🅻🅸🆅🅴 50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 23: Rock in Rio

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 23: Rock in Rio

Special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 Episode

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #120

It was with great joy that we anticipated Iron Maiden’s first live album since Donington 1992:  Rock In Rio!  A decade had passed, and with it, three new studio albums, all of which are represented in the live set.  The new six-man Iron Maiden lineup was on fire, and little did we know it would become the most stable lineup in the band’s history.  Though they had released live B-sides from the Ed Hunter tour, Rock In Rio was the first full live album with the new lineup, and of course, new songs!  We even got a live DVD out of it.

In Rio, Iron Maiden played to approximately 250,000 people; the second largest crowd of their entire career, only topped by the 350,000 people who saw them in Rio in 1985.  They hit the stage with a setlist generous on new songs, classic hits, and respectful nods to the Blaze era.

Harrison and I will break down the album, produced by Kevin Shirley, track by track in tonight’s special live episode.  Don’t miss this one as we always enjoy interacting with the comments, and we can do this best when we are live.

Much like Iron Maiden, we are best when we are live.  Check it out tonight!

Friday October 10 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

#1220: The Maxell Tapes and the Rules of Acquisition

RECORD STORE TALES #1220: The Maxell Tapes and the Rules of Acquisition

The year was 1997.  We carried blank tapes at the Beat Goes On, and had for some time.  I believe in 1997 we were carrying Maxell tapes of various grades.  After that, we switched to Sony.  We only carried two lengths, which were the most popular:  60 minutes, and 90 minutes.

We sold them as singles, and we also created “bricks” of three tapes, by using Scotch tape to package them together.  We would sell the “bricks” for a discount compared to single tapes.  Obviously with this being so long ago, I cannot remember the exact pricing, so let’s say it went like this:

  • Maxell UR60 – $1.59 each
  • Maxell UR90 – $1.99 each
  • 3 pack brick of Maxell UR60 – $3.99 each
  • 3 pack brick of Maxell UR90 – $4.99 each

We also sold the Maxell XL-II tapes which were more expensive, but let’s keep things simple for these purposes.  We’ll just talk about the UR tapes.

One afternoon, we were running low on tapes and waiting for a restock order.  I had sold out of the UR90 bricks, but still had some singles for sale.

A girl walked up to the counter and asked if she could get a deal if she bought three Maxell UR90 tapes.  I said sure, and grabbed my calculator so see what it would be.  I punched in some numbers, and didn’t check my math.  Having clumsy fingers, I have learned I need to punch in numbers twice when adding on a calculator, but back then I wasn’t in this habit.

“$5.99 for three tapes,” I told her.

“Sounds good,” she said.  We processed the transaction and she left happily with her three Maxell UR90 tapes.

Only then did I realize that I charged her more than the three tapes would have sold for originally.

“Damn!!” I said out loud.  I ripped her off.

We had a saying for when we ripped off a customer, either on purpose or by accident.  (An example of “on purpose” would include selling a “used” copy of a CD as “new”, which we sometimes did when a sufficiently mint “used/new” copy came in.)  The saying was this:

“Pure profit.”

Like a Ferengi reciting the rules of acquisition, I consoled myself with the knowledge that the bossman made an extra three cents that day on some Maxell blank tapes.

FERENGI RULES OF ACQUISITION (which the Beat Goes On usually followed where applicable):

 

Number Rule Episode
1 Once you have their money, you never give it back. DS9: “The Nagus“, “Heart of Stone“; PRO: “First Con-tact“
3 Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to. DS9: “The Maquis, Part II“
6 Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity. DS9: “The Nagus“; ENT: “Acquisition“
7 Keep your ears open. DS9: “In the Hands of the Prophets“
8 Small print leads to large risk. LD: “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place“
9 Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. DS9: “The Storyteller“; LD: “Hear All, Trust Nothing“
10 Greed is eternal. DS9: “Prophet Motive“; VOY: “False Profits“
16 A deal is a deal. DS9: “Melora“
17 A contract is a contract is a contract… but only between Ferengi. DS9: “Body Parts“
18 A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all. DS9: “Heart of Stone“, “Ferengi Love Songs“
21 Never place friendship above profit. DS9: “Rules of Acquisition“; PRO: “First Con-tact“
22 A wise man can hear profit in the wind. DS9: “Rules of Acquisition“; VOY: “False Profits“
23 Nothing is more important than your health… except for your money. ENT: “Acquisition“
31 Never make fun of a Ferengi’s mother. DS9: “The Siege“
33 It never hurts to suck up to the boss. DS9: “Rules of Acquisition“, “The Dogs of War“
34 War is good for business. DS9: “Destiny“, “The Siege of AR-558“
35 Peace is good for business. TNG: “The Perfect Mate“; DS9: “Destiny“
45 Expand or die. ENT: “Acquisition“; VOY: “False Profits“
47 Don’t trust a man wearing a better suit than your own. DS9: “Rivals“
48 The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife. DS9: “Rules of Acquisition“
57 Good customers are as rare as latinum. Treasure them. DS9: “Armageddon Game“
59 Free advice is seldom cheap. DS9: “Rules of Acquisition“
62 The riskier the road, the greater the profit. DS9: “Rules of Acquisition“, “Little Green Men“, “Business as Usual“; LD: “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place“
74 Knowledge equals profit. VOY: “Inside Man“
75 Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of latinum. DS9: “Civil Defense“
76 Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies. DS9: “The Homecoming“
91 Your boss is only worth what he pays you. LD: “Old Friends, New Planets“
94 Females and finances don’t mix. DS9: “Ferengi Love Songs“, “Profit and Lace“
95 Expand or die. VOY: “False Profits“; ENT: “Acquisition“
98 Every man has his price. DS9: “In the Pale Moonlight“
102 Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever. DS9: “The Jem’Hadar“
103 Sleep can interfere with… DS9: “Rules of Acquisition“
109 Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack. DS9: “Rivals“
111 Treat people in your debt like family… exploit them. DS9: “Past Tense, Part I“, “The Darkness and the Light“
112 Never have sex with the boss’ sister. DS9: “Playing God“
125 You can’t make a deal if you’re dead. DS9: “The Siege of AR-558“
139 Wives serve, brothers inherit. DS9: “Necessary Evil“
168 Whisper your way to success. DS9: “Treachery, Faith and the Great River“
190 Hear all, trust nothing. DS9: “Call to Arms“
194 It’s always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door. DS9: “Whispers“
203 New customers are like razor-toothed gree-worms. They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back. DS9: “Little Green Men“
208 Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer. DS9: “Ferengi Love Songs“; PRO: “First Con-tact“
211 Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success. Don’t hesitate to step on them. DS9: “Bar Association“
214 Never begin a business negotiation on an empty stomach. DS9: “The Maquis, Part I“
217 You can’t free a fish from water. DS9: “Past Tense, Part I“
223 Unknown, but presumably concerned the relationship between “keeping busy” and “being successful”. DS9: “Profit and Loss“
229 Latinum lasts longer than lust. DS9: “Ferengi Love Songs“
239 Never be afraid to mislabel a product. DS9: “Body Parts“
263 Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for latinum. DS9: “Bar Association“
285 No good deed ever goes unpunished. DS9: “The Collaborator“, “The Sound of Her Voice“
289? Shoot first, count profits later. LD: “Old Friends, New Planets“
Unknown A man is only worth the sum of his possessions. ENT: “Acquisition“

From the Star Trek Memory Alpha wiki

 

VIDEO: “Mystery” by Dio / Ruko Over Lorne Beach

The flight started well enough, but I lost control of the drone during the return, right around the guitar solo (Vivian Campbell). It started veering to the left and losing altitude. I managed to bring it back to the beach and land it in the sand, but I thought for sure it was going to hit the water or trees. Why? It’s a “Mystery”!

To its credit, the Ruko U11MINI 4K gets incredible images with its always-level camera.

The water levels are heading back to their low point. It is a 20 year cycle. It does create beautiful imagery. Enjoy the flight.

Mystery (Dio/Bain)
From The Last In Line (1984)

Can you hear me
can you see
there’s a storm on the edge of the sky
does it matter
it does to me, i can tell you why
When there’s thunder, there should be rain
but it don’t always follow the rule
and is the wise man always right?
no he can play the fool
It’s always a mystery, not what it seems to be
it’s always a mystery, just like you and me
We are lightning
we are flame
and we burn at the touch of a spark
if there’s fire, but no one sees
the there’s only the dark
Just imagine, will you try
i can see that you’ve opened your mind
silver linings can disappear, but they always shine
It’s always a mystery, not what it seems to be
it’s always a mystery, just like you and me

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Harrison’s Box Sets and Mike’s Whitesnake

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

Episode 119: Harrison’s Box Sets and Mike’s Whitesnake

Time for a Maiden break this week, as Harrison and Mike have their ears full of live Maiden preparing for the next two shows!  In the meantime, Harrison has acquired a good sized collection of box sets, while Mike is only one Whitesnake box away from completing his collection of Coverdale’s boxed compilations.  Not much else to say except we will dive deep on some cool collections tonight!

“Ere’s a box set for ya!”

This is possibly the last cottage show of the season, and an indoor one this time due to the early sunset.  Join us tonight live for this special look at some expensive beauties.

 

 

Friday October 3 at 7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

 

 

#1219: Grab A Stack of Eats 2025

RECORD STORE TALES #1219: Grab A Stack of Eats 2025

Every year at the cottage, I try to expand my cooking game just a little bit.  In the past, this included making our own onion rings, slow cooking some beef ribs, caramelizing onions, working with exotic meats such as duck and lamb, and finding new ways to cook my veggies.  Had money been available this summer, I would have liked to start smoking my own meat.  Perhaps next year.  In 2025, we did try some new things and have some excellent food experiences.

The story starts in December of 2024.  We have a “tire guy”, Jason, who comes to the house and swaps out our tires twice a year.  I knew that Jason was a hunter, and I know he had a freezer full of moose meat.  We talked about it a bit, and discussed seasoning and cooking techniques for the exotic meat.  I asked if he could spare a taste of the moose meat.  Just a taste.  I am well familiar with moose, as a boss at work is also a hunter and brings in his own moose spaghetti from time to time.  It is not very gamey.  It has a beef-like taste and texture, with a venison finish.  It is a lean meat and not bad for you as a beef substitute.

Jason didn’t bring just a taste.  He went above and beyond, to the point that I was actually freaking out over the amount of meat that I had to eat.

I just wanted a taste.  What I got was a pack of moose pepperoni, a huge moose salami, and ten frozen links of big moose sausage.  Ten links.

There has not been a single year in my life where I ate ten links of any sausage at all.  Typically, I would have two or three at Sausagefest in the summer, and that is it.  I don’t do Oktoberfest and I’m not a big pork eater.  Jen won’t touch any kind of exotic game meat at all, so I could not count on her for any help.  The sausage was kept in the freezer until the opening of cottage season 2025.  It would be the first food experiment of the new year.

“Dad, you have to help me finish this sausage.  At least one link,” I told my father.

“Oh you eat them son, just enjoy.  You don’t have to share with me,” he answered as some form of polite excuse.

“You don’t understand what I’m saying dad.  I CAN’T eat ten links by myself.”

Cut to the end:  He didn’t eat any of them, and I did finish all ten.

Most of them were cooked on the barbecue, well done, and served with a toasted bun and a variety of toppings from mayonnaise to mustard to guacamole.  One was done in a frying pan, but the fumes actually triggered a seizure in Jen, so I avoided that method from then on.  Still, even with different toppings and condiments, ten sausages is a lot so I had to get creative.

One night in September, arriving at the cottage on a Thursday night, I needed to eat some dinner but had few options in front of me except…moose sausage.  I imagined cutting up the sausage into small chunks and using them in some way, and then realized:  I had everything I needed to make a moose spaghetti.  So I got cooking!

I began by cutting the sausage into meatball-sized chunks.  Then I sautéed it in olive oil, diced up some green peppers, red onions, garlic and mushrooms, and added them to the mixture.  I like a nice chunky sauce, so those diced veggies would blend in perfectly.  I let them cook until they reached the desired done-ness, and then added some craft spaghetti sauce that my dad had in stock from an unknown store.  I like a bit of heat, so I gave it several shots of Tobasco sauce, gave it a stir and let it simmer.  I made enough spaghetti to serve two, and dumped my sauce with moose sausage on top.  It was a masterpiece.  I finished it all – eventually.

That experiment was a total success.  Maybe Jason will get me some more sausage this winter, and I can try again next year.  Not ten links though.  Five will do me fine.

Our other successful experiment involved my first try at cooking a steak of Canadian wagyu.  I have cooked Japanese A5 wagyu at home before, but that is a very expensive and hard to find meat.  We no longer shop at our local Kitchener butcher (Robert’s Boxed Meats) after they sold us not one but two rotten steaks.  No third chance for Robert’s, and no more access to Japanese A5 wagyu.  The bright side of this is that after Robert’s almost ruined our cottage weekend with a steak that we had to throw in the garbage, my dad suggested we try the local Kincardine butcher, the Beefway.  This began a love affair and with a great store, and relationship with the staff who know us by name and recognize us when we come in.  When we first visited, I asked if they had heard of such a thing as A5 wagyu.  They had, of course, but didn’t carry the animal in stock.  Cut forward to 2025, and they now have Canadian wagyu in stock.  Not as marbled as the Japanese A5 variety, it might actually be a more enjoyable meat to enjoy as a steak.  There is a farm on the highway to the cottage that grows the animals, which is likely where the Beefway got theirs.

The Japanese A5 wagyu is so rich, that you really can’t eat more than a little in one sitting.  It is considered more a steak that you cut into cubes and share.  The Canadian variety was better suited to the steak eating experience.  I ended up doing two this year, both ribeyes.  The Beefway had a variety of cuts in stock, but I like a ribeye.  It was not cheap, but as a treat, certainly the best steak I’ve ever made at home.  More enjoyable than the A5 due to the better meat to fat ratio.  It was still incredibly tender, even when I accidentally cooked the first one to a medium well.  The second one, I underestimated and cooked it to a rare.  The thing is, both were really good.  With a good steak, I always keep the seasoning simple with salt and pepper, and maybe garlic powder.  A crappy steak needs everything I can throw at it to make it tasty, but the wagyu doesn’t need much.  No steak sauce.  You want to taste that meat.  You’re paying for it, so you better be able to taste it.  Salt might be enough on its own.

That is 2025 and its food experiments in a nutshell.  Nothing crazy, and all with local meat.  Which leaves us to end on a funny story.

The first time I purchased wagyu from the Beefway, I was so excited about my find, that I wanted to tell the world.  I made a post on the local Kincardine Facebook group.  There were several “likes” and loads of positive comments, except from one person who just didn’t…get it.

Darlene Johnson saw the price on my ribeye and had an absolute fit.  Her first of many comments is below.

 

She didn’t understand that the steak was a local cow, bred similar to the Japanese variety, no matter how it was explained to her.  She continued to berate me for buying it, and the store itself for “selling out” to Japan.  She said she preferred a nice lean steak.  I bet she cooks it well done, too.  I had to block her.  She was just mean.

Darlene A. Johnston will not dissuade me from buying the meat I like, and I will continue to patronize the Beefway as long as they are open.  Wagyu or otherwise, I have never had a tastier steak (or bacon, or pork chop, or chicken breast), than what I can get at my new favourite local butchers.

2025 was another successful year for food.  Bring on 2026!

 

OCT 6 2025 UPDATE:  She’s baaaack!

My Music Corner: Monday Night Metal 9/29/2025

‘Twas my honour to be back on My Music Corner with Johnny Clauser on Monday night!  Well, to be fair, I invited myself, but it was a free for all, so that’s allowed!

Joining Johnny this episode:

  • Dan Chartrand from Off the Charts
  • Sidney Cini from Slogan’s Rock and Metal Extraganza
  • Jake Not from State Farm
  • Ashley Geisler from Ash’s Concerts and Video Showroom

Johnny asked us all of a series of questions including:

  • How did we discover this online music community?
  • What does the community mean to you?
  • What music death hit you the hardest?
  • What was the last concert that blew you away?

Enjoy this episode!

WTF Comments: Eric Martin edition

Without further comment, here is @strongbelieveroftheholybible’s comment about Eric Martin, lead vocalist of Mr. Big.  You know, the “To Be With You” band.  Joey Tempest, you have company.

 

REVIEW: Ginger Baker’s Air Force – “Man of Constant Sorrow” single (1970)

GINGER BAKER’S AIR FORCE – “Man of Constant Sorrow” (1970 ATCO 7″ single)

When Blind Faith broke up in 1969, Ginger Baker formed the Air Force featuring musicians such as Steve Winwood, Alan White and Denny Laine.  They released two albums, Air Force and Air Force 2, with the debut being a live album recorded at Albert Hall.  They also released one single, a studio version of the traditional “Man of Constant Sorrow”.  Its live counterpart was on the debut Air Force album, but the 3:31 studio version was only on the single.  Today you can buy several compilations and additional live albums, but in 1970 this single would have been one to seek.

Most people today are familiar with the version of “Man of Constant Sorrow” that was released as a single from the soundtrack O Brother Where Art Thou.  Based on the same traditional music, Ginger’s version is vastly different, though clearly the same song.  Opening with soft electric guitar picking by Denny Laine, Ginger soon comes in with a pitty-patter that is distinctly him.  Fiddles join in, and ample soulful backing vocals.  Aside from Laine’s emotional lead vocals, the defining characteristic of this song is the bombastic (but not out of place) drum pounding of Ginger Baker.  Horns join in at the halfway point, lending the song a celebratory Mardi Gras kind of feel.  Though it starts quiet and unassuming, it ends as a magnificent folk-soul monolith.

The single B-side is an instrumental live cut of the original song “Doin’ It” from the debut Air Force.  It was recorded 15 January 1970 at the Albert Hall with a ten-piece band including three saxophones and Hammond organs.  This is a tribal but funky jam, with the bass by Ric Grech blazing the trail.  Like “Man of Constant Sorrow” it builds louder and louder as it goes.  This short 3:47 (fade out) jam is in and out before you know it, but works as an intense but fun workout from some of the greatest musicians ever to hit the stage.  Certainly, the drums and two additional percussionists are a main focus and worth paying attention to.

A terrific single that is not too hard to find.

4/5 stars

EPSON MFP image

VIDEO: @darcyska – Why I Love Movie Soundtracks

Once more I had the pleasure of doing a show with D’Arcy Briggs from the YouTube channel @darcyska.  A few days ago, D’Arcy asked me if I’d be up to record on a topic of my choosing.   My first thought was “movie soundtracks”.

D’Arcy prepared a series of questions for me and off we went!  Topics include:

  • First loves in soundtracks and childhood memories.
  • Top Five Soundtrack list.
  • An underrated soundtrack (for Jex Russell).
  • What makes a good score?
  • Listening to curated song soundtracks.
  • Fictional movie band soundtracks.
  • A recent TV series’ soundtracks.
  • Has streaming changed how we listen to soundtracks?
  • Discovering bands via soundtracks, and gatekeeping by the old  fans.

While we were at it, we took a good look at some physical CDs, soundtracks from my collection and D’Arcy’s too.

Check out the video below!

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 22: Brave New World with Davey Cretin

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 22:  Brave New World

Special Guest:  Davey Cretin from Cretin Classics

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #118

How do you move on from a special interview with former Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley?  By going to the next album, of course!  After the wildly successful Ed Hunter reunion tour, the new six-man Iron Maiden lineup of Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Janick Gers, Adrian Smith and Nicko McBrain were tasked with creating a new Iron Maiden studio album.  With new producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley at the boards (whom they tested out on “Wrathchild 1999” – see Episode 21), the band had to capture their classic sound with modern production and a new three-guitar configuration.

The band toiled away in the studio as fans speculated.  Finally we were given a preview of the new Maiden sound on the first single “The Wicker Man”.  This was followed by the rapturous release of Brave New World on 29 May 2000.  Together, with the legendary Davey Cretin of Cretin Classics, Harrison and Mike break down the album’s 10 tracks in incredible detail.  You simply will not find a better analysis of this album anywhere else on the internet.

We don’t just dive deep into the album.  As usual, you can expect us to tackle all the live B-sides from “The Wicker Man” and “Out of the Silent Planet”.  We will also look at some very rare CD singles, including the elusive remix of “The Wicker Man” with additional lyrics.  We will also have a good look at the album and singles artwork, and even a special edition DVD of the Wicker Man movie with Edward Woodward and Sir Christopher Lee.

Before we’re done, Harrison will take us through the Brave New World tour, the setlists and the performances.  Expect the level of detail, analysis and pure love that you have come to know from 50 Years of Iron Maiden.  It’s all here as we enter the brave new world of the Maiden reunion era!

 

Friday September 26 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T.  Enjoy on YouTube.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist: