The ever-polarising Metallica are back. This time, Metallica may have finally released an album that pleases everyone. Amazon averages are remarkably high. Fans seem to be willing to forgive past mis-steps. Hell, Metallica are even back on Napster in 2016!
With Hardwired…To Self-Destruct being a long musical journey, it will naturally take time to absorb. It’s easy to imagine that you could review this album a year from now and have a whole new set of thoughts to share about it. Ultimately, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct is mostly strong throughout with few moments that drag. It does play a tad on the long side, not even including the third bonus CD. At 78 minutes, the album proper is actually only about as long as Load. The difference in the listening is that Load was a very diverse album of rock stylings, but Hardwired is full-on classic sounding Metallica through its entire length. There are a few back alleys previously unexplored, but all solidly within the realm of heavy metal.
The direction is not that dissimilar from Death Magnetic, just refined. There are many traditional metal riffs, Maiden-esque and sweet. You will discover several album highlights. There is only one track, “Am I Savage?”, that hasn’t hit the mark yet. Current contenders for favourite songs include “Hardwired“, “Atlas, Rise!”, “Now That We’re Dead” and closer “Spit Out the Bone”. Jessie David, metal specialist at 107.5 DaveRocks, says “Murder One” is her outstanding track. “It’s killer,” she warns. Each listener will likely add their own to this list. It is probable that every single track will have its fans, because none of them suck.
Many will want to know how the album is sonically — is it overdriven? The “loudness wars” took their toll on the last album. The best way to answer that is visually, so check out the waveform of “Hardwired” in Audacity.
It’s pretty loud, but not quite as bad as Death Magnetic.
Hardwired…To Self-Destruct will continue to evolve in the ears of listeners as time goes on. A provisional rating may change at any given time. But there is no question that Metallica are still able to stir the molten iron souls of fans with great new songs and performances. They are Metallica, and that seems unlikely to change.
The Tom Werman-produced Girls, Girls, Girls album is a bit underrated. Its weaknesses are fairly obvious, but its strengths are less appreciated. The Crue were coming off a bit of a stinker (Theater of Pain), so some changes were in order. The band dropped the makeup and spandex in favour of a tougher street-ready look. The intended direction this time was a bit of a combo of the first three Crue album. They wanted the rawness of Too Fast For Love, the heaviness of Shout at the Devil, and the sleaze of Theater. There was no reinvention of the wheel, nor was anybody in the band capable of that. Nikki Sixx was deep into a heroin problem at this time, barely focused on the music at all. This has been documented in his graphic book The Heroin Diaries. Much of his time was spent hiding in a closet with a gun, afraid of imaginary intruders.
As an audience in 1987, we really did not suspect that things were such a shambles behind the scenes. The band looked good, and sounded like they had rediscovered the skills of writing memorable songs. Case in point: opening track (and second single) “Wild Side”. Boasting the kind of rock groove that Motley made their trademark, “Wild Side” rocked. They even threw in a time change on the bridge. “Wild Side” was augmented with a cool music video, showcasing the Motley stage show in 1987. This included a spinning, upside down Tommy Lee drum kit. “Girls, Girls, Girls” was a video too, but it never saw airplay up in Canada. Too risqué for the frozen tundra of the north? It too was a hit, played live in concert right to Motley’s final show (opening number, in fact).
The album was rounded out by a number of cool, sleazy rock tracks and a couple ballads. “Dancing On Glass” kicks; it’s pretty much an autobiographical track about living in the fast lane. This is something the Crue were well acquainted with.
“Silver spoon and needle, Witchy tombstone smile, I’m no puppet, I engrave my veins with style.”
Since the cassette didn’t come with a lyric sheet, kids of the 80’s (or at least the parents of the 80’s) probably had no idea what Vince was singing about. The song is given some traditional rock cred with soulful female backing vocals and boogie piano.
“Bad Boy Boogie” continued the theme, this time with some tasty Mick Mars slide guitar instead of piano. “Better lock up your daughters when the Motleys hit the road.” The song is a series of sexual innuendos, cleverness put to the side in favour of blunt sleaze. “Got my finger in the pie, my hand in the cookie jar.” Aerosmith leaks through the grooves on “Bad Boy Boogie” which wears its influence on its sleeve. The good times continue to bounce on “Five Years Dead”, loaded with more of Mick’s greasy slide. It’s a similar song to “Sumthin’ for Nuthin'”, which is even more fun. This time Vince is a gigolo, getting paid for pleasure (sumthin’ for nuthin’)! “Leave the money where it’s easy to see,” he sings with glee. It’s brilliant Motley filth just the way you like it. Best of all is the smokin’ “All in the Name Of…”, which pours high octane fuel in the tank and opens ‘er up wide. It’s sleazier than sleazy: “She’s only 15, she’s the reason, the reason I can’t sleep. You say illegal, I say legal’s never been my scene.” Probably a true story….
There are only two ballads, one of which is just 1:26 of filler (“Nona”). The other is the very entertaining “You’re All I Need”, which sounds inspired by Alice Cooper. It is a delicate piano based murder ballad, like the Coop has done so well. “You’re All I Need” isn’t Coop quality, but on the Motley scale it’s one of their better ballads. It has an anthemic quality, a pompous melancholy. The lyrics doomed it to semi-obscurity, which is too bad, since on the whole it’s a stronger song than the better known “Without You”.
Unfortunately for this album, “Nona” was not the only filler. An excruciating (and live?!) cover of “Jailhouse Rock” ends the album on a pretty putrid note. It’s not good at all, and reeks of weakness. Why would you end your new album with a cover, and a live cover at that? Only because you didn’t have enough quality tunes to make the cut.
The 2003 remastered edition of Girls, Girls, Girls came with bonus tracks, like all the albums in the Crucial Crue collection. Three of them are instrumental versions, bordering on filler material. Motley Crue are not Rainbow or Marillion — you don’t get much out of an instrumental version. “Nona” did once have a rock section in its longer demo form. More entertaining than the demos is the band and Tom Werman intro. Funny stuff. Then there is a long sought ballad “Rodeo”. This song was first mentioned in band interviews in 1989, when it was mentioned for possible inclusion on a never-released album called Motley Crue: The Ballads. The demo here is not very well fleshed out, but you can hear that it had a cool chorus ready to go. Finally there is a live version for “All in the Name Of…” from Moscow in 1989. Fans may recall that Motley played at the infamous Moscow Music Peace Festival…shortly before Tommy attacked Jon Bon Jovi and ripped the shirt off his back. Peace and love, man!
Although the Crue were only firing on a couple cylinders at the time, they managed to piece together a worthwhile album. There are only two mis-steps, which are “Nona” and “Jailhouse Rock”. The remastered edition adds a couple more worthwhile bonus tracks to extend your listening experience. Go for that one if you find it first.
3.5/5 stars
Side one
1. “Wild Side” 4:40
2. “Girls, Girls, Girls” 4:30
3. “Dancing on Glass” 4:18
4. “Bad Boy Boogie” 3:27
5. “Nona” 1:27
Side two
6. “Five Years Dead” 3:50
7. “All in the Name Of…” 3:39
8. “Sumthin’ for Nuthin'” 4:41
9. “You’re All I Need” 4:43
10. “Jailhouse Rock” (live) 4:39
2003 Remastered Edition bonus tracks
11. “Girls, Girls, Girls” (Tom Werman & band intro, rough mix of instrumental track) 5:38
12. “Wild Side” (rough mix of instrumental track) 4:06
13. “Rodeo” (unreleased track) 4:14
14. “Nona” (instrumental demo idea) 2:42
15. “All in the Name Of…” (live in Moscow) 5:02
ACE FREHLEY’S COMET – Milwaukee Summerfest Live 1987 (2015 Echoes radio broadcast)
In 1987, Ace Frehley had just begun his comeback. He recorded a well received debut as Frehley’s Comet, with a notable appearance by drummer par excellence Anton Fig. Anton had been working steadily for the Letterman show since 1986 and so was not on the tour this CD was captured from. This version of the Comet featured new drummer Billy Ward. They were recorded live in Milwaukee at Summerfest on June 29th of that year. It was taped for broadcast and somehow survived. Live radio broadcast CDs are so common now that you can even find them at Walmart. Some are worth the cash, others less so. A Frehley’s Comet broadcast from the first tour is automatically interesting to Kiss collectors.
Unfortunately what buyers will discover is that this CD is a harsh chore to listen to. Vocals are back in the mix, bass way up front, and there is a thin haze of staticky air over it. Ace’s perennial opener, “Rip It Out” (from his 1978 solo album) is but a shadow of the better produced version on the Live + 1 EP. This is through no fault of the band, featuring mainstay bassist John Regan, singer/guitarist Tod Howarth, and Ward.
Ace sings lead on most of the material, but Tod Howarth has a couple songs from the first Comet LP. “Something Moved” and “Breakout” (co-written by the late Eric Carr) are fast paced action, while “Calling to You” is anthemic pop rock. Howarth was in excellent voice that night, this much is certain. Ace sings a handful of Kiss tunes as well as solo and Comet material. Gene Simmons originally sang “Cold Gin”, but Ace took it back for himself by singing it live. At the same time, Kiss were also playing “Cold Gin” live (a song Ace wrote) and fans will have to decide who pulled it off best. Ace even tackles “Deuce”, a song Gene wrote. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander?
It really is a shame that the audio hampers the listening experience. It sounds like a legitimately great Ace performance. Having a guy like Howarth in the band enabled Ace to have multiple lead singers like Kiss did. On the Kiss covers, Howarth takes the Paul Stanley role. Billy Ward and John Regan make the songs a little more complex rhythmically than the Kiss originals, but Ace also adds in new and extended solos. The end results are enhanced, Ace-ified covers. No notable tracks are missing; it is a really solid set list of Ace Frehley classics.
There are some who will happily purchase anything with Ace’s name on it (guilty!) and there are others who can live without. Decide who you are and spend your money appropriately.
House of Lords put out an impressive debut but didn’t sell a lot of copies. When the second album rolled out in 1990, their guitarist Lanny Cordola was gone and in was new guy Michael Guy. Although Guy is credited on guitar, in reality the album was recorded with Doug Aldrich and a number of guests. Weirdly, thanked in the credits for “additional inspiration” is Nick Simmons, who was one year old at the time. Sahara was of course on Simmons Records.
It’s a different sounding House, less regal but with more hooks per acre. The opening number “Shoot” draws liberally from the wells of both Led Zeppelin and Motley Crue. “Chains of Love” is Coverdale-lite, with singer James Christian pouring on as much sass as possible, but without Coverdale’s sly nods and winks. Whoever is playing the guitar solo on “Chains of Love” laid down a killer.
The acoustic cover “Can’t Find My Way Home” (Blind Faith) is pretty true to the original minus the falsetto, and would have to be one of the better power ballads from a rock band in 1990. House of Lords turn a serious corner on “Heart on the Line”, which sounds like a title for a ballad. This however is a speed racer, a chugging riff powering a rock-corker, which turns Cheap Trick on the chorus. Unsurprisingly, it was written by Rick Neilsen. Brilliant playing and soloing on this one. Then they rip off a song title from Coverdale himself, “Laydown Staydown”. Winger-esque sleeze rock is all this is, not even touching the brilliance of the Deep Purple song that inspired the title.
A much more impressive track opens side two, “Sahara”. This is progressive hard rock, with drummer Ken Mary layering a tribal drum effect that would have been very ahead of its time in 1990. This too degenerates into something more Winger-like as well, but it jumps from that back into more progressive sections, keeping things balanced and interesting. The second slot on side two is predictably another ballad, a good one called “It Ain’t Love”. Not just the title, but the gang chorus reminds of Dokken. Some fine soloing resides here to sink your fangs into.
The lead single was another power ballad, “Remember My Name”, which the band did not write. As an impressionable youth in 1990, I hated this single. “Never lead with a ballad,” was my thinking. I had been looking forward to new House of Lords since the debut slayed me in ’88. I didn’t want the first song to be a ballad they didn’t write. I still don’t think it’s a very good track. And surely a mistake to include it on the CD right before another ballad. “American Babylon” redeems it, coming back with a strong push. “Kiss of Fire” nails it with the knockout punch at the end, a blazing smoker with powerful keyboards that remind us of vintage Deep Purple. Finally it seems House of Lords nailed a song that lived up to their inspirations.
Perhaps it was the rotating cast of characters on guitar, but Sahara drifts further from the sound that made House of Lords unique in 1988. The danger of grasping for hits while taking their sound deeper in the mainstream was real. Though it is still an entertaining listen, Sahara is very uneven which makes it a bumpy ride.
A mighty Union was formed from the ashes of two classic bands’ lesser-known lineups. First up is Bruce Kulick, formerly of Kiss and now in Grand Funk. Kulick had been taking an increasingly important role within Kiss, leading to the Carnival of Souls LP which Bruce was instrumental in writing and recording. With him was John Corabi who had just been booted from Motley Crue after making (arguably) their best album (or one of). Corabi was in a bit of a state. His confidence in himself was shaken after the Motley experience, who seemed impossible to please when their album tanked. John told Bruce that he didn’t want to sing anymore, he just wanted to play guitar. Bruce’s response was “Dude, you’re fuckin’ high!”
And so it was that Bruce and John teamed up (with Brent Fitz and Jamie Hunting) in the aptly named Union.
You wouldn’t call Union a supergroup, but they did create a fine album. It is in the mold of the last albums these guys made separately (Motley ’94 and Carnival). Union turned out as an angry, dark rock record, very much a child of the 1990’s. With Kulick on guitar, Union was more than a 90’s alt-grunge retread. The 90’s are omnipresent in the droning riffs and staggered rhythms, but then Bruce dumped out his tackle box of guitar tricks. Bruce evolved over the years from a guy who played really fast on 80’s Kiss albums to a serious player interested in pushing his own limits. Where he used to be content to play flurries of notes, on Union he goes for maximum gut impact. It’s less about playing the notes than bending them to his will.
It’s also quite clear how much writing Bruce and John did in their respective bands, judging by the sound of this. “Around Again” bears groovy similarities to tracks like “Jungle” by Kiss and “Uncle Jack” by Motley. There’s a pissed-off attitude, and musicianship that would make Nikki Sixx crap his pants. Thankfully Union have a good batch of songs backing them. Much like the previous Kiss and Crue records, Union is not instant love. It takes about three good listens to penetrate its metal-grunge (with a touch of Beatles) hybrid sound. Union usually seem to go for the guts rather than singalong melodies.
One of the exceptions to this rule is the pure fun “Love (I Don’t Need it Anymore)”. This is the one that hooks you on the first round. With a funky little riff and a chorus that sinks right in, it slays. The ballad “October Morning Wind” is another catchy track, an acoustic number a-la Zeppelin. Think of a track like “Loveshine” from the Motley album for the right ballpark. Stealing a Zeppelin title, Union’s song “Tangerine” is a groove rock tune like a heavier Aerosmith.
On the other side of the spectrum: psychedelic rock. “Let It Flow” is a trippy song broken up into sections called “The Invitation”, “The Journey” and “The Celebration”. I think John was smoking something green when he wrote the lyrics, but Bruce’s sitar-like guitar is the perfect complement. “Empty Soul” has similar scope, being a pretty huge song with musical goodness coming out the wazoo.
Adding the Beatles cover “Oh Darlin'” to a reissued version of the album is a little greedy, but fortunately worth it. As it turned out this band only made two studio albums, so more Union is good Union. If you recall the original song, Paul McCartney gave it his best rasp screams. Up to bat is John Corabi who can sing that way in his sleep. It’s a perfect match and “Oh Darlin'” is a nice little extra on which to end an exceptional album. The only issue I have with “Oh Darlin” is actually its placement as the last song. Previously, the solo-written Corabi acoustic ballad “Robin’s Song” was the closer, much like “Driftaway” was on the Motley album. You become accustomed to “Robin’s Song” as a closer, because it has that quality to it. “Oh Darlin'” is not a closer. It would have worked better earlier in the track list, so feel free to shuffle as you choose.
Whatever version you acquire, any fan of Kulick and/or Corabi would be foolhardy to live without this CD. It ranks as one of the best albums by either.
To promote their new album Rock It Science, Helix released this set of five custom guitar picks. It is available at their site for only $10, and they feature the excellent album art (by Brent Doerner) on the front. On the back, each pick has a photo of a band member: Brian Vollmer, Daryl Gray, Greg “Fritz” Hinz, Kaleb “Duckman” Duck and Chris Julke.
Guitar picks are great to collect and here at LeBrain HQ, we can always appreciate a cool set of custom plectrums. They’re fun, they don’t take up a lot of space (I’ll be storing mine inside the CD case) and they just look cool. Feast your eyes upon these beauties and if you decide to go for a set, don’t forget to order the Rock It Science CD to go with ’em!
Helix just don’t stop! Never have, never will. They have been an ongoing property since 1974, steadily releasing albums with only minor gaps between. They keep playing live, year after year. They keep recording new music, ensuring there is always fresh product for fans to pick up at one of their unflagging shows. The latest is a new “greatest hits” CD called Rock It Science, featuring a smattering of tracks from all over their career and one new song.
Bands and record labels are often guilty of exploiting their fans for one or two new tracks and a whole bunch of stuff they already own. Helix fans generally don’t feel that way. They want to support the band (“the hardest working band in Canada”), and it’s worth noting that most past Helix “hits” CDs are out of print now, and there is very little overlap in songs. What overlap exists is usually limited to the “big hits” – songs like “Rock You” and “Heavy Metal Love”. Incidentally, the hits from the Capitol years included here are the re-recorded versions from Best Of 1983-2012. Fear not, they are very authentic remakes. You gotta do what you gotta do to get paid!
Brian Vollmer has been good about including deeper cuts on his compilations. “Billy Oxygen” and “You’re a Woman Now” from the first album are brilliant. These are two of their best songs, period, and they commence Rock It Science brilliantly. Any Helix CD that includes “Billy Oxygen” is better for it. This jazzy little rocker is one of their more complex arrangements, written and sung by the “Doctor” Brent Doerner. Speaking of Brent, he designed the artwork for the CD and directed the music video for “(Gene Simmons Says) Rock is Dead“. That’s the new track on this CD (click the link for a review of the song) and a damn fine one it is. Brian co-wrote it with his partner in crime, Sean Kelly, a brilliant musician in his own right.
A few other treasures worth mentioning are the lava-hot “Get Up!” from 2006, and the ballad “Good to the Last Drop” from 1990. This is the single remix version of the song, which tips the scales as the slightly superior (and more rare) mix. “Shock City Psycho Rock” (1998) is a pleasant surprise. This is a track written by bassist Mike Uzelac in the early 1980’s but not recorded until the 90’s. (When they recorded it, Uzelac was actually a missing person. He has since returned to the land of the living, but I can remember meeting his brother back in the Record Store days and that is when I first heard the story that Mike hadn’t been seen by family or friends in years.) Mike Uzelac was a talented writer and contributed lots of material to Helix. “Shock City” is one of the fastest and most destructive tracks in their catalogue. Finally, “Even Jesus (Wasn’t Loved in His Home Town)” is a favourite, notable for its biting lyrics and brain-searing chorus.
So go ahead and give them an R. The band is like an institution, a hard working gang of rockers that aim to please each and every time. Buy the CD direct from the band and you’ll get a signed copy with some great liner notes detailing some rare band history. Rock It Science would make a fine first Helix album for any collection.
Mr. Big started as a “supergroup” of sorts, with bassist Billy Sheehan being the most well known due to his stint with David Lee Roth (and Talas before that). Because of his bass prowess, we know his band Mr. Big would be heavy on the shred. What set them apart was the blue eyed soul of singer Eric Martin. Their debut record possessed the speediest chops imaginable, but used sparingly. It’s a song-oriented album, with “Addicted to that Rush” leading off with heavy space-age playing. Unfortunately nothing else is as memorable, except the Humble Pie cover “30 Days in the Hole”.
Tracks like “Had Enough”, “How Can You Do What You Do”, “Rock & Roll Over” and “Merciless” are all competent rock tunes, and due to Billy’s bass, the bottom end is unbelievable. Unfortunately it took Mr. Big one more album to really come up with the songwriting goods. Their debut is fine enough indeed, but folks who dig the playing will be sticking around. Those looking for soul and memorable hooks will have to dig deep. There is good stuff here, but little that will make repeated spins in the CD player months and years down the road. Good, but not quite good enough.
25 years ago on this day, millions of fans used their illusions.
1991: First year of university, and I was hard at work on some reading. My sister and my mom were out shopping at the mall. The record store I eventually worked at opened up just that summer. Unbeknownst to me, they popped in on my behalf and returned with a present.
“Mike!” yelled my sister excitedly as they returned home. The dog barked loudly in shrill Schnauzer barks as she talked. “Did you know Guns N’ Roses have TWO NEW ALBUMS OUT?”
I sure did! Use Your Illusion I and II were the long-awaited true followups to Appetite for Destruction. With 30 brand new songs, Guns released the music as two separate but complimentary albums. My sister eagerly handed me a gift: a new cassette copy of Use Your Illusion II!
Why she chose II, I don’t know and it doesn’t matter. For this fan, II was the first. I had it a whole week before I caught up and bought Illusion I (again, at the same store I would work at only three years later). It was $10.99. Perhaps because I had the second album a week ahead of the first, I still really prefer II over I. Songs such as “Breakdown”, “Pretty Tied Up”, and “Locomotive” are three of the strongest and most ambitious rock songs on an already strong set. They stand up today as my personal favourites.
The Use Your Illusion albums spawned a combined eight singles: “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, “Civil War”, “You Could Be Mine”, “Don’t Cry”, “Live and Let Die”, “November Rain”, “Yesterdays” and “Estranged”. Additionally, music videos were made for the tracks “Garden of Eden”, “The Garden”, and “Dead Horse”. Guns N’ Roses assaulted all formats as they trounced the world in a two year long world tour, with acts such as Skid Row, Metallica and Faith No More. They even suffered their most devastating lineup change right at the very start of it. Chief songwriter Izzy Stradlin departed in November of 1991, to be replaced shortly after by Gilby Clarke. Although he has made numerous guest appearances since, Izzy has never rejoined Guns N’ Roses.
Did you buy Use Your Illusion I and II 25 years ago today? Do you have a favourite?
TESLA – Mechanical Resonance Live! (2016 Ward Records, Japanese with bonus track)
30 years? Holy shit, I remember when Tesla was considered a new band. Far more talented that the critics gave them credit for, or the bands they are lumped in with, Tesla have officially stood the test of time. May as well use the 30th anniversary to put out a live album. Unlike many other bands from their era, Tesla produced a number of studio albums worth listening to from front to back. Their debut Mechanical Resonance has long been a favourite, a high quality slab o’ rock, so may as well play the whole thing live, right?
Tesla tweaked the song order (presumably for the live concert experience) to start with “Rock Me to the Top”. Eternally young singer Jeff Keith has barely aged, and has lost nothing in the decades. The rasp, the power, and the character are all intact. The keys have been lowered, as any 30 year old band would have to do, but it’s hardly noticeable. This makes Mechanical Resonance Live an absolute pleasure to listen to.
The other guys in the band kick as much ass as possible. Tesla are a guitar band, and losing the talented and charismatic axeman Tommy Skeoch (first in the 90’s and then again in 2006) was a hell of a blow to suffer. With mainstay Frankie Hannon on guitar, and new addition Dave Rude, they have continued on forcefully. You can tell one ingredient is missing compared to the original LP, but that also makes it a fresh take on an old favourite. As for the rhythm section of Brian Wheat (bass) and Troy Luccketta (drums), I think age has only made them better (just listen to “Cover Queen”). Troy has his own distinct drum style, and you can hear that in the cymbal work.
Strangely, some of the songs that stick out most are the slow tracks. “Changes” for example is amped up, guitars duelling furiously, with Jeff pouring his all into the microphone. “Before My Eyes” is another slower song with some stunning guitar work from Rude and Hannon. Of course the hits are also fantastic — “Little Suzie”, “EZ Come EZ Go”, and of course an explosive “Modern Day Cowboy” which is moved to the closing slot in the set.
Tesla have a 30 year friendship with Def Leppard, and that’s why there is one new studio song written and produced by Phil Collen. The opening chords, melody and rhythm of “Save That Goodness” are all immediately identifiably Def Leppard. Tesla are a little more rough-edged than Leppard, and that especially comes out in Jeff Keith’s rasp. Great track, and something special for the fans craving new music since 2014’s Simplicity. I’m a sucker for a great new song at the end of a live album.
But that’s not all! The Japanese release has one more extra — the classic “Hang Tough” from The Great Radio Controversy. It sounds live, but there’s no crowd noise. Whether it’s mixed out or if this is a rehearsal recording, the booklet does not say.
METALLICA – Hardwired…To Self-Destruct (2016 Blackened)
MÖTLEY CRÜE – Girls, Girls, Girls (originally 1987, 2003 remaster)
mikeladano.com 