Summer is over. Today is the first day of fall. For the final cottage video of the summer, you can see more of the incredible wildlife that we have come to expect. This is edited to the tune of my favourite Tee Bone Erickson song, “The Last Train”.
While it is always sad when summer comes to an end, it must be remembered that things are not like they once were. I don’t think I’ve ever gone swimming in September before. Fall is not necessarily the depressing wet cold thing it was in the 80s or even the 90s.
This video also features a cameo by my old friend and guest contributor Aaron Lebold. I don’t think I have seen Aaron in person since the Record Store days! We hung out and shot the shit for about an hour. He brought me some crazy Optimus Prime figures that you will see as well. Good to see an old friend, and good to have company at the lake, which we have not had since well before the pandemic.
A few technical difficulties with the Facebook feed, but a good show all around. A more personal show this time, if you ever wanted to know how epilepsy can change lives, then you’ll want to check this one out. No more concerts, no more movie theaters — such is the new reality that my wife lives in.
But we did more than just talk about epilepsy, much more in fact. Unboxings, books, and guests — it’s all below.
The live stream feed is much choppier on Facebook so I encourage everyone to watch on Youtube from now on. The Youtube feed was solid. People on Facebook were reporting freezing video, so in an effort to fix that, I stopped the feed and started over. That’s why there are two Youtube videos below.
I started with some cool unboxings — Japanese imports and vinyl. Go to 0:05:10 of the first video to see some metal goodies and rarities.
For the start of the epilepsy show, go to 0:18:25 of the first video. It continues at 0:07:15 of the second video.
Old pal and author Aaron Lebold came on to talk about his own history with epilepsy, and his new book Genocide at 0:41:15 of the second video.
Kevin Simister aka Buried On Mars stopped in at 1:06:35 of the second video to talk about crappy Amazon shipping and to do a CD unboxing.
And finally Rob Daniels came in at 1:20:45 of the second video to hang out, talk music, and his own show Visions in Sound. He has lots of fun planned for October!
This week’s episode comes to you from BURIED ON MARS! I’ve been wanting to involve him on the live show for a few months and now the time has come. His topic: AC/DC deep cuts. Back in June we did a Nigel Tufnel Top Ten AC/DC albums co-hosted by Superdekes. That was one of our best shows, but now we go deep! No hits, just AC/DC; songs that we love that you’re not going to hear on the radio.
You may have noticed I have finally picked a name for this show. I hope I picked the right one. Tonight will be the inaugural (even though I’ve been doing this six months) episode of THE LeBRAIN TRAIN: 2000 Words or More with Mike Ladano.
Thank you to old pal (26 years) and author Aaron Lebold for contributing new graphics for the show. I really appreciate it! This was my favourite of the two he made. I have more artwork coming along. I’m very grateful for your help Aaron! Maybe you can come on the show and discuss your new book Genocide.
So that’s the name…The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike Ladano. Or, just The LeBrain Train. Jen came up with the LeBrain Train, and rock journalist Mitch Lafon suggested the 2000 Words or More part. Thanks to everyone who dropped a suggestion! I liked them all except for James Kalyn’s — “The Lebrain Eats A Worm And A Stick YouTube Hour”!
DEATH BY TECHNOLOGY – A Temporary Solution To a Permanent Problem (independent)
Most reviewers would acknowledge that one of our least favourite tasks is reviewing a friend’s music. You don’t feel as foot loose and fancy free with your words. When a friend asks for you to review their latest album, that’s hard. Harder still is when a friend would prefer that you don’t review their music!
Such is the case with Death By Technology. I think my friend Aaron Lebold would prefer that his one and only musical release was not revived by me, but this is a problem. My goal, in part, is to review every single album in this collection, and here it is. It has to be done for the sake of this project.
Before I knew it, Aaron came in to my store one day with copies of his CD, A Temporary Solution To a Permanent Problem, under the pseudonym Death by Technology. I put it out for sale with a sticker on it saying “Local Industrial Music Prodigy”, hoping someone would bite. A lot of people listened to it, but selling a copy was hard.
So here’s the truth. It’s a noble effort. The beats and riffs are decent enough. There are weird and creepy movie and TV samples. You can hear what he’s trying to do. I think what would have helped, is if he gave his old buddy Mike a call to sing the lead vocals. Aaron and I never quite saw eye to eye on lead vocals. I go for high pitched screams, he liked a more contemporary rap/rock hybrid. The biggest flaw with this CD is that I’m not on it.
But it can’t be that bad. After all, I remember every tune. This CD is 16 minutes long, and therefore it was perfect for closing time at the Record Store. An old employee named Chris used to put it on at quarter to nine when closing. It was like a tradition!
I asked Aaron Lebold if he wouldn’t mind throwing in a few words about “Distant Early Warning” for my Grace Under Pressure review. He sent me 772 words! So here’s an entire separate post for you — Aaron Lebold on “Distant Early Warning”.
RUSH – “Distant Early Warning” / “Between the Wheels” (1984 Anthem)
by Aaron Lebold
Mike has asked me to do a review on the song “Distant Early Warning” by Rush. When I first met Mike I quickly realized that Rush was one of his favorite bands,* and though he showed me a lot of their work, this song was the one that always stuck out to me the most.
My interpretation of the song may be a bit different now than it was when I first heard it; one of the greatest things about music is that its personal meaning can shift depending on what is going on in your own life. I find musical interpretation to be completely personal, and what you take from it may be completely different than what the artist even intended.**
I was always reluctant to hear the artists of the songs I enjoyed explain them, as it could feel very crushing if the impact it had on me was not the actual meaning. I will explain what this song means to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m right. It does mean that I am able to see why it had relevance to me, and if you have found a different interpretation, you are not wrong.
“An ill wind comes arising, Across the cities of the plain, There’s no swimming in the heavy water, No singing in the acid rain, Red alert, Red alert”
To me this is the ability to foresee an event, there is a metaphoric storm on its way, and it is serious enough for us to stop our own distractions, and unhealthy coping strategies in order to prepare for what is ahead.
“It’s so hard to stay together, Passing through revolving doors, We need someone to talk to, And someone to sweep the floors, Incomplete, Incomplete”
This talks about the separation among us as people to me; we all tend to find our own paths and some of us become relevant to each other, where others become lower class, and we may see them as nothing more than the person who is sweeping the floors for us. This type of discrimination makes us incomplete as a human race.
“Cruising under your radar, Watching from satellites, Take a page from the red book, And keep them in your sights, Red alert, Red alert”
This again is a reference to having greater insight than others may possess. Being able to observe a situation undetected and being able to gather forethought about what the results may be. The Red Book is a reference to Psychology, and this suggests using that manner of thinking as you move forward.
“Left and rights of passage, Black and whites of youth, Who can face the knowledge, That the truth is not the truth, Obsolete, Absolute, yeah”
To me this makes reference to our way of thinking, and things we may have misinterpreted as priority. Rights of passage is the idea of moving from one group to another, and relates to social classes and advancement. Separating the races of children is another method of creating a divide. The truth could refer to the idea that we are all one class and one collective group of people, and that a lot of our perceptions are obsolete in the big picture.
“The world weighs on my shoulders, But what am I to do? You sometimes drive me crazy, But I worry about you”
To me this means that even though I may have my own problems, and I don’t always agree with someone’s actions, I still care for them and can’t help but notice when they seem to be heading in a bad direction.
“I know it makes no difference, To what you’re going through, But I see the tip of the iceberg And I worry about you”
This basically means to me, that I am aware that my insight does not change your situation, but I can see the bigger picture and it makes me worried about how it may end up affecting you. The Tip of the Iceberg is of course a reference to the Titanic, and how there is much more lurking under the water than is visible from the surface. The results can be potentially devastating, as they were for the historic vessel.
I can’t recall exactly what drew me to this song when I was younger, and I may have interpreted things differently back then, but the bottom line is that I found relevance and importance in the lyrics. You may have a completely different take on this song, which is great. The best thing about music is using it to find our own connections, and get us through our own lives.
Aaron Lebold
* So he thought. In 1994 I was still a Rush poser. I only ownedChronicles.
** “Distant Early Warning” was written about the loneliness of someone who worked the DEW Line- a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada set up to detect incoming Soviet bombers during the Cold War, and provide early warning of any sea-and-land invasion. – wikipedia
Please join me in welcoming back guest writer Aaron Lebold. Today he’s discussing Gene Simmons’ recent controversial comments on addiction. This post was intended for Saturday, but as it happens, August 25 is Gene’s birthday. So, here is Saturday’s post a little early. Happy birthday, Gene!
GETTING MORE TALE #592: Gene Simmons on Addiction? Guest shot by Aaron Lebold
“I’ve never done drugs or alcohol, so my soul is intact.”
I have never personally been a fan of Kiss, and have always found the way they present themselves, and the way they sound to be a bit of a dichotomy. Regardless of my personal opinion, I have always done my best to remain objective. With this in mind, I find this statement to be rather ignorant.
Clearly the notion of avoiding substances is a positive thing, and the fact that he is successful in many ways and has never used any drugs, or alcohol sends a positive message. This statement however seems to fuel the stigma that people who do drugs are not as good as the rest of society. Apparently Gene thinks that people who struggle with addiction no longer have souls that are intact.
Drugs and alcohol are simply a byproduct of a bigger picture, and just because Gene has not found a place for them in his own life does not mean that he hasn’t taken other things to excess in the same manner. Everyone who has heard of Gene Simmons has also heard about the countless sexual partners he has had, and is likely aware that he will make money off just about anything.
Sexual addiction is a very real thing, and can ruin lives and relationships in the same way as drug or alcohol dependency. Of all the partners Gene has had over the years, I imagine that not all of them were single, and a lot of relationships were likely destroyed. This shows disregard for others, and selfishness in the same way that can be presented by people in addiction seeking their next fix.
I am also fairly certain that with numbers like Gene has, he didn’t always use protection. The risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections or diseases strongly mirrors that of a heroin addict who is willing to share needles. It is reckless and potentially fatal, and also runs the risk of passing them on to others unknowingly. Again, this is typical addict behavior.
When we think of addiction it is often drugs or alcohol that first come to mind, but that is only one way that this can be presented. Most addicts use substances to cope, but after a certain amount of time it becomes obvious to others, and they generally seek help. This is not always the case, but they say the first step is admitting you have a problem, and judging by Gene’s constant bragging I assume he has yet to reach that conclusion.
Just because someone is successful it doesn’t mean they are happy, money and fame will only take you so far, then like everything else in life the novelty will wear off. The amount of marketing that Gene Simmons is involved with is often comical. I generally compare him to Krusty the Clown from the TV show The Simpsons because he wears make-up and will put his name on anything if he thinks it may sell.
Money and business are also things that can be addicting. Anything that takes the focus off your life, or your own problems can overtake your reality. Does Gene Simmons really need to make a Kiss Coffin? A kiss toilet seat? These are real items for sale, and to me this indicates that Gene clearly is more focused on making money then preserving integrity.
Things are not always as they seem, just because Gene Simmons looks like he has it all, my guess is that he is just as lost as the rest of us. He even went to the extent of recently trying to patent the “devil horns” hand gesture, which was being done before he even got into music. How do you get to the point where you already have more money then you could ever spend, but still want to try and stake claim to the way others can shape their own hands?
To me that speaks of someone who is obsessed, which again is no different then someone who struggles with any other addiction. It is not my place to criticize someone I don’t know, but at the same time it isn’t his place either. The idea that he is better than anyone else because he has abstained from drugs is laughable. He clearly has no problems taking things to excess, and my guess is that if he found enjoyment in drugs he would likely have a different story.
Some people simply don’t like to alter the way they think or feel. Sometimes it is hard for them to be in a position where they have less control over what is going on their life. The fact that Gene Simmons has never used to the point of intoxication does not make him a hero, his actions have still destroyed lives and turned into an obsession. Substances just weren’t his thing, and avoiding things you don’t like isn’t exactly a heroing feat.
If you are interested in blogs about addiction and recovery, please check out my wordpress site; aaronleboldblogs.wordpress.com
Please welcome old friend and new contributor, Aaron. I have known Aaron since before I was first hired at the Record Store, and he made a cameo appearance inRecord Store Tales Part 176: Trevor the Security Guard. Aaron is going to be launching his own site really soon and we have planned a few crossovers. He decided to kick it off with this hilarious memory that I had forgotten all about. Please enjoy!
GETTING MORE TALE #571: Record Store Tales – A Different Perspective Guest shot by Aaron Lebold
I have been enjoying Mike’s Record Store Tales for quite a while now, I have found them particularly enjoyable because I was friends with him when he got this job. The store was initially located in a mediocre mall, and was about the size of a nice walk-in closet. The store has since branched out into a very successful franchise. I personally feel Mike’s expertise in music played a role in the success of the store, but I like reading them because I remember a lot of the stories, and I may even be mentioned in a couple.
One of my fondest memories of Mike working at the store, was after it had expanded and added a second location. Back in those days CDs were worth money, so in turn people had a tendency to steal them, and bring them to Mike’s store to sell.
A woman had gone into the other location, and given Mike’s co-worker a specific list of CDs to look out for, as they had been stolen from her home. Mike’s co-worker called him at his location to transfer the information, so they could contact the police should someone come in to sell that specific collection of discs.
Mike decided it would be funny if he had me call the other location to try to get a quote for some CDs. He read me the exact list of CDs that had been reported missing, and instructed me specifically to finalize the phone call with the line “and they’re not stolen either…”
I followed through with Mike’s request, and though I didn’t get much of a reaction from his co-worker, he told me that they called him back and asked him “How much did you pay that kid to do that?” It was pretty funny at the time, and I will always remember my line. “And they’re not stolen either…”
mikeladano.com 