Landing(s) Some Trillion Dollar Treats with Jex, Grace Scheele and Mr. Chipmunk

A wise man once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re gonna get.”  MarriedandHeels declined to participate for her scheduled time slot.  I booked this afternoon off for her.  So, this week’s box of chocolates includes some sweet surprise guests!  Jex Russell co-hosted, and harpist Grace Scheele dropped by for a bit to talk about her cassette tape Landings.  The end result is one of my favourite shows!  Top ten?

Max the Axe’s garage sale scores were the main focus of the show, with a second on cottage stories and musical memories.  We told the previously unrevealed tale of Max’s carbon monoxide detector collection.  We tributed the man himself with song after song, going over two hours!

Best of all:  a first.  A chipmunk visiting the show, captured on camera, live.  Twice.

Addendum: Here’s the funny thing.  MarriedandHeels was still welcome to appear on this show, and declined to show up.  Why?  Because she scheduled her own stripshow at the same time on OnlyFans.  However, the gods disapproved, and she failed due to technical issues!  She could have joined me, but karma and the universe worked together to spite her.   Oh well!  Hope she enjoyed her day at home alone, not making any money or having any fun with us.

Life is like a box of chocolates indeed!  I say, eat on.  The No More Heels tour of 2023 begins!  

Back to Basics Friday on Grab A Stack of Rock

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK…

Episode 19: Back to Basics Friday

I must apologize for the suddenly cancelled show last week.  A lot of stuff went down about 30 minutes before showtime, and I was occupied with another priority.

It can now we said:  This episode was supposed to be for MarriedandHeels.  I booked the afternoon off FOR HER.  And now we have to go on without her.  Thanks a lot.

Today I need to take it easy, so we’re going back to basics.  My first solo show in years.  I want to do it in the afternoon, not evening, so it’ll be 3:00 PM E.S.T.

I’ll be reading from Tim Durling’s book Unspooled.  I have my treasures from Max the Axe’s garage sale to show.  We have a demo of the Kenwood tape deck featuring the music of Grace Scheele.  I’ll be unboxing new discs, and otherwise just winging it!   Hope to see some of you then.  I know it’s not an ideal time, but I don’t want to be broadcasting live during sunset!  So afternoon it is.

Friday May 12 at 3:00 P.M. E.S.T.  Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

Just Listening to…Arkells – High Noon (2014)

When I reviewed this album six years ago, I rated it 4.5/5 stars.  For whatever reason, I’ve been playing this a lot over the last two weeks.  Like a lot lot.  Today I’d give it a solid 5/5.  High Noon by the Arkells has reached that upper echelon of albums that somehow, someway, have become so important to me that losing this album would be like losing an arm.  It’s in my soul now.  It’s part of me.  That’s not easy to do, especially for newer music.

I love the spirit.  The defiance.  The anger!  “Oh you’re just a boy, a little banker boy, everything’s a game and everyone’s your toy…”  A pretty scathing indictment of the wealthy who prey on the vulnerable, a practice which singer Max Kerman refers to as “Fake Money”.  It’s so upbeat that you don’t pick up on the anger until you actually listen to the words.  But when you do?  Hooboy!  Though the song sounds like a celebration, the lyrics cut like razors.

Then there’s the very-80’s “Come To Light”, a brilliant rock song with a Bowie beat.  There’s a tension built from synth and drums.  Then the piano delivers those hooks!  Kerman’s vocals are as impassioned as ever (“Impassioned” being his middle name, according to some reports).   Virtually every song could be a single, and this one was the first of four.  Another simply superior upbeat celebration follows, called “Cynical Bastards”.  You have to love that title!  Once again the keys are the dominant hook-deliverer, though the chorus itself is pretty damn awesome.  Even the lyrics are catchy!  “If the 80s were tough, the 90s were mean!”

Another serious favourite is track #4:  “11:11”.  You ever heard about that superstition that you’re supposed to make a wish when the clock shows 11:11?  A slower, more contemplative song, this beauty is all about meeting a sweetie at a bar.  “You made a wish at 11:11, I held your hips at 12:34,” goes the fabulous chorus.  “There was a kiss just waiting to happen, a cab was waiting just outside the door.”  A slower but still bright number called “Never Thought That This Would Happen” is one of most poetic yet colloquial songs about a one-nighter that I’ve ever heard.  “And I never thought that this would happen, and you got all weird after the weekend.  Sometimes you make out with an old friend, and I’m rounding first and I’m sliding into second…”  It’s also the only song on the album that exceeds four minutes.

Sometimes I wonder if these girls that Kerman is singing about know the songs are about them.

“Dirty Blonde” is another very 80s upbeat rocker, very much like 80s Elton John, but harder.  Just as many hooks though!  “What Are You Holding On To?” has a completely different vibe, happy and danceable.  This is followed by the uber-catchy “Hey Kids!” and the single “Leather Jacket”.  “Leather Jacket” is one that strikes home lyrically in many ways.  “You call me up from a pay phone, I say hang tight I can drive you home.”  Been there done that!  But my favourite line?  “You call me up from a pay phone, and I said, ‘Who the fuck uses a pay phone?'”  Regardless, “Leather Jacket” is instantaneous, flawless and passionate.

Just two more songs remain in this journey.  “Crawling Through the Window” slows things down to a strong digital pulse, with dark chords backing it.  Brilliant lyrics here describing a shitty old apartment.  “There were carpets in the bathroom, man, what the fuck’s a vacuum?”  Again it sounds like there’s a real story here.  Finally the dance rock of “Systematic” ends the album on a surprising, but no less catchy note.

Mastering engineer – Harry Hess!  By all means, get this album.  Get it.  Play it.  Play it again.  Fall in love.  I did.

 

WTF Comments: 666 edition

I’ve been getting some weeeird comments lately.

Five years ago I wrote a partly informative, partly comedic, article about the number 666.  With hindsight it’s kind of amazing that it took five years to get a WTF comment out of it.  Please welcome “pairunoyd” to the show with this doozy:

March 31, 2018:
3312018 = 666 * 4973.
4973 is the 666th prime number:
3312018 = 666 * the 666th prime number.
Kobe Bryant died 666 days after the prime 666 date. His highest scoring game, 81 pts, was his 666th regular season game.

That’s all the WTF I have in me for one day.

 

WTF Comments: I’m Not Steve Vai

Received this comment on my review for Steve Vai’s Sex & Religion CD:

 

Nicolas:  hey steve this your friend oliver …your life is at paper vision at santa cruz california its you home thanks big brother…..

 

If you’re reading this, Steve, then be aware that…Oliver…or Nicolas…is asking…something…

REVIEW: Talas – If We Only Knew Then What We Know Now… (1998 Japanese/bonus track)

TALAS – If We Only Knew Then What We Know Now… (1998 Warner Music Japan)

The Japanese edition of this Talas live album is something to behold.  It comes with lots of extras:

  • Beefy cardboard slipcase to house the jewel case beneath, plus…
  • A beautiful bonus 22 page photo booklet,
  • Japanese lyric sheet,
  • Two bonus tracks!

The first bonus track is just a shorty, a message from Billy Sheehan.  He briefly explains the history of the band, as much as one can in 34 seconds anyway.  The second bonus track is more interesting and valuable.  It is a vintage studio track called “Doin’ It Right”.  Very pop, but also paradoxically pounding.  It’s not available anywhere else, and it’s not bad at all!  It recalls other early poppy rock tunes by metal bands, such as Quiet Riot and Kick Axe’s obscurities.  One of those Japanese bonus tracks that is worth shelling out for.  But that’s just Common Knowledge!

(The rest of this review was previously publish in 2016)

The Talas story did not end with the breakup of the band.  Of course not; bands both famous and obscure like to reunite for nostalgia shows.  Talas did that in 1997 with the original power trio lineup:  Billy Sheehan on bass, Paul Varga on drums, and Dave Constantino on electric guitar.  With classic material (from the first two Talas albums) and a few unreleased songs, they memorialized their reunion with a brand new live CD.  Billy even pulled his old platform boots out of the closet for this one.

As usual the set opens with “Sink Your Teeth Into That” and an enthusiastic home town crowd.  Talas only sounded better with age.  The original voices are there and just as strong as they were in 1982.  It actually sounds like everyone has improved over the years.  A speedy “High Speed on Ice” is in the second spot ensuring no loss of momentum.  Material from the first self-titled Talas album is included too (unlike the last live album Live Speed on Ice).  “Expert on Me” is very pop in construction, but clearly not as great as the songs from album #2, Sink Your Teeth Into That.  Speaking of which, the slow rumbler “Never See Me Cry” is brilliantly adapted to the stage.

“Power to Break Away” is one of the previously unrecorded songs, and it kicks it just as hot as anything from Sink Your Teeth Into That.  It’s taut with hooks and the prerequisite bass workouts.  “Tell Me True” is the second unreleased song, a slow non-descript dirge ballad that takes a while to get going.

Imagine Billy Sheehan plowing his bass right through a funky Led Zeppelin riff.  That’s “Thick Head”, an awesome track from Talas (1979).  “You” has a cool vibe, almost like an unheard Aerosmith demo from the Done With Mirrors era.  A few other tunes from the first Talas (“Most People”, “Any Other Day” and “See Saw”) are adequately entertaining.  Back to Sink Your Teeth Into That, “King of the World” is still one of the best Talas tunes, overshadowed by only a few like “Shy Boy”.  Here, “Shy Boy” is preceded by a Paul Varga drum solo.  The sheer velocity of “Shy Boy” itself makes me wonder how Varga did it.  It’s just pedal to the metal, blurring the lines and smoking the minds.

Nothing like a good cover to help draw a live album to a close.  Talas did two:  “21st Century Schizoid Man” and “Battle Scar”.  The King Crimson cover is a daring one to attempt.  They somehow manage to strip it down and pull it off with integrity.  As for “Battle Scar”?  Total surprise there!  Max Webster were just across the border from Buffalo, and Billy Sheehan nearly joined Max at one point late in their career.  Introduced by a Billy Sheehan bass solo, this Max/Rush cover is the set closer.  As a final addition, “Battle Scar” surely makes this one hell of an album for the history books.

Since this is a more recent release on a well known label (Metal Blade), it turns out that If We Knew Then What We Know Now is an easy CD to find in the shops.  Fortunately this is a good first Talas album to add to any collection.

4/5 battle scars

 

 

Youtubin’: Todd in the Shadows – TRAINWRECKORDS: Run-D.M.C.’s “Crown Royal”

I love getting a musical education from Todd in the Shadows!  He’s musically educated and far more knowledgeable about pop and hip-hop than I’ll ever be.

Run DMC are not my thing, and I was largely ignorant of their influence and their unique style.  Todd demonstrates their beats and importance with plenty of video clips.  But his main focus this time was their “comeback” album Crown Royal.  An album that took years to make and release, due to legal wranglings over guest appearances and DMC’s lack of involvement.  Todd conjectures that a disapproving D didn’t record a single note for this album.  He could be right.  A trainwreckord indeed, Crown Royal sounds like a desperate attempt to meet Y2k head on, and failing.  No amount of Fred Dursts or Third Eyes Blind could save this record commercially and artistically.

This was a 30 minute viewing that flew right by.  Entertaining and educational.

 

#1060: Max the Axe’s Garage Sale (Trillion Dollar Treats)

RECORD STORE TALES #1060: Max the Axe’s Garage Sale

A huge thank-you to my host Max the Axe today at a fantastic garage sale!  BEHOLD!

“9:00 AM!” he said.  “Serving shots and weed to my Facebook friends starting at 9 AM!”

There was no way I was missing this garage sale.

I only had four hours sleep, and a large Tim Horton’s coffee, to prepare me.  I didn’t think I could make it.  After the events of last night, which left me rocked (in a bad way), I didn’t think I was up for it.  But at 9:00 AM I said “to hell with it, let’s go,” and Jen and I were in the car off to the Trillion Dollar Treats that Max had on offer.

First up:  cassettes!  I picked up six:

  • Poison – Flesh & Blood
  • Metallica – Metallica
  • Van Halen – Diver Down
  • Extreme – II:  Pornograffitti
  • Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest for the Wicked
  • Van Halen – Women and Children First

You can blame Tim Durling for my sudden interest in buying Cassettes That I Already Own On Remastered CDs.  He did point out the Diver Down cassette was an unusual cover variant, with the image slanted taking up the whole cover.

Speaking of Tim Durling…

  • Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV

I’ve caught the 8-track bug, baby!  Tim remarked that my copy was in better condition than his.  Max had more 8-tracks but none from bands that I collected.

So that’s cassette and 8-track.  What about CD and vinyl?  Maxie has plenty of both, but my tab was starting to rack up.  I gave him $20 for this rare AC/DC longbox, still sealed.

It’s the live “Highway to Hell” single, with long box intact and not in terrible shape.  I used to have CD longboxes, but I foolishly tossed them when I moved, assuming their were worth next to nothing.  Just paper.  But now…

Next up:  Max has been trying to sell me a tape deck for years.  This one was $20, a Kenwood.  My old Sony has seen the better of days, and Max says this one runs perfectly.  I guess we’ll find out soon enough, to try out these new tapes I just bought, huh?

Finally, we have the magazine scores.  Some MAD, some Cracked, some Star Wars, and some music!  Even a M.E.A.T Magazine!  A little bit of everything, and…woah, that’s Lee Aaron!!

Max has so much stuff, and you still have time to get down there.  Kites, speakers, tape decks, collectables, magazines, all killer deals!  Blank media galore.

Am I ever glad I went to Trillion Dollar Treats to see Max the Axe on my Saturday morning.  My Friday was brutal – absolutely brutal.  I am sure you will eventually be reading about it in one way or another.  My real life has a habit of becoming public knowledge, because when I’m hurting inside, I need to get it out.  My only weakness.  Thank you to everyone who sent helpful messages and offered to talk.  I need to single out Boppin, Jex, Tim, James and especially Jen for talking to me last night and this morning.  I love you all.

 

Topless Tribute to @MarriedandHeels from Mike and Jex!

On April 28 2023, our co-host MarriedAndHeels went topless for the first time on her OnlyFans live stream. Jex and I decided to poke a little fun at her, all in good humour. I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot of topless jokes this summer.

On This Day in Music History: the 1st Annual Grammy Awards

May 4, 1959 – the 1st Annual Grammy Awards

 

Record of the Year:  “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)” – Domenico Modugno

Album of the Year:  The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini

Song of the Year:  “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)” – Franco Migliacci and Domenico Modugno, songwriters (Domenico Modugno)