Rock Daydream Nation

#1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 4)

RECORD STORE TALES #1092: Grab A Stack of Rock (Recap 4)
A recap of all our shows to date as we gear up for the first anniversary

Recap 1:  Episodes 1-10
Recap 2:  Episodes 11-20
Recap 3:  Episodes 21-30

Show #31, Aug 11 2023, featured another Nigel Tufnel Top Ten list!  Harrison said to me, “I think we need to get Rob Daniels back on.”  Rob said “OK!  How about TV Show Themes?”  With Harrison and Rob, we counted down our Top 11 Themes.  List shows are proven to be popular, but this one was really cool.  Jex Russell sent in his own list to read, and we had minimal crossover.  You’ll be shocked to learn that Star Trek ranked high on my list.  For “Ask Harrison”, we featured the debut of musician Jazz King asking the question!

This was a very busy period, and I had no choice to take some time off the show so I could do some other significant collaborations.

For Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, we premiered a previously-recorded special on Flash Gordon with Jex Russell and Rob Daniels!  For Grant’s Rock Warehaus, I was honoured be Martin Popoff’s replacement on his Helix special, covering the years 1990 to 2003.  I also returned on Peter Kerr’s Rock Daydream Nation for a discussion on Coverdale-Page.  This was my first time working with John Clauser, who figures into the story later on.

Show #32, Sept 1 2023, allowed me to bring on Rock Daydream Nation’s Peter Kerr for the first time.  Also for the first time:  two Australians in one show!  The topic, chosen by Harrison, was What Bonus Tracks Should Have Been on the Album?  A very popular list show, this one also had Jex Russell on board.  Peter shared the link far and wide which helped with the views.  I personally think it’s one of the best lists we’ve ever done.  Lots of love for Black Sabbath here.  We also unboxed the second edition of Tim Durling’s book, Unspooled!  You can get yours on Amazon right now.

Show #33, Sept 8 2023, was another personal favourite.  It took place on the cottage porch on a beautiful afternoon, with Jex Russell!  The subject this time, in honour of Durling’s second edition, was music books!  I hauled up to the lake a huge box of my music books, hardcover and softcover alike, signed and unsigned:  Sean Kelly, Martin Popoff, Michael D. LeFevre, Robert Lawson, Dale Sherman, Neil Peart, Aaron Lebold, and so many more!  Jex didn’t have any of his books on hand, so instead we ran an old video from his YouTube channel CineBrosSupreme featuring his collection.

Show #34, Sept 15 2023, featured a first-timer!  All the way from Ramsgate UK came interviewer and soundtrack specialist Jason Drury!  I’ve been trying to work with Jason on a live show for over three years, but the time zones made that difficult.  Finally, he was back in Canada and we got him on board with his friends Rob Daniels and Erik Woods.  For Erik, it was his first time on the new show as well!  Harrison joined us for a fun discussion about Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and more.  Jason provided his Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Star Wars movies (basically ranking them all in order) to go with the lists that the rest of us did in 2022.  It was wonderful to finally get to chat with Jason in real time. Another very popular show.

At this point, my hair was getting unruly.  I hadn’t cut it since March and it was time.  Therefore, I planned a stunt.  A repeat stunt albeit, but a stunt indeed:  I shaved my head live on the show!

Show #35, Sept 22 2023, came as a surprise to Kevin the Mars Man who was not informed in advance of my shenanigans!  All he knew was that we were doing another list show:  Top Five Bald Artists! Harrison couldn’t attend this afternoon cottage show, but I honoured him by putting Blaze Bayley at the very top of my list. Kevin and Jex also brought awesome lists. Importantly, we spotlighted the courage it takes for an artist to go bald publicly, like Joe Lynn Turner did.

Show #36, Sept 29 2023, was a night off for me!  I relaxed at the cottage while Jex and Harrison went “LeBrainless” again!  Harrison wanted to get the show “back to basics”.  Grabbing and showing off stacks of rock!  I popped on at the very end to show off my Aerosmith Greatest Hits 6 CD set from Japan, which took a healthy critiquing.  Jex and Harrison showed off some Twisted Sister, Paul Di’Anno, Alice Cooper, Concrete Blonde, Slade, Judas Priest and a batch of DVDs.  A lot of interesting items in this stack of rock.

Show #37, October 6 2023, was largely in honour of Eddie Van Halen who we lost three years prior to the day.  John Snow had his new Hagar Years box set on hand.  Tim Durling and Rob Daniels also joined Harrison and I, with rare books, 7″ picture sleeves, rare soundtracks, and…José Feliciano!?  You never know what you will see on Grab A Stack of Rock!

Show #38, Oct 13 2023, was a special one to commemorate Friday the 13th!  Harrison, Rob and I were joined by Peter Kerr for our Top Five Songs about Monsters.  We chose actual classic monsters, and some metaphorical monsters as well.  Jex Russell had a written list, as did John Snow. Greed, addiction, werewolves, space aliens and more! We hope you like our choices. We tried to go outside the box and bring you songs you might not have thought of yourself, though Ozzy and Alice were expected and did appear!

Show #39, Oct 21 2023, was the third LeBrainless episode, at a special time.  Jex had spent the day with Tim Durling at a Record Faire.  Meanwhile, Harrison had recently attended a record show too.  On a Saturday night, with Aaron “Mr. Books” on hand, the pair showed off some of their recent finds.  There was some cool stuff here, on CD, cassette, DVD and vinyl.  I came on at the very end to unbox the new Sven Gali Bombs and Battlescars, and a disc by Toronto’s Evil Elvis!  A fun way to finish off the last cottage weekend of the season

 

…And that’s it for recapping, as we look towards the future.  We have lots planned, and no intention to quit this time.

Our one-year anniversary happens to coincide with Show #40, October 27 2023.  One year before (on the 28th, to be exact) I was feeling the itch to go live once again, and so I messaged Harrison that morning.  “Are you free if we decide to go live tonight?”  We didn’t have a name, a theme song, or a plan.  Grab A Stack of Rock was born.  Despite the highs and lows of 2022-2023, it was a bright spot of our week for the last year.  I can’t wait to see what another year will bring.

We started out as a casual gathering, to show off our music collections.  It’s currently more than that, with lists and special guests once again.  In fact this week we’ll have a new one who has never been on the show before, John Clauser from My Music Corner!  Tim Durling, Peter Kerr, Rob Daniels and Harrison will also be back.

Because it’s one year, we’re doing Top Songs About the Number One.

Thanks for Grabbing a Stack of Rock.  Hope to see you celebrating with us!

 

A Monstrously Fun Friday the 13th – Top 5 Songs About Monsters with Rob Daniels & Peter Kerr

What are you Top 5 Songs About Monsters?  And what kind of monsters would you choose?  This week on Grab A Stack of Rock, we saw zombies, werewolves, vampires, sharks, and metaphorical monsters too.

For the first time ever, Eminem made our lists…twice!  With two different songs!

Peter Kerr (Rock Daydream Nation) managed to drop by for the start, to read his ground-breaking list.  For this show, anyway!  We read lists from John T Snow and Jex Russell, before diving into our own lists.  Robert Daniels (Visions in Sound) and my trusty co-host Harrison Kopp brought the expected and unexpected alike!  Perhaps with a twist.

This brisk show was a load of fun.  I hope you enjoy, and get some ideas for your Halloween parties to come.

Next week:  Jex, Aaron and Harrison go “LeBrainless” on Saturday at 8:00 PM!

It’s Friday the 13th – Grab A Stack Of Ghouls! – Top 5 Songs About Monsters with Rob Daniels & Peter Kerr

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

Episode 38:  Top Five Monsters on Friday the 13th!  With Rob Daniels & Peter Kerr

He’s here for a good time, but not a long time!  On hand will be Peter Kerr (Rock Daydream Nation) to tell us his Top Five Songs About Monsters!  Then he has to split and do something else devilishly ghoulish!  Here for the whole show will be Robert Daniels (Visions in Sound) and the Mad Metal Man for a helluva list show!

Harrison came up with the idea, and a good one it is.  What are you favourite songs about monsters?  “Loch Ness” by Judas Priest, perhaps?  “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon?  “Burning Bridges” by Slaughter?

The brilliant thing about this idea is just how diverse the lists can be.  I have my five selected.  What will you pick?  Watch live, and drop your comments during the show!

As usual we have a brand new question for Harrison, and only the best guests on Grab A Stack of Rock!

LIVE Friday Oct 13 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

Rock Daydream Nation: Deep Purple/Rainbow : Slaves and Masters vs Bent out of Shape

On Friday night, immediately after Grab A Stack of Rock, I had the honour of joining Peter Kerr, Reed Little, John Clauser and Tim “Unspooled” Durling for another amazing episode of Rock Daydream Nation!  The subject this time was a comparison of Rainbow’s Bent Out of Shape, and Deep Purple’s Slaves and Masters.  They have a lot in common, and a few differences as well.  In common:  a few blokes named Ritchie Blackmore, Joe Lynn Turner, and Roger Glover.

From five perspectives, we went around discussing our first impressions of these albums, tunes that we would spotlight, and then the big question:  Is Slaves and Masters the followup to Bent Out of Shape?

Find out on Rock Daydream Nation.

 

Grab A Stack of Bonus Tracks that Should Have Been on the Album! – Mike, Jex, Harrison & special guest Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation

This week’s show was so crazy, you could call it Unspooled!  As a last minute arrival, the 2nd edition of Tim Durling’s excellent book Unspooled: An Adventure in 8-tracks has come!  It is available on Amazon right now, so don’t miss it this time out.  This excellent story about a guy who collects and catalogues music is a must-have for its warm nostalgia, fact-based lists, and beautiful page art.  We unboxed this book at the top of the show and I encourage you all to check it out.

As for our lists:  tonight we looked at a number of bonus tracks that should have been on the albums!  B-sides, import or format exclusives, and other assorted sources comprised our selections of bonus tracks.  And mighty they were!  Our panel tonight:

  • Yours truly on bass.
  • Harrison Kopp on drums.
  • Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation on lead guitar.
  • Jex Russell on lead vocals.

With that lineup, we came up with some wicked lists and I encourage you to watch the whole show.  Some artists made multiple appearances, although no actual songs did.  Most, but not all, were in the hard rock realm.

Great responses in the comments, thanks to all who watched and participated!

My picks:

Van Halen – “Crossing Over” (Balance 1995)
Marillion – “The Release” (Seasons End 1989)
Ratt – “Scattered” (Infestation 2010)
KISS – “Got To Choose” (MTV Unplugged 1996)
Van Halen – “That’s Why I Love You” (3, 1998)

 

What Bonus Track Should Have Been On the Album? Grab A Stack of Rock – Mike, Jex, Harrison & special guest Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation

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

Episode 32:  What Bonus Track Should Have Been On the Album?

Our first episode since August 11!  Thanks for your patience, and I hope tonight’s show rocks your socks off!

One of the reasons we haven’t done a show since August 11 was the fault of one of tonight’s guests.  Please welcome Peter Kerr from Rock Daydream Nation to the show for the first time!  Last week, we were busy recording his excellent episode on Coverdale-Page.  (The week before that was simply a weekend off at the cottage.)  This week he’s returning the favour, and we’re so happy to have him on for the first time!  Two Canadians vs. two Australians!

Harrison the Mad Metal Man suggested this topic.  Knowing my love of bonus tracks and B-sides, he asked What Bonus Tracks Should Have Been on the Album?  A great question that I have often pondered in my own reviews.  It’s a Cinco de Listo Top Five list, and it was a real struggle to make my five picks count.

Also joining us tonight will be Jex Russell from Jex’s Vinyl World, who kindly set aside parental duties to take part.

Bonus tracks from singles and imports will all be on the table for tonight.  Which ones would really have enhanced the albums?  Let’s find out.

 

LIVE Friday Sept 1 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

 

Rock Daydream Nation: Coverdale Page – Is this Led Snake?

This is what we were up to Friday night, hence no episode of Grab A Stack of Rock.  Worth it!  I had a great time on Rock Daydream Nation with Peter Kerr, Tim Durling, John Clauser, and Reed Little.

This time we took a fairly deep dive into Coverdale-Page, the 1993 album and project featuring Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and David Coverdale of Whitesnake.  We discussed the history, the rumours, the tour, the performances, and of course the songs.  Was it more Led than Snake, or vice versa?  What were our first impressions when we heard Page and Coverdale were teaming up?  What songs would we choose to spotlight?

We also spent a moment honouring the fallen Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake).  Rest in peace, Bernie.

All this and more.  Hope you like it.

No Show Tonight: Taping with Rock Daydream Nation!

Did you enjoy the Vinnie Vincent Invasion episode we did with Peter Kerr on Rock Daydream Nation?  If so, you’ll be happy that I’m recording with him again tonight!  Yes it’s true…I get around the YouTube like the town bicycle.

I’m thrilled to be joining another Rock Daydream Nation show about another super-secret topic, this time with a serious cast of characters!  Tim Durling, John Clauser, Reed Little and I will be alongside Peter to discuss one of the most talked-about albums of the early 90s.  A personal favourite.  In fact, Deke and I interviewed the co-producer several years ago, on the LeBrain Train.

I’ve narrowed it down for you…now it’s time to guess!

Mike Fraser takes us inside the recording studio on an epic LeBrain Train

Another reason I’m excited is that this is my first official show with John Clauser, who I like very much and have been looking for a chance to work with.  Can’t wait to chat, John!  Check out John Clauser at My Music Corner on Youtube.  This outta be good.

#1079: How To Take the Weekend Off Guilt-Free

RECORD STORE TALES #1079: How To Take the Weekend Off Guilt-Free

Out of necessity, I’ve leaned back into live streaming hard this summer.  It was survival and I have to thank Jex Russell and Harrison Kopp for helping me make this happen.  Jex was there for me when all plans went out the window and along with Mr. Kopp and an array of awesome friends, we have managed to put out some of the best shows, and most popular to date.  The Canada Day show was a raging success.

I’ve also been busy recording projects behind the scenes some of which haven’t even been released yet.  I did a couple with Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, one with Grant’s Rock Warehaus. and one with Rock Daydream Nation, among other projects.  It’ll be cool for me to watch these as they finally drop, as we had good times talking controversial rock topics!

In order to enjoy what’s left of summer, and some earned time off, there will be no Grab A Stack of Rock tonight.  In fact, for the remainder of the season, if I’m at the cottage there won’t be a night show.  The sun is setting earlier, and there’s no wasting daylight around here.  And so, we’re taking this weekend off guilt-free.

It’s not easy, but sometimes in work, in life, and even in friendships, you have to prioritise yourself.   That’s OK; and you have to tell yourself that’s OK.  Get all your work stuff together so all your responsibilities are taken care of.  Make sure you’re good to go.  And then go!

There’s only so much time left before the leaves start changing, and this time, I’m going into autumn with a new attitude and new strategies.  No more making my plans around other people.  This time it’s about me – guilt free.

 

Rock Daydream Nation: Rock Court: In defence of Vinnie Vincent Invasion

One of the “super-secret” tapings I was involved with is finally ready for your viewing pleasure!

In this courtroom drama, I played the role of the prosecution, with Peter Kerr as the defense.  Judging was the honourable Reed Little (The Contrarians), who had to choose whether or not he was going to buy Vinnie Vincent Invasion, based on our testimony.

I have not seen the final episode myself, but I look forward to watching how I did with a couple weeks distance!  This show was a lot of fun, and I’ll be back on Rock Daydream Nation again this fall, defending a band I love!  (Or at least, an era I love from a band I like!)