Tim Durling

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 571: Sammy Hagar Deep Dive #3 (Musical Chairs)

To coincide with his new book RED ON BLACK: The Listener’s Guide to Sammy Hagar, Tim Durling and I took a deep dive on album #3:  Musical Chairs.

Here’s what Tim has to say about this episode:

“@GrabAStackofRocK‬’s Mike Ladano joins me for this look through Sammy’s third album, his second to be released in 1977. For the most part, we agree on this one. Be sure and subscribe to Mike’s channel for great content.“

This is the last show recorded at the cottage in 2024, in front of a nice fireplace.  I unboxed my copy of the book on this show.  Buy your own by clicking below!

Purchase RED ON BLACK: The Listener’s Guide to Sammy Hagar.

Rock Daydream Nation: Van Halen with David Lee Roth: Best Song, Worst Song, Every Album

“One of the best shows I have EVER been a part of!” – Mike

“It’s definitely a top shelf RDN show for sure!” – Peter

The pleasure is always mine when I get to be a part of Rock Daydream Nation.  I absolutely love Peter’s show; it challenges us and it entertains you.  This was a relatively easy show for me.  All I had to do was listen to Van Halen all week, and pick my favourite and least favourite songs from the Roth albums.  That’s it!  Beats workin’!

Tim Durling joined us for this amazing showcase of tunes, with some surprises.  What was clear is this:  least favourites are all but irrelevant.  They’re all favourites to different degrees!  I learned that I tend to gravitate to the more melodic side of Van Halen.  Meanwhile, Peter was able to glean some meaning behind some of Roth’s lyrics.

Top shelf RDN is right.  Top Jimmy would be proud.

 

The Contrarians Live: BROWN Album Covers tonight at 7:00 PM EST!

A sequel to last week’s show!  Last Wednesday, we saw quite a few brown album covers when we looked at minimalist album art.  This week we’re following that up with brown album covers!  I will be joining the Contrarians LIVE tonight at 7:00 PM EST for this excellent topic idea.  Each of us has ten picks.  I will have the honour of sitting on a panel with:

  • Grant Arthur
  • Tim Durling
  • John “Johnny Homework” Clauser
  • Jamie Laszlo
  • Peter “The Professor” Jones.

60 unique picks for brown cover art.  I’ve given my list a twist:  all Canadian artists!

THE CONTRARIANS – Brown Album Covers – Wed. October 23 7:00 PM EST

The Contrarians Live: Minimalist Album Covers tonight at 7:00 PM EST

I will be joining the Contrarians LIVE tonight at 7:00 PM EST for an excellent topic idea:  minimalist album covers.  Each of us has ten picks.  I will have the honour of sitting on a panel with:

  • Martin Popoff
  • Grant Arthur
  • Tim Durling
  • John “Johnny Homework” Clauser
  • Jamie Laszlo
  • Peter “The Professor” Jones.

70 unique picks for minimalist cover art.  This outta be good.  Link is below!

#1159: The Community is Dead – Long Live the Community!

RECORD STORE TALES #1159:
The Community is Dead – Long Live the Community!

Once Upon A Time, the old WordPress music Community was an important part of our daily breakfast.  It was a wonderful way to connect and talk music with like-minded folks.  It was even a good way to seek support in our lives.

Then in 2023, the Community died.  I don’t know why, and I no longer care.  It’s possibly a “type of feint, or fake technique, whereby a player draws an opposing player out of position or skates by the opponent while maintaining possession and control of the puck.” People just…disappeared.  Ghosted.  I actually don’t want to know why.  “Let the past die,” Kylo Ren said.  “Kill it, if you have to.”  That is done, but not by my own hand.

I knew it was dead in 2024, when several people from the old Community refused to watch or acknowledge my trip to Toronto with Aaron, the Community’s spiritual leader.   It was a shunning, with intent.  Rest in peace, Community!

Whatever their issues are, I hope they find peace and harmony, wherever they went and whatever they are doing now.  I miss them. But there was a silver lining.

A new Community awaited me.  A bigger, more welcoming Community.  A Community that stretches from Australia to America, east coast to west, and up north to Canada.  A stronger Community. For me it began as the old Community died in 2023.  Marco D’Auria encouraged me to work with the Contrarians, and suddenly I started getting invites to appear on other shows, such as Rock Daydream Nation and My Music Corner.  With these fine folks, together, we have rebuilt what was lost.  Bigger, better, faster, stronger!

I welcome you to the Community!  A place where we support each other, collaborate, and celebrate the power of music!  A place where you will not be judged for your mistakes, nor shunned.

Welcome…I bid you welcome!

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 553: Salute to AEROSMITH! TOP 5 Albums from the Bad Boys of Boston [VIDEO]

Today August 26 at 3:00 PM EST!

 

Aerosmith have called it a day, at least insofar as playing live is concerned.  While we know a series of reissues is coming, it is likely that Aerosmith are done as an active band.  I never got to see them live, but at least I did get to participate in this great Top Five album ranking with Tim, Jex and Will!  (The same team that did a “least favourite Kiss list last year.)

The task was simple:  Pick our top five Aerosmith albums, and two runners-up.  This time, Jex didn’t go wild and pick, like, Just Push Play as his #1.  In fact we think these lists were pretty rock solid!  Some lesser-appreciated albums were given love, and the “big ones” were well represented.  Studio only, no live or compilations.

Please enjoy this show as much as we enjoyed making it.

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions: Ep. 548: Mr. Big (Ten review) [VIDEO]

Today on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, we deep dive into the new (final?) Mr. Big album called Ten.  Shockingly, it’s their tenth studio album.  I know, right?  It’s also a few firsts:  the first album with no songwriting from bassist Billy Sheehan, and debut Mr. Big album for new drummer Nick D’Virgilio.  It has been eight long years since their last album, Defying Gravity, which wasn’t bad at all.  Did they top it?  Did they go out on a good note?

My written review will go up tomorrow.

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions: An Album in Review: Helix – Wild in the Streets

A few weeks ago, Tim & I tackled a classic Helix album on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions. Check out this 4:07 mini album review, in which we discuss the album and the rare Canadian glow in the dark cassette.

The album should have been bigger than it was, so hopefully we spread some appreciation in the video below.

The Best Birthday Party Ever! Thank you Jex, John, Tim, Jen and a cavalcade of guests for an awesome Grab A Stack of Rock celebration

The birthdays keep coming, relentlessly as the tides, but Jex Russell ensured that this one was special and different indeed.

This birthday, I was joined by Jex, John Clauser and Tim Durling for a fun Friday afternoon that turned quite epic by the end.  Before that surprise unfolded, we took a look at my new shelving and a large chunk at my CD collection.  We discussed favourite birthday memories and a movie in its 40th anniversary this year:  The Last Starfighter.  (This led into a side discussion on Howard the Duck.)

Jen joined us for gifts at the halfway point of the show.  She gifted me with two new releases and one deluxe live album.  You’ll have to watch the show and see!  (Clue:  royal rodents and the Phoenix lights.)

As a finale, Jex unveiled his surprise.  With the assistance of Tim Durling, it was like an episode of “This Is Your Life”, or a Cameo with all my favourite people.  Jex’s presentation included friends both famous and infamous. There was even an acoustic version of the Grab A Stack of Rock theme song performed by Johnny Metal himself. Thank you, John!

Here is Jex’s presentation:

By the end of it, I was flattered and honoured, and maybe my eyes were a little wet.  I’m not crying, you’re crying.  All my reactions to the kind words and surprise guests are live and unfiltered.

I’m the guy who usually has all the words.  I don’t have any this time.  If a picture is worth 1000 words, just watch my face.

Thank you everyone for everything.  Here’s to another year.

Extend-a-mix! Thanks Tim Durling for helping with the new Grab A Stack of Rock intro video

Even since the LeBrain Train days, I loved a good intro video to a live show.  Not too many YouTube shows do intro videos these days, but it has always been something I liked.  Even back in the Train days, I wanted an intro video with every guest we ever had appearing in it.  That carries over to Grab A Stack of Rock.  The only problem is, the intro video was 1:14 minutes long, and it was getting harder and harder to cram everyone in.  I had to sacrifice a lot of Harrison’s Lego art in order to fit everyone.

The other problem with the intro video were the lyrics.  There was one line that was relevant when the show started, but not anymore.  I figured the only thing I would be able to do was hire a band (I had one in mind) to re-record the entire song from scratch.

Fortunately, audio wizard and author Tim Durling had a quicker, easier, and cheaper solution. He made some minor edits to the original track and voila!

This new version of the song is extended by nine seconds, an absolute eternity in some ways, and enough to pack in a lot more Lego art and show cameos.  The new version includes the latest guest to appear on our show, Mr. Matt Phillips.

With this new show intro, we’ll be able to keep adding guests for the next year.  Thank you so much Tim for doing this.  As Johnny Walters used to say, “the cheque is in the mail!”

Please enjoy and let me know your feedback!