“Well, the cops have been lookin’ for the son-of-a-gun, That’s been rippin’ the tar off the four-O-one.”
I’ve learned a lot in the last week and a half. I think I have mastered this “driving the 401 to Toronto” thing. It really boils down to three easy steps:
Watch the signs and you won’t get lost.
Stoppy-starty traffic is perfectly normal.
Motorcycles can and will drive between lanes of stopped traffic.
See? Easy.
Timing is also fun. What takes 80 minutes on a good day takes 120+ minutes on another day. It’s like a guessing game you can enjoy with your friends.
OH! And last Saturday in Toronto, I dropped my brand new glasses into a pissy hotel toilet. Thankfully, it was my own piss.
When we have something to update you on, we’ll update you! Until then, keep watching the roads….
Well it’s Bud the Spud from the bright red mud
Rollin’ down the highway smilin’
The spuds are big on the back of Bud’s rig
They’re from Prince Edward Island
They’re from Prince Edward Island
Now from Charlottetown or from Summerside
They load them down for the big long ride;
He jumps in the cab and he’s off with the Pride Sebagoes
He’s gotta catch a boat to make Tormentine
Then he hits up that old New Brunswick line
Through Montreal he comes just a flyin’
With another big load of potatoes
The Ontario Provincial Police don’t think much of Bud
Well, the cops have been lookin’ for the son-of-a-gun
That’s been rippin’ the tar off the four-O-one;
They know the name on the truck shines up in the sun – “Green Gables”
But he hits Toronto and at seven o’clock
He backs her up again at the terminal dock
And the boys gather ’round just to hear him talk
About another big load of potatoes
At LeBrain HQ this summer, we have been burning the candle at both ends. Caring for a sick family member is not easy especially when they are out of town.
Mrs. LeBrain has been on trains and busses for half of every week, going up to Toronto to provide love and support. She can’t drive because of the seizures so she’s at the mercy of bus and train schedules. One night she spent five hours getting home from Toronto.
I’ve been given strict instructions from her aunt: “Don’t let Jen burn herself out”.
Easier said than done!
She’s been doing an amazing job. Since I work full time I am only free to drive down to Toronto on weekends. That’s exhausting too, though not as much as public transit.
We haven’t had as much time to recharge our own batteries. It’s sad to say but we won’t be going to the cottage at all this summer. On the hot days, we would love nothing more than to jump in the refreshing waters of Lake Huron. It’s not happening this year.
And I haven’t had as much time to work on my reviews here at mikeladano.com. I come home from work mentally wiped out. I’m still playing and enjoying music every day but not writing about it very much. Thankfully guest writers like Holen MaGroin, Kovaflyer, Harrison Kopp and D have stepped up to provide some content and relief! (And there will be more content from Mr. MaGroin soon.)
My job, supporting Jen, is the easier of the two. I go to work, get paid, drive her where she has to go when I can, and try to take care of her. She’s got the harder job. If I’m not around these parts as much, or haven’t responded to your comments, that’s why. The struggle continues and the battle rages on.
On Friday I was itching to go. I made a post here, critiquing my passenger Uncle Meat for wanting to stop at both Walmart and Value Village before hitting the Sausage Road. He’s a grown man and could be a little better prepared…but I too am a grown man who can admit when he is wrong. And I was wrong. The Walmart and Value Village stops were actually two of my favourite things that happened.
WALMART
“I wanna stop at the Walmart up by St. Jacobs,” said Meat. Cool. I try to make a point of checking the toy section at every Walmart, because it’s the out-of-the-way ones where you can find the rare stuff. I made a beeline and lo! One, two, three, four, FIVE brand new Transformers figures. I grabbed all five and hit the checkout, so excited about my excellent find. These are toys that collectors are having a hard time finding anywhere. This led directly to…
VALUE VILLAGE
“I want something ridiculous,” said Uncle Meat as we hit the T-shirts. Immediately, I spotted an Optimus Prime shirt waiting right there for me, the first shirt we saw. My size! I then found rather quickly a bright orange George Jones “The Living Legend” shirt. It had to come with us to Sausagefest. Finally, after going through just about every shirt in the store, Meat found it like destiny:
These two stops really set the tone for the whole weekend. They were:
One plan that did not come together was my tent, which broke immediately just out of the box. Fortunately you can always count on certain Sausagefesters to always bring gorilla and/or duct tape. The tent weathered both nights.
DAY ONE
The Countdown began promptly at Whenever O’clock and rapidly ticked down 50 + 2 tracks in one night, plus numerous bits and sketches. 50 +2?
We lost one of our own this year and Rush’s “Dreamline” was played in his honour. Many were decked in neon orange in honour of his old orange boiler suit. Troy was a truly good soul, a human being with a solid heart of gold. He always made me feel welcome from my first Sausagefest on, and many years before that too as we had friends in common. “Learning that we’re only immortal for a limited time” was a poignant lyric, but what really made it special was a tribute that Jeff Woods himself recorded for it. The Legend of Classic Rock participated in a sketch/tribute that made eyes wet and some bellies laugh. The tone was flawless and it is truly good to know what integrity looks like up close and personal.
“Dreamline” was not part of the official countdown, nor was a bit that I snuck into my own intro as a part of The Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreaming”. I sandwiched my personal introduction into Jeff Russo’s “Main Title” from Star Trek: Discovery, a show I’ve been hyping all year long. Russo (of the rock band Tonic) composed a dramatic, striking piece working in elements from the original show. I’m glad to have a chance to showcase it in its entirety, albeit with a long interlude of my shit in the middle.
Don’t forget the two minutes of “improvised scatting”, precisely because Troy would have hated that kind of shit! And it was so funny that I couldn’t breathe for two minutes straight. The Countdown (all a blur to me now) ran from #100 to 91 (10 songs total) with no comedy bits, because Troy always said “Less talk, more rock!” They cut the crap and just played the tunes.
I can tell you that we heard Styx that night (“Mr. Roboto” and “Light Up”), some Five Alarm Funk, Beastie Boys, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Willie Nelson, and…a blur of songs and comedy. There were a few rap tracks this year, certainly a record number. Afroman and Cypress Hill made their debuts. A list is forthcoming.
DAY TWO
50 more tracks to count down.
Uncle Meat was up early (for him) at 9:30, and in great spirits despite a bad back the night before. We made our way to Flesherton where Uncle Meat destroyed the men’s toilet at the Flying Spatula. Emerging from the washroom he announced to the world, “Don’t use the one on the left!” He annihilated the toilet again on our way out, and that of an outhouse on the way back to the farm. I felt bad for the next guy in line waiting to use the outhouse, but Meat made it out of there really quick.
But I digress. The Flying Spatula was a great ol’ time even though the Lamb Lord got mad at me for taking a picture of his food.
Back on the farm, we played a cool game I call “Knife Chucking”. It’s kind of like axe throwing, but more special because those daggers were hand-forged by our very own Chuck. And it was way fun! A knife actually got lost in the dirt, and then plowed over by mistake by tractor. But we found it as a team with a metal detector (for real!) and a rake!
I goaded Dr. Dave to rant some more about the Transformers. Man, he really hates the Transformers. Do not watch this video if you are easily butthurt!
The second night commenced with lamb, perfectly marinated and cooked to medium by our chef the Lamb Lord. It was gone so fast that Uncle Meat didn’t even get a slice.
The rock resumed. The Blues Brothers was #1…Clutch #2…and Twisted Sister at #3 with “Burn in Hell”. More Five Alarm Funk, Queen, Tool…just a blur of songs. But probably most impressive to some of us: “Grendel” by Marillion, in its entirety. A 17-minute track within the top 20, and yet momentum was strong.
I have a literal Meat-ton of a video to sift through, but with perfect weather and setting, Sausagefest 2018 was once again utopia on Earth.
And a big, big, big thank you to Jeff Woods, the real Legend of Rock and Roll, for helping us out this year. Meat sent you a personal gift as well. I know you’re about 40 kilometers downriver from us in the valley. Uncle Meat kept having to shit that day sir. Meat took a shit in the river, and his shit signal should be with you by now. Mr. Woods, you are a huge inspiration and truly a man among men.
And woman! One woman. Sausagefest has its first woman and she is one of the guys! A massive first that may have been overdue!
My sun baked skin is aching for the comfort of a shower. Enjoy the photos. Lots more to come.
ERIC CARR – Unfinished Business (2011 Auto Rock Records)
Even though 2000’s Rockology compilation released a treasure trove of unheard goodies for the fans, there is always more to sell. For the 20th anniversary of Eric’s passing, another batch of tracks were unearthed. Some are mere filler, some are pretty decent. Fans of the beloved drummer will have to sift through the bad to get to the good.
There are a couple Kiss songs here for the diehard fans. “No One’s Messin’ With You” is yet another demo of what would become “Little Caesar” from Hot in the Shade. A third called “Ain’t That Peculiar” was released on the 2001 Kiss Box Set. This is an almost completely different set of lyrics, although it does have the “Hey Little Caesar” chorus. In chronological terms, this version probably falls between the other two, with lyrics still a work in progress and a different verse melody. Then there’s “Shandi”, from Eric’s Kiss audition tape, with brand new acoustic backing music. Unfortunately, Eric’s shaky voice (or a warbly tape) makes this totally unlistenable.
One of Rockology‘s highlights was “Just Can’t Wait” which was crying out for a lead vocal to finish it off. This was completed by Ted Poley of Danger Danger. Though the backing track lacks the fidelity of a proper Kiss recording, the song has taken shape as the shoulda-coulda-been hit that it is. Eric would have been proud and very happy to hear it as a finished song.
The unfinished “Troubles Inside You” is a demo with regular Kiss collaborator and Beatlemania member Mitch Weissman. It was recorded at Gene Simmons’ house, but the old cassette must have deteriorated pretty badly. The music is barely audible, though hints of a good song shine through. Two more Kiss outtakes include the legendary “Dial L For Love” and “Elephant Man”. These were written for Crazy Nights and Revenge, respectively. Neither were finished by Carr. “Dial L For Love” has the bones of a good song with a unique riff. Eric only managed to finish the lyrics for “Elephant Man”, but here it is given music and life by a group of musicians including the late A.J. Pero of Twisted Sister, and ex-Europe guitarist Kee Marcello. Singer Bob Gilmartin did a great job of it, turning “Elephant Man” into a cross between ballad and rocker, and something Kiss totally could have done on Revenge. “Midnight Stranger” is another unfinished riff. Ex-Kiss guitarist Mark St. John was slated to overdub brand new solos for this instrumental, but he too passed before he could finish. This is the original cassette demo. The riff sounds like a brother to “Carr Jam”. They are definitely related.
“Carr Jam 1981” is, unfortunately, not the original unaltered Elder demo. It is a cover by drummer Joey Cassata, and a very authentic one at that. Same with “All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose”. Just a cover, not a demo, by Cassata’s band Z02. Pretty good stuff, at least. New backing music was recorded for “Eyes of Love”, a song previously released on Rockology. The Rockology version with Bruce Kulick on guitar is superior.
Finally, some real serious archival treasures: an Eric Carr drum solo basement tape (same as his live Kiss solo), and a 1967 recording by Eric’s first band The Cellarmen! That’s Eric on lead vocals too. It definitely sounds of its time. Added filler include a few interview bits and clips, including one with former Kiss manager Bill Aucoin about Eric.
If the first Eric Carr CD release was best left to hardcore fans, it’s doubly true of the second one. This is a fans-only release, period. It is highly unlikely anyone else would get much enjoyment from this low-fi set.
2/5 stars
Although Carr’s loss was devastating to both fans and the band, there was no question Kiss would carry on with imminent Revenge….
It’s back and picking up right where we left off: the death of Eric Carr. The previous chapter of this series was posted November 8 2017, with the intention to talk about Eric Carr’s demos next, before moving on to his replacement. When Eric died of cancer in 1991, he left behind several tapes of unreleased material that have since been issued on CD. Likewise, the Kiss Re-Review Series was derailed by Mrs. LeBrain’s cancer diagnosis, but will carry on now that she is well. Thank you for your patience!
ERIC CARR – Rockology (2000 EMI)
The late drummer Eric Carr was frustrated towards the end. He was writing good material, but it was always being rejected by Paul and Gene. In the press, Eric would tow the company line and explain that everybody else had such good songs, that there was no room for his. In his heart, he was hurt and felt shunned.
Eric Carr wasn’t just a drummer. He could sing lead, and he could write. Kiss’ single “All Hell’s Breaking Loose” was an Eric idea. He co-wrote “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” with Bryan Adams. Although his writing credits on Kiss albums were sparse, he had plenty of material in the can. 2000’s Rockology is a series of those demos, some in a near-finished state and some left incomplete. Much of this material was intended for a cartoon Eric was working on called The Rockheads. 10 years later, Bruce Kulick finished recording some guitar parts and mixed it for release. He also wrote liner notes explaining the origins and Eric’s intentions for each track.
Eric didn’t have a particularly commercial voice, falling somewhere south of a Gene Simmons growl. There’s no reason why Gene couldn’t have sung “Eyes of Love” from 1989, which has more balls than a lot of Hot in the Shade. This demo has Eric on drums and bass, and Bruce Kulick on guitar with a solo overdubbed in 1999. It doesn’t sound like a finished Kiss song, but it could have been tightened up to become one. Same with the ballad “Everybody’s Waiting”. It sounds custom written for Paul Stanley. But it was 1989, and nothing was going to displace “Forever” from the album, nor should it have.
Many of the demos have no words. “Heavy Metal Baby” features Eric scatting out a loose melody. This heavy and chunky riff would have been perfect for the later Revenge album, had Eric lived. In a strange twist, several of the best songs are instrumentals. The hidden gem on this CD is the unfinished “Just Can’t Wait”. It could have given Journey and Bon Jovi a run for their money. Eric, Bruce and Adam Mitchell wrote it for Crazy Nights, and you can almost hear a killer chorus just waiting to leap out at you. This potential hit could have been the best song on Crazy Nights, had it been finished.
“Mad Dog” has nothing to do with the Anvil song of the same name. The chorus is there but the verses are a work in progress. This hard rocker from 1987 was probably too heavy for what Kiss were doing, though it would have added some much needed groove. “You Make Me Crazy” is in a similar state of completion and boasts a tap-tastic solo by Bruce. Apparently this demo was originally called “Van Halen” and you can hear why. Two versions of a song called “Nightmare” exist, including a really rough one without drums. This incomplete song could have really been something special. It has a dramatic feel and different moods, and was probably too sophisticated for Kiss, though any number of 80s rock bands would have been lucky to have such good material.
The last batch of tracks show off the Rockheads material. Whether Eric’s cartoon idea ever would have happened or not, the advent of bobble-heads and Pops would have made marketing easy. The songs are virtually complete though the drums are programmed. “Too Cool For School” is a little cartoony, which is the point, right? For keyboard ballads, “Tiara” showed promise. It’s not the equal of “Reason to Live” but it demonstrates a side to Eric unheard before. Next, Bruce says that they always wanted Bryan Adams to cover “Do You Feel It”. It would have fit Adams like a nice jean jacket. Not that Adams really needed the help, it would have been awesome on Waking Up the Neighbors. The set closes with “Nasty Boys”, nothing exceptional. It sounds like a song called “Nasty Boys” would sound…or anything by 80s Kiss really.
Before you spend your hard-earned dollars, remember that these songs are definitely unfinished. They are as polished as possible given some of their rough (cassette) origins. Eric’s talent still shines, but you have to be a fan. Especially a fan of 80s Kiss. They will find it to be a crucial companion piece to their collections.
The good news is that Jen’s recovery has been amazing. She virtually back to full strength and still getting stronger.
Thank God for this, because I don’t think we could handle any more bad news on top of what we already have.
Our other loved one who has cancer is…not doing well. Surgery was successful but more spread has been found. This news is fresh and we do not know the path forward.
The future is unknown. There are new experimental treatments that might be effective.
We are trying to continue our lives as normally as possible. Sausagefest is less than two months away. Cottage season has begun. We don’t want to live our lives in a cocoon and our loved one doesn’t want us to either. But we are in a state of shell-shock and knowing how to feel or what to think is just not happening right now.
You might have noticed I’ve been quiet the last few days. I have not been able to respond to comments. The reason is, once again, I am supporting someone who has cancer. This person is very close to both Jen and I. They just had their successful surgery yesterday. Now, on to chemo.
It’s all very much deja-vu. Hotel rooms out of town, hospital waiting rooms, doctors and nurses. Yesterday we clocked 10 hours waiting at the hospital. That’s a long day — longer than a work day, and twice as tiring. My dad said to me, “I think you deserve the Congressional Medal of Honor”. But that’s only for Americans. I’ll settle for a plate of sushi at the end of it.
Fuck cancer. Two weeks ago, an original Sausagefester died of cancer. I’ve known him for 23 years. Some of the guys have known him since childhood. His absence this summer will be deeply felt. We will all miss our friend in the orange boiler suit.
These are dark days. Neither of them wanted any online attention, so I’m being purposely vague. Just know that 2018 has already taken a toll, and it’s only 1/4 of the way done.
Music has been a blessing, as always. Yesterday the clever frivolity of Spinal Tap kept my spirits up. It’s impossible not to laugh at the absurd “Stonehenge” or the just plain funny “Big Bottom”. (“Talk about bum cakes, my girl’s got em.”)
Fuck the dark days. I do not want to be dragged down by them. I also don’t want any more of my loved ones to get sick, but we know we have no control over that. That is the struggle of life. All I can do is try to keep smiling. So here’s Spinal Tap. Enjoy.
Look for Derek Smalls’ solo debut, Smalls Change, April 13 2018.
Only good news today. Mrs. LeBrain just met with Dr. Sugimoto, for what is likely to be the very last time. “Dr. Sugi” inspected her incision and is very happy not only with how it’s looking, but how well Jen has managed since her surgery almost two months ago. She’s been out and about every day for the last few weeks, sometimes even by herself. She’s getting stronger. Personally I think she’s stronger now than she was before the surgery.
“Dr. Sugi” says we don’t have to come to London anymore. He is satisfied that Jen has kicked cancer’s ass. No more trips to London, and sadly, no more Dr. Sugimoto. It’s been an emotional time and we’ve grown very attached to him. It’s weird to say, but we will all miss him.
The drive down to London was a piece of cake. Rush’s A Farewell to Kings was the soundtrack. I don’t know how it’s possible but she fell asleep during “Cygnus X-1”. For the trip home, I chose All The World’s A Stage. She was blown away by Peart’s legendary drum solo.
Remaining positive in the face of adversity is not easy, But Jen has managed to do it. She gets up each day and kicks ass, and looks forward to doing it again the next day. We still struggle knowing we cannot have kids, but being alive and healthy is so much more important than that. It really is. Her positive attitude through this has been inspiring. I hope readers have gained that much from her.
We had one errand to run on the way home. As you hopefully already know, March 9 is the release date of Judas Priest’s brand new Firepower album! I ran in and out of the mall in less than five minutes — I am the man! The deluxe edition of Firepower is in my happy hands. Rock journalist Mitch Lafon says it’s already his #1 album of 2018. Time to put Firepower to the test!
Today Jennifer saw Dr. Sugimoto for the first time since her cancer surgery. He walked in, and said, “I don’t want to beat around the bush. All of your test results came back negative.” Just to make sure, Jen asked, “That’s good right?”
“Yes, that’s very good,” said Dr. Sugimoto.
They found no more traces of cancer in Jen. The tumour was relatively small. At this point, she has a very small chance of recurrence: a mere 5%. No chemotherapy, no radiation necessary.
We are both tremendously relieved although I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I ordered some sushi to celebrate.
Because we got this good news today, I can announce that I will be going live on the radio tonight to talk about music!
LeBrain will be LIVE at 12:30 AM (ET) Saturday morning with Robert Daniels on VISIONS IN SOUND. Tune in on your dial to 98.5 or internet to CKWR! You folks in the UK can tune in as you enjoy some morning java! Join Us THIS Saturday 12:30-2:30am (ET).
This week’s show: Star Trek: Discovery. Per Rob: “As we head in to the first major show of 2018. This week we look at the music to the latest Star Trek TV show, Discovery. Featured will be music from the TV series by Jeff Russo (of the rock band Tonic) and I’ll have special guests that will bring their opinions on the new show as well.”
I’m a special guest!
It’s exciting to get behind the microphone again. Due to the stress of Jen’s cancer, I wasn’t able to make it to Visions in Sound for Rob’s Star Wars specials in December. And here’s a crazy coincidence. Rob’s wife Dorothea battled and defeated cancer too…and her doctor was also Dr. Sugimoto. Small world, and great support to have!
Hope you tune in tonight. I know I’m in a great mood for celebrating music, and life!
ERIC CARR – Unfinished Business (2011 Auto Rock Records)
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