozzy.  Lots of love for Randy and Jake here especially.  Besides the first two classic Ozzy records, there was a lot of respect here for No Rest for the Wicked.  The Ultimate Sin, Ozzmosis, No More Tears and Scream were mentioned multiple times.  There were a number of B-sides mentioned, and one track that almost got me disqualified!

Stay tuned for some cool honourable mentions!

Thank you everyone for watching tonight, and we’ll see you Monday with brand new guest Len Labelle, and a run through the discography of Brighton Rock.  See you then!