Join Tim Durling for another one of his channel’s fun features: Music charts from this time in history! This week, Tim goes back 50 years to August 2, 1970. Some interesting charting albums here from the 2001 soundtrack to Black Sabbath’s debut LP. Tim asked me to say a few words about Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath for this episode, so check it out!
Please welcome new channel Slogan’s Rock & Metal Extravaganza to the scene! I met Logan and Sidney through the Contrarians. These two young knowledgeable guys have a passion for rock, and I dig their youthful perspective. Logan, for example, was ten years old when Black Sabbath’s 13 (2013) came out. When they asked me if I’d like to appear on their show to talk about Black Sabbath’s Dehumanizer album, I had to say yes. I love that album and have since it was released. Oh, how I remember those days!
Here’s how their show works: right now they are on episode two of their Triumph series, A Triumphant Catalogue. In the first 45 minutes of this episode, the two co-hosts and special guest Byron go through the album track by track. Sidney provided additional chart numbers for Canada. Then, at 45 minutes, they do the same with Black Sabbath’s Dehumanizer with me as additional guest! Each week, they let a trivia winner pick a bonus album for them to review the following week. Cool concept.
For this discussion, I showed off all my Dehumanizer-related Black Sabbath stuff. We broke down the context and history of this album, the participation of Cozy Powell and Tony Martin, and the fallout. We also went through this album track for track and rated it at the end. This was a passionate, knowledge-filled discussion with plenty of perspective from the early 1990s.
Great show boys! I will be happy to have you all on Grab A Stack of Rock. Give them a Like and Subscribe.
RECORD STORE TALES #1165: Zero the Hero
The True Story of My Favourite Album of All Time
1984.
It wasn’t I that owned Born Again by Black Sabbath. That would have been Bob Schipper, who had all manners of metal in his cassette collection. I knew very little about Black Sabbath when I first discovered music at the end of 1984. Though Ian Gillan was not the lead singer by the time I became interested in bands like Black Sabbath, he was for all intents and purposes the lead singer to me. Magazine coverage of Black Sabbath goings-on were beyond my reach, and this would be the last Sabbath album for a few years anyway. To me, Black Sabbath were: the two guys with the moustaches, the guy with the long black hair, and the drummer…who looked completely different in the music video for “Zero The Hero” than he did on the Born Again cassette cover. How was I to know that original Sabbath drummer Bill Ward had been replaced by a guy named Bev Bevan? I was just starting out on my rock journey. I had the puzzle pieces in my hands, but no picture to guide the assembly.
It all started when Bob came over one day raving about this song called “Zero the Hero”. “You gotta hear it! It goes, ‘Whatcha gonna be, whatcha gonna be, Zero the Hero!'” Bob was right that the chorus was pretty cool and memorable. The effects on Gillan’s voice on the chorus lent it a metallic sheen. He let me borrow the tape a bit to listen. I enjoyed it. Master of Reality was another one we listened to together. He liked a song called “Children of the Grave”, especially the spooky outro. Born Again had some spooky stuff on it too. This would come in handy a little later on.
As I discovered bands, I tended to hear the stuff that most popular in my own neighborhood. W.A.S.P., Iron Maiden, Kiss, Judas Priest, Van Halen, ZZ Top. I heard some of The Police as well, but my closest friends were rockers. Metal heads. There was a serious division in music back then: Heavy Metal vs. New Wave. You couldn’t like both. To us, everything that wasn’t metal was “New Wave”. If you liked Corey Hart, you were a “Waver”. If you liked Tears For Fears, you were a “Waver”. In our neighborhood, you didn’t want to be a Waver. Basically a Waver would be a slur along the lines of “gay” or whatever the kids were saying back then. I remember “hurtin’ eunuch” was a phrase that kids like Jeff Brooks would throw around at kids like me.
Anyway, I threw myself into metal full-time and counted Black Sabbath as one of the bands I liked. I didn’t own any Black Sabbath, but I could name two songs that I liked. I think Ozzy Osbourne had something to do with the band, and that singer with the black hair was also in Deep Purple. I was learning. I didn’t know his name, and I didn’t realize that Ronnie James Dio was also in Black Sabbath (mind blown there) but I was piecing that puzzle together. I had a few of the edges together, and now I would work on the body: collecting the music.
In the mid-80s, Bob and I were too old for going trick or treating at Halloween time. Instead we gave out candy at Bob’s house. We wanted to go all out and really make a cool “haunted house”, and for that you needed sound effects. Instead of spending valuable allowance money on one of those corny Halloween tapes, we made our own. We did this by looping the scary bits of Black Sabbath songs. Bob especially liked that haunting whisper at the end of “Children of the Grave”. We made loops, maybe 10 of them, adding in our own bits via an external microphone. Then we would loop “The Dark” a few times, until the side was full. Bob would go home and eat lunch, and come back later that afternoon to work on more Halloween stuff. We were very resourceful and creative. To this day I have never used pre-made Halloween sounds. I always made my own by looping bits of songs. It worked. Kids would either go straight to our house for candy like a bee to honey…or they would run past terrified!
[Bob and I learned from this experience when a young girl cried at our house. If we saw anyone really really little approaching, we would kill the sounds and turn on the lights. It wasn’t our goal to make kids cry.]
I managed to record the music video from the Pepsi Power Hour one afternoon. I called Bob over to watch it with me. It was (and remains) one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen in my life. A Frankenstein looking guy and a Franken-Hitler guy appear to be resurrecting a dead body as…a nerd? They force fed him eggs with ketchup, while he grinned the whole way through. Then, a horse walked backwards down a flight of stairs in a mansion. Meanwhile, scenes of the band playing live were cut in, and you could hardly see Gillan’s face. It was weird…and heavy. We hated it. But I loved it.
Finally one day in highschool I said to myself, “Why the heck haven’t I taped Born Again off Bob Schipper yet?” I wanted that song “Zero the Hero”. I popped over one afternoon and borrowed it. I put it in deck “A” of my Sanyo dual deck ghetto blaster, with a Maxell blank 60 in “B”. I hit “dub” and began recording. For whatever reason (and I tried a couple times), I could not get a good copy of that tape. It wasn’t the best blaster in the world that I was using, but there was so much warble in the copies I made, I got fed up. I called Bob and asked if I could just buy the tape from him. I knew it wasn’t in regular rotation at his house. He said “OK” and I gave him $2 or $3 for it.
I was finally able to listen to Born Again properly. I liked a few songs such as “Trashed”, “Disturbing the Priest”, “Born Again” and “Keep It Warm”. It played better on my Walkman, so that’s where most of my listening happened. That meant it was often on the way to the cottage, or at the cottage, where I used my Walkman most.
I don’t know when Born Again became my favourite album of all time. I really don’t. The tape grew on me through the years, but the poor quality of that old WEA cassette made listening hard. It probably elevated to “among my favourites” when T-Rev found me a vinyl copy in 1995, a full decade since I first became acquainted with it. A decent CD reissue followed a few years later, and then it hit serious heavy rotation.
Keep it warm, rat: I love this album for all its flaws and overreaching. It brings me back to that bedroom, dubbing scary music with Bob. It brings me back to listening on my Walkman at the cottage at night. It brings me back to that place where I escaped all the bullies and teachers, and was alone with my own imagination.
Yes, Born Again is my favourite album of all time. I play it more often than I should, sometimes twice in a row. No remix or reissue could make me love this album more. I am Born Again!
August, 1982: John “J.D.” Roberts on The New Music (pre-MuchMusic) sat down with the Mob Rules lineup of Black Sabbath (Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Vinnie Appice – no Dio this time) to ask about the fuss involving Satanic lyrics. While Geezer admits to using Satan a bit as a lyrical device, he also points out that it’s only one facet of his writing. Stopping wars, he points out, is one of their big topics.
Great little clip that shows the laid back band at their most laid back.
This weekend on Grant’s Rock Warehaus, we tackled a band that needs and deserves more attention: Canada’s Kick Axe!
“Nobody’s talking about Kick Axe!” said Grant. We aim to change that with this show. Please give it a watch! What are your favourite Kick Axe songs?
This show almost didn’t happen. I wanted an expert on Kick Axe, so I asked Derek Williamson of Thunder Bay Ontario, who saw Kick Axe live back in the day and also interviewed the guitarist Larry Gillstrom. He stonewalled me three times, so we decided to do it without him.
Show notes are below, if you want the Cole’s Notes version, but you’ll have to watch the video to get our album rankings.
Formed 1976, Regina Saskatchewan as “Hobbit”.
Original lineup:
Ray Harvey added on guitar.
Moved to Vancouver BC, Gary Langen leaves band replaced by Brian Gillstrom, Charles McNary hired as vocalist.
1981 – Playboy Street Rock – live track called “Reality is the Nightmare”.
1981 – Weekend Ride / One More Time (Harvey on vocals).
Produced by Bill Henderson and Brian Too Loud McLeod of Chilliwack.
Wrote “Heavy Metal Shuffle” which opened Vices later on. Attempted to record an album but never released it.
McNary replaced by George Criston, who brought in power, range and soul as well as a unique sound.
1984 – Signed to CBS in Canada, approached Spencer Proffer to produce because they wanted the same sound as Metal Health by Quiet Riot. Proffer liked the band personally and thought highly of their musicianship. Album Vices released on Pasha in the US.
Recorded existing material (2 songs re-written with Proffer) in Hollywood at S.I.R. 30 Days in the Hole – a cover, like Cum On Feel the Noize, but not intended to be a hit, just a showcase for their talents. Released on the soundtrack to Up the Creek.
Ran into Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler – supposedly approached Criston to replace Ian Gillan in Black Sabbath. Proffer was working with both bands.
Vices is their best album. Proffer intended it to be a concept album about vices. Not a bad song. Bangin’ backing vocals. Music video for On the Road to Rock made major impact in Canada, with the comedic video attracting attention. The Vices mascot was one of my first “rock buttons”.
Vices did not perform to expectations, but Kick Axe wrote three songs for the next Black Sabbath album: “Wild in the Streets”, “Hunger”, and “Piece of the Rock”, later recorded by W.A.S.P. and King Kobra. Kick Axe did not want to lose Criston to Sabbath. “Piece of the Rock” is one of the rarest Kick Axe tracks, only released on a 2005 issue of Rock the World.
1985 – Second album – Pasha wants band more streamlined for radio. Brought in Pasha staffer Randy Bishop to help on lyrics. Co-wrote 5 songs and co-produced Welcome to the Club. Some of the heaviness is blunted, in favour of better song structure and melodies. Recorded at Metalworks in Toronto. Cover art by Hugh Syme, which the band never understood the meaning of.
Band brought in cover of Joe Cocker’s version of “With A Little Help From My Friends”. Rik Emmett, Lee Aaron, Andy Curran, Alfie Zappacosta and more on backing vocals. Very cool music video made of the recording session.
Pretty solid album, though not as banging throughout as the original. The cover tune is completely different, but really excellent.
The band and Proffer blame lack of sales on parent label Epic. No support. Toured with Autograph, Krokus, Night Ranger, Helix and Triumph.
1986 – Ray Harvey returns home to deal with family matters. Joins Rock & Hyde as touring guitarist (Bob Rock & Paul Hyde).
The Transformers soundtrack released. Hunger, and Nothing’s Gonna Stand In Our Way released as Spectre General. All done by Proffer, without knowledge of the band. Due to pseudonym used, no benefit to band happened.
Still signed to CBS in Canada. Next album picked up by Roadrunner in US.
Rock the World (initially “Fuck the World”) recorded as four piece. Self-produced primarily by Larry due to lack of funds provided by CBS. Recorded at Right Trak in Vancouver. Also forced to mix the album themselves. The cover tune this time is The Chain by Fleetwood Mac.
Band breaks up – sherrifs seize equipment due to unpaid debts. Later immortalized in the song Rocking Daze on Kick Axe IV.
2002 – Kick Axe reunite with Gary Langen returning, this time on lead vocals. George Criston remains active in country and more soulful music. Has expressed no interest in returning to rock. Has not participated with reissues. Has worked as a guitar tech for Sarah McLachlan, Dido, Avril Lavigne, and k.d. lang.
2004 – Kick Axe IV self produced. Best song Rockin Daze written by Brian Gillstrom. Decent album but not memorable long-term except for Rockin Daze. Gary Langen has a style of voice reminiscent of Phil Naro.
2008 – Gary Langen leaves band, replaced by Daniel Nargang.
2023 – Run to the Thunder, first new song in decades, to be followed by new album.
Thanks to Jen, Dr. K, my parents and my Aunt Lynda for a wonderful Christmas haul this year.
Music:
Jen spoiled me with junk food and treats. Canadians of a certain age remember a drink called Tahiti Treat that doesn’t exist anymore. Jen found something called Tahitian Treat fruit punch that I hope will be similar. This was quite a nice batch of sugary snacks.
There were other assorted cool things too, such as comic books, funky socks, a hat with a light, and sardines! I also received Moby-Dick and look forward to the reading challenge.
For those curious, yes I did sabotage my mom’s Christmas village one more time.
Unfortunately, we also received the call this morning that Grandma has Covid again, which means we won’t be seeing her tonight. She’s none too happy but we will see when she’s well again. This is round two for her.
This Christmas I want to express gratitude to everyone who is in my life. This was a great Christmas. I even got a toilet light!
RECORD STORE TALES #1056: Spring Metal on the Other Side of Winter
I think many people share my sentiment that this winter was absolutely brutal.
Since ages past, it has always been a celebration when the sun emerges warmly after a long, cold winter. Memories flooding back. So many memories.
1986. On the back porch at the cottage, playing “Turbo Lover” and “Locked In”, freshly recorded in mono from MuchMusic, from the brand new Judas Priest album Turbo. I was probably told to turn it down….
1987. On my bike. I had received The Final Countdown by Europe for Easter. It was difficult for me to get into; different from what I was used to. I remember cruising down Carson Ave on my bike with that album in my head. Best track for me: “Cherokee”. I loved the keyboard hook and the chorus.
1988. I was given Skyscraper by David Lee Roth for Easter. It became a “warm weather album” that spring, played many times weekly in a Walkman while riding a bike or strolling through the neighbourhood looking for girls. (Not that I ever found any.) Memories of setting up my ghetto blaster on the front porch, with Skyscraper serenading the street. That cassette wore out rapidly. It was one my first CD re-buys a couple years down the road (spring ’91).
1989. Trying to look cool, and practicing my guitar on the front patio for the world to see. I was never any good, but I am sure that “Mary Had A Little Lamb” really delivered the spring-like vibes I was laying down. In my earphones were things like New Jersey by Bon Jovi, House Of Lords’ self-titled debut, Quiet Riot’s latest with Paul Shortino on lead vocals. Amazingly though, 1987’s Hysteria by Def Leppard was still in my Walkman. The album had incredibly long legs. I was hoping for one more single, which never came to be. I picked “Love and Affection” as my favourite in ’89. Then, I had some new buys! We had just joined Columbia House. I split the membership with my sister and picked up these treasures that rocked my whole spring:
Shortly after the first seven, I added Triumph Stages to the list, which carried on rocking me into the summer of 1989. That year was one of the most critical in my life as a music fan, and the spring motherlode from Columbia House had a lot to do with it.
1990. I was now working at the local grocery store, Zehrs. Short-haired and geekier than ever, I was really getting in Black Sabbath. Pushing the shopping carts in long lines, singing “Sweet Leaf”, but having no idea what it was about. When I declared it as my favourite Black Sabbath song, people reacted strangely and I didn’t know why. I guess they thought I was into the pot! I thought the “Leaf” of the song was a girl named Leaf.
1991. The end of highschool loomed…I felt very free. Very excited about the future. The future of hard rock. Little did I know! I was listening to a lot of the new Mr. Big that spring, an album called Lean Into It. I thought they had really refined their sound. I had also taken the dive into indi rock, and Raw M.E.A.T was absolutely one of my favourite CDs that spring.
Good place to end this trip down memory land: happy memories, all of them! I wonder what will be dominating the car stereo with the windows down this spring?
That was a blast (as always!) By popular demands, Aaron returned! True to form, the man known as “Mr Books” presented…books! Leonard Cohen, Charlie Watts, a certain black guitar wielded by David Gilmore, and more! As for Harrison, he too had some books to show, as well as some interesting discs by Concrete Blonde and a smashingly cool lightsaber!
I unboxed the new Queen Miracle box set, a Black Sabbath Sabotage, and a Def Leppard From London to Vegas. We took a look at the contents of each. The Queen box set is suitably majestic, featuring a lovely hardcover book and loads upon loads of music to listen to.
“Ask Harrison” returned tonight, with questions from Lana (via Tee Bone) and California Girl, and a bit of a curveball “Ask Mike” as well. Warning: there could be more “Ask Mike” coming in the future!
Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you next week.
RECORD STORE TALES #1028: Sounds of Liberation
I had a pretty good weekend. I made some videos, and I wrote some fiction. I went to go see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 3D. I even almost missed writing reviews. Almost!
I feel liberated. Liberated from what? Myself – my own obsessions and hangups when it comes to music and writing. For example, in the past when I’ve seen a new movie (such as Eternals last year), I raced home and wrote it all up while the film was still fresh in my head. This time, I came home and had a nap! Who cares what I have to say about Black Panther anyway? You’re either going to see it or not see it the same as you would have with or without me.
I will say this. The 3D was unnecessary and blurry. A movie that was designed in 3D like Avatar is a completely different beast. Something like Black Panther is usually converted to 3D afterwards. It could have been used more effectively. I did not need to see it in 3D. Little was added to the experience. I did need to see it in the V.I.P. theater because damn, those parmesan truffle fries were the star of the show. I reclined in my chair and nearly fell asleep, I was so full and so comfortable! The film itself was very emotional. The whole thing was a love letter to Chadwick Boseman, and that added layer of meaning really hits you.
So there you go, that’s all you get for a review.
Instead of coming home from work and listening to something that I am playing just to review, sometimes twice in a row, now I’m coming home and listening to things that I want to listen to. Tonight it’s the Black Sabbath Technical Ecstasy remix CD. And I’m not listening with studious intent, picking apart the details. I don’t have five browser windows open, looking for credits and release information for research purposes. I’m just…writing what I’m thinking right here right now! And it’s awesome! Or to quote Bill Ward on the song playing right now, “It’s Alright”.
There’s so much more. I don’t feel competitive, like I’m trying to get as much exposure as possible on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I’m free from promoting myself. I’m free from giving a crap. I realize that giving a crap in the first place was my own fault, but habits are hard to break. Freedom is a hell of a drug.
I do love doing the Friday night show. Writing fiction is a blast. Since Harrison can only do art for one Tee Bone Man episode per month, and we wouldn’t want to do an episode without his art, I’ve branched out. I’ve now written two spinoff chapters called the Writer’s Room that is tremendous fun and easy to do. Harrison calls it the “Extended LeBrainiverse” and it keeps growing. Any time I feel like writing fiction, I have an outlet without having to put more pressure on Harrison. Fiction, or at least short stories, are so much easier than writing reviews. And just as rewarding, if not more so.
Less than a year ago, as a way to thank Tee Bone (the real guy) for all his help with my show (he refused all offers of gifts), I created Tee Bone Man. And I wanted to share that creation with the community. Today five different authors write Tee Bone Man which is exactly what I wanted to happen! It has turned out better than I hoped! Having all these creative outlets is a wonderful thing!
That’s it, that’s the story for today. As I finish up this incredible Black Sabbath album, I get ready to go and watch last night’s American Dad and chill on the couch. Not a bad life.
And it should be over; it had its run. It had a start, middle, and a couple endings. And it should be over now. Ozzy is right and this is good.
Ozzy is also right when he says the music he recorded with Tony Iommi on the excellent Patient Number 9 could have made great Black Sabbath tracks. He also sounds legitimately sad that he’s not touring and his health isn’t up to it.
All things considered (and there is a lot to consider), Ozzy looks pretty good here. Rock on Ozz.
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