Thanks to those who read my blog, I am looking for some help in winning tickets to the "Gigantour" that is hitting Edmonton on Friday February 17th. I really want to see Megadeth and Motorhead on the same bill. There is a contest I entered to win tickets. I had to design a guitar pick, which you can see at the top of this post. All you have to do is click here and vote for my pick. You can vote once a day. Thanks to all those that vote. Contest runs til February 15th.
Today's KISS Collectible is the Ace Frehley action figure from the Psycho Circus series released in 1998 by McFarlane Toys. The figurines are based on the KISS characters they play in the Psycho Circus comic book series that came out in 1997. The Ace Frehley package is him with The Stiltman.
That's it for the Psycho Circus figurines. I am missing the Peter Criss one. Hope to get it one day.
My Black Keys "El Camino" vinyl collection finally came together last week. On Friday November 25th known as Black Friday in the United States, has also become another Record Store Day, where there are special vinyl releases. On this day, which has swept in to Canada now as well. There was a Black Keys 12 inch single release of the new Black Keys single "Lonely Boy" backed with "Run Right Back" from there upcoming new album "El Camino" that was to be released on December 6th. I picked up the limited edition "Lonely Boy" single release. What is cool about this single is that it plays in reverse groove, meaning it plays from the end of the record to the start, hence in reverse.
With a purchase of this release or any Black Keys product on Record Store Day at an independent record store in Canada (Permanent Records for me) you were entered to win an autographed test pressing of the new album "El Camino". Much to my surprise, a few weeks ago I got a call from Warner Records with the news that I had won a copy of the test pressing. I finally received the record last week. The test pressing was done by Furnace Manufacturing.
Test Pressing vinyl photos.
On December 6th the full length album "El Camino" was released on Nonesuch Records. I picked this up on vinyl as well. It is another great album by The Black Keys, well worth buying.
Official release.
Poster that came with album.
In concert news...The Black Keys will be playing in Edmonton for the second time within a year at Rexall Place on Saturday May 12th with openers Arctic Monkeys.
I forgot I had this piece of Rolling Stones memorabilia from the time I saw the Rolling Stones play in Edmonton on October 4th and 5th at Commonwealth Stadium on their Voodoo Lounge Tour. Refreshments were served in commemorative plastic Rolling Stones cups. The cups were free with your over priced drink.
Well I bit the bullet and purchased the Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration Lulu album, even though from what I had heard and read, it's an awful album. Because I have all the other Metallica albums on vinyl, I had to get this.
Here is what you don't wanna do, don't waste a Sunday afternoon, or anytime for that matter listening to this piece of shit album. Wow, it is just plain terrible. A total waste of time. I have nothing good to say about this album.
When I had first heard of this collaboration, I thought it was going to be interesting, I have always been a fan of Metallica, well there old stuff anyways, and have liked most of Lou Reed's stuff. I was really hoping this would be good. Well it isn't. Enough said. Save your money and don't bother.
Today's KISS Collectible is the Paul Stanley action figure from the Psycho Circus series released in 1998 by McFarlane Toys. The figurines are based on the KISS characters they play in the Psycho Circus comic book series that came out in 1997. Today's is the Paul Stanley figure as The Starbearer with The Jester.
Paul Stanley just celebrated his 60th Birthday on Friday, here is a video of him at his party singing the Led Zeppelin song "You Shook Me". Happy Birthday Paul Stanley.
Bringing back an old feature. Old school album of the week. And this week it is the Deep Purple album "Perfect Strangers" from 1984. This was the first new Deep Purple album I had ever bought, as it was their first new album in nine years. I had heard all there old stuff, but when this came out, I was super excited to get my hands on this. The album didn't let me down either. It rocks from start to finish, from opener "Knocking At Your Back Door" (nice song title, guess what it's about?), to the last song "Hungry Daze". This album had the classic line up of Ian Gillan on vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar (last album he ever did with Deep Purple), Roger Glover on bass, Jon Lord on keyboards and Ian Paice on drums.
My favorite tunes and lyrics on the album are.
- Knocking At Your Back Door "The log was in my pocket, When Lucy met the rocket, and she never knew the reason why"
- Mean Streak "She drives me crazy gets inside my brain, She spends my money down a drain, So I roll over for my reward, How much can I afford, And she says, Just a little more"
- Perfect Strangers I love the organ intro and the riff that opens the song.
- A Gypsy's Kiss "John Wayne The Alamo, Crazy Horse Geronimo, I'll smoke a piece with you, Mind body heart and soul, We got rock n' roll, And there's nothing they can do"
- Hungry Daze Again this song opens with an awesome riff and organ intro. "Along the mountain road to do some drinking, and now we are mobile again, Different girls,laughing girls,forever girls, and it's so loud"
I have to say, I still think this album stands the test of time. Lovin' it, like I did back as a teenager when I used to listen to this while I delivered the newspaper at 5 in the morning. Good stuff!!!
In concert news...Deep Purple will be playing in Edmonton on Tuesday February 21st at Rexall Place. The line up for this tour is Ian Gillan on vocals, Steve Morse on guitar (been with the band since 1994), Roger Glover on bass, Don Airey on keyboards (in band since 2002) and Ian Paice on drums.
Today's KISS Collectible is the Gene Simmons action figure from the Psycho Circus series released in 1998 by McFarlane Toys. The figurines are based on the KISS characters they play in the Psycho Circus comic book series that came out in 1997. Today's is the Gene Simmons figure as The Demon with his Ring Master.
I just picked up this DVD at my local record store Permanent Records here in Edmonton. It is a DVD I didn't know even existed. It is a DVD about the San Diego cowpunk band The Beat Farmers. The DVD is called "Pay-Up Cheaters!, The Story Of The Beat Farmers" released in 2006 by Hawk Circle Productions.
It is a documentary on the band The Beat Farmers, I didn't know a whole lot about the band. I have been a fan of them and knew about lead singer,drummer,guitarist Country Dick Montana passing when he had a heart attack while performing in Whistler, B.C. in 1995.
I had heard lots about their live performances, which is what they were famous for. I never had the chance to see them play live, so this was the next best thing.
The film tells the story about how they came together, with lots of interviews from former members of the band, as well as interviews with celebrities like Dwight Yoakam, Dave Alvin, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos fame, Steve also produced Beat Farmer's first album "Tales Of The New West", Mojo Nixon and disc jockey Dr.Demento who first played them on the radio. The film also has some archival footage of live and television performances. It's an interesting film with some good stories, I just wish there was more live stuff. I would love to see a full concert of the band. Country Dick Montana looked like he really knew how to put on a show, his stage presence was amazing, especially when he got up from the drums and sang lead. Always a beer in his hand, soaking the crowd and really carrying on. There is also a clip of him at the start where he is just wailing away on the guitar, the man was multi talented and would have been a lot of fun to see live. His back up band was excellent as well with Jerry Raney on guitar, Rolle "Dexter" Love on bass and Buddy Blue on guitar and vocals whom passed away in 2006.
I enjoyed the DVD (about an hour and twenty minutes in length) and learned a lot about the band, the only complaint I have is that I wish there was more live footage.
Just finished reading the autobiography by Paul Di'anno called "The Beast". To those who don't know who Paul Di'anno is, he was the lead singer in Iron Maiden between 1978-1981 and sang on their first two records Iron Maiden and Killers. He later went onto front his own bands Battlezone, Killers and his own solo project.
The only thing I can say about Paul Di'anno after reading this book is no wonder he was kicked out of Iron Maiden, or left the band, so he says. This man is a fuckin' douche bag in every way. Now I would never say this to the man's face, the guy is a psycho, but hiding behind my monitor and keyboards, I will say it again, Loser.
The book starts off with his days in Maiden, slugging it out in the clubs like all bands do, but then eventually getting some recognition and money. Once the money started to roll in he went off on the drugs and drink. Mainly cocaine and Jack Daniels, nice mix. The man couldn't get along with anyone in the band, therefore told to get the hell out.
Once he started his own projects, things only got worse. The book is full of drunken, drugged out stories of being on the road and wreaking havoc. From fighting with his own bands members (kicking the teeth out of his own guitarist) fights with his own fans, managers, and then worse of all women in his life, beating his wife so bad that he eventually did jail time for it. The man is a whack job. No wonder he has been married six times. For some reason women were attracted to him, probably because of all his bullshit stories. I think he is schizophrenic and the coke and alcohol surely don't help matters. I will give him this, he is brutally honest in the book, telling stories of his fights with women and such. Not something to be proud of that's for sure. But he tells it like it is, and says himself he is terribly embarrassed about it. Still doesn't excuse himself for being such a douche bag. How Paul Di'anno is still alive is beyond me, but he is, and is still out playing shows, mostly overseas as he is banned from the USA.
I didn't know a whole lot about Paul before this book other then him being in Iron Maiden at the beginning. He sure takes the shine off himself in this tell all book.
Today's KISS Collectible is a comic book that came out in late November. Is there anything KISS won't put there name on. Now this isn't the first time KISS has ventured into the comic thing but really, Archie Meets KISS. While I have never been a big fan of comics, I had to get this. It is the first of a four part series featuring KISS. Looks like the storyline is going to be KISS being super heroes as Riverdale gets over run by zombies. Sounds lame, but you can bet I will be getting all four comics.
This Rolling Stones DVD that was recorded in 1978 in Fort Worth, Texas is by far my favorite live Stones DVD I have seen. The show was recorded while the Stones were touring for their album "Some Girls". The show was in a smaller venue the "Will Rogers Auditorium" which holds 3,000 people and was billed as "The London Green Shoed Cowboys" which fooled no one. The Rolling Stones were playing mostly football stadiums on this tour with a few side shows in smaller venues, this being one of them.
The first thing I noticed when I started watching this show was Mick Jagger's pants, what the hell were you thinking Mick. They are the most ridiculous things I have ever seen. I thought the show started a little slow, but picked up as it went on, or maybe it was just me not having a buzz on when I first put it on. Regardless, as the show goes on I find them getting stronger and stronger and more and more into it. Mick is actually singing with some conviction, like he really means it. Which, from seeing them live and watching a few other DVD's, most times it looks like the band is just going through the motions, not at this show though.
The Stones do seven songs from the album "Some Girls" in which they were touring for, so that only makes sense. Probably why they seem to be into it so much, having done all the other songs,especially now a days a million times. I am sure it must get boring. The set list for this show is amazing. The "Miss You" is really good, Mick's voice sounds (as does the rest of the band Keith,Ronnie,Charlie and Bill) strong and they stretch out the song with some jamming going on in it. "Imagination " also comes across real good, especially when Mick yells the line "in reality, she don't Fucken' know me" now that's Mick getting his point across. Another song I was surprised to see and hear, one that I have never heard live before is the song "Star Star" better known as "Starfucker". Awesome stuff. The country flavoured song "Far Away Eyes" is quite good as well, which then leads into the blues song "Love In Vain". After that, it's back to Stones songs we have all heard many times before, "Tumbling Dice", "Happy" with Keith Richards doing his part, which is always fun listening to him sing and of course closing out the show with "Brown Sugar" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash". All and all I am really impressed with this DVD. The extras on the DVD is a Mick Jagger interview from 2011, man he looks his age. And some footage from the Rolling Stones on Saturday Night Live in 1978. Footage that I had already seen. I think this is a DVD worth checking out if you are a fan of The Stones. Good stuff!!!
I stumbled across these Corb Lund playing cards the other day while cleaning up. I forgot all about these. The cards were purchased at the Corb Lund show I saw at the Dinwoodie Lounge in Edmonton back in 2002. This show was the CD release party for Corb's "Five Dollar Bill" album that came out on Stony Plain Records. Corb Lund has been known to be a card player, hence why these were produced, I am sure.
