The best of 2024 in rock and pop was on showcase this week on Grab A Stack of Rock. Tim Durling, Harrison Kopp and special surprise guest Uncle Meat brought their Top Fives and runners-up in this fun and action packed show.
What did you miss? Well, shirtless Jex for one. That one even scared off Peter Kerr, but did result in some pretty hilarious comments.
The comments section was lively, and if you want to catch Johnny Metal’s Top Five of 2024, his were in the comments section which I put on screen. Meanwhile, there was some minimal repetition, and actually less than I expected. Mr. Big, Deep Purple, Jon Anderson and Bruce Dickinson were among the artists who scored two hits on tonight’s lists. There was plenty of love for other artists’ new albums such of Opeth, Paul Di’Anno, Blaze Bayley (of course) and Arkells.
We also took a look at three books that I enjoyed in 2024 – two of them by Mr. Durling!
A fun, passionate and laugh-filled 90 minutes of music appreciation awaits you below.
See you December 31 at 9:00 PM EST for a drop in New Years Eve party!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 82: Ranked: Top Five Albums of 2024 with Harrison and Tim Durling
2024 was another fantastic year in music. From new music from legacy bands, to great reissues and live albums, to new music by newer bands, we saw it and heard it all in 2024.
What were your Top Five Albums of 2024? Leave them in the comments, or drop them in the live chat tonight, as Harrison, Tim and I talk Top Five Albums of 2024. I am always personally limited by what I was able to buy and what I had to miss in a given year. For example, last year I didn’t get Blame My Ex by the Beaches in time to make my list. This year, unfortunately Blaze Bayley didn’t make it into my inventory in time, nor did the new live Ghost. However, they may appear on other lists.
Join Tim, Harrison and myself tonight live at 7:00 PM EST to take part in the fun. Spirits will be high, and I may be drinking alcohol. We’ll just have to see what happens! Remember to let us know your own Top Five in the comments section.
Let the fun begin!
Friday December 20 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or onFacebook!
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.
2023: what a year! I have personally not experienced highs and lows like this since back in 2018. We’ll get into that in a minute. For now let’s talk music.
It was interesting to see both the Beatles and the Stones back on the charts. What year is it, anyway? Last I saw this happen, it was 1995. The Beatles Anthologies were coming out one per year, and the Stones had their latest CD Stripped on the Top 40. It was my second Christmas at the Record Store.
There were a number of new releases that I never got to in 2023, either due to time or budget or both, including the Beatles and Stones. I saw some people writing lists of their top 50 albums of 2023. My 2023 haul was much smaller. However, as usual, I do have a Top Five of banger albums that you absolutely need to own. Not stream – own! People who have Spotify accounts have been posting lists of their most streamed songs. That’s nice, but I don’t stream and I don’t just listen to songs – I listen to albums. Good songs, bad songs, the whole album without skipping. CD, vinyl, and cassette were all played and enjoyed here in 2023, with no apps tracking what I heard. Too bad! Support the artist in a real way, and buy physical product! They say CD is making a comeback. Let’s see what happens in 2024. As for 2023, here are my lists!
Hoping for a new physical EP in 2024! Check out this amazing uplifting track, because bad times will get better!
OK, so I guess I stream a little bit. 2023 was the year of the Arkells here at Ladano HQ. There are a lot of great Arkells live performances on YouTube, and some cool music videos as well. Here’s what YouTube had to say about that in 2023.
Sorry, Def Leppard. It has been a long and winding road with you, but this has not been a good year for us. I have not truly enjoyed a new Def Leppard album since 2015. This isn’t our first dry spell. I felt similarly negative towards you after Euphoria and X, but this latest album has only warranted two listens. I’m actually sorry that I bought it. This is one of the rare cases where I can justify skipping an album. (Think This Left Feels Right by Bon Jovi.)
I think it is possible that Def Leppard and I are through.
For me, 2023 will be the year that I learned to better trust my gut. I think we all know what I’m talking about here. Mistakes were made, and I chose to trust someone, over the screaming alarms in my head. She still generates massive hits and views, to this day eight months after the fact, but the cost was my happiness. I cannot apologise enough for foisting this person upon the community that I love. It was not worth it.
On the other hand, my instincts told me that Jex Russell is good people. I credit Jex for helping me keep Grab A Stack of Rock going last summer during the most painful of months. The Friday afternoon shows were a true joy. His enthusiasm and friendship redeemed 2023. And of course, Harrison was there too, as always, helping me keep the ship afloat with his incredible art and willingness to go live even when he didn’t care about the bands we were discussing. He even got to do a dedicated Blaze Bayley episode, and it was one of our most successful ever. Amazing! We had so many wonderful friends who guested in 2023, bringing light to my days and nights. Friends, old and new. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who helped me in this year. You know who you are, but what you don’t know is how much I needed you.
Jen had her struggles and nearly broke her jaw, but she keeps getting up and getting back in the saddle. Jen is my real #1. You’ve never seen someone fight so hard.
Rest in peace to Uncle Paul. I will wear your hat with pride at your beloved Lorne Beach this summer at the cottage. You will be with me in spirit.
We survived it all. Here we are. Allons-y.
In 2024 we look forward to new Judas Priest (Invincible Shield), Ace Frehley (10,000 Volts), Bruce Dickinson (The Mandrake Project), and maybe even Guns N’ Roses. Now where have I heard that before?
Please join me in 2024 as I continue to review music from my humongous collection, live stream with friends, and hopefully have a laugh or two. I’ve been knocked down, but I get up again…
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #350 The Year in Review / Top Five of 2014
Another year come and gone! Am I older and wiser? I think so, musically speaking anyway! It was a great year for music (and a baffling year too, hello Scott Stapp and Phil Rudd)! Narrowing down my favourites to a Top Five wasn’t all that difficult once I thought about it. There were some clear contenders so it was more about sorting out the order. I’ll save the Top Five(s) for last.
I lost two friends this year, both of whom went way too soon. Both had moved out of town long ago (one out of the country), but we recently reconnected via social media. Warren was the guy who helped get me started on this crazy journey of writing, being the first to publish me. George, an old friend from childhood, helped me discover Kiss. Both left this earth in 2014, and the world is sadder for it. Rest in peace boys.
That aside, my proudest writing achievement was finally finishing the Record Store Tales. I had so much fun sharing those stories over the years. I took my time ending it; I was having a good time. But I knew there were people who wouldn’t like it; that’s happened before. Again I’ll apologize to the two who complained, for any offence I caused them. These two guys were friends from the store, but neither had really expressed any support for what I was doing, and I don’t think they particularly liked it. I never had anything bad to say about either of them, but I get that they might not like things I had to say about their friends; I totally get that. I also get that they had different experiences at the Record Store than I did. That’s fine. I want to be clear that my experience was mine alone. I cannot speak for anyone but myself. (Interesting footnote though: Back in Part 170, I mentioned that our accountant Jonathan used to talk about who he trusted at the store, and who he didn’t. One of the people he never trusted was one of those two guys, because of his personal friendship with the higher-ups. Just a footnote.)
Anyway, I don’t want to focus on the negative. I did some rough calculations and by reckoning, the number of Record Store Tales that were negative towards the store was only about 16%.
So! Onto the lists! My Top Ten Favourite Record Store Tales of 2014:
As an added bonus, I also found my Top Five Albums of 2004 among my journals! For shits n’ giggles, here is a “bonus” installment of Record Store Tales for you! And Happy New Year to ya!
BONUS RECORD STORE TALES Part 350: Top Five of 2004
5. BRANT BJORK – Local Angel
4. PEARL JAM – Live at Benaroya Hall: October 22, 2003
3. THE KILLERS – Hot Fuss
2. THE HIVES – Tyrannosaurus Hives 1.MARILLION – Marbles
Stay tuned for more Top Lists of 2014 in the days ahead!
No bullshit, let’s just get to the lists! Yes, lists! This year I asked some past contributors & readers to give me their Top Five Albums of 2013. Some have left comments with their lists. So let’s get to the lists — I also threw my hat into the ring!
5. OST- Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. Mostly for the Alan Partridge banter between tracks. Insanely funny stuff from Steve Coogan. Some decent music too. Featuring an eclectic playlist featuring the likes of; The Human League, Glen Campbell, Carly Simon, Sting and OMD. 4. Travis – Where You Stand Quietly released in August. Solid record from the Glasgow quartet.
3. David Bowie – The Next Day I’m one of the people who like all eras of Bowie. That’s it.
2. Sigur Rós – Kveikur Love this band. Everything they’ve done.
1. Steve Earle and The Dukes – The Low Highway Some of the best songs Steve has written. This record is up there for me with I Feel Alright and El Corazon.
Seb
Sebastien, whom I first met at Sausagefest is a talented guy and you will be hearing from him in the future! He’s a musician/ producer/ filmmaker/ Star Trek fan and we’ll be collaborating on something in 2014 for sure. Consider this Seb’s first guest shot.
5. Killswitch Engage – Disarm the Descent
4. Black Sabbath – 13
3. Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals – Walk Through Exits Only
2. Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King
1. Protest the Hero – Volition
Tom is our host at Sausagefest, and one of the Jedi Masters who helped instruct me in the ways of Rock. Top Five was simply not possible for this rock warrior.
11. Vista Chino – Peace
10. Motorhead – Aftershock
9. Deep Purple – NOW What?!
8. Charles Bradley – Victim of Love
7. Anthrax – Anthems
6. Voivod – Target Earth
5. Steve Earle – The Low Highway
4. Black Sabbath – 13
3. Orange Goblin – A Eulogy For The Fans
2. Clutch – Earth Rocker
1. Ghost – Infestissumam
You guys already know Uncle Meat from his numerous lists in the past. Please welcome back the one, the only, the man the myth the legend, Uncle Meat. He’s submitted a Top 8 this year. That’s cool with me.
8. Motorhead – Aftershock
7. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2
6. Vista Chino – Peace
5. Ghost – Infestissumam
4. The Sadies – Internal Sounds
3. Black Sabbath – 13
2. Sound City Players – Real to Reel
1. Steve Earle – The Low Highway
LeBrain
I thought I had my Top Five nailed down weeks ago. Then, Aaron threw a spanner in the works by giving me the new Pearl Jam for Christmas. Instantly enamored with this sure-to-be classic, I had to re-think my Top Five.
Then, just two days ago I realized that one of my albums is a 2012 release. But I felt so strongly about it, that I can’t take it out. So here’s a Top Six.
I would also like to give credit to the new self-titled Dream Theater for putting out an album that caused me to rethink this list over and over and over again!
2013 was an interesting and exciting enough year that I’ve decided to do another buncha lists tomorrow! We’ll be looking at movies, television and more. Come back then for some bonus Top 5’s of 2013.
mikeladano.com 