Robert Lawson

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Solidarity Forever: Stevie Van Zandt with author Robert Lawson

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Episode

Episode 126:  Solidarity Forever: The Art and Soul of Stevie Van Zandt
With author Robert Lawson

Robert Lawson is a talented author (and music researcher) and friend, who actually appeared on our old show the LeBrain Train back in 2021.  Tonight is his Grab A Stack of Rock debut, and his first time meeting the Mad Metal Man, Harrison Kopp.

When Robert was the LeBrain Train, it was to discuss his book Still Competition:  The Listener’s Guide to Cheap Trick, a thorough and essential read.  He has also penned detailed books on Nazareth and the Guess Who.  This time, we’re talking about Stevie Van Zandt, the subject of Robert’s new book Solidarity Forever.  This is a subject about which Robert is intensely passionate for reasons musical and spiritual.  As Robert says, writing this book was “his job”.

“Little Steven” Van Zandt is a fascinating figure in rock, from his instantly recognizable stage visage, to his popular role on the Sopranos.  This book will teach you about the solo career of Little Steven, and breaks down “every album, every single” just as we collectors want.  Robert is also knowledgeable on many other artists in genres from jazz to rock, and we will doubtless stray off track spontaneously.  And that is half the fun.

Tune in tonight and ask Robert your questions live, on Grab A Stack of Rock.

 

Friday November 21 at 7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

#1199: The Springsteen Fan that Couldn’t Math (from guest Robert Lawson)

Robert Lawson is a friend and author Solidarity Forever:  The Art and Soul of Stevie Van Zandt.*  He recently posted this hilarious story on social media and I asked if I could use it. It is good to know there are still new Record Store Tales to be told!

RECORD STORE TALES#1199: The Springsteen Fan that Couldn’t Math 

Bruce Springsteen recently released the second instalment of his Tracks box sets, called Tracks II: The Lost Albums.  It contains seven albums’ worth of unreleased Bruce Springsteen, and has received critical and fan acclaim for the quality of its songs.  Robert recently had an interested customer.

CUSTOMER: “How much is the new Springsteen boxed set, like $200?”

R: “Actually double that.”

CUSTOMER: “It’s $600???”

R: …sigh…

 

* Solidarity Forever is the definitive account of the musical journey of the music legend of Disciples of Soul, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, and anti-apartheid project Sun City fame, Little Steven Van Zandt. Following Van Zandt’s unforgettable sixty-year (and counting!) career from his beginnings with the Asbury Jukes and Springsteen to leading the Disciples of Soul, from touring, arranging, and producing timeless music to playing an onscreen gangster in The Sopranos and Lilyhammer, Solidarity Forever is packed with a level of detail that will impress devotees and enchant new fans.

Every song, every album, every single, live shows; bootlegs, production credits, covers, activism-everything is covered here and presented alongside fascinating interviews of over forty past and present band members and Van Zandt himself. A stunning work of music journalism and love letter to rock ‘n’ roll, Solidarity Forever delivers Little Steven’s story and the timeless messages of his music like never before.

“This is no time to be fighting each other
What we need, what we need is solidarity.”

 

GALLERY: Nine 8-tracks from Tim, a Guess Who book from Robert, and a bunch of stickers!

On Friday night, I unboxed some parcels, but didn’t take a super close look at the contents.  Today, we are!

From TeePublic, some stickers supporting some friends:

From author Robert Lawson, a harcopy of his acclaimed Guess Who book Wheatfield Soul:

And from the Durling Foundation, a huge box full of 8-track tapes.  Not a bad haul here!  In order, they are:

 

  1. ZZ Top – Tejas
  2. Kansas – Point of Know Return
  3. Eagles – The Long Run
  4. MECO – Star Wars Galactic Funk (yes, the legendary disco album!)
  5. Journey – Departure
  6. The Cars – The Cars
  7. Alice Cooper – Lace and Whiskey
  8. Bad Company – Bad Company
  9. Foreigner – Head Games

I never thought I would have an 8-track collection, but here we are.

Thank you, friends!

Robert Lawson & the School of Jazz – Saturday LeBrain Train

Tremendous fun and a lot of learning tonight in the School of Jazz!  Author Robert Lawson has a jazz collection to die for and we got a small taste of it tonight.  The panel for Saturday Jazz consisted of four experts and one newbie:

  • Yours truly (LeBrain – jazz novice)
  • Uncle Meat (jazz expert)
  • Dr. Dave (an actual doctor)
  • Aaron (Keeps Me Alive resident jazzbo)
  • Robert Lawson (serious author and hardcore jazz collector)

As the talk veered from Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and more, my wishlist grew and grew and grew.  Stay tuned to the end to see some of Robert’s most enviable box sets.

As we often do, we started the show with some unboxings.  Check it all out below!  See you next week.

Upcoming schedule:

Friday March 11 – The 10 Year Anniversary Show – Record Store Tales and mikeladano.com (with Harrison and Tim Durling)

Friday March 25 – 2 Years of the LeBrain Train (with Tee Bone and Robert Daniels)

Friday April 1 – The Prank Show (With Chris Thuss and Michael Morwood)

Saturday Jazz featuring Robert Lawson on a special LeBrain Train

The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike & Friends

Episode 100 – Saturday Jazz

 

When a guy with the musical intelligence and credentials of author Robert Lawson asks if he can participate in your Saturday jazz show, you say yes!

Much like Donnie in The Big Lebowski, I’m out of my element here.  A casual jazz fan like me cannot compete with the knowledge of the guests this week.  It’s a Cinco de Listo Top Five Jazz records and the panel consists of:

  • Yours truly (LeBrain – jazz novice)
  • Uncle Meat (jazz expert)
  • Dr. Dave (an actual doctor)
  • Aaron (Keeps Me Alive resident jazzbo)
  • Robert Lawson (serious author and hardcore jazz collector)

Saturday March 5, 7:00 PM E.S.T. on YouTube, Facebook and also Facebook!

Upcoming schedule:

Friday March 11 – The 10 Year Anniversary Show – Record Store Tales and mikeladano.com (with Harrison and Tim Durling)

Friday March 25 – 2 Years of the LeBrain Train (with Tee Bone)

 

#964.5: The Lists – 2021 Year in Review – Part Two

Here We Go Again:  End of Year Lists 2021

2021:  the year of the hamster wheel.  It sure felt like we were spinning our tires all year!  Sometimes inching a little forward in the mud, only to slide right back.  What a year.  But we did get some great music out of it.

Here at LeBrain HQ, if you go strictly by the numbers, there were two bands that dominated the year, both oldies acts from the 1980s:  Coney Hatch and Iron Maiden!  They (or members thereof) appear numerous times in the lists you’re about to read.  Not so “oldies” after all eh?  Five appearances for Iron Maiden, and a whopping seven for Coney and its members!

Even I was surprised by the lists this year!  All my favourite things, and the stats of 2021, are curated below.

Top 11 Albums of 2021

11. Polychuck – Shadows Exposed EP
10. Suicide Star – Isolation
9. Max the Axe – Oktoberfest Cheer EP
8. Mammoth WVH – Mammoth WVH
7. Danko Jones – Power Trio
6. Accept – Too Mean to Die
5. Smith/Kotzen – Smith/Kotzen
4. Iron Maiden – Senjutsu
3. Lee Aaron – Radio On
2. Coney Hatch – Live at the El Mocambo
1. Styx – Crash of the Crown

Top Five Box Sets of 2021

5. Kiss – Destroyer
4. Whitsnake – Restless Heart
3. Def Leppard – CD Collection Vol 3
2. Triumph – Allied Forces
1. Metallica – Metallica 

My Favourite Movies of 2021

5. Black Widow
4. Eternals
3. Free Guy
2. The Suicide Squad
1. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

(placeholder) Spider-Man: No Way Home – you have to assume it’ll be my new #1 when I see it!

Top 11 Interviews / Unboxings of 2021 (by YouTube views)

11. Robert Lawson interview
10. Sean Kelly interview
9. Suicide Star interview
8. Coney Hatch live LP unboxing
7. Andy Curran round three
6. Andy Curran part one
5. Paul Laine interview
4. Mike Fraser interview
3. Martin Popoff interview
2. Andy Curran + Mike Fraser interview
1. Iron Maiden Super7 figure blind box unboxing

Top Five List Shows / Deep Dives 2021 (by YouTube Views)

5. Top Concept Albums
4. 5150 Deep Dive with Tee Bone
3. Desert Island Discs
2. Top Maiden Art
1. Top Five King’s X with Martin Popoff

Top Reviews of 2021 by Hits

5. GUNS N’ ROSES – “ABSUЯD”
4. STYX – Crash of the Crown
3. PAUL STANLEY’S SOUL STATION – Now and Then
2. IRON MAIDEN – Senjutsu 
1.  – Off the Soundboard – Tokyo 2001

What’s in store for 2022?

  • The Book of Boba Fett
  • Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene
  • Marillion – An Hour Before Its Dark
  • Guns N’ Roses – Hard Skool EP
  • new Sven Gali
  • Scorpions – Rock Believer
  • new Coney Hatch live with two new studio cuts
  • new Journey?
  • new Def Leppard?
  • Bryan Adams – So Happy it Hurts
  • Liam Gallgher – C’Mon You Know
  • Thor: Love and Thunder
  • Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  • Disney+: Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, What…If? season 2, Secret Invasion, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
  • The Mandalorian season 3
  • New albums from Ghost, Rammstein, Ozzy Osbourne, King Diamond, Weezer and more

 

TONIGHT.

Friday December 31, 9:00 PM E.S.T. on YouTube, Facebook and also Facebook!

VIDEO: Mail Call! 6 CDs from Robert

I thought these six CDs had been lost in the mail. I am so, so glad to be wrong.

Robert Lawson Defeats the Live Stream Technical Glitches for an Evening of Rock

Not even disconnections and bad internet can keep a good man down. Robert Lawson — author of great listener’s guides on Cheap Trick, Nazareth and The Guess Who — persevered and eventually defeated the internet demons plaguing the start of Friday’s show. Hang in there folks — it starts rough but gets better!

This free-flowing chat covers numerous topics:

  • The Guess Who and Burton Cummings
  • Nazareth and “the kids”
  • Cheap Trick encounters
  • Band management
  • Rarities
  • Aerosmith’s Done With Mirrors
  • Martin Popoff
  • Sean Kelly
  • Gene & Paul
  • 5150
  • King Kong

When it comes to Cheap Trick, Robert gets raw and tells it from the heart.  You’ll have to see for yourself but we appreciate Robert’s candor and willingness to relive some emotional moments in his rock and roll life.

Thank you Deke for introducing me to Robert, and thank you Robert for being patient and generous with your time tonight!

REMINDER – The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and Meat

Saturday – Episode 72 – Jacob Moon

“Jacob is an incredible Canadian talent.” — Andy Curran

If you only know Jacob Moon from his jaw-dropping Rush cover of “Subdivisions”, then you are in for a treat.  That viral video catapulted him to Youtube fame, but he is about so much more than just covers.  With nine albums to his name (so far), Jacob has been around.  When guys like Andy Curran sing his praises, you know he’s seriously good at what he does.  He has also won the admiration of Rush, Marillion, and many more.  What’s it feel like performing a Rush song in front of Rush?  Let’s find out from Jacob himself!

Saturday June 19, 1:00 PM E.S.T. on Facebook:  MikeLeBrain and YouTube:  Mike LeBrain.

Double Show Weekend! Friday – Robert Lawson & Saturday – Jacob Moon

The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and Deke

Friday – Episode 71 – Robert Lawson

 

Robert Lawson is the author of some excellent listener’s guides:  Still Competition (Cheap Trick), Wheatfield Empire (The Guess Who), and Razama-Snaz! (Nazareth).  Join Deke and I as we quiz the writer on these books, the experience of writing them, and rock fandom in general.  This show is guaranteed to be a fun hang.  Make sure you catch it live — have your questions locked and loaded for Robert!

Friday June 18, 7:00 PM E.S.T. on Facebook:  MikeLeBrain and YouTube:  Mike LeBrain.

 

The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and Meat

Saturday – Episode 72 – Jacob Moon

 

“Jacob is an incredible Canadian talent.” — Andy Curran

If you only know Jacob Moon from his jaw-dropping Rush cover of “Subdivisions”, then you are in for a treat.  That viral video catapulted him to Youtube fame, but he is about so much more than just covers.  With nine albums to his name (so far), Jacob has been around.  When guys like Andy Curran sing his praises, you know he’s seriously good at what he does.  He has also won the admiration of Rush, Marillion, and many more.  What’s it feel like performing a Rush song in front of Rush?  Let’s find out from Jacob himself!

Saturday June 19, 1:00 PM E.S.T. on Facebook:  MikeLeBrain and YouTube:  Mike LeBrain.