Grab A Stack of Rock

#1171: The Best and Worst of 2024

RECORD STORE TALES #1171: The Best and Worst of 2024

‘Twas another interesting year here at Grab A Stack of Rock HQ!  Remember that old curse?  “May you have interesting times.”  We sure did in 2024.

Jen’s health started the year on a low note, but she bounced back.  With the right help, she’s had her best year in a long while.  There’s a lot of work still to be done, but has been a year of leaps and bounds for her health!

On Grab A Stack of Rock, we had a strong start to the year, but in February, Harrison got sick.  Sometimes you don’t how much you need someone until they’re fighting their own battles.  Fortunately Harrison fought hard and has made a recovery, but the timing for me wasn’t ideal.  I was trying to increase my YouTube presence by doing two shows a week, but without the Mad Metal Man, I found myself despondent.  I tried out a couple new co-hosts to fill in for him while he recovered, but struggled.  I almost cancelled the show.  Twice.

Still, I carried on, until the great shelf disaster of 2024.  That almost broke me.  I told people I was going to sell my collection and quit this hobby for good.  Because, ultimately, that’s what this is:  a hobby.  I don’t get paid enough to motivate me to produce content.  Advertising and T-shirt sales help fund my WordPress and Streamyard fees, but I don’t make a profit.  I don’t break even.  I’m about $10 in the hole every month.  I almost replaced Grab A Stack of Rock with a food show, after a review of a Chef Ramsay microwavable meal got some hits.  Grab A Stack of Eats?

But I didn’t quit.  I kept going.  Why?  The power of friendship.  They kept me going.  They know who they are.

Thanks to fellow music fans like Grant Arthur, Johnny Clauser, Marco D’Auria, Rob Daniels, Tim Durling, Peter Kerr, Harrison Kopp, Jex Russell, John Snow, Aaron Stewart, Metal Roger and many more, I pushed onwards.  I feel like we are now part of a larger, less insulated world.  I owe these folks a debt of gratitude for including me in that world.  All I have ever wanted, for better or for worse, was to be a part of something, with people who wanted me there equally as much.  I feel like I’m in a healthier space again.  We have built a bigger, more metallic and welcoming Community.    Long live the Community!

 

Highlights of my 2024:

I think the thing that brought me the most happiness in 2024 was simply making videos.  I’ve been making videos for 35 years, and there have been peaks and valleys.  In 2024, drones were incorporated into some.  Jex Russell encouraged me to utilise more angles and edits.  In one of the 2024 videos, I used six cameras, a record for me!

Since we already did our Top 5 Albums of 2024 on Grab A Stack of Rock, this year I thought I would pat myself on the back and pick my Top 5 Videos from my own channel!  I called it the 2024 Narcissus Award!

NARCICCUS AWARDS 2024

FAVOURITE VIDEOS OF THE YEAR

In no particular order.

1. The Battle of ’84:  Defenders of the Faith vs. Powerslave with Pete Jones

To have the Professor himself join me for the this epic battle was quite the honour.  We tore these albums inside and out, and ultimately picked a favourite.  Harrison even joined us at the end, which was a delight.  It was hard to pick just one episode of Grab A Stack of Rock for this list, but I think this was the deepest dive of the year.

2. Our Journey Collections on Six Formats with Tim Durling

From the brief period where I was trying to do two episodes a week.  I woke up one Saturday morning with the idea to do my entire Journey collection, but realized I didn’t have the historic knowledge of the band to do it justice.  Tim Durling happened to be online, and so we did this episode with zero preparation.  I think it turned out pretty cool.

3. Mike and Aaron Return to Toronto 2024.

Long overdue.  Of all our Toronto videos, this one is the best.  I think I just went into it with a clearer idea of the end product, and everything turned out as great as I’d hoped.  Plus, the Toronto trip was a total success as you’ll see with the scores we brought home with us.  A very special video to me personally.  Also, look for the drone shot!

2. An 8-Track Holy Grail discussion with Aaron and Tim Durling

Aaron texted me one day from Harriston, Ontario with photos of 8-track tapes he found.  One of them happened to be a very rare “Holy Grail” that Tim Durling needed for his collection.  Aaron sent it to me with some other cool scores, and then I sent the Grail to Tim.  We made this video in two sessions separated by several weeks, but with the magic of editing, it’s all seamless.  This is a very special video for anyone interested in 8-track tapes.

5. 30 Years After the Beat Goes On with Robert Daniels from Visions In Sound

I think this is my proudest achievement in 2024.  I had an idea.  It had been 30 years since I was hired at The Beat Goes On in Kitchener Ontario.  It would be cool to go back to the mall and see how much it has changed in those three decades.  Rob Daniels was the perfect guy to join me, since we reconnected at the front counter at The Beat Goes On.  We hadn’t seen each other since highschool.  He was an avid soundtrack buyer, and I was the new employee.  Together, with Jen on camera, we toured the mall landmarks and shared memories of the way it used to be.

I would have had better audio if I used external microphones, but never having done this before, I am incredibly proud of the way it turned out.

Bonus:  Mike’s Birthday Video by Jex Russell

I can’t really count this for the Narcissus award, because I didn’t make it.  However, my favourite video of 2024 was this kind gift.  Jex assembled a cavalcade of surprise birthday greetings from many of my friends, family, and a few special rock stars.  Jex put a lot of work into this video, not only with getting the guests, but editing it together with his own theatrics.  Probably the greatest birthday gift I’ve ever been given.  If I ever feel down in the dumps, I just need to watch Martin Popoff call me a “Canadian legend”.

I can’t say how grateful I am for this thoughtful gift.

I am excited for what 2025 has in store.  Buckle up.  If 2023 and 2024 couldn’t kick me down, then I still have a lot of gas left in the tanks.

 

List of everyone who has ever joined me on Grab A Stack of Rock to date:

  • Harrison Kopp
  • Eric “Uncle Meat” Litwiller
  • Aaron KMA
  • Tim Durling
  • Rob Daniels
  • John T Snow
  • Grant Arthur
  • Brian Richards
  • MarriedandHeels
  • Marco D’Auria
  • Kevin Simister
  • Dr. Kathryn
  • Jen Ladano
  • Grace Scheele
  • Jex Russell
  • Spencer “Spenny” Rice
  • Nurse Kat
  • Erik Woods
  • Jason Drury
  • PLA
  • Peter Kerr
  • John Clauser
  • Len Labelle
  • Reed Little
  • Metal Roger
  • John the Music Nut
  • Mike Slayen
  • Peter “The Professor” Jones
  • Todd Evans
  • James Kalyn
  • Angie Moon
  • Ryan Gavalier
  • Chris Preston
  • Dan Chartrand
  • Glen “Archie” Gamble
  • bicyclelegs
  • Davey Cretin
  • Martin Popoff (airing in 2025)
  • and (briefly) Max the Axe

TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF 2024

 

MR BIG – Ten

THE ARKELLS – Disco Loadout Vol 1

BRUCE DICKINSON – The Mandrake Project

JUDAS PRIEST – Invincible Shield

DEEP PURPLE – =1

 

 

Finding the Beatles and Beck: That’s the “B” Section – Compact Disc Collections with John Clauser @MyMusicCorner

An exhaustive two hours with Johnny Metal took us through almost everything we own in the “B” section of the CD collections!  From Sebastian Bach to Bryan Byrne, we looked at everything on CD, except a few box sets.  As such, we did not see all my Beatles, Black Crowes, Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, or Blue Rodeo on CD.  We saw pretty much everything else.

Johnny Metal’s collection, as usual, featured some really cool and rare Christian metal, and other assorted metal and blues that most of us might not have heard of.  Many of his CDs included collector’s cards or autographs.  John excluded (most of his) Black Sabbath and all of his Beatles for this exercise.

Speaking of the Beatles, halfway through the show, I realized I didn’t have any Beatles in my stack, which is just not right.  I have lots of Beatles besides the Stereo and Mono box sets.  Then viewer Ashley mentioned I had no Jeff Beck.  Well, obviously I do!  I reviewed two of them here on this site!  I realized I had a whole stack I left behind!

That’s how much B stuff I have.  Bon Jovi was the majority of it, and a lot of it turned out to be Bon Jovi I don’t even like.  There was, however, some Bon Jovi that I really really do like, and I hope you enjoy having a look at them.

We saw a lot of CD singles, remasters with bonus tracks, deluxe editions, remasters, digipacks, Japanese imports, and even one 3″ CD.

Thanks for watching this show, which might take you two viewings to finish, but that’s it – that’s the B section, done n’ dusted.

The “B” Section – Compact Disc Collections with John Clauser @MyMusicCorner

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 74:  The “B” Section with Johnny Metal

Johnny Metal Homework is back for the third week in a row, to grab some stacks of rock!  As a sequel to our “A” section show, this time we are diving into some killer “B’s”.  You’ll be seeing my Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, and yes…Blaze Bayley.  This episode will exclude box sets which have been shown off before on their own dedicated episodes.  CDs only; no vinyl, cassettes or 8-tracks on this week’s episode.

John says it won’t be as crazy this time (no 74 CDs from a Christian parody band), but it will be  heavy!  The big section is loaded with “Big” bands (Wreck, Sugar, House), and plenty of “Black” (Sabbath, Country Communion, Label Society, Star Riders, Jack).  Let’s take a deep dive into some Japanese imports, rarities, and heavy hitters.

Join us live!

Friday October 11 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

A Mighty Wind is Blowing with Dan Chartrand, Uncle Meat & Johnny Homework

Johnny Metal earned a new nickname tonight:  Johnny Homework!  His meticulous research and notes provided a solid backbone of knowledge on which we arranged an awesome discussion.  The topic:  the now-classic Christopher Guest mockumentary A Mighty Wind!

Together with Uncle Meat and Dan from Off the Charts, we tried to cover every aspect that we love about this movie.  We went deep on the following topics:

The cast

  • Our favourite bands
  • Our favourite songs
  • Favourite scenes
  • Fred Willard
  • The Kiss at the End of the Rainbow
  • The ending

Additionally, we looked at CDs, vinyl, and a very nice songbook from Johnny Homework.  Gotta get that physical product in.

Thanks for joining us!

 

 

A Mighty Wind Appreciation, with Dan Chartrand, Uncle Meat & Johnny Metal

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 73:  A Mighty Wind Appreciation, with Dan Chartrand, Uncle Meat & Johnny Metal

In 2003, Christopher Guest unveiled his third improv comedy movie, following Waiting For Guffman (1996) and Best In Show (2000).  While each film has its focus (a small town play; a dog show), it was 2003’s A Mighty Wind that “tapped” into the spirit of music that made Guest a fan favourite in the first place.  This time it’s folk music!

The Folksmen are a fictional folk band that actually opened for Guest’s “other” band, Spinal Tap.  Ironically, all three members are the same:  Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer.  Together with Mitch & Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara) and the New Main Street Singers (Jane Lynch, John Michael Higgins, Parker Posey, Paul Dooley et. al.), the bands have reunited for a big folk show in New York City.   As he often does, Fred Willard stole the show in this film.

This hilarious comedy boasts an incredible soundtrack of originals and one cover (“Start Me Up”), and tonight I’ll be joined again by Dan Chartrand and Uncle Meat to discuss it.  With them will be John “Johnny Metal” Clauser, who has wanted to do this topic with us for some time now.

You might not be as family with A Mighty Wind as you were with This Is Spinal Tap, but you won’t regret spending an hour with us tonight.  It may not be heavy metal, but good music is good music, and this soundtrack is loaded with great songs.  Join us tonight!

Friday October 4 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 9:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

“Tap” into the show! 40 Years of Spinal Tap: The Music with Marco D’Auria, Dan Chartrand and Uncle Meat

A huge thank you to Marco D’Auria of the Contrarians, Dan Chartrand of Off the Charts, and the near-legendary Uncle Meat for comprising our expert panel tonight.  The subject was Spinal Tap, the band and the music.  It may be fair to call Dan a “superfan”, as he had some Spinal Tap rarities that I don’t.  Dan provided some cool physical product, including CDs and LPs of This is Spinal Tap, Break Like the Wind, and he even unfolded his Back From the Dead CD packaging to show us what it looks like when it’s a little paper stage set.

Taking a cue from another big Spinal Tap fan, Peter Kerr, I stole a tactic from Rock Daydream Nation and did some discussion questions in rounds.  Here’s what we tackled:

  • Were you ever in the blissful unawareness that Spinal Tap was a fake band?  Or were you always in on the joke?
  • Evaluate the musicianship of Tap.
  • Pick a favourite song from the soundtrack.
  • Pick a favourite song from Break Like the Wind.  
  • And a quick discussion of Back from the Dead.

Along the way we discussed the history of Tap, both real and fictional.  We had a look at the DVD for the Return of Spinal Tap, and had a chat on that subject.  I peppered the panel with trivia throughout the night.  We had an insightful discussion about talent, and the three actors who played the central characters:  Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer.  We speculated on director Rob Reiner’s role in the songwriting, and technical aspects of the writing and playing.  Did Harry Shearer play fretless bass on “Break Like the Wind”?  I don’t know, but we do know he can play upright bass thanks to his role in A Mighty Wind.  In short, the music and movie were given as much appraisal and analysis as we could do in an hour.

Meanwhile in the comments, Pete Jones provided quote after quote after quote, from a variety of Tap interviews and performances.  Thank you Peter!  And thank you to everyone who watched and joined in.  

I started the show with a quick unboxing, from Australia’s Ash Geisler, who has been a huge supporter of the show.  Thanks again Ash for watching, and for sending me this awesome package.  I guarantee some of them will be getting a review.

One topic I didn’t get to mention on the show, but did come up among the viewers:  Spinal Tap II is coming to theaters in 2025.  How do you feel about this?  Let us know in the comments.  I for one don’t think it’s necessary or a good idea.  The cameo-laden cast seems gimmicky, but Rob Reiner is back is the director’s chair.

Thanks for watching, and if you didn’t, the link is below.  This is one I’ll be watching over again.  

NEXT WEEK:  A Mighty Wind with Dan Chartrand, John Clauser & Uncle Meat!

40 Years of Spinal Tap: The Music with Marco D’Auria, Dan Chartrand and Uncle Meat

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 72:  40 Years of Spinal Tap: The Music with Marco D’Auria, Dan Chartrand and Uncle Meat

Tonight we’re gonna rock ya, tonight!

Formed as the Thamesmen in 1964, Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins scored a hit with the single “Gimmie Some Money” / “Cups and Cakes”. The band soon employed bassist Derek Smalls. After a name change to Spinal Tap, the band wandered through progressive rock, jazz fusion, funk, reggae, hard rock, and heavy metal.  In 1984 they became a household name with the release of the documentary film by Marty DiBergi, called This Is Spinal Tap.  It is hard to believe it has been 40 years since that film brought Tap to the silver screen.

Tonight, Contrarians Marco D’Auria and new face Dan Chartrand will join Uncle Meat and I, as we Tap into the history of this great band’s music.

From rock and roll (“Gimme Some Money”) to hippie flower power (“Listen to What the Flower People Say”, “Rainy Day Sun”) to heavy metal (“Stonehenge”), few bands have struggled to find a direction like Spinal Tap has.  Now with DiBergi back on board, the band are primed to release a new documentary film on their more recent exploits.  Our panel tonight will try to avoid talking about the drama (puppet shows, air force bases, girlfriends) and focus on the music.  And what music it is!  Nigel Tufnel is one of the most critically acclaimed guitar players in the world, not just for volume but also for pioneering the art of double his guitar solos with voice.  David St. Hubbins is such a legendary lead singer, that Ronnie James Dio wouldn’t allow him to sing lead on Hear N’ Aid’s “Stars” for fear of breaking the board.  And Derek Smalls?  His solo album Smalls Change proves he’s not a one-trick moustached pony.

Join us tonight, and Tap into the music of Spinal Tap.

 

Friday September 27 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

Ending the Season in Style: One More Cottage Afternoon Show of 2024 with Jex Russell on Grab A Stack of Rock

Apologies to those who missed the beginning of today’s show; we decided to go early by 15 minutes.

Thank you for joining this fun Friday hangout!  Jex and I both had stacks of CDs to show off, as well an an 8-track tape, a “gas station cassette”, and some vinyl.  Recent arrivals, gifts and thrift finds were on hand today.

Additionally, we offered our opinions of the current goings-on with P. Diddy aka Puff Daddy.  This discussion came by request of my mother.  Jex and I avoid details but have some thoughts on a couple Diddy-related movies we enjoyed.

If you watch from the beginning of the show, you will see me land my drone live on the LakeCam.  Yes that’s right – LakeCam was back on Grab A Stack of Rock with more wildlife sightings than ever before!

Thanks for watching!  See you next week at 7:00 PM for Spinal Tap with Marco D’Auria and the Meat Man.

The Last Hurrah: One More Cottage Afternoon Show of 2024 with Jex Russell on Grab A Stack of Rock

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 71:  The Last Hurrah – One More Cottage Afternoon Show of 2024 with Jex Russell

UPDATED – WE ARE GOING LIVE EARLY – 3:45 est / 4:45 atlantic

It is fall!  The summer 2024 season of Grab A Stack of Rock rolls to a conclusion.

If all goes well, Jex and I will ring out cottage season just as we rang it in:  With an afternoon episode of Grab A Stack of Rock!  There has been a lot (a lot!) going on with both of us lately, so this will not be a big list show or a gigantic show-and-tell.  This is just your chance to come and chill with Jex and I on a Friday afternoon at the cottage.  We do have CDs, and I have some vinyl to show off.  An unboxing, some new music, and some conversation starters!

As always, the comments will be on, and we will be chatting with you, live.  The plan is for a relaxing atmosphere to end the week, and plenty of musical talk.  Maybe even some current events…

Join us live to take part; if not you can check it out on YouTube or Facebook after the fact!

Here’s to an awesome 2024 cottage season, as short as it felt.  Thanks Jex for making this happen two years in a row.  Fear not; we have lots of fall rock action in store, and a winter season to come!

Friday September 20 at 4:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 5:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

That’s the “A” Section! Our CD Collections with John Clauser from My Music Corner

74 CDs of a Christian parody bands called the ApologetiX?  That’s just a taste of what you get when you go through the “A” section of Johnny Metal’s CD collection!

Thank you John for joining me for this blast of an episode.  In under an hour, we went through a few hundred CDs from the “A” section.  Lots of Christian rock from Johnny, as well as Anthrax, Armored Saint and obscure bands I’ve never heard of before!  Of course we had plenty of AC/DC between us.  My stack went from Lee Aaron to Autograph.

The Aerosmith section dominated the show, with plenty of CD singles (including 3″), Japanese imports, a DualDisc, EPs, a bootleg and lots of limited collector’s editions.  My AC/DC collection also included 3″ CDs, DualDiscs and bootlegs.  Johnny and I showed off our Australian AC/DC albums, but not the same ones!  We also saw Abba, Ryan Adams (with jokes from Pete Jones on the sidelines), some Jazz, and a few very rare coloured jewel cases.

Of note:  We were drinking tonight, but things did not get out of hand!

Thanks for watching everyone…it means the world to me.