It started with Joey Suto, and our awesome list of Top KISS Songs from every album! Then Peter Kerr suggested worst KISS songs, and I ran with it, and wrote a controversial list. Dan Chartrand picked up the ball, and decided to make a video on the subject. You’ve read my list, but now you can watch an entertaining video list from Dan and Sidney from Slogan’s Rock and Metal as well.
No surprises here – my list is unchanged. I did however have quite a few questions and comments as to “why” I made my list the way I did. These are finally addressed in this video.
Slick and fast, we raced through the KISS studio albums in an hour. A great viewing. Don’t miss this one.
When I received an offer to interview Rick Hughes of the band Sword, about his forthcoming new album called Redemption, I immediately contacted my buddy Dan Chartrand from OffTheCharts to do it with me. Turns out, he received the same offer, so we joined forces. This is good, because Rick’s new album is bilingual, and so is Dan! We recorded the interview on Thursday October 9, and it will debut Monday October 13 (Thanksgiving Day) on Dan’s channel.
Hey Dan…I get the next one, OK?
With Rick, we broke down the many guests on his new album including Robby Krieger, Tommy Aldridge, Rudy Sarzo, Brad Gillis, Sean Kelly and Jacob Deraps. (Great stories from Rick here!)
We also talked about the new songs, including an amazing soft rocker called “The Will of the Gun” and the bangin’ “Ca va Brasser”. Rick also finds redemption with one of his old songs finally recorded by the guy who wrote it: “Someday”. A different version of this song was a hit for Aldo Nova in 1991, co-written by Jon Bon Jovi. Great stories here!
Of course we had to talk about Sword, so there are a couple stories there about Sword opening for Motorhead and Metallica in the 1980s.
Do not miss this incredible interview with Rick Hughes, one of the most positive rock stars on the planet.
Scream for us, YouTube! Dan Chartrand and I have reunited for this fun episode about nostalgia and dreams. So you wanna be a rock star? We’ll tell you what not to do!
In this incredibly fun episode, Dan will tell you about his rock star ambitions which eventually resulted in three CDs by Dead Culture Society. He’ll also tell you about “turning down” the bass player job in Quiet Riot, and pissing off Rudy Sarzo to an extreme degree. (Never make fun of the way Rudy licks his fingers when playing bass.)
I dug up some things from my teen years, dreaming of being a rock star. I found the original script for my remake of the “Nothing But A Good Time” music video, and some postcards from my partner in crime Bob Schipper. We talk air bands, buying our first guitars, and the art of swinging them over our shoulders. Learning to play? Not important! Getting the stage moves right was what we focused on.
Please join us for this incredibly fun and occasionally hilarious trip down memory lane, and give Dan a like and subscribe! We will be back!
A record-setting Grab A Stack of Rock Good Friday afternoon was had yesterday afternoon! With co-hosts Johnny Metal and Ash Geisler (awake at 4:00 AM just to do this show!), we had views exceeding the legendary 2023 Good Friday show that featured, as Jex’s mom put it, “a good view”.
Unfortunately Jex Russell was heading out of town for his Easter weekend, and was unable to attend (though Johnny Metal had him on a shirt). Ash showed off some cool Australian finds, from pop punk to harder edged tunes. Johnny Metal’s new arrivals included the complete CD catalogue of Dr. Kathryn Ladano, so we spent a little time talking about brain injuries and the album Anatomy of the Recovering Brain. Of course, Johnny Metal also brought plenty of metal, including one LP that tied into 50 Years of Iron Maiden.
As for me, I had three main things to focus on:
A brand new record sent to me by Dan Chartrand, from OfftheCharts…and some bonus music, of his own band Dead Culture Society!
A batch of new music that arrived this week. My thoughts on Epitaph by April 16th, Dreams On Toast by the Darkness, and Rock N Roll Party Tonite by Mystique.
An absolutely epic purchase of rock CDs from old friend Len Labelle. More to come on this in a future video showcasing even more CDs from the bulk purchase.
If you liked this episode, then join us next week for our 100th. We’re going to have a party!
Good Fridays Past:
Good Friday Afternoon April 7 2023: @MarriedandHeels and Jex Russell began the tradition for a special episode celebrating California music, Easter manicures, and shiny silver boots! Our first Good Friday afternoon episode, we did it at this time slot to enable @MarriedandHeels to join us from California. It was a fun afternoon, and look how shiny those boots are!
Good Friday Afternoon March 29 2024: Top 5 Albums From Our Birth Years with Jex Russell and Uncle Meat. This was a special episode! Jex and I wanted to continue the Good Friday tradition, but this was a special reunion for Meat and I, who had not done a show together in a year and a half. Jex surprised me – and my surprise is in the thumbnail image! A blessed good show!
NEXT WEEK: OUR 100TH EPISODE! A LIVE MIX TAPE WITH JEX, HARRISON AND JOHNNY METAL!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 99: Good Friday Afternoon – New Music Mania with Ash Geisler and Johnny Metal
A Good Friday tradition: For the third time, Grab A Stack of Rock goes LIVE this afternoon with special guests and special music! We have a ton of new music here to discuss at Grab A Stack of Rock HQ. You’ve heard all about the new Darkness album Dreams On Toast? Well now it’s my turn. I have SEVEN COPIES (six physical and one digital) to get all the tracks, and I will be discussing my impressions. I also have the new Rock N Roll Party Tonite EP by Mystique, and some vinyl from Dan Chartrand from OfftheCharts to unbox! What could be inside? You’ll be electrified. Time permitting, I may also show off my massive haul from a forthcoming video on a big, BIG purchase.
We’ll see how much we can get through, because joining me will be Ash Geisler and Johnny Metal, with their own new musical scores to show off. What could be new in southern Australia and the state of Alabama? We’ll find out this afternoon!
The Good Friday afternoon episode is a tradition now in its third year (see below). Sadly, Jex Russell could not be with us this time, but Ash and Johnny should be up to the task, even if the time zones make it tricky. Remember, this episode is LIVE so join us for the fun and let us know in the comments that you’re with us! See you this afternoon to Grab LOTS of Stacks of Rock!
Friday April 18 at 3:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 4:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.
Good Fridays Past:
Good Friday Afternoon April 7 2023: @MarriedandHeels and Jex Russell began the tradition for a special episode celebrating California music, Easter manicures, and shiny silver boots! Our first Good Friday afternoon episode, we did it at this time slot to enable @MarriedandHeels to join us from California. It was a fun afternoon, and look how shiny those boots are!
Good Friday Afternoon March 29 2024: Top 5 Albums From Our Birth Years with Jex Russell and Uncle Meat. This was a special episode! Jex and I wanted to continue the Good Friday tradition, but this was a special reunion for Meat and I, who had not done a show together in a year and a half. Jex surprised me – and my surprise is in the thumbnail image! A blessed good show!
NEXT WEEK: OUR 100TH EPISODE! A LIVE MIX TAPE WITH JEX, HARRISON AND JOHNNY METAL!
I’ve been in isolation nine days. A positive Covid test and some weird symptoms have kept me house-bound, and of course Jen was only a few days behind me. She tested positive with symptoms about four days later. The true test of a marriage is if one can survive Covid isolation together, twice. I am happy to announce we are still married!
On Thursday January 23rd, I started feeling an irritation in my throat. I went home early. I recorded a 50 Years of Iron Maiden episode with Harrison and Melissa Nee, feeling absolutely wiped out by the end of it. I went straight to bed. I woke up the next morning knowing I would not be going into work. I felt stinky rotten, but without a cough or congestion. Just my throat, a lot of body pain, a foggy head and fatigue. I tested myself, and you know how that went down.
While it was longer and harder than my first fight with Covid, it never turned into anything serious. Fighting the fatigue was the hardest part. I started working from home on the Monday, putting in full days, but delaying my recovery by not resting enough.
My experience with Covid was not just different physically this time. Mentally, the toll was different.
During my first round with Covid, I was dreading working from home, but gradually warmed up to it. On my second round, I was looking forward to working from home, but tired of it quickly. My lack of enthusiasm might be due to feeling worse this time, but I spent my time differently. I didn’t listen to any music, at all, while I worked. I didn’t do any easy chores like laundry while I worked. All I did was cook the odd meal. A lot of Spam. I’m into Spam now.
I didn’t do anything creative for that whole time. Physically, I didn’t want to continue sitting in that chair (as comfy as it is) any longer once my work day was done. I did do a quick video with Dan Chartrand on both our YouTube channels – check it out.
It was just a bummer of a time otherwise, as Jen and I learned how to navigate her personal space clashing with mine! The monotony of the food too; that was starting to wear. We ordered in a lot. I had a McBreakfast one day (I ordered so much that it did last the full day). We tried ramen for the first time. We got a pizza. The days blur together. After I wound up each work day at 4:30 PM, I hung out on the couch for a while, but was starting to feel tired by 5:30. It was a struggle to stay awake, and I didn’t want to go straight from work to bed. It is hard balancing what one wants to do, with what one needs to do.
Because I wasn’t able to do much creatively (and also because our next guest also has Covid), Harrison and I paused 50 Years of Maiden. I think I’m ready to jump back in, but already the show schedule is daunting.
Today I’ve sat down and listened to music properly for the first time in nine days. I chose the debut by Rose Tattoo, a band we’ll be talking about very soon on Grab A Stack of Rock. But I’m nervous; nervous that I won’t be able to keep up or maintain my motivation. I have the Contrarians, Grant’s Rock Warehaus, and Grab A Stack all in the coming week.
Feels good to be negative though. I plan on going music and Lego shopping today. Otherwise taking it easy. Writing this is my creative endeavour for today. Let’s enjoy the rest of it. Allons-y!
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!
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