GETTING MORE TALE #452: Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto Again…Again!
WE HAVE RETURNED, SIRE, WITH PLUNDERED TREASURE FROM THE TOWN.
Toronto was, in a word, perfect.
We have done this every year for four years now, Aaron and I, always in the fall. We go to the heart of Toronto and plunder its best music. Then, we return to our homes, and listen in glee while making evil laughing sounds and clutching our treasure in our greedy hands. This was the latest in the year that we had gone (November 28), but miraculously the skies parted that morning and we were not rained upon nor snowed. It was once again, just perfect.
Aaron’s complete post on this trip can be found by clicking here!
We were accompanied like last year by Aaron’s dad Wayne, who just wanted to walk around and see if there were any curiosities that struck his eye. After parting ways, Aaron and I made our way to Stop #1: BMV.
I found three treasures there, all of which I am very happy and excited aboot:
1. STYX – Equinox, $5.99 CD used. I’m still trying to grow a Styx collection so this great album was a find. Review is already written; to be published.
2. QUEEN – Queen – 2 CD remaster, $9.99 used. SCORE! Just reviewed the 1991 issue of this album recently. Can’t wait to dig into the bonus EP!
3. OASIS – Definitely Maybe – 3 CD remaster, $14.99 used. SCORE! Erk, wait! The discs were not inside! BMV will be sending me the discs shortly, but dang! Nice find. This is to be kept alongside my 2 CD edition featuring the live album, Oasis Live.
4. MARTIN POPOFF – The Big Book of Haἳr Metal, $14.99, originally $33. Lotsa text, loadsa pics, let’s go!
Music heard in store: Judas Priest – “Metal Meltdown”, “Ram It Down”, “Victim of Changes”. Pretty amazing shit to hear in a book store.
Total spent: $45.96.
BMV Books
471 Bloor St W
(416) 967-5757
Stop #2: Pauper’s Pub (39 Bloor Street West). This is a lunch time tradition. Aaron had the veggie burger (with avocado and salsa) and fries, I had the Canadian (cheese and bacon) burger with a garden salad. I would put this lunch in my top five burgers of all time, easily. It was that good.
We hoofed it back to the point at which we started, the parking lot right next to Stop #3: Kops. The Cult serenaded us with “Fire Woman”. Lots of goodness found here:
1. HENRY ROLLINS – The Boxed Life 2 CD (sealed!), 2 for $5.
2. ROLLINS BAND – Come In And Burn (sealed!), 2 for $5.
3. TRIUMPH – Edge of Excess, 2 for $5.
4. STEVE EARLE – A Special Collection, 1989 promo greatest hits CD with 17 tracks! 2 for $5.
5. RAINBOW – “Can’t Let You Go”, 12″ single, $7.99. Features two live tracks unavailable on album including Joe Lynn Turner singing “All Night Long”. Can’t wait to spin this.
Total spent: $17.99.
Kops Records
229 Queen St W
(416) 593-8523
Final Stop: Sonic Boom.
We always do well here and this was no exception. I told Aaron that I was hoping to buy some deluxe editions, and considering I’d already scored Queen and Oasis, I thought I had been doing well. I had forgotten that Faith No More had some deluxes out. I remembered this when I saw the vinyl reissues at Kops, so I was sure to look for the CDs at Sonic Boom.
Treasures plundered:
1. BEN FOLDS – Ben Folds Live, $2.99 used.
2. BRANT BJORK and the LOW DESERT PUNK BAND – Black Power Flower, 2 bonus tracks, $14.99.
3. FAITH NO MORE – The Real Thing deluxe, $22.99.
4. FAITH NO MORE – Angel Dust deluxe, $22.99.
I have a really extensive collection of Faith No More singles and EPs. I had most of the bonus material already on physical copies, but with a few notable exceptions. Now I got ’em: “As the Worm Turns” with Patton singing, and some of the live tracks such as Sheffield 1990 and Munich 1992.
Total spent: $63.96.
Sonic Boom
215 Spadina Ave
(416) 532-0334
Final Stop 1⁄2. Moonbean. Aaron had to grab some seriously impressive coffee. It’s the tradition! Moonbean can be found at 30 Andrew St. (1-866-595-0327), or online at moonbeancoffee.com.
But wait! That’s not all!
Aaron’s Box of Generosity:
As is his modus operandi, Aaron surprised me with some serious treasures.
1. EXTREME – “Tragic Comic” digipack CD single, featuring “When I’m President” live, which I didn’t have before!
2. KILLER DWARFS – Method to the Madness CD, out of print! I have all their studio albums now.
3. NIACIN – Live in Tokyo DVD, featuring Billy Sheehan on bass. This outta be a mindblow!
3. WILLIAM SHATNER – Shatner Rules, book. I’ve read a few of Bill’s books before and they’re fun.
4. WAYNE JOHNSON – The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. Know nothing about it, but I love Canadian settings in fiction.
5. MICHAEL ONDAATJE – Coming Through Slaughter. “My favourite book” – Steve Earle. ‘Nuff said.
6. HENRY ROLLINS – Fanatic! Vol 1, 2 and 3. An early Christmas has come. Rollins meticulously tracks every song he played on his radio show, with notes. Lots of metal and punk and more.
7. Rock the Cradle Lullabies – Dreamin’ with DEF LEPPARD. Might actually be good since Phil and Viv play on the CD! (Collectible regardless.)
8. Hot Wheels diecast starship USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (reboot version, in package). I love it!
9. A KISS backpack! To put all my goodies in!
Aaron can be found at keepsmealive.wordpress.com.
In Conclusion.
Aaron made three trips to Toronto in 2015, I now have made two (for record shopping). You might think we tapped that city out. Hell no! See you next year, Toronto!
Total spent: $127.91 (before tax).
Total items (not including Aaron’s generosity): 14.
Average cost per record: $10.94. Consider all those deluxe editions I bought, that is not bad at all!
Coming Soon: the annual video documentary of the trip!
mikeladano.com 