The Contrarians

Top Five Album Closers: Re-edited for length

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

Special Re-Run

Top Five Album Closers – LeBrain Train Re-edited

This was a great episode!  Originally run on October 15, 2021, the live stream was roughly two and a half hours long.  Far too lengthy to watch in 2026, we have brought this episode down to a perfect hour.  Where was Harrison that night?  Active in the comments, and watch out for a memorable “Bleep!” comment from Uncle Meat to the Mad Metal Man!

On hand that night were Tim Durling from Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, and his fellow Contrarian, Marco D’Auria, along with original cast member Uncle Meat.  The show was a sequel to Top Five Album Openers, two weeks prior.  We decided to follow up with the Top Five Album Closers of All Time, and with the input of these fine panel members, this was an entertaining show that we are very proud of.  The chat was brisk and informative.  The lists (at bottom, if you don’t feel like watching, although you should!) were diverse and full of great closing songs that you may not have heard.  It was a more challenging set of lists than Album Openers was, and there was very little crossover.  Many excellent selections from the mainstream to the obscure.  We also included a number of “bonus tracks” at the end:  the runners-up that were just as exciting as the songs that made our lists.

Thanks Tim, Marco and Meat for helping to create a must-watch episode.  Enjoy!

Friday March 20 at  7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

 


The Contrarians: Top 5 Wild Encounters Working at the Record Store

Thank you to Marco D’Auria for inviting me for this special episode of the Contrarians!  What are my Top Five Encounters when I was working at the Record Store?  I mulled it over and told some stories.   (I did mess up a couple minor details but nothing major.)  This fun 35 minute video highlights some of the funniest highs and lows of working at a Record Store for 12 years!  Many of these stories involve “live wire” customers!  Some are about some really rare CDs that I scored back in the day.

Working in used CDs during the Golden Age of the CD was an experience not many people get to have.  I am grateful that I am one of the few.  I will never forget it.  Please enjoy the show!

 

All my Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!
  25. Album Covers You Can Hear
  26. Album Covers You Can Smell
  27. Huh?!? Album Covers that Send the Wrong Message

The Contrarians Live: Full List of My Episodes

 

All my Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!
  25. Album Covers You Can Hear
  26. Album Covers You Can Smell
  27. Huh?!? Album Covers that Send the Wrong Message

The Contrarians Live: Huh?!? Album Covers that Send the Wrong Message

After a couple weeks off, I’m back on the Contrarians live show tonight to talk about…what, exactly?

The idea here is to find 10 albums covers that send the wrong message musically.  Maybe it’s a heavy album that looks too soft, or vice-versa.  Maybe it’s a studio album that looks like a compilation.  Perhaps it’s a record that looks like it’s from another genre.  Join the usual suspects tonight to have a look at our picks!

 

THE CONTRARIANSHuh?!? Album Covers that Send the Wrong Message – Wednesday June 18 –  7:00 PM EST


My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!
  25. Album Covers You Can Hear
  26. Album Covers You Can Smell
  27. Huh?!? Album Covers that Send the Wrong Message

The Contrarians Live: Album Covers You Can Smell

SCRATCH AND SNIFF!

This will likely be the last Contrarians show for me for a few weeks, as we have some house renovations coming that will make recording and streaming difficult.

From the mind of Martin!  Album Covers Your Can Smell?  Can we act like adults tonight?  Let’s hope there’s no Herbie Mann this time.

THE CONTRARIANS – Album Covers You Can Smell! – Wednesday May 28 –  7:00 PM EST

 


My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!
  25. Album Covers You Can Hear
  26. Album Covers You Can Smell

The Contrarians Live: Turn It Down! Album Covers You Can Hear!

We have a busy week here at Grab A Stack of Rock HQ, and it all starts tonight with my 25th appearance on the Contrarians!

From the mind of Martin comes “You Can Hear This Cover!”  Album covers that feel like you can actually hear what’s going on.  There are a variety of albums from many genres that you will hear all about on tonight’s live show.

Then tomorrow, John Snow and I have an epic interview to record, that we can’t tell you about…

Friday we’re going live with 50 Years of Iron Maiden…from the cottage!

And Saturday we’re recording with Tim’s Vinyl Confessions!

It all starts tonight.  Don’t miss any of it!

THE CONTRARIANS – Turn It Down! Album Covers You Can Hear! – Wednesday May 21 –  7:00 PM EST


My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!
  25. Album Covers You Can Hear
  26. Album Covers You Can Smell

No Contrarians Live tonight

G’day,

No show tonight, as Martin is off and the rest of us need a break.

Having these shows on Wednesdays all winter really did me a lot of good.  It gave me something to look forward to in the middle of the week during the cold dark months.  Now that summer is arriving, I cannot say what my involvement will be in the future.  We haven’t discussed a topic for next week yet, and there is the question of how many more album cover topics there are, that are both interesting and allow for a large panel.  We’re also losing a couple cast members for the coming weeks, as John Clauser is on hiatus and another is taking a break.

Stay tuned… we’ll see what next week brings!  In the meantime, why not check out one of these cool subjects below?

 


My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!

The Contrarians Live: Rock Out With Your Clock Out!

What Time Is It?

A fun topic this week with a lot of variation:  album covers featuring timepieces of any kind!  Though a challenge at first, it became easier once I allowed myself to think outside the box a little bit.  Unfortunately Peter Kerr cannot join us this week, and John Clauser is now on a sabbatical, so it will be a smaller group tonight.

I’ll be ready.  What time is it?  7:00 PM EST!

THE CONTRARIANS – Rock Out With Your Clock Out! – Wednesday April 30 –  7:00 PM EST

 


My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors
  23. Eyes Without A Face
  24. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!

The Contrarians Live: Eyes Without A Face

RESCHEDULED!

A topic from Martin this week:  Album covers featuring eyes, but not the full face!  This was a fun one to do, and I look forward to seeing what the other guys bring tonight.  My list has a lot of obvious picks, but as usual, Tim beat me to some good ones.  It feels like a race to get your list in every week!

Watch tonight and witness!

THE CONTRARIANS – Eyes Without A Face – Wednesday April 23 –  7:00 PM EST


My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors

The Contrarians Live: Eyes Without A Face

UPDATE:  Show is cancelled

 

A topic from Martin this week:  Album covers featuring eyes, but not the full face!  This was a fun one to do, and I look forward to seeing what the other guys bring tonight.  My list has a lot of obvious picks, but as usual, Tim beat me to some good ones.  It feels like a race to get your list in every week!

Watch tonight and witness!

THE CONTRARIANS – Eyes Without A Face – Wednesday April 16 –  7:00 PM EST

 


My Contrarians appearances to date:

  1. Nicknamed Album Covers
  2. Minimalist cover art
  3. Brown album covers
  4. Yellow album covers
  5. Albums with Fire and Explosions
  6. Spaceships! Aliens! Robots!
  7. This Album Cover is Hell!
  8. Toys & Games
  9. Dreaming in Stereo:  Beds & Sleep on album covers
  10. Favourite Bands…WORST Album Covers
  11. They Swapped Covers!
  12. Great Album Covers From Bands We Despise
  13. Top 10 NWOBHM Covers
  14. It’s A Piece of Art!
  15. Compilation Kaos!
  16. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hipgnosis!
  17. Amped Up!
  18. Packaging Fails
  19. Where’s the Band?
  20. Slippery When Wet
  21. Greetings From New York
  22. Done With Mirrors