Category Archives: CD Scavenger Hunt

Sep 30 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (September update)

The hunt for CDs always continues but September is always a slow month because of back to school and getting the house ready for Fall/Winter. September is also slow because there aren’t as many new releases because the Summer concert/release season has come and gone and a lot of new albums are planned closer to the Winter holidays. There were more than a few big releases though and I was at the record store buying them up on sale…..

Newbury Comics

Anthrax – Worship Music (2011) – $12: One of the most anticipated releases of 2011 for me because of the reunion with singer Joey Belladonna but also because there hasn’t been a new Anthrax record since 2003′s WE’VE COME FOR YOU ALL. That’s 8 long years! There’s been a lot of drama in the Anthrax camp at the singer slot with John Bush leaving and Belladonna coming in for a reunion tour, then Dan Nelson replacing Belladonna for a new record. When that didn’t work, Bush came back for festival dates and to try and record the Nelson material but that didn’t work and Belladonna came back for the Big 4 tour dates. Get all that? WORSHIP MUSIC has the classic lineup intact, save for Rob Caggiano on guitar, and it sounds like the band never parted ways with Belladonna back in 1992. I’ve been an Anthrax fan since the beginning and this is a classic ’80s styled release and it sounds great. Regular price was $16 so I saved $4.

Edguy – Age Of The Joker (2011) – $10: I have this love/hate releationship with Edguy. When they first came out in the late ’90s, they were a pure Power Metal band that I discovered while getting completely immersed in the growing Power Metal resurgence. As time went on, I had a harder time with the change in sound on albums like HELLFIRE CLUB (2004) and ROCKET RIDE (2006) to a more Hard Rock sound…..at least that’s what I hear. I always buy Edguy’s albums though and they’re always really good but I think they get overshadowed now by Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia projects. I couldn’t pass up the album though and it was on sale the day of release for $10, a $6 savings compared to the $16 regular price. I’ve read online that there’s a limited edition two disc version with six bonus tracks but it wasn’t available at the record store the day of release. Actually, I had no idea there was a special edition or I might have waited and bought online.

Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn Of Events (2011) – $16: The only reason why this new Dream Theater album seems so expensive is because I bought the special edition with the bonus DVD documenting the drummer auditions the band held to replace the departed Mike Portnoy. I thought that was pretty interesting and I wouldn’t mind seeing new drummer Mike Mangini’s (ex-Annihilator, Extreme, Steve Vai) induction to the band. Not really a surprise pick seeing that Mangini already worked on some of James LaBrie’s solo projects. This is Dream Theater though and I’m going to buy the album anyway, the only difference being do I want to shell out an extra $3 for a bonus DVD? The standard version was $13 on sale with a regular price of $16, the special edition was $16 on sale with a regular price of $22…..I saved $6 and got the bonus DVD that I’ll probably watch once!

Doro – 25 years In Rock…..And Still Going Strong (2011) – $20: Now here’s the reason I made the trip out to the record store this particular week! Doro Pesch has been around a long time and she is still kicking ass! I’ve been following her since the Warlock days and it seems that I’ve acquired a large Warlock/Doro collection over the years. Back in 2008, Doro celebrated her 25th year in Metal with a huge concert in her hometown of Dusseldorf, Germany with a ton of special appearances and guests from across the Metal world including a Warlock reunion! I’ve only seen and heard bits and pieces online and through various Doro releases but now the entire collection is finally seeing the light of day in the U.S…..it seems that this was released in Europe in november 2010 through Nuclear Blast Germany. The package includes 5 hours of concert footage & a documentary on 2 DVDs and a 43 minute audio CD of parts of the live 25th anniversary concert. The DVDs include the full anniversary show, the behind the scenes look at the show and a bunch of live extras from various festivals over the last few years. I would have preferred the full show on audio so I’m going to see if it’s available on that earlier European release. Regular price was $30, paid $20, saved $10.

Saxon – Call To Arms (2011) – $10: The new Saxon record was the only reason I made a second trip to the record store during September…..like I said, it was a slow month but I’m not missing a new album from one of my favorite bands! CALL TO ARMS was released a few weeks earlier in Europe and I’d read some great reviews so I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, the cover doesn’t impress but the music sure does! There were two versions of this CD: the standard and the special edition that included the Live At Donington 1980 live album. That Donington ’80 live album has been repackaged so many times that it’s become kind of a joke, if you already own the original like I do then there’s no reason to buy the special edition. The original Donington ’80 is relatively easy to find as well. Regular price here was $13 (the special edition was $16) and the sale was $10 ($13 for the special) so I saved $3.

Sebastian Bach – Kicking & Screaming (2011) – $14: Just like Edguy, I have this love/hate thing going with Sebastian Bach. Most of the time, I find the guy to be full of himself and he really hasn’t released much since Skid Row’s SUBHUMAN RACE (1995). Granted that he did Braodway and a lot of work on television with MTV Networks and reality TV but his solo projects haven’t been barnburners for me. He had the group The Last Hard Men, a half studio/half live album, a covers album, ANGEL DOWN (2007) and the Frameshift collaboration in 2005. For me the Frameshift record is the best of them all so I wasn’t expecting much. Then I look at the guy and he embodies that “rock star” persona and you know the talent is there so I always have hope. I heard the first single, the title track, and it sounded pretty good so I decided to take the chance.  I ended up buying the special edition with the bonus DVD that include the making of the album, live bonuses and videos while the proper CD has a bonus track ‘Jump Off The Wagon’. Regular price was $20, paid $14, saved $6.

House Of Lords – Big Money (2011) – $13: One thing I like about the Newbury Comics I shop at is that they group all the Frontiers Records’ new releases together in the new release section, I end up buying albums I totally forgot about all the time! Right next to the Sebastian Bach was the new House Of Lords which, just like Doro, I seem to have acquired almost all of the band’s albums very quietly. The problem with that is I usually end up not giving these House Of Lords albums enough time on the stereo…..maybe it’s because the first two albums were so good? Frontman/co-founder James Christian is back again as the only one left from the glory days and he’s done a great job of keeping HOL alive, the guy also still has a great voice. I forgot about this album so I grabbed the only copy in the store for the $13 sale price. Regular price for this Frontiers import was $17 so I saved $4. Just a quick thought…..I realize the crest is the band’s trademark but couldn’t we vary some of these album covers a little?

Michael Monroe – Sensory Overdrive (2011) – $10: This CD was a complete out of the blue purchase. I’m not a big Hanoi Rocks or Michael Monroe fan because I just never got around to buying most of the albums. I have a few but I bought them years ago and haven’t revisited them in years. So I’m browsing the regular priced Rock section and I notice one of the clerks stocking a section so I asked the guy if he had good stuff. The guy told me to give this disc a try so I took it and added it to my shopping basket. If you’ve read this website long enough then you know I always grab a handbasket when I walk in and I fill it with all the good stuff I find. When I’m done, I make my decisions, keep what I’m buying and I restock the other CDs back on the shelves where they belong. When it came down to decision time, the reason why I took a chance on Michael Monroe was because the other competing albums had multiple copies and this had only one, the others were a few dollars more, this was a lower price and I quickly pulled up a few reviews on my phone. I figured $10 sale price was worth a chance…..regular price was $13 so I saved $3.

Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising (2011) – $12 used: I ended up find ing the latest Amon Amarth album on my third and final trip to Newbury Comics in September, I actually went back to the store the day after I bought the Saxon, Bach, Monroe and Lords albums because I forgot to buy my wife a CD she asked me to pick up. So I go back in and I decide to do a quick double check of the Metal section because how much is really going to change in 24 hours? Well SURTUR RISING wasn’t there the day before and there were two copies: a new one for $20 and this used one for $12! This is the special edition digipak that includes the 10 song CD and the 33 track DVD – BLOODSHED OVER BOCHUM, GERMANY 12/28-12/31/2008. I saved the $8 over the regular price and the content value is great for that price but this was a solid purchase because 1) the digital download I received from the promo company had a glitch in it and I couldn’t download the entire album and 2) I haven’t seen a copy of SURTUR RISING stocked in any of the various Newbury Comics locations I’ve been in since a month after the album’s release. The search is over and I paid just under what the original sale price was on the new release date.

Kik Tracee – No Rules (1991) – $3 used: If you find one great bargain then there’s bound to be another! Nothing else of any significance cam out of the quick check of the Metal section so I went over to the bargain bin for a quick check and there it was right in front of the ‘K’ section. I’ve been looking for a good copy of NO RULES for a long time but everytime I search Kik Tracee on Ebay, the available copies are either going through a bidding war or the BUY IT NOW is set extremely high. I quickly checked Ebay for some current prices and the range was as low as $15 for a used CD and as high as $75 for the Japanese import. Either way, $3 for a mint condition used CD is an awesome price, especially considering the demand and my quest for the album. Instant purchase! Of course, I forgot my wife’s CD when I was ready to check out but I did go back and get it. Average price on Ebay is around $25 but I will go with the lowest price I saw of $15 so I saved $12.

Best Buy

Chickenfoot – III (2011) – $13: There is never any reason to go to a big box retailer like Best Buy, Target or Wal-Mart for a CD unless there is some exclusive release or variation. I walked into Best Buy about an hour after the doors opened the morning the new Chickenfoot was released and I couldn’t find a copy! I asked a sales associate and he looked at me like I was insane. I asked the cashier I saw reading a magazine, she had no idea. I even got the sales flyer and showed these people the CD…..they searched the FOUR racks of CDs they had and there was nothing. New release rack? Nothing. Finally I asked for the store manager because why advertise a limited edition release exclusive to Best Buy if you aren’t going to display it on the sales floor? The manager comes up, makes a call, and a fresh box of CDs arrives from the stockroom! I got one, another guy grabbed one and the fresh out of high school sales associate stocked the other 20 or so CDs in the new release rack. All this for a simple CD? No wonder the business is in shambles! Regular was $16, sale price $13, so I saved $3.

Total = $133

Total (year) = $802

Average Price (per item) = $8.72

Total Savings (month) = $65

Total Savings (year) = $735

Total CDs (year) = 86

Total DVDs (year) = 5

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 1

Sep 15 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (August update) – The Birthday Edition

This is one of the rarest moments in my 29 years as a practicing Metalhead…..I didn’t spend any of my own money on music!!!That’s a crazy statement considering how much I do spend! August 16th marked my 39th birthday and I gathered all my presents (cash & gift cards) and decided to spend them wisely. The first thing I did was buy my $30 ticket to the Mr. Big concert and keep some money aside for a nice meal afterward but, after that was taken care of, the rest was marked for the Hunt!

(NOTE — I will list what the actual prices were but I didn’t actually spend my own cash, the savings will be the same as the actual price.)

I did receive a few actual gifts from my wife and kids…..

Black Sabbath – Born Again (2011 Deluxe Edition) – $38: My quest to acquire all the post-Ozzy Black Sabbath deluxe editions continues and my wife and kids came through with this awesome album…..BORN AGAIN! I remember seeing this album cover in the record stores back in the day and wondering what kind of heaviness was on there. Of course when I bought it years later, I found out and it’s one of the most underrated Sabbath albums, and Metal albums, of all-time especially considering all the hype with Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan replacing Ronnie James Dio. The package includes the original record remastered, two bonus tracks and the BBC Friday Rock Show broadcast of Sabbath at the Reading Festival in August 1983 along with a great booklet. Is this package worth the $38? To me, the collector and a big Sabbath fan, yes! If I was buying this on my own I probably would have found the best price online but my 13 year old daughter had a list with specific details, instructions, prices and locations for these CDs at the record store. I’d rather have the CD in my hands right away anyway so I was psyched to actually find it in a record store and have my daughter retrieve it. The price is so high because this is a new release only available as an import. Saved $38.

Black Sabbath – Dehumanizer (2011 Deluxe Edition) – $28: The quest continues! Now I only need the HEAVEN & HELL deluxe edition to keep the collection updated but that’s another post. DEHUMANIZER is one of my favorite records, especially from Black Sabbath, and it’s got Ronnie James Dio on the mic! This was a big deal record for me back in 1992 because this was the big reunion with Dio and I had tickets to the Boston, MA show at The Orpheum! The package includes the remastered album with a second disc that includes three bonus tracks and five live tracks from the concert in Tampa, FL on 7/25/92 and a great booklet. I checked my original CD copy from 1992 and the ‘Time Machine (Wayne’s World version)’ is there already so, for me, the bonuses are the single edit of ‘Master Of Reality’ and the B-side version of ‘Letters From Earth’. Is $28 worth it? Yes and the price is comparable to online vendors even though this is also an import. Again, my daughter had her instructions and she came through big time! Saved $28.

Grave Digger – The Clans Are Still Marching (2011) – $22: This was a must have purchase for me months ago when it came out because I love Grave Digger and their last few records have been great but also because this was a 2 disc package with the live record on CD and the show on DVD. When the album/DVD came out, the local record store had two versions: a DVD copy with the bonus CD and a CD copy with the bonus DVD. In the end, it’s the same thing except for the packaging, one was in a DVD case and one was a hardcover CD book. Either way you buy it, you’re getting the same deal. There were two copies of each package style on the day of release but there was a price difference of $3 between the two with the DVD style being cheaper. Of course, I waited too long and someone else bought the DVD style copy. Who are these people? Who else in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts likes Grave Digger? Obviously someone because my daughter had to pay $3 more for the CD style copy! Like I said, same content inside with both the CD and DVD containing the full show. Saved $22.

The rest of my gifts were cash and gift cards so I spent them wisely after I put money aside for the Mr. Big show…..

Ghost – Opus Eponymous (2011) – $10: I have been hearing a lot about Ghost since this album was released in Europe in October 2010 but I waited until the North American release in early 2011 to add it to my want list. A lot of Mercyful Fate/King Diamond references and influences from what I can tell but I haven’t cracked the cellophane on this CD yet to find out for myself. Probably the biggest influence on me to buy this CD was my Metal friends that work at the Newbury Comics I go to…..both recommended it highly! These guys have seen me every week for the last number or years and they know I’m a devout Metalhead so Ghost became a serious recommendation. I grew up in record stores and I used to buy a lot of albums based on the album cover, this cover screams old school late ’70s/early ’80s Metal! Regular price on this was $14 but I got it on sale for $10 so I saved $4 but, because it was gift money, I really saved the full $10.

Bitch – Be My Slave & Damnation Alley E.P.  remaster (2011) – $16: This remaster was a total surprise because I didn’t have a clue that it was going to be released. I already have the originals of both albums on vinyl from 1982 and 1983 and that’s the reason why I never got around to buying the original 1989 Metal Blade CD issue (still in print) but, when I saw this on the new release rack, I snapped it up! What makes this new remaster is the bonus DVD of the band’s performance at the Keep It True XIV Festival in Germany back in April, classic performances from the band’s L.A. stomping grounds in the early ’80s and a couple of music videos. Add in a previously unreleased bonus track, ‘Let’s Go’, that’s a recorded demo from 1985 for the subsequent album THE BITCH IS BACK and it’s a lot of bang for the buck for some classic ’80s Metal. Obviously Bitch is active so you can head over to Bitchmetal.com to find out more about the band. No choice on this one, regular price all the way but it wasn’t my money so I saved the full $16.

Black Tide – Post Mortem (2011) – $5: I got into Black Tide back in 2008 when they released their debut record LIGHT FROM ABOVE and I enjoyed it a lot so I was definitely getting the new album. I was so into that first record that it even made my Top 30 of 2008! It’s a crowded Hard Rock and Heavy Metal world so I put POST MORTEM on the want list but it wasn’t at the top…..then I got a $5 gift certificate sent to me from Best Buy for my birthday so I ended up buying this album there for $5 ($10 regular price). Again, birthday money used so I saved the full $10 including the coupon. Even though I’m psyched about the new album, and getting it for a really great price, it was really an afterthought kind of purchase. Best Buy has no selection whatsoever for music, the CD section is maybe four racks now and it’s disappointing to see that the iTunes gift card section is larger. A sign of the times?

Airrace – Back To The Start (2011) – $17: You may remember Airrace as the band that gave drummer Jason Bonham (son of the late Led Zeppelin skinsman John Bonham) his first proper recording gig with the 1984 debut SHAFT OF LIGHT. Unfortunately, the band broke up shortly after but they have reformed (without Bonham) and recorded this new comeback album. I had no idea Airrace was back but I saw this single copy sitting in the new release rack at the record store and I grabbed it before anyone else had a chance. One thing I’ve learned over the years: always grab what you see first and make a final decision just before checkout. $17 is a lot for a single CD but this is an import on Frontiers so I wasn’t surprised at the price. If I was spending my own money then I would try online first but the price is pretty much the same when you factor in shipping, etc. Saved $17.

Deep Purple – Fireball (25th Anniversary Edition) (1996) – $12 used: I love Deep Purple, probably the second most important band in the formation of what we call Hard Rock and Heavy Metal today. I got into Purple back in 1984 with their comeback album PERFECT STRANGERS , I was 11 or 12 at the time and I’ve bought every Purple album since. With all the classic albums getting up their in years, the band and record label have created some great anniversary editions that include B-sides, alternate takes and remixes along with detailed booklets. I found out about these editions back in the late ’90s when they were first released but they were extremely expensive in the $25 to $30+ range as imports. I’ve slowly started picking these up a little cheaper when I find them. I’ve learned a lot about these reissues through The Highway Star website and I have four out of seven of these anniversary editions that start with IN ROCK (1970) and are currently up to COME TASTE THE BAND (1975). I’ve seen regular price copies around $20 lately but getting this used and in pristine condition for $8 cheaper was a steal! Saved the full $12.

Alice Cooper – Love It To Death (1970) – $7: I’m trying to fill all the holes in my Alice Cooper collection in anticipation of the new album WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE (2011) and I was pleasantly surprised to see the record store oblige me by having a lot of old Alice on sale in the bargain bin. I have everything from CONSTRICTOR (1986) on but there are a few holes from the ’70s in my collection. There are some great songs here: ‘I’m Eighteen’, ‘Caught In A Dream’, Is It My Body?’, and ‘Ballad Of Dwight Fry’ that I’m familiar with from the Alice Cooper box set from 1999. I’ve seen copies of LOVE IT TO DEATH priced as high as $15 in some stores but my Newbury Comics had it for $10 regular price, $7 bargain bin sale price for a brand new, sealed original pressing. I saved the full $7 and I’m hoping that a little more searching will turn up a few more older Alice albums on sale.

Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare (1975) – $6: You can’t really by a new album that’s a sequel and understand it if you don’t already own the original! I surprised myself when I realized that I still had an old cassette of WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE instead of a fresh copy on CD, I swore I had already bought the CD! Called home and had the family double check and it’s not in the case so this was a quick no-brain purchase. Can’t beat the bargain bin sale price of $6 which was a savings of $4 off the $10 regular price. Unfortunately there weren’t more Alice Cooper CDs in the bargain bin besides this and LOVE IT TO DEATH because I would have bought as many as I could at these rock bottom prices. Brand new, sealed original pressing with classics like the title track, ‘Only Women Bleed’, ‘Cold Ethyl’ and ‘Department Of Youth’. Now if I could just find the first two Alice albums, PRETTIES FOR YOU (1969) and EASY ACTION (1970), I’d be really happy! Saved $6.

Cauldron – Chained To The Nite (2009) – $6 used: Check out that old school Metal album cover! It just screams ’80s Metal! I picked up Cauldron’s latest album BURNING FORTUNE (2011) back in February but I passed on buying this debut because there were so many copies in the racks (I consider more than three copies of an independent Metal release many) and I knew I could get it whenever I wanted. I kept this album on the want list but I kept passing it up until I saw a used copy among the three new ones at half the price so I went for it. Turns out that there’s a two track bonus disc included with two songs from their self-released 2007 E.P. INTO THE CAULDRON…..an added bonus! The regular price on the new CDs were $13 so buying used saved more than half the price right away but this is free money I’m playing with so I saved the entire $6 price tag.

Riot – The Privilege Of Power (1990) – $8 used: One of the very few Riot albums I don’t own…..and that’s only because it’s readily available on Ebay anytime I want it. I’ve been in a Riot mood for the last couple months because the new record is going to be released soon so I’ve been listening to the first six records (1977′s ROCK CITY through to 1988′s THUNDERSTEEL) regularly. Plus, the new album has the THUNDERSTEEL/PRIVILEGE band lineup so seeing this CD used was a sign. PRIVILEGE was re-released twice in the last few years: Collectible Records re-released it in 2003 with slightly different artwork and Cherry Red Records released it with THUNDERSTEEL as a double disc set in 2009. The copy I found is the original CBS pressing so someone had this in their collection and dumped it to the store for quick cash…..just like the old days, their loss is my gain. I estimate that the regular price would be around $15 so buying used saved half but buying with free money saved the full $8.

Nashville Pussy – Say Something Nasty (2002) – $5 used: Another used bargain! Nothing is better than someone going to the record store and dumping their collection for quick cash! I have never done that in my life with the exception of returning a CD I bought thinking I didn’t own it but that’s something different entirely. I’ve been into Nashville Pussy since their first record LET THEM EAT PUSSY (1998) after reading about the band in some of the Metal magazines and checking them out online. Plus, the album cover for that debut is pretty racy! The thing is that I never went forward buying Nashville Pussy CDs after that first album until I received their last record FROM HELL TO TEXAS (2009) and I always think I have the albums in my collection! I’m missing two more so I’ll be looking for HIGH AS HELL (2000) and GET SOME (2005) on my next trips to the record shops. I’ll take a bargain priced CD any day and I estimate that I saved around $10 just buying used but I saved the $5 price using the birthday gifts.

Paul Black’s L.A. Guns – Black List (2005) – $6 used: Are we talking about the L.A. Guns we know from the ’80s with the couple of hits? In a way….yes. Turns out Paul Black was the original singer in L.A. Guns before the band got signed and was replaced by Phil Lewis just after the band got signed to a record deal. After Tracii Guns left L.A. Guns for what seems the millionth time in 2005, he hooked up with Paul Black and started doing gigs. BLACK LIST is a collection of demos of original songs by the original L.A. Guns lineup with Black on vocals. The album came out in 2005 with it’s fair share of controversy because at the time Tracii was playing with Paul Black and the regular L.A. Guns with Phil Lewis was still recording and touring…..then Tracii Guns forms his L.A. Guns so you have two touring L.A. Guns and then the singer carousel goes round again with Black leaving for former Guns’ singer Jizzy Pearl (ex-Love/Hate) who replaced Phil Lewis years ago. Did you get all that? I never bothered paying the $20 for this CD back in 2005, especially with two different L.A. Guns out there but I’m happy to grab this used for a fraction of the price. I estimate I saved $13 buying used but I saved the full $6.

Fast Eddie Clarke – It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over (1994) – $4 used: I never pass up a $4 Metal CD if I don’t own it especially with the Motorhead connection (Eddie was the guitarist in Motorhead) and the sticker on the front stating that Lemmy sings on one song. I checked my phone for a little research on the album and it seems that this was released twice, each time with different album artwork so i’m not even sure if I have the original artwotk (I think I do) or the re-release. This is what I call a “filler” CD for the collection…..a CD you don’t own, don’t know anything about but there’s name recognition and the price is cheap enough to justify buying it. Normally, I’m going to pass up the CD but the price dictates the sale and it pads the collection. The funny thing is that I bought this CD having never seen it in a store before and I find another copy the next visit to the store! How many of these are in circulation? I estimate a $15 regular price when this came out so I saved $11 buying used but I saved the overall price of $4.

My last bits of birthday gift money were reserved for an Ebay purchase…..

Warrior – Fighting For The Earth (1985) – $25: I have been watching and searching for this CD for at least ten years but it’s not that easy to find. I remember seeing a copy of it in an independent record store back in the late ’90s and it was $25 then for the original Metal Blade pressing so I passed…..I should have pulled the trigger because it would have saved a decade of waiting! Normally I find this CD going for upwards of $30+ but I got a search email for a newly listed copy from a seller I use often so I checked it out and pulled the trigger quickly. Price was $22 + $3 shipping for the $25 total. I thought I was buying the original Metal Blade issue from 1990 but I actually bought the 2008 remaster from Germany on EMI/10 Records. Either way I don’t care because my research shows the remaster going for the same amounts. At least I own it now and I can pick up the original pressing if I come across it in my travels. Saved the full $25.

Total = $225

Total (year) = $669

Average Price (per item) = $8.26

Total Savings (month) = $225

Total Savings (year) = $670

Total CDs (year) = 75

Total DVDs (year) = 5

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 1

 

Aug 18 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (July update)

After a solid month of purchases in June to end the first half of the year, it’s time to set sights on the second half of 2011. Will the money be there to spend? Will the CDs be there to buy? What treasures will be found? The answers start now…..

Newbury Comics

Metalium – Hero Nation: Chapter III (2002) – $6 used: I started off the month of July with a very easy purchase…..a used copy of Metalium’s third album HERO NATION for $6. You may be asking why this album has so much significance, and there really isn’t any, the price was right and I have been watching this CD sit in the Used Metal section for at least six months! Over the last six months I think I’ve checked my collection at least a dozen times to see if I already own this CD but I would forget everytime I’d be in the record shop. Finally, I wrote it down on the growing Want List but I never got around to buying it until now. I never like to miss a bargain and my online research tells me that this CD still gets at least $15 regular price so I decided to make the purchase and saved myself around $9. This puts the Metalium collection a little closer to being completed, now I just need Chapters IV, V, VI, VII and VIII! Bonus enhanced CD included on this also so it was a great find.

Deep Purple – Phoenix Rising (Special Edition DVD/CD) (2011) – $14: I love Deep Purple, all lineups, all albums…..they are one of the founding fathers of Heavy metal as we know it and the credit is well deserved. I saw an add for this DVD in Classic Rock Magazine so I checked it out when it received a U.S. release. The special edition DVD is based on the Mark III and Mark IV Purple lineups that include David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes and Tommy Bolin along with founding members Ian Paice and Jon Lord and it’s a great snapshot in time of a Deep Purple era that so many have for gotten about. There is a DVD with a Japanese concert from 1975 and a documentary, the CD version of all the live tracks and two special booklets. Add in a bonus interview with Lord & Hughes and the COME TASTE THE BAND press kit and you get a little more for the money. The difference between the standard DVD and the special edition was $4 so I went for the extras as I always do. Regular price for the special edition was $20 so I saved $6.

So on one shopping trip, I made it over to the Newbury Comics location in Warwick, RI…..this was my usual store until a location opened near my house a few years ago. If it wasn’t for the 20 minute drive (I know, 20 mins is nothing but it is to a true Rhode Islander!), I’d be down there all the time because it’s a bigger store and they get some great used bargains. I went diving in the used bins, especially the real cheap CDs, and here’s what I pulled out…..

Project X – Blueprint For Xcess (1996) – $2 used: I knew nothing about Project X but I noticed that the album was released in 1996 on Escape Music, distrubuted by MTM Music…..that’s a Hard Rock/Melodic Rock label! Closer inspection at the back tray card revealed the name Don Wolf who used to be the lead singer for White Wolf and was Don Wilk back then. I remember White Wolf from back in the early ’80s, I tried to win a cassette copy of STANDING ALONE (1984) from an ad in Hit Parader magazine. Never won that tape but I did get to dub a copy of the record from a friend of mine…..remember dual cassette decks? So with the Escape Music link and the White Wolf pedigree, I picked this up used for a cool $2. How can you go wrong with $2 for a used disc? I did some research on my phone when I got to the car and it seems that you can get this CD online anywhere from $7 to $20 depending on where you shop. Assuming we go by a regular price of $12, I saved about $10.

Brother Cane – Seeds (1995) – $3 used: This is where the Collectorz software I use came in handy! As the long time readers know, I’ve had the Collectorz Music Collector software software for awhile and I’m slowly putting my collection in the database…..I also have the Android app that lets me put what I have on my main computer on my cell phone. Well, I’m not too far along (in the D’s) but I was able to double check to see if I owned this Brother Cane disc. Lead singer/guitarist Damon Johnson is in Alice Cooper’s band and he’s played with Sammy Hagar, John Waite and Jack Blades. I remembered Brother Cane from their first record and ‘Got No Shame’ so I decided to grab this used for $3. The funny thing about it is that there were three other used copies in the same spot priced at $5, $7 and $10! I’m the lucky one I guess! Considering a regular price around $12 for an older album from the early ’90s, I saved $9.

Twisted Forever (A Tribute To The Legendary Twisted Sister) (2001) – $4 used: Tribute albums, cover albums, cover songs…..I could generally do without them but it seems that I own a ton of them! Chalk that up to getting them cheap in used bins over the years! Of course, there are a few essential ones I need because the tributized band adds a song or two in there. This time around, it’s this Twisted Sister tribute that I wouldn’t have bought if it wasn’t for the low price and the fact my oldest daughter’s favorite Hard Rock band is Twisted Sister. There’s some good bands on here paying tribute (doing covers!): Motorhead, Anthrax, Overkill, Hammerfall, Sebastian Bach…..and some questionable ones like Chuck D. from Public Enemy and Lit. Of course, Twisted Sister is on there last with their cover of AC/DC’s ‘Sin City’ which is nothing I hadn’t heard before but it’s a nice package overall. Last copy I saw in a record store was going for about $10 brand new so I saved $6 since spotting it last and I made my daughter ultra-happy!

Jimmy Page – Outrider (1988) – $4 used: OUTRIDER is an album I’ve had on my list for a while, seen it hundreds of times new for $12- $15, but never pulled the trigger because it’s not the best record in the world. I remember a lot of my Rock friends getting psyched for this album back in the day because it was Jimmy Page, guitar god from Led Zeppelin, with Jason Bonham drumming on six out of nine tracks! This fuelled the Led Zep reunion rumors and my group was heavy into it. I’ve never been an overly huge Zeppelin fan even though I like them but I was more interested into where Page was going to go from after The Firm broke up (an underrated band by far!). I remember having a taped copy from a friend (there’s that dual cassette deck again!) and listening to the lead single ‘Wasting My Time’ but that’s about it. I wasn’t going to pass this up at $4 and I assume I saved around $10 by passing on all those new copies over the years!

Ian Parry – Visions (2006) – $4 used: You might remember Ian Parry as the lead singer for Elegy or The Consortium Project, at least that’s how I know Ian Parry! Obviously name recognition went into this purchase as well as the label was Escape Music. Taking a look at my collection it seems I have most of the Elegy albums so I figured that spending a whole $4 on an Ian Parry solo album wouldn’t be much of a stretch musically. To be honest, outside of his name and his work with Elegy, I really don’t know much else about Ian so I’m taking a chance in a way. I don’t own any Consortium Project CDs which is actually odd because I see them used everywhere. The cool thing is that I found another copy of this in the Metal used bin for $8 so I saved $4 off a used price and my research online shows that this album still lists for $15 in most places…..overall I saved about $11.

Carmine Appice Project – Ultimate Guitar Zeus (2006) – $5 used: All right, the only reason I picked this up was because I know Carmine Appice and I heard an interview with him on the Talking Metal podcast. From what I know, GUITAR ZEUS and GUITAR ZEUS II were released in 1995 and 1997  respectively and released to fan club members only. The songs include originals and a few covers that Carmine, bass god Tony Franklin and singer Kelly Keeling teamed up to record along with some of the biggest names on guitar like Zakk Wylde, Ted Nugent, Slash, Brian May and Neal Schon. ULTIMATE GUITAR ZEUS is a compilation of songs from volumes 1 and 2…..of course, when I heard the Talking Metal podcast, Carmine was promoting GUITAR ZEUS: CONQUERING HEROES (2009) which I believe is a double disc that is both volumes in a nice package.  Considering that this CD, the first two original albums, and all the Japanese pressings are out of print and go for various prices on Ebay, all I have to go buy is the newest installment that retails at $15 via Carmine’s website. I’ll assume I saved $10.

Enough used bin diving…..back to the new releases! More trips to the local store near my house for the new albums on Tuesdays…..

Rhapsody Of Fire – From Chaos To Eternity (2011) – $10: Rhapsody Of Fire, formerly just Rhapsody, seems to release album after album, and E.P. after E.P., and I always pick them up! Didn’t I just buy a new CD from Rhapsody Of Fire recently? The problem with  Rhapsody Of Fire is their distribution to North America is later than Europe and Japan so something released everywhere last year might only see a release in the States this year…..at least FROM CHAOS TO ETERNITY is brand new and released worldwide on Nuclear Blast. What’s crazy now is that I just read today that the band is splitting in two and keyboardist Alex Staropoli and lead guitarist Luca Turilli will be parting ways in a friendly manner. Staropoli retains the Rhapsody Of Fire name and all previous rights and Turilli retains the name “Rhapsody” and will have a new band under that name. Confused yet? At least I bought their last offering on sale, regular price was $16, so I saved $6.

TYR – The Lay Of Thrym (2011) – $12: THE LAY OF THRYM came out months ago but I’ve kept this album on the want list because of the insane amount of copies at every record store I’ve been to. Is TYR that popular? I seem to acquire all the TYR albums and I like their Viking Metal sound but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy it, even when it was on sale, knowing that eventually the record stores is going to discount the price further to get rid of overstock…..I was wrong. I went into the store for the new Rhapsody Of Fire and Iced Earth releases and I noticed that all the copies of this album were off sale and at a $16 regular price. Further investigation found a copy of this disc in the Misc T. section still on sale for $12 so I grabbed it right away. When I got to the register the CD rang up at the $16 regular price, of course they price adjusted it so I ended up saving $4 with the sale price.

Iced Earth – Festivals Of The Wicked DVD (2011) – $16: I’ve been an Iced Earth fan since 1997 when I picked up THE DARK SAGA (1996) and the DAYS OF PURGATORY (1997) double disc compilation so I was looking forward to getting this DVD of the latest Iced Earth lineups at some of the biggest European Metal festivals from 2007 and 2008. two DVDs, three concerts, an hour long documentary and some bonus material totalling over foive hours of footage, that’s a bargain for $16 the day of release! Regular price was $24 so I saved $8. Here is where I complain a little…..there’s an audio CD of FESTIVALS OF THE WICKED that was released the same day and I planned on buying that too. The sale price was $13 for the CD so I figured I was going to get a 3 CD set of the concerts kind of like I did when I bought the ALIVE IN ATHENS live set back in 1999. So I grab the CD immeadiately but I never checked it until I got to the register…..the CD version is a compilation of songs from all three concerts and only 12 songs! Absolutely disappointed and I never bought it. I’m not sure who thought of this at Century Media but you’ve got to be kidding! With other bands releasing DVDs with bonus CDs of the music, and vice versa, all the time you would think that Century Media could have easily released a 3 disc audio set of the DVD. I would have put that on my Ipod and enjoyed that like crazy! Somebody dropped the ball at the label!

Twisted Sister – Double Live: North Stage ’82 & New York Steel ’01 DVD (2011) – $18: Here’s another Twisted Sister release that had my oldest daughter going crazy! Nothing beats a good DVD and you can’t miss with Twisted Sister finally releasing both of these concerts on DVD, especially New York Steel 2001 because it was a benefit for the New York Police & Fire Widows & Children Benefit 11 weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I read about New York Steel back in 2001 and it was not only a great cause for the band to unite for but it was also the rebirth of the band as a touring and recording entity. The North Stage show from 1982 is there last club performance before the band flew to engalnd to record their ’82 debut album UNDER THE BLADE. A little vintage footage, some recent footage (although 10 years old!) and you’ve got two solid concerts. Add in the bonus interviews with the band talking about each show and it’s a nice package. There was no audio companion release but I would have bought one had it been listed for release. Regular price was $25, I paid $18, so I saved $7.

George Lynch – Kill All Control (2011) – $12: I grew up a Dokken fan so I ended up as a Lynch Mob fan back in the day too. George has such a cool guitar style and I’ve been listening to WICKED SENSATION (1990) a lot lately so I kept this release on my list. The only problem with buying this is that I didn’t get into some of his last few albums I bought like SYZYGY (1998), SMOKE THIS (1999) and the Lynch/Pilson album WICKED UNDERGROUND (2003) and I didn’t want to get burned. You’ve got some guest stars here as this isn’t Lynch Mob but George solo: London LeGrand (Brides Of Destruction) is singing and touring with George right now, Marq Torien from the Bullet Boys, Fred Coury from Cinderella is on there and a few more. I read a few good reviews online so I decided to take a chance. The record store had only one copy so I grabbed it figuring I wouldn’t see it again on sale…..regular price $15, saved $3.

Total = $110

Total (year) = $669

Average Price (per item) = $10.29

Total Savings (month) = $99

Total Savings (year) = $435

Total CDs (year) = 59

Total DVDs (year) = 5

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 1

Jul 14 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (June update)

It’s been a slow year so far for buying CDs and collecting but I made up for the last few months with a quality buying spree in June. There were a bunch of new releases on sale, a few hidden bargains in the used CD racks, trips to a few different record stores and the discovery of my childhood record store re-opening in the local flea market! June was definitely a good month for the Hunt…..

Luke’s Record Exchange (@ The Big Flea Market in Cumberland, RI)

Luke’s Record Exchange was my childhood record store that got me started as a record store regular and a CD scavenger hunt expert. Unfortunately, the long time Pawtucket, RI location closed a few months ago for good but a chance trip to The Big Flea Market in a neighboring town provided a link to my record store past…..Luke’s re-opened as a large booth. Prices were pretty good: 50% off the stickered price on all CDs! My oldest daughter loves music and has the record store addiction like her dad and she absolutely loved searching the racks and dark corners that the original Luke’s store had. I’ve tried to teach my oldest daughter as much about Metal and collecting as possible, now it’s up to her to decide what direction to go in.

Hair Of The Dog – Rise (2000) – $7: I started scouring the racks of CDs Luke’s had and I found plenty that used to be at their store and plenty that I already owned but with 50% off you have to buy something. I saw this Hair Of The Dog CD and remembered the name from the late ’90s editions of Metal Edge magazine so I snatched this up to try the band out. When I got home I realized I mixed up Hair Of The Dog with another band, American Dog, but a quick check of my back issues and this purchase was worth making. I’ve read some positive reviews online on Hair Of The Dog, and the band was signed to Spitfire Records back in 2000 (a label with plenty of Hard Rock bands and reissues) so I will definitely check them out when I get around ripping the cellophane off the case! Regular stickered price was $14 so it was really $7 for a brand new sealed copy of RISE. Saved $7.

Vince Neil – Live At The Whiskey: One Night Only (2003) – $6: I always meant to buy this live album when it came out but I had read some bad reviews and I decided against it back then. I did keep it on the want list just in case I came across a used copy somewhere. Over the years I’ve seen this album still at regular price anywhere from $12 to $15 and I’ve passed each time. I’ve seen Vince Neil in concert twice with his solo band and he’s been just OK performance wise and the set is always dominated by the big Motley Crue hits so it’s no surprise to only get one Vince solo song (‘Look In Her Eyes’) on this live record. maybe if there was more from EXPOSED (1993) or CARVED IN STONE (1995) then this would have been a more essential buy. Like I said, you can’t beat 50% off so I finally filled a hole in the Vince Neil solo collection. Another brand new sealed copy stickered at $12, the 50% off making it $6. Saved $6.

Wal-Mart

Def Leppard – Mirror Ball (Live & More) (2011) – $10: I hate going to Wal-Mart! In my life there is no reason to ever set foot in one but some of my favorite bands like KISS, AC/DC, Journey and now Def Leppard have forced me to enter the worst shopping place on earth to buy their exclusive releases! Sure, I could have someone else go in and buy it for me, or maybe buy it online, but sometimes we must sacrifice for the thrill of the Hunt! Definitely an old school move by the Leps with the old bulky multi-disc packaging for their double disc live record with the bonus DVD included. I’ve seen Def Lep on every tour since the 1999 EUPHORIA Tour and I saw them back in the day on the HYSTERIA Tour in 1988 so I know how good these guys are live. It’s a little surprising that it’s taken 31 years to finally get an official live album from Def Leppard but it looks like the band’s last few successful tours have finally given it to us. This was more about the new songs for me and their are three of them on Disc 2. The only positive thing I can say about the Wal-Mart experience is that the price can’t be beat…..$10 is a small price to pay for 21 live tracks, 3 new studio songs and a DVD.

Newbury Comics

Twisted Sister – Under The Blade (Special Edition) (2011) – $12: I already own UNDER THE BLADE on CD and on vinyl but I had to pick this up because of all the bonuses included. First, this is the original mix of UNDER THE BLADE as heard on the original Secret Records pressing (the 1985 reissue is remixed) so that saves the vinyl. Second, the RUFF CUTTS E.P. (1982) is the bonus on the CD. The RUFF CUTTS vinyl is easy to find but high in price for a mint copy, it’s nice getting the music on CD. Finally, the bonus DVD is the band’s performance at th 1982 Reading Festival. This is how you do a reissue! Unfortunately, some of the other Twisted Sister reissues on Armoury Records leave a lot to be desired as far as bonus material but this reissue was worth getting even at the regular price of $16. I bought this the day it was released so I got the $12 sale price saving $4.

Black Stone Cherry – Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea (2011) – $10: Black Stone Cherry is one of those newer bands that I’ve followed from their first album to present but I haven’t really gotten totally into them. I have the band’s first two albums, and I enjoy them, but the band hasn’t had the staying power for me to keep coming back. I’m hoping that BETWEEN THE DEVIL & THE DEEP BLUE SEA breaks that cycle and also forces me to revisit the band’s first two records for a fresh listen. Good band and good music but I’m just not completely hooked. This was another day of release purchase to get the sale price of $10 and save $4 but even the $14 regular price seems reasonable. Of course, the day I purchased the album, I get home from the record store and check my email and find a link from Roadrunner Records PR dept for a download of the album so i could review it! I would have bought the album anyway.

Warrant – Rockaholic (2011) – $13: Frontiers Records was kind enough to send me a download of the album for review so I have been enjoying ROCKAHOLIC for a few months prior to it’s U.S. release. In most cases when I receive a promo download for review, I buy the album for my collection if I enjoy it so I caved on buying the new Warrant. For me Warrant has a stigma…..the Jani Lane stigma. Back in the ’80s, I liked Warrant like most Hard Rock fans tuned in to FM radio and MTV but I started to really dislike the band after I got the internet in 1998 and started reading about all the dumb ass things Jani Lane used to do (cancel concert, quit and rejoin, go onstage drunk, etc). Anyway, after seeing the band reunite on the Poison summer tour a few years ago, I had hope but Jani screwed it up again and again. I thought the band’s move to replace Jani with Jaime St. James from Black ‘N Blue for BORN AGAIN (2006) was a great move resulting in a solid record. This time around it’s Robert Mason (formerly of Lynch Mob) replacing Jani (again!) and Jaime (who has a reformed Black ‘N Blue) at the mic and it’s a solid album that actually charted on Billboard’s Top Hard rock Albums Chart at #22! It’s such a good record that I would have easily paid the $17 import price but I saved $4 by waiting for the U.S. release.

Whitesnake – Live At Donington 1990 (Special Edition Box Set 2CD/DVD) (2011) – $16: Again, thanks to Frontiers Records, I was able to preview the CD portion of LIVE AT DONINGTON 1990 for a few weeks before it was released but this special edition wasn’t one I was going to miss adding to my collection. Recorded on 8/18/1990 at the Monsters of Rock Festival at Donington Park, this is Whitesnake at it’s chart-topping best: a live album with mostly all the big hits from 1984 to 1990 and a DVD of the exact performance all packaged it a double gatefold CD digipak with full color graphics and booklet. Remember how big Whitesnake was back then? Well their bands before them were The Quireboys, Thunder, Poison and Aerosmith! Import prices online were around $25 plus shipping at most shops but the U.S. release was a regular $20…..I bought it day of release so I saved $4.

Hammerfall – Infected (2011) – $10: I had no idea that Hammerfall was releasing a new album until about a week before the release date…..and I have been following the band since 1998! It’s no secret that I’m a big Power Metal guy and Hammerfall has been one of my favorites since the Power Metal resurgence of the late ’90s so this was a no-brainer purchase for me. “No-brainer”…..that’s a funny way of putting it because the concept here seems to be zombies and being infected as one. It’s a different direction for Hammerfall but one I’m hoping to enjoy as much as their last few records. I’m a little puzzled by the lack of vibrant graphics and no sign of Hector, the band’s knight mascot that has been on every album cover, but if it’s something different then why not try it? Regular price was $16 so I saved $6 buying the album the day of release but I was lucky to get a copy because there were only two copies available when I hit the new release rack at the shop.

U.D.O. – Rev-Raptor (2011) – $12: Here’s another album that I received a promtional download for so I could review it but I added it to my want list. I’ve been an U.D.O. fan since he formed the band after his time in Accept so I’m going to buy every album that comes out but I really wanted to get the European limited edition with the bonus tracks but the online shops sold out quick and I didn’t really want to drop around $25 for a couple extra songs and a couple videos. I’ll give Udo Dirkschneider credit, he knows how to do it Gene Simmons style because there were four pressings of REV-RAPTOR: the regular jewel case, the limited edition European with 2 bonus tracks & videos, the Japanese with different bonus tracks and the special box set with a t-shirt and other souvenirs. I wish there was an easier way to get all the bonus material instead of having to buy to high price imports but I’m happy with my U.S. version. Regular price was $16, sale price was $12, saved $4.

Arch Enemy – Khaos Legions (2 CD Limited Edition) (2011) – $14: It’s only been recently that I’ve really gotten into Arch Enemy so this new album is kind of a new start for me. There’s been a lot of press on KHAOS LEGIONS so I’m hoping that it’s as good as the older material I’ve been listening to. What makes this release interesting is that there are 2 versions: the regular jewel case or the limited edition with a 4 track bonus disc and a code for a free t-shirt. I was grabbing the double disc version but what astounded me was the regular prices: $16 for the single, $25 for the double! Good thing I buy the new releases the day they come out because I save a lot of money…..in this case, the single disce was on sale for $11 and the limited edition for $14. How could I not buy the limited edition and save $11? Add in the free t-shirt and it’s a great buy even if I have to pay the shipping for the shirt and then give it to my daughter because I can’t fit in an XL!

Pagan’s Mind – Heavenly Ecstacy (2011) – $12: I got into Pagan’s Mind with 2007′s GOD EQUATION but I really haven’t gone back and tried to acquire the band’s previous releases. I like the band and I’m a fan of Progressive Metal but Pagan’s Mind just hasn’t taken hold in my listening rotation, hopefully that will change with this new album. This is another band that I didn’t know was releasing a new album but I was pleasantly surprised to find out in the Newbury Comics weekly newsletter. There are two versions of this album too: the single disc or the limited edition with 2 bonus tracks. When I went to the record store the day of release they only had the limited edition (the version I was buying anyway!) and they had plenty of copies. Regular price was a high $17 for the two extra songs but the sale price was only $12 for a savings of $5. I have been to the record store since I purchased this in the middle of June and I still haven’t seen the standard version but I assume that it’s without the bonus tracks and priced around $15 regular price.

Black Country Communion – 2 (2011) – $13: Black Country Communion is Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham…..now that’s a supergroup! The debut BCC album was awesome and made my list of the Top 30 Albums of 2010 at #5 so I was surprised when I read that the band had a new record ready to go. I waited on buying the first BCC album and ended up paying full price, the sting of that purchase was easier to take because the album was so good, but I wasn’t waiting around this time. Day of release and on sale for $13, I pulled the trigger. I like the old school stadium rock sound BCC has and Glenn Hughes keeps sounding better as he gets older while I am totally into Bonamassa’s guitar sound and now checking out his solo material…..good to see this album get on the U.S. Hot 100 chart with it’s debut. Regular price was an expensive $17 so I was glad to get the sale price and save $4.

Alestorm – Back Through Time (2011) – $13: Alestorm is another band I’ve followed from the beginning and I’ve grown to enjoy their Pirate Metal that’s a continuation of what Running Wild was doing a decade plus before. The thing is that the pirate themes and concepts are going to wear thin on the ultra serious metal fans but it’s all done well and in good fun so I don’t mind dropping a few bucks for good pirate party. I ended up buying the special edition of this album too with the hardbound book packaging and the two bonus tracks that are included. I didn’t see a regular jewel case edition at the record store but I read only that it exists. I actually almost pre-ordered this online through Napalm Records with the free t-shirt but they didn’t have the 2XL I need, the price on that package was $25 with shipping. Regular price for the special edition was $17 at the shop but I bought this on sale for $13 saving myself $4.

AC/DC – Live At River Plate DVD (2011) – $12: I’ve had my eye on this concert DVD for a few weeks but I never picked it up because the local shop had a ton of copies for weeks and the sale price kept going. Usually they take off the sale price after a couple week but they had so many copies of this DVD that the sale price was still there about a month after release. I had a little extra money to burn so I went to go pick up a copy but there was only two left this time! I’m not sure if the shop had a run on them all of a sudden or maybe transferred some to other locations but where there were many stood only two and one copy was regular price $15. Lucky for me the other copy still had the sale sticker on it so I knew that I’d be getting the price I wanted. Sure enough, when I got to the register, the DVD rang regular price but they price adjusted to the $12 sale price and I saved $3. I saw the Black Ice Tour in Foxboro, MA so LIVE AT THE RIVER PLATE will be a nice tour souvenir.

Night Ranger – Somewhere In California (2011) – $14: This is another album that I’ve had the promotional download for through Frontiers Records but I decided to pick the album up for the collection. I remember when DAWN PATROL came out back in 1982 and I was a fan of the band straight through to the break-up and reformation in the late ’90s…..this is another no-brainer purchase for me. I didn’t really get into the band’s last album, HOLE IN THE SUN (2008), right away because of the more modern sound the band used but it was still Night Ranger and it grew on me. From what I’ve read and my initial spin, SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA sounds like classic ’80s Night Ranger. I caught the band’s tour last year in Connecticut and it was a high energy show and the band sounded great, maybe taking that energy into the studio proved successful? Regular price here was $17 because it’s technically an import but I got it on sale for $14 and saved $3.

Symphony X – Iconoclast (2 CD Special Edition) (2011) – $13: I haven’t really listened to Symphony X since 2002′s THE ODYSSEY and I had no idea that they were releasing a new album (I’ve got to keep up on my Metal news!) so I was a little hesitant when i saw this album in the new release rack at the record store. Do I take a chance on a band that has released only two records since 2002? I noticed that there were two versions of this CD also (a trend for June I think!): the single disc and the special edition digipak that’s two CDs and has extra songs. I’m a sucker for bonus tracks and the sale price for this version was only $2 more than the regular so I snatched it up! I also noticed that there were a lot of copies of both versions of the album, a lot of which are still unsold and still onsale in mid-July. Regular price for the special edition was $19 so I saved $6 on the day of release. I’m hoping ICONOCLAST is a surprise record for me this year.

Queensryche – Dedicated To Chaos (Deluxe Edition) (2011) – $16: Another deluxe/special/limited edition for June’s hunt! Things with Queensryche have been hit or miss since 1994′s PROMISED LAND but I really enjoyed AMERICAN SOLDIER (2009) and I’m hoping that DEDICATED TO CHAOS is a continuation of the quality material I know the band is capable of. The wild card here is Geoff Tate and the direction his writing and leadership takes the band, one look at the back cover and seeing a bald Tate could either be a bad sign of he’s channelling his friend Rob Halford. Either way, I’ve been a fan of the band since the QUEENSRYCHE E.P. (1982) and THE WARNING (1984) so I’m always going to support the band. I bought the deluxe version for the three extra songs for only $3 more than the standard version. If you’re going to spend $13, why not just spend the $16 and get the whole package? Regular price for the deluxe version was a scary $22 so there was no way I was going to let a sale price pass me by with an opportunity to save $6 on an album I would easily buy.

Zebra – No Tellin’ Lies (1984) – $6 used: This was easily my bargain of the month and well worth the time spent digging through the used sections. I had gone to a different Newbury Comics location that had better selection than my usual store with my daughter and niece so I gave them each some money to shop so I could dive into the used bins. Unfortunately, I own most of the discs I found but NO TELLIN’ LIES, Zebra’s second album, was sitting there at a perfect price at $6 used! I’m not passing that up especially since all the Zebra records are on my want list so I can replace my cassettes. I was particularly psyched about finding a Zebra album because they had just played a local club in Massachusetts back in May (that I missed!) and the band’s hit from the first album, ‘Tell Me What You Want’, has been all over the local rock stations. My online research tells me that an original Atlantic Records pressing of this CD retails at about $15 if you can find it and the double disc reissue with the band’s third album, 3.V (1986), goes for around the same price and is easier to find. My digging saved me about $9.

Zebra – 3.V (1986) – $10 used: When out on a CD hunt always be mindful that where there’s one Zebra CD, there could be another! Zebras travels in herds don’t they? Seeing that I had good luck finding NO TELLIN’ LIES in the used bins, I decided to take the hunt over to the “Misc. Z” section of the Rock/Pop bins and there it was…..bargain #2 of June…..Zebra’s thierd album, 3.V from 1986! Here’s another pristine original pressing that goes for the same $15 alone or in the latest reissue with NO TELLIN’ LIES so I wasn’t about to pass it up! I haven’t seen original pressings of these Zebra albums in local record stores in at least ten years so I’m hoping that the recent concert at Showcase Live made some people clean out their collections. I’m not saying Zebra is a bad band, quite the contrary, but you would be surprised how many people dump their collections after a concert comes through town or the extra used stock the stores have in back makes it to the sales floor. Either way, it pads my collection and gets the want list a little shorter. Spending $10 for a used CD is a little high but I was sure I wouldn’t see it again and I still saved $5 off what would be a $15 regular price.

Helix – Walkin’ The Razor’s Edge (1984/2009 reissue) – $20: Now this was a big purchase but a necessary one. Ever since I rediscovered Helix back in 2005 when I bought lead singer Brian Vollmer’s autobiography Gimme An R!, I have been snapping up a lot of their back catalogue. Rock Candy Records in the U.K. are a great reissue label that takes great care in releasing high quality reissues of classic albums by working alongside the artist in getting the album back in the stores. In the case of WALKIN’ THE RAZOR’S EDGE, I do have a cassette that is well worn and I have the single ‘Rock You’ on an ’80s Metal compilation CD so I’ve been content to wait out the last couple years and get this reissue at a good price. Depending where you look online, you can get this reissue anywhere between $15 and $25 plus shipping charges, that’s too high. When I saw the record store actually stocked the album, I jumped on it despite the price. I figured I’d pay at least $20 on the low end of the online price so I decided to buy it now instead of having to wait a week or two because of the mail services.

Total = $239

Total (year) = $559

Average Price (per item) = $10.75

Total Savings (month) = $97

Total Savings (year) = $336

Total CDs (year) = 49

Total DVDs (year) = 2

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 1

 

Jun 7 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (May update)

May was probably the slowest month of my collecting career! I bought only 4 CDs! That’s usually just a quick trip to the record store, not a whole month of purchases but I do have a good excuse…..money. Money is key and, in this economy, I’ve tightened the wallet a lot. So here’s May’s buys…..

Walmart

Journey – Eclipse (2011) – $10: There is nothing I hate more than having to walk into a Wal-Mart but it’s a necessity a couple of times a year now as many bands decide to use the retail giant as an exclusive deale for their new album. After the platinum success of REVELATION through exclusive Wal-Mart sales, Journey decided to partner with the company again for their brand new studio album — ECLIPSE. I reluctantly went to my local store with the plan to enter, get the CD and checkout fast to spend as little time in retail hell as possible and all went well. Can’t beat $10 for a new CD but I was initially disappointed because for $12 or $13 a few years ago I got the REVELATION album package that included the re-done greatest hits and the live DVD. Where’s the extras this time around? It was nice to see the new Journey well-stocked and displayed next to the new Lady Gaga CD…..maybe some Gaga fans will grab a Journey disc too!

Newbury Comics

Anvil – Juggernaut Of Justice (2011) – $10: Riding the wave of success from the publicity, fame and opportunity that arose from their movie documentary, Anvil finally release the follow-up to 2007′s THIS IS THIRTEEN with the long awaited JUGGERNAUT OF JUSTICE. Anvil was an imprtant and formative band in my Metal youth but their music became lost to me as I became an MTV and FM radio disciple and went more mainstream. THIS IS THIRTEEN and the Anvil movie were excellent and re-established Anvil as a potent metal force. Now the guys may not be on Metallica’s level now but they’ve moved up from obscurity and have people talking. Looks like the guys might have made a couple of bucks on the deal too because, after 5 years of filming, recording and touring, the band has released a solid album. I bought most of the Anvil catalogue since 2007 and I had to have the new record the day it came out. Regular price was $14, got it on sale for $10, saved $4.

The Rods – Vengeance (2011) – $10: This was a must have for two reasons: 1) David ‘Rock’ Feinstein delivered a solid solo album with BITTEN BY THE BEAST (2010) and 2) this album documents one of Ronnie James Dio’s last performances on the track ‘The Code’. For me, the Dio involvement is enough to pick this up but I remember The rods from back in the ’80s and I’ve been trying to track down their albums on CD over the last few months, specifically the High Vaultage reissues from the late ’90s. I happened to get to the local shop on time for once and I saw this album in the new release rack, I grabbed it right away! My rules for CD hunting are simple: always pick up a CD that you might want and make your final decisions later, that way you won’t miss out on something because someone else grabbed it. Also, be at the store in time for the doors to open, that way you are the first one in to grab those new releases that they only get one copy of. These rules are essential and they have been learned the hard way over the years. As soon as I grabbed this CD, another guy walked in and asked for the album at the counter. Unfortunately, his trip to the new release rack came up short and he noticed I had the CD in hand. He must have been a big Rods fan because he offered me a $5 for it but I declined, I’d rather have the disc immeadiately. Regular price was $14, sale was $10, saved $4.

Blackguard – Firefight (2011) – $10: I know nothing about Blackguard but I wanted this album for some reason. I actually wanted it so bad that I had the record store special order it because they were out of stock every Tuesday since the album came out. They brought in a few copies each week but they would sell out before I would make my weekly hunt! That tells me that there’s a buzz out there on Blackguard. That and the fact that they are touring with Amon Amarth right now. No real reasoning behind buying this, more of a luxury purchase, or maybe a risk seeing that I know nothing about the band. Anytime I take a chance on a new band, or a band I’ve never heard any music from, I like to spend as little as possible so I figured that the sale price wouldn’t last more than a month and I was snagging this about four weeks after its release. Regular price was $14, sale price was $10, saved $4.

Total = $40

Total (year) = $320

Average Price (per item) = $10

Total Savings (month) = $12

Total Savings (year) = $239

Total CDs (year) = 30

Total DVDs (year) = 1

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 1

 

May 1 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (April update)

April was another slow month for CD hunting…..probably my slowest month ever in the last 15 years! I had opportunities to buy a lot of things but, like so many people, money is a little tight lately so I had to be very concious of what I was buying. Another reason for the slowdown is the vast amounts of promos that are coming in on a daily, almost hourly, basis. A lot of the promos are albums I would buy anyway but I will have to wait on for the time being. So here it is…..a meager April update…..

Newbury Comics

Duff McKagan’s Loaded – The Taking (2011) – $10: I’ve heard about Duff’s band Loaded but I never got around to picking up their two previous albums. Maybe it’s because of the GNR backlash with the CHINESE DEMOCRACY failure and my dislike of Slash’s last record, neither of which involves Duff but guilt by association. I got a bit hyped up on THE TAKING because I started reading a lot of good review and I caught Duff on VH-1 Classic’s That Metal Show with Eddie Trunk. Add in a half hour live concert I caught on TV and now I wanted the new album. I went down to the record store the Tuesday THE TAKING came out and left the store with this one CD for $9.99 on sale, regular price would have been $13.99 so I saved $4. I haven’t listened to the disc yet but I’m hoping this is going to be one of those surprise records. If it is, i will go back and grab the previous albums.

Stratovarius – Elysium (2011) – $10: I actually haed no intentions of buying the new Stratovarius anytime soon because I got a digital promo emailed to me so I figured I would add it to my want list and pick the CD up when money wasn’t an issue. Buying ELYSIUM is a no brainer because I have been picking up Stratovarius albums since the late ’90s and I really got into the band’s last album POLARIS (2009). The problem was I got hit with a nasty trojan virus a couple weeks back and I had to reset my computer to a date before I downloaded the promo, when I went back to the link to re-download the album it was expired. I probably could have lived without ELYSIUM but now I wanted to hear it so I picked this up at the $9.99 sale price (regular price = $13.99), saving $4. After all that hassle, I still haven’t given the album a full spin but I like what I’ve heard so far…..gotta have my Power Metal!

Amon Amarth – Once Sent From The Golden Hall (1998/2009 reissue) – $12: This purchase was a total mistake! I originally was trying to buy Amon Amarth’s new album, SURTUR RISING, because the trojan virus situation did the same thing to my digital promo as the new Stratovarius CD. I just started getting into Amon Amarth so I really wanted to hear the new album so I went to the record store to buy it while it was still on sale for $11.88. The bonus to the album is the second disc that’s a full length DVD concert. The mistake came when I was pressed for time and in such a rush that I went straight to the Amon Amarth section instead of the New Release rack and I picked up what I thought was SURTUR RISING because I saw the sale price sticker. I didn’t notice my mistake checking out, only when I got home and ripped off the cellophane did I notice my mistake! All is not lost. I did get the reissue of this album that includes the remastered debut on disc one and a live show on disc two. I made a mistake but I saved $4 off the $15.99 regular price.

Total = $32

Total (year) = $280

Average Price (per item) = $10

Total Savings (month) = $12

Total Savings (year) = $227

Total CDs (year) = 26

Total DVDs (year) = 1

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 1

Mar 31 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (March update)

March was a slow month for CD hunting, I really didn’t get out to the record stores that much at all. A part of me wants to save a few bucks and another wants to buy every new release on the market! One rule I decided on was to skip over the new releases I already received from the record company…..I usually go out and buy the albums I like, and I still will, just not right away. I did tap Ebay for a few items along the way but it was still one of my slowest months ever for purchases!

Newbury Comics

Whitesnake – Forevermore (2011) – $13: If there’s one album I was looking forward to in 2011, it was the new Whitesnake! I may not have wanted to go out to the record store but you can sure bet I was outside the door to Newbury Comics 20 minutes before the store opened so I could buy my copy. I still have that old school mentality when it comes to new releases…..I have to be there early. Back 20, 25, even 30 years ago, a new album from a major band made the local record store the center of attention, especially on the day of release. I used to be in those lines to get in to the record store and it was always a good time, it was an event. Not so much in 2011 but there were a 3 or 4 other people waiting in their cars in the parking lot and I noticed a couple picked up this album. There were two different pressings: the regular CD and the special edition with 3 bonus tracks and a bonus DVD…..I splurged and paid the extra money for the limited edition. This was a mandatory purchase and $13 on sale made it that much easier. Saved $7.

Pushking – The World As We Love It (2011) – $10: I’m totally in the dark on this Russian hard Rock band but when I saw the commercial for the album on VH-1 Classic, I figured it was worth checking out. Then I checked online and saw that Paul Stanley (KISS) sang on a couple of tracks so it became a must have purchase! Pushking has been around since 1994 and they have an extensive discography, THE WORLD AS WE LOVE IT is a collection of re-recorded songs with guest stars doing the vocals and guitars. Stars like Paul Stanley, Billy Gibbons, Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes, Alice Cooper and a ton more all perform with Pushking and make this a great introduction to the band’s discography. I actually passed on this CD when it came out but I decided to snag it when I found the lone copy on the store the same day I bought the new Whitesnake album. It was still on sale so I saved $4.

Ebay

 Torch – Electrikiss (1984) – $16 used: Finally! After a long and hard search, I finally acquired a vinyl copy of ELECTRIKISS by Torch! It’s been a long struggle to find a decent copy on Ebay that was in a good price range, I had featured this album in my WANTED column back in August 2007 and it’s taken me over three years to buy it. I was watching this copy all week and went into the final minute before I placed a bid above the $9.99 starting price. All of sudden, I get outbid! I ended up winning this LP in the final seconds with some quick finger tapping and bidding. The jacket is near mint with some creasing due to age but the vinyl inside is flawless, not a scratch. There’s a few different styles floating around but the copy I bought was the original red vinyl album. I’m not sure how much I saved on this LP, sometimes is goes for under $20 and sometimes it can reach above $50. Either way, I finally added it to my collection.

Scheepers – s/t (2011) – $13: Here’s a case of an album that I received a promotional download from the record company but also an album that I would buy either way. I’m a huge Primal Fear fan so getting lead singer Ralf Scheepers new solo album is a no-brainer…..the only problem is where to buy it? The local record store didn’t get a copy and the online shops I like had this as an expensive import. I ended up on Ebay and found a lot of copies floating around the $20+ range (incl. shipping) but I found this CD by spelling Scheepers with one “E”. I ended up paying around the same price i would for a Frontiers Records’ release on sale at the record store the day it was released so I was happy to pay what I thought was a fair price. If I had bought this at regular price through regular retail channels, i might have paid around $16 so I estimate I saved $3 at auction.

Big Ball – Hotter Than Hell (2010) – $9: here’s another album that I received a digital promo for from the record company but I never got around to listening to or buying. I stumbled upon this CD when i was watching another CD and checked out the seller’s other items. Turns out the seller spelled the band name Big Ball as “Big Bail” so no one was bidding on it. Just like the Torch LP, I waited until the last minute to bid and then someone counter bid, I ended up snatching this CD up in the last few seconds. Big Ball is your basic AC/DC clone and even the sticker on the front reads “AC/DC style Hard Rock! If you like Krokus, Airbourne & AC/DC, you will love Big Ball!” I’ve only spun this a couple of times and the sticker is right, this is for AC/DC fans, even the album cover has that simple black & white AC/DC style to it! If I paid regular price it would probably be $15 so I saved $6 at auction.

Barracuda – Keep Me In Your Heart (2003) – $24: This is actually a re-release of the 1989 album OPEN FIRE by Barracuda but even this is a rarity. I’ve come across both OPEN FIRE and this reissue over the years and both usually command high dollars, especially the original album. I was watching this item and the seller was the same one who sold the Big Ball CD so I actually saved money right away because multiple items qualified for free shipping. Like all the other auctions this month, I ended up going for the CD in the last minute and someone else was watching as well. I ended up in a bidding war with someone and I ended up spending a few extra dollars than I wanted to. Like I mentioned, even this reissue is a rarity so I’m still psyched to get my hands on a copy. I read a lot of rave reviews on this and the original album so I’m looking forward to giving this a spin and now I’m out to find the original pressing of course!

Total = $85

Total (year) = $248

Average Price (per item) = $9.92

Total Savings (month) = $20

Total Savings (year) = $215

Total CDs (year) = 23

Total DVDs (year) = 1

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 1

Feb 26 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (February update)

February is about to end, and I’m not heading out on the hunt until the coming Tuesday (March 1st), so I figured I’d get this update out on time for a change! It was a pretty slow month for new releases at the record store but not online…..I may have to start ordering a little more at some of the online shops to get all those releases you just can’t get in-store anymore.

Newbury Comics

Motorhead – The World Is Yours (2011) – $10: A complete no-brainer here because any self-respecting Heavy Metal fan should be buying every new Motorhead album…..I’ve been a fan since the early ’80s so you know I was at the record store early for this one! I bought the CD for $9.99 on sale the day of release and I got the limited edition with the bonus DVD of part of the band’s performance at the 2006 Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. This album was well-stocked but I didn’t see a single disc version at all and I’m not sure if there is a single disc. You know what you’re getting when you buy a Motorhead album, they’re like AC/DC in the regard that they do the same thing each time with no eye towards current trends. It’s all just kick ass Metal! Regular price for the limited edition was $17 so I saved $7 but you can’t blame someone for paying full price…..this is Motorhead after all!

Crowbar – Sever The Wicked Hand (2011) – $10: I picked up the new Crowbar as an afterthought, I figured I’d just try the band out. I’ve seen a few Crowbar videos on MTV2′s Headbangers Ball, and I got into the two Kingdom Of Sorrow albums, so checking out Crowbar was a natural progression. I don’t own any Crowbar albums and, aside from those few videos, I’d never heard a Crowbar song. Basically, I was walking around the record store and finding nothing of real importance or significance to add to my Motorhead purchase so I grabbed the Crowbar CD (it was displayed next to Motorhead) and went to the register. I don’t think I’ve ever left a record store with a single CD and I sure wasn’t about to start now! Regular price on the CD was $16 so I saved $7 with the $9.99 sale price…..not a large sum to risk on a band you have no experience with.

Lemmy – 49% Motherfucker/51% Son Of A Bitch DVD (2011) – $18: The main focus of my second trip to the local record shop was the new Lemmy documentary DVD…..how can you beat two weeks straight of Motorhead related new releases? I had seen the documentary on VH-1 Classic so I set the DVR to record it but I never bothered to watch it knowing that it would be severely edited…..at least they’re playing it! This is a 2 DVD set with the original documentary clocking in at about 2 hours on disc one and a bonus DVD with over three hours of extra material. That’s the stuff I want to see because you know that there’s got to be ton of interesting footage of Lemmy and Motorhead doing what they do. and a ton of behind the scenes/making of stuff as well. Lemmy is well into his his mid-60s and the guy is still making records, playing full tours and kicking ass! Original price on the DVD was $25 so I saved $7.

Mr. Big – What If… (2011) – $14: This was the second reason why I ventured out for a second hunt at Newbury Comics. Say what you want about Mr. Big but they always rocked even if they’re best known for their syrupy ballad ‘To Be With You’ from way back in 1991. If you remember, they had a hit off their first album with ‘Addicted To That Rush’ but they got lumped into the big hair and sappy love song bands and there’s so much more to them. I had originally thought that WHAT IF… was going to be released a week earlier (that’s what I was looking for the trip before) so I snatched up one of the three copies of the limited edition I saw in the new release section. You get a choice of the single disc for $11 or the limited edition with the bonus track ‘Unforgiven’ and a bonus DVD with two videos and the making of the record for $3 more. Seems logical to me! This album is an import on Frontiers Records so the regular price was a little higher on this version at $18 but I still saved $4.

Stryper – The Covering (2011) - $10: I support the bands I grew up with and Stryper is no exception. I started with SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND (1985) and kept buying all their studio albums over the years. I was hoping for a brand new studio album because their last one was awesome but I knew exactly what I was getting into with THE COVERING. It’s an album of covers with one new song…..and I detest covers records when new material could be put out.For some reason, I always get sucked into these cover albums, and the tribute albums too. I figured that the sale price wasn’t a lot to risk and maybe there would be some decent versions of the songs…..it’s not a bad album, just one I probably won’t spin again. I guess I wasted $10? Well, at least I saved $5 off the regular price! The band is coming to town in late March but this new CD doesn’t get my blood pumping to buy a ticket…..yet.

Hurtsmile -s/t (2011) – $10: I’ve been an Extreme fan from the beginning and I was a big supporter of Gary Cherone in Van Halen so I was on the lookout for this new project from Gary while Extreme takes a break. The Extreme reunion of the last few years has been excellent, especially their last record SAUDADES DE ROCK (2008), but Gary’s last project, Tribe Of Judah, sucked royally! Tribe of Judah was way to experimental and that’s the problem with Gary solo: you never know what you’re going to get. Even the album with Van Halen was experimental but that was more Eddie Van Halen than Gary. Hurtsmile could either be an Extreme-like project or an extreme project. Gary isn’t above experimenting and trying different syles but that Tribe of Judah record was so bad it still hurts! This one’s a risk like Stryper but I’m high on Extreme right now so I think it will be worth it. Regular price was $15 so I saved $5.

Nelson – Lightning Strikes Twice (2011) – $17: Another risky purchase, especially at the full regular price! I admit it, I own AFTER THE RAIN (1990) and I liked it back in the day…..there was no way to escape it! I haven’t bought another Nelson record since and I’ve had ample opportunities to add some of their follow-ups at cheap used prices. Call it backlash but I just couldn’t stomach Nelson after they were all over MTV with their squeaky clean image. So why am I buying their latest album? Not sure but I was walking around the store and the album cover caught my eye. Frontiers Records was having a great release day with ’80s artists with Nelson, Mr. Big and Gary Cherone’s Hurtsmile and they were all well-stocked. If I’m going to take a chance on Stryper doing covers and Cherone possibly releasing a wreck of a record then I can definitely plnk the money down for 12 original tunes by the talented Nelson brothers. And that’s the thing, these guys are talented musicians, they just got lumped in with the rest back in the day and they paid for their quick rise to the top. I’m as interested in this as I am the new Mr. Big…..looking forward to it.

Cauldron – Burning Fortune (2011) – $7: I had to counter the ’80s bands’ new releases with some solid new school Traditional Metal and the new record from Cauldron fit the bill. When I read about a band, I write the name down for future reference and I’d done that with Cauldron a couple years ago when I read a review on their first album, CHAINED TO THE NITE (2009). I never picked that album up but I kept the name on my wish list so I could pick it up at some point. I like what these guys have to offer: basic heavy Metal like I grew up with and they’re a three piece, if they sound like their Canadian counterparts Anvil or Annihilator then I’ll be happy. How can you pass up a new album for $6.99 on sale? I can’t ! I would have grabbed this based on the old school album artwork anyway so it’s cool to check out this band on the cheap price. Regular price was $12.99 so I saved $6.

Total = $96

Total (year) = $163

Average Price (per item) = $8.58

Total Savings (month) = $41

Total Savings (year) = $195

Total CDs (year) = 18

Total DVDs (year) = 1

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 0

Feb 21 2011

CD Scavenger Hunt (January update) – The first hunt of 2011!

Better late than never! I realize it’s the middle of February and I’m a couple of weeks late but the hunt is always going!

Taking a quick look back at last year…..I bought 178 different music items totalling $1820, that’s only about $35 a week and I’ve been known to spend a LOT more than that. I’m a little more budget concious now and I’ve come to the realization that I can’t buy everything so this year’s purchases are going to be a little more thought out and a little more of the less expensive side. I may equal or surpass last year’s dollar amount but I want to add more items to my collection. What’s the old saying? “Less is more”? Not in my collecting world…..MORE is more! Xmas came and Santa brought me $100 dollars in Newbury Comics gift cards so I was armed and ready when I walked into the Warwick, RI location…..

One thing to check out…..I’m adding Total Savings per trip and for the year into the stats at the end of the hunt so you can compare what I would have paid had I paid regular prices.

Newbury Comics

Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (2010 Deluxe Edition) – $35 (free with gift card): The top album on my Want List was the deluxe edition of Sabbath’s Mob Rules for one reason and one reason only…..the bonus CD of the Rhino Handmade release of LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH ODEON. Back in May 2007, Rhino Records’ custom division released the limited edition numbered CD of LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH ODEON for a meager $20 and the 5000 copies sold out immeadiately. There was a pre-order but I never bought in because money was tight at the time. I’ve been kicking myself ever since because that custom CD became a hot collector’s item not only for the music but for the exclusivity of having 1 of 5000 copies. In the years since, this has been one of the hottest bootlegged CDs on the secondary market. I was going to pick up all the Dio-era Sabbath deluxe editions anyway but once I heard what the extra disc was, I had to have it! Unfortunately, the Newbury Comics closer to my house in North Attleboro stocked only one copy and it sold right away. I kept my eye out and, when I saw it in the Warwick location, it was a done deal! There are also two bonus tracks that accompany the album proper: a live version of ‘Die Young’ and the original version of ‘The Mob Rules’ from the Heavy Metal movie soundtrack. Saved $35.

Black Sabbath – Seventh Star (2010 Deluxe Edition) – $35 (free with gift card): I was going to pick up the HEAVEN & HELL Deluxe Edition but there were two copies of it at the store while there was only one copy of the SEVENTH STAR Deluxe Edition. My paranoia that I would miss out on SEVENTH STAR forced my hand! I am a huge fan of all post-Ozzy eras of Black Sabbath and I bought this album back in 1986 when it first came out on cassette. Actually, I almost went to the concert at the Providence Civic Center that tour but my parents wouldn’t let me go, concerts were a new thing for me and them back in 1985/1986. Anyway, the extras here are a remixed version of ‘No Stranger To Love’ on the album CD and the bonus disc is a live recording with Ray Gillen at Hammersmith Odeon 6/2/1986. For the sake of history, the Providence, RI gig was 3/25/1986 and was the next to last show with SEVENTH STAR vocalist Glenn Hughes fronting the band. Saved $35.

The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks (1964-1971) (2002 remaster) - $30 (free with gift card): When I started to get into music in the early ’80s, The Rolling Stones were billed as “the ultimate Rock ‘n’ Roll band” and they were always on local FM radio. I grew up listening to the radio and I grew up listening to the band’s songs. When I started heading out to record stores, I wanted a Rolling Stones greatest hits cassette…..enter HOT ROCKS. I bought my cassette copy at the old Good Vibrations chain and I remember it was so expensive (probably around $15) because it was considered a double album…..I still have the cassette today. I had $30 left in gift cards and I wanted something special and that’s when I thought of HOT ROCKS. The price has doubled for the remastered single CD compared to my cassette from back in the day but I figured I would never spend the $30 on my own so I decided that it was now or never and I burned the last gift card. Saved $30.

Holy Grail – Crisis In Utopia (2010) - $12: Holy Grail is a spin-off band from one of my favorite new bands White Wizzard. I’m not really sure who left to form what band but now I know that there are two solid U.S. Power metal bands out there! I had read a lot of reviews on Holy Grail in Decibel and Revolver magazines, as well as, online so I kept the band and album in mind but I had totally forgotten as I was burning all my gift cards. As I was walking to the checkout counter with my three albums, I saw CRISIS IN UTOPIA sitting in a display so I snatched it up right away. I figured that I wasn’t paying for the three other deluxe CDs so I could spend some of my own money and buy this album. Good thing I grabbed the CD on display because a quick look in the Metal section under ‘H’ and I found another copy at the regular $15.99 price! I’ll take a sale CD anyday! Saved $4.

Electric Wizard – Black Masses (2011) – $10: One of the hardest things about being an obsessive collector is that you want to hear and buy everything but everything is not always available. I had Electric Wizard’s latest, BLACK MASSES, on my list all year long but I wasn’t about to pay the high import prices. I don’t own any Electric Wizard albums but, after reading so many great reviews, I decided to start with the new album. Unfortunately, there was no U.S. release date set! So I waited and then the 2010 year end best of lists started coming out online and in print. Gues what album always seemed to be at or near the top? A couple weeks after my gift card shopping trip, I decided to drop in quickly to the local Newbury Comics closer to home and there’s BLACK MASSES in the new release section for a cool $10…..about $15 less than the import price + shipping! A no-brainer to pick up…..saved $4 off the regular price. Just a note here…..this is the North American release and it’s dated 2011 on the CD even though it was released everywhere else in 2010.

Bret Michaels – Songs Of Life (2003) – $4 used: If you’re going to pop in the local record store quick and immeadiately find an album you want on the new release rack in front of the entrance, then it’s your duty as a collector to make sure that there are no other treasures hiding in plain sight. I took a quick lap through the entire store and guess what album I find staring at my from the Poison section? I know I’ve crucified Bret the last few years for releasing “new” albums that are really repackage deals of his previous solo work but I’ve made it a personal mission to acquire all the Bret solo albums that were released in the mid-2000s on his own label, Poor Boy Records. Slowly but surely, I started to find all the Bret albums but SONGS OF LIFE had eluded me at a fair price, it was going for $25+ on Ebay! I saw the CD and grabbed it right away, then I saw the $4 price tag…..that’s a huge deal! I estimate that this originally went for $15 when it was released so I saved about $11.

W.A.S.P. – The Last Command (1985) – $7 used: This was a great find for very personal reasons. About 8 years ago, when my wife and I were expecting our second child, money was a little tight. My wife wasn’t working and my work schedule wasn’t flexible enough for me to get a second job. I turned to my CD collecting hobby for additional income. I started selling used CDs that I found in the record stores on ebay and I started to make a couple extra bucks. When we needed even more extra cash, I turned to my own collection for CDs to sell. One of my big sales was all the original pressings of every W.A.S.P. album from the first to THE CRIMSON IDOL (1992)…..6 CDs and I netted $100! That was a huge help back then and I justified it not only by the situation but by the fact that I had bought the W.A.S.P. remasters back in 1999. Years later, I’m unhappy with the sound on the remasters and I’ve been searching for the original pressings again. W.A.S.P. has always been one of my favorite bands and I was there from before the debut album so these records are special, THE LAST COMMAND being my favorite. An obvious purchase and a great find at what I estimate as half off regular price. Saved $8.

Hardcore Superstar – No Regrets (2003) – $4 used: I found this CD in a bargain bin and I recognized the name but I wasn’t sure what kind of music they played. I remembered seeing reviews on one of the websites I frequent but I had never heard one song from Hardcore Superstar. Thank god for smartphones! First, I checked my collection to see if I already owned it (I’ve seen more than a few copies at a low used price). Second, I got online and looked the band up. Once I found the reviews at some of my favorite websites, I decided to take the $4 risk. Third, I checked Ebay to see what the CD was going for because there was a second copy of NO REGRETS at the same price. It wasn’t selling at auction so I figured I’d leave it for someone else to discover. I’m going to use this as a jumping off point to check out the band because it’s their fourth out of eight albums and, if I like their brand of Sleaze Rock, I will try and get the rest as cheap as possible. I estimate the regular price at $15 when researching online and taking into account Newbury Comics’ prices, so I saved $11.

Damageplan – New Found Power (2004) – $3 used: I found this in the same bargain bin that I found the Hardcore Superstar disc in and I used my smartphone again to make sure I didn’t have it in my collection. I have always been a Pantera fan, maybe not as big as others, but I have all their records in my collection, including the independent ones before COWBOYS FROM HELL. I never bothered to collect all the spin-off bands until I bought both HellYeah albums last year. I had every intention of checking out Damageplan after the untimely death of Dimebag Darrell but I just never got around to it. In fact, I’ve passed on more than a few used copies over the years but none at this price. To make sure I was getting the best deal (and how could $3 not be a great deal!), I went over to the ‘D’ section and noticed that regular price on this disc was $15.99 and the other used price was $7.99. I saved $13 off the regular price.

Rhapsody Of Fire – The Cold Embrace Of Fear E.P. (2010) – $7: As I was picking up the W.A.S.P., Hardcore Superstar and Damageplan CDs on my third trip of the year to the record store, I noticed this new release by Rhapsody Of Fire in the new release rack. I wasn’t really sure what this release was, and Rhapsody does have a pattern of releasing E.P.s and multi-track CD singles between albums, so I got online with my phone for quick research…..my Android phone is my new best tool while on the hunt! Turns out this E.P. was released in Europe in October 2010 and it’s one 35 minute song broken into seven acts. I’m skeptical about these type of releases because what does a 35 minute song sound like? And am I going to get bored? I have almost every Rhapsody release so the completist in me had to have it and, at $7, it wasn’t too much to risk. Saved $3 off regular price.

Online

King Lizard – Viva La Decadence (2010) – $20: I happened to find out about King Lizard through a podcast I listen to and I liked the song so much that I went to their website to buy the album. Of course, I was too late because they were sold out of the first pressing with the uncensored artwork! I didn’t want to wait for a second pressing to become available so I emailed the band direct and inquired on the availability. The band responded and I bought the LAST copy they had with the uncensored artwork AND they autographed it for me! Not a bad deal at all! Sometimes all you have to do is ask and you definitely shall receive, as long as you have a genuine interest and still pay for the item! Thanks to King Lizard for hooking me up so watch for an album review here soon. More info on the band can be found at their official website: http://www.kinglizard.co.uk/

Total = $67

Total (year) = $67 

Average Price (per item) = $6.09

Total Savings (month) = $154

Total Savings (year) = $154

Total CDs (year) = 11

Total DVDs (year) = 0

Total Box Sets (year) = 0

Total LPs (year) = 0

Dec 24 2010

CD Scavenger Hunt (December update) – The final update of 2010

2010 is almost over and it’s been a good year for buying music. There have been so many new albums, so many reissues and so many discovered treasures that it’s been hard to keep up! Actually, I didn’t keep up…..I have literally hundreds of albums  on my desk and in boxes next to it that I either bought or were sent in by bands. There is just no possible way that I can listen to every album that crosses my desk but I do make a point to give every CD I buy a listen. I’ve bought a lot this year through online stores, band websites, Ebay, private sales and…..my favorite…..the record stores! Record stores are a dying breed, more and more are closing every year, especially the mom & pop stores that cared about the music and the customer, go out and support them!

December is always my slowest month of the year because the holidays are right around the corner and the hard earned cash has to be spent on more important things…..like presents and holiday dinners and, well, more presents! This is also the time of year when not much comes out because most of the new albums have already been released and it’s time for labels and stores to focus on greatest hits packages. The problem is that there are ALWAYS great sales this time of year, especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and I can’t pass things up sometimes.

So here it is, the final update of 2010…..make sure you check out my final totals and analysis at the bottom…..

Online

Lana Lane - Gemini (2006), Garden Of The Moon Special Edition (2002), 10th Anniversary Concert CD/DVD (2005) & Rocket Scientists – Revolution Road (2006) - $20: I was going through my CD collection making lists of things I was missing the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I decided to head over to Think Tank Media to see how much the Lana Lane CDs were because there are some glaring holes in the collection even after I picked up a few on Ebay this year. When I got to the website, they were having a $5 sale with free shipping on select inventory…..how could I pass up this sale? So I started going through the list and I picked up three Lana Lane releases I needed and I decided to try a Rocket Scientists album, the band that Lana’s husband, Erik Norlander founded. What a great deal! GEMINI is a covers record so I never bought it when it came out, the GARDEN OF THE MOON Special Edition is a 2 CD set, the 10 ANNIVERSARY CONCERT is a CD & DVD set and the Rocket Scientists album is a 2 CD set also. That’s like getting 6 CDs and a DVD! Plus free shipping? SOLD!

Ebay

Bret Michaels – Freedon Of Sound (Vol. 1): A Collection Of Songs Past & Present (2005) – $15: I have been on the search for all the Bret Michaels solo albums because, if Bret’s going to repackage everything with a couple extra new songs and new artwork and call it a new album, I’d rather get the out of print original. This album is interesting because it has a lot of new songs for 2005 but it also has the start of the repackaging of older material with two songs each from the two previous Bret solo albums, A LETTER FROM DEATH ROW (1998) and SONGS OF LIFE (2003). Most of these songs are out there on Bret’s newer albums ROCK MY WORLD (2008) and CUSTOM BUILT (2010) so you can definitely hear them but, if you want the originals on Bret’s label, you’re out of luck…..out of print! I have been scouring used bins and Ebay for a while and I came across this CD on Ebay as a BUY IT NOW with free shipping…..I pulled the trigger immeadiately!

Helix – Half-Alive (1998), Jackal – Vague Visions (1993), Jaded Heart – Slaves And Masters (1996), Letter X – Time Of The Gathering (1991), Mercyful Fate – In The Shadows (1993), Rattlebone – s/t (1992), Samson – Refugee (1990), Tokyo Blade – Mr. Ice (1998), Tyketto – Strength In Numbers (1994) – $27 used ($3 each): I found this lot on Ebay when I was cross-referencing a different Helix album, so I saved it and kept my eyes on it. I don’t own any of these CDs and the price was right to add all of them at once to my collection. How can you pass up 9 CDs at $3 each? I have been trying to pick up all the Helix CDs I’m missing so getting HALF-ALIVE is a big deal seeing that I’ve seen just that CD go for $20+…..the rest of the bands I’ve heard of, some like Tyketto, Samson and Jaded Heart I already own other records but this lot is more like a cool grab bag for me. It adds so bulk to the collection and maybe a hidden gem or two.

Final Stats for 2010

Total (December) = $62

Total (year) = $1820

Average Price (per item) = $10.23

Total CDs (year) = 162

Total DVDs (year) = 7

Total Box Sets (year) = 7

Total LPs (year) = 2

Nov 30 2010

CD Scavenger Hunt (November update)

In an attempt to not only keep track of my purchases, and to also keep this post from being two months late, I am actually going to add to this post throughout the month! A genius of an idea…..not sure why I hadn’t thought of it before. The added bonus is that I can clear up some desk space. I should really take an updated picture of my desk because I have a pile of purchases, a pile of promos, the pile of press releases and then my own notes…..and that’s just on the left side! Then there’s the pile of CDs that I want to upload into iTunes on the right…..don’t get me started on that. So here’s November’s buying update……

Ebay

Johnny Crash – Neighborhood Threat (1990) – $18 used: I have been on the search for this CD for about 8 years…..for a decent price. I used to go to this record store from around 1997 to 2002 when it finally closed and I used to get a ton of great used CDs every weekend. This was back in the day when the Internet, Ebay, Napster, and trading in used CDs for cash were all really a new thing (at least here in Rhode Island!). Anyway, I used to scrounge the used racks and I could come away with about 20 used CDs for $100 and they were all Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. You don’t know how many times I debated buying this CD and how many times I put off grabbing it because I found something else “more important”. Once that specific store closed it’s doors, I never saw another Johnny Crash CD. You can get one online through various outlets but Ebay has always seemed the easiest but I never bothered to pick one up because I thought that $20+ for it was too much, especially when I had seen it for $5 used in person. As the years have gone by, the amount of copies on Ebay have dwindled and the price has gone up. I have had this album on my Saved Searches for at least a couple of years and, one day last week, a notification came via email of a new listing with a BUY IT NOW price of $15 + $3 shipping. I jumped on it immeadiately!

Newbury Comics

The Big Four (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth & Anthrax) – Live From Sofia, Bulgaria (2010) box set – $55: Nothing would be better than to see the Big 4 of Thrash on tour in the U.S. but, for now, this live set from the 2010 European Tour will have to be enough. I grew up listening to all four bands so this was a no-brainer purchase for me, the only thing that bothered me was the price because $55 is expensive. I could have settled for the 2 DVD set for $20 but I wanted the audio as well so the 4 CD/2 DVD box set was the only option. Also included in the box set besides the CDs, DVDs and the box is a set of four photo cards (one for each band), a full color booklet and a guitar pick. The price really had me debating the purchase because I can get three or four different new releases for that amount but I reasoned that I was get more bang for the buck with one set. Plus, the regular price was $75 and waiting to use gift cards I will eventually get for the holidays would technically make it free…..but also $20 more expensive. I ended up saving $20.

Kiske/Somerville – s/t (2010) – $18: I have been wanting to pick this album up since it was announced first, because of Michael Kiske’s involvement (I’m a Helloween fan from way back in the ’80s) and second because Amanda Somerville jumped on my radar with her beautiful voice. I thought the concept was interesting in pairing the two singers and then I read a ton of positive reviews…..every once in a while I get an album stuck in my head that I just need to have, this was THAT album. The album came out a few weeks ago and I had been eyeballing it through the usual online stores but the price always floated up around $20 with shipping…..then the CD got a proper U.S. release and was on sale the first week. Unfortunatelt, the record store only stocked one copy the day it came out and someone managed to get to the store before me that Tuesday! This turned out to be one of the more pricey CDs I bought recently because I missed out on the initial sale price but I ended up with a comparable price compared to online and I didn’t have to wait for the mail.

Dio – Dio At Donnington, UK: Live 1983 & 1987 (2010) – $12: It’s been a rough time for me being a big fan of Ronnie James Dio and all the bands he fronted over the years, his death earlier this year affected me greatly because he was a big musical presence in my Metal journey of the last three decades. Besides groing up with the Dio band, I became a HUGE fan of his era in Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell and he led my favorite Rainbow lineup. One of the things I did after news of his passing was to listen to Ronnie’s collective work even more so there was a comfort in the music. This was a must have live set for me, not just because Ronnie is gone, but because I wanted to get my hands on an official release of both these legendary Dio shows at the Monsters Of Rock at Donnington. I hope that Ronnie’s wife Wendy continues to release classic archival material of Ronnie because his music is so great. Regular price was $18 for the 2 CD set so I saved $6 grabbing it on release day.

Helloween – 7 Sinners (2010) – $10: Like I mentioned up above, I started as a Helloween fan back in the ’80s with both KEEPER OF THE SEVEN KEYS albums but somewhere in the early to mid-’90s I lost touch with the band. Some of the best Helloween albums have been released since 1998 when I rediscovered a lot of my old favorite bands when I got my Internet connection: 1998′s BETTER THAN RAW, 2000′s THE DARK RIDE and 2007′s GAMBLING WITH THE DEVIL. It just seems like Helloween just keeps pumping out record after record every couple of years, 7 SINNERS is their sixth studio album since 1998. I received a digital promotional copy of the album a couple of weeks prior to the release but there was a problem downloading the album so I never got to hear it! I would have spent the money on the proper CD for my personal collection anyway (this happens a lot!) and getting the CD on the day of release for $9.99 helped out a lot. Regular price was $16 so I saved $6.

GWAR – Bloody Pit Of Horror (2010) – $10: Didn’t GWAR just release an album last year? They did, LUST IN SPACE (2009). Nice to see the band trying to take over the world again as quickly as possible with two new albums and two world tours in two years. GWAR are the originators and bands like Mushroomhead, Lordi and Slipknot are capitalizing on an image that GWAR started all the way back in 1988! This was on my list of new releases to buy but it came out the same day as the new Dio and Helloween albums, then I found the Kiske/Somerville album, and I decided that I was going to spend too much money. Money is never an issue for me as long as the bills are paid and the family is fed but it’s getting close to the holidays and I didn’t want to overdue it…..I bought it anyway! The way I looked at it was that I would come back in a couple of weeks and have to pay the full price ($15) so I would be saving $5 by picking it up now. Plus, spending $10 now or in two weeks still means you’ve spent $10!

W.A.S.P. – s/t (1984) – $10 used: ever since Newbury Comics opened a store about 3 miles from my house, i never go to the Warwick, RI store anymore. True Rhode Islanders hate going anywhere if it takes longer than 15-20 minutes and the ride to Warwick, with traffic, can be 25 minutes. Needless to say, unless there’s other things that need to be done in the area, I don’t go down that way. After pulling a double shift at work, I came home to find that my wife was heading to Warwick to check out some holiday dishes for Thanksgiving…..the bribe for me to join her and the kids was Dunkin Donuts and a stop at the Warwick Newbury. This was a good trip because I found a lot of used bargains and this W.A.S.P. debut started it off. A little backstory here….. Back in 2003 when my wife was pregnant with our second daughter, she was out of work and we were cutting as many corners as possible. One thing I started to do was sell CDs I found on Ebay…..once my inventory was gone, I took a long look at my collection. I had all the original pressings of all the W.A.S.P. albums from the debut through CRIMSON IDOL but I also had the 1999 reissues with bonus tracks (the same reissues they keep re-releasing in different packaging every year!). Needing cash, I put the lot on Ebay and I think I scored $100! Over the years, I have regretted selling my original pressings because I think the reissues sound inferior so I’ve been on the hunt. When I saw this CD in the used bin, it was a definite purchase.

Tipton, Entwistle & Powell – Edge Of The World (2006) – $5 used: Here’s a disc that I passed up on four years ago and I have never seen cheap since the original sale price. Back in 2006, Glenn Tipton re-released his 1997 solo album BAPTIZM OF FIRE with two bonus tracks that were actually the Japanese bonus tracks from the 1997 release. I already had the original album so I didn’t bother but what did get my interest was this album that was released at the same time. So you have Glenn Tipton, The Who’s legendary bassist John Entwistle, legendary drummer Cozy Powell and keyboardist Don Airey working on a bunch of songs that weren’t done for BAPTIZM OF FIRE. Originally, this was supposed to be the band on BAPTIZM but the label got involved and these songs, and the lineup, got shelved. So the tracks finally see the light of day after close to ten years and 8 years after Cozy’s passing and 2 years after John’s. I never picked this up back then because I figured it would always be available, and it was, at $18 regular price. After a couple of years, the album disappeared off store shelves and I forgot about it…..$5 now is a great deal!

707 (featuring Kevin Russell) – Trip To Heaven (2000) – $4 used: I have this rule that if you’re going to rummage through the bargain bins, go through all of them thoroughly…..you never know what you might find. I’m an old school record store guy so I recognize a lot of obscure bands from my days as a kid flipping through racks of vinyl and cassettes, I recognized 707 right away. You may remember 707 from the early ’80s with their single ‘Mega Force’ but I remember them as being on Casablanca Records (KISS’ label). The band also got some publicity when Tod Howarth joined Frehley’s Comet and you may remember  singer Kevin Chalfant being a part of the band too. I wasn’t sure what kind of release this was but at $4 used, I figured that I could take a chance. Turns out Kevin Russell and 707 have been putting out some new material and re-releasing the old stuff.

Kotipelto – Waiting For The Dawn (2002) – $3 used: Bargain of the day! How can you pass up any Metal CD for $3? I recognized the band name as Timo Kotipelto from Stratovarius so I new that this was going to be some sort of Power Metal album. The album was released in 2002 on Century Media Records so I knew it had a regular release a few years ago but I didn’t remember Timo being solo. I grabbed this anyway, taking a chance again, but there was a second copy at the same price. Now the wheels are turning in my head…..could I sell this on Ebay? Good thing for cell phones! Turns out that this album sells for around$5 at auction so there wasn’t much upside to buying both copies but at least I got a great bargain! Perfect CD, as if it had never been played. No cut-outs, no wrinkles on the booklet, even the jewel case was in mint condition.

Sharon – Edge Of Time (1999) – $5 used: Another bargain! I’ve seen this album before back when it first came out in 1999 and I was a twice a week regular at 2 Guys Music in Warwick. That was a great place to get an education about what was coming out on European labels like Frontiers, SPV, Limb, Escape, Z Records etc. This CD came out in 1999 on Limb Music and distributed by SPV so I knew that I had at least found a Metal CD. What sold me right away, aside from the low price, was the gold sticker on the front of the jewel case that described the album as “sharp and timeless Melodic Rock & Metal”. That’s enough for me! From what I can tell, this was Sharon’s only release and the sound is a little dated from what the reviews say. I took the chance figuring that Melodic Metal from Germany, on a good label, can’t be all that bad. Plus, I checked Ebay on my phone and there weren’t any copies available for less than $9!

Domain – Stardawn (2006) – $9 used: Another awesome bargain! I would probably have to put this ahead of the Kotipelto CD as “bargain of the day” because this is a 3 disc set! STARDAWN was released in 2006 on Limb Music/SPV and it’s a 3 disc set including the STARDAWN album, a 16 song best of CD from 1988-2005 and a 9 song DVD titled SEVEN DAYS IN KOREA (LIVE 2005). I never let a nice set like this go: a 5 panel digipak, full color booklets, full color packaging, 2 CDs, a DVD and it’s a limited edition for Domain’s 20th Anniversary limited to 4000 copies worldwide. I didn’t see a serial number to designate which number out of 4000 I own but this STARDAWN collection isn’t something I’ve seen in local stores before.  Taking a quick look at my collection, it looks like I’ve picked up two or three Domain albums over the years but I don’t think I really have given the band much listening time.

Black Country Communion – s/t (2010) – $18: I ended up paying full price for this one because I passed on it the first couple of weeks after the album’s official release and, when I went to buy it on this trip, the sale price was gone. The sale price when this CD came out was $12.88 so I ended up paying $5 extra but I still felt OK about the higher price because I’ve heard such good things about this record. You’ve got Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian…..that’s as solid a lineup for a band as I’ve ever seen. Supergroup? Yeah, I’d say so…..it’s safe to say each musician is at the top of the list among their peers. I had this on my list just for Glenn Hughes, one of the greatest Rock singers of all time! The added bonus here is that the CD came with a bonus DVD that includes a video, interviews, behind the scenes in the studio and a photo gallery. If the album is as good as I’ve read, I’ll forget all about the high price.

Halford – Crucible (Remixed & Remastered) (2010) – $11: I picked this up to complete the Halford collection of remasters and because there were two copies, this one on sale and the other at regular price of $15. The sticker on the CD promotes the CRUCIBLE album remixed and remastered including four new tracks but, if you look closely, the four new tracks are really the two bonus tracks for the limited edition of the original pressing and the two bonus tracks for the Japanese import of the original pressing. This was one of those purchases that could have waited because I already have all the bonus tracks but, I was looking for something to buy and the sale sticker was calling my name. All the Halford remasters/reissues are top quality so I assume this one is more of the same. I haven’t opened it yet but when ido I will sit there and compare this to the original. Saved $4.

Halford – Live in Anaheim DVD (2010) – $15: For some reason, this DVD wasn’t released at the same time as the CD. I picked up the live album when it came out but this DVD came out a few weeks later and really flew under the radar. I could have pre-ordered this through the Halford website but I figured there would be a sale price and I could save a few bucks. The release date came and went and there was no mention in my weekly e-newsletter from the record store and there were no copies stocked in the store. About a month ago, I noticed that three brand new copies were in stock but regular priced. I decided to wait because there were three copies and there was no need to rush for it. A week later there were two copies…..two weeks after that I notice that there is only one Halford DVD left. I wasn’t going to risk another week, who knows who would buy it? This DVD includes the Anaheim concert obviously but also a documentary that includes four songs performed in Japan.

Black Sabbath – The Eternal Idol (Deluxe Edition) (2010) – $35: OK, the price on this may stagger you but this is the standard price for this UK import. I’m not usually sucked into buying these “deluxe editions” that seem to be coming out for every single band now but I do have a few but there were some serious bonuses and the new editions were released in the U.S. I already own THE ETERNAL IDOL (1987), and I’m a big Sabbath fan, especially post-Ozzy, but there was one reason why this deluxe edition way high on my want list…..the sessions with Ray Gillen on vocals. Back in ’87, Ray Gillen (ex-Badlands) was the singer for Black Sabbath having taken over for Glenn Hughes during the tour for THE SEVENTH STAR (1986). The band hit the studio after the tour but for some reason it wasn’t working out with Ray Gillen on vocals…..Tony Martin eventually came in to replace Ray (who went to Badlands with Jake E. Lee) and just re-cut the vocals. The Ray Gillen sessions have been widely circulated in bootleg form but this is the first time Tony Iommi has allowed these recordings to be officially released. Another cool bonus is the two B-sides from the proper album: ‘Black Moon’ and ‘Some Kind Of Woman’. I was so worried about having to order this online that I bit the bullet and bought this right away…..and this was the only CD I bought on this specific shopping trip.

Issa – Sign Of Angels (2010) – $16: This is one of those albums where I heard a track and had to have it. Issa is a new artist on Frontiers Records and, obviously, it’s female-fronted melodic Hard Rock. I had a digital promo of the album, downloaded it to iTunes, listened to it once and accidently deleted it! So I checked out the video for the second track on the album, ‘I’m Alive’, and I just had this idea in my head that I had to have this album! The problem was I saw only one copy in the record store when the album was released and I hadn’t seen it since. I didn’t want to pay the high import price online for a new artist that I only really new by a video but I ended up paying the same price when I found a fresh copy about a month later. I’m a sucker for female-fronted bands but this is an impressive album, push this back 20 years and it’s a major hit.

Heaven & Hell – Neon Nights: Live In Europe (2010) – $10: This is the live CD of Heaven & Hell’s performance at the 2009 Wacken Open Air festival on the tour for THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (2009). My favorite Black Sabbath lineup is the one with Ronnie James Dio so I would have snapped this live album up anyway but, with Ronnie’s passing still fresh, it was even more important to me to buy it. There’s just something about Ronnie James Dio that has really hit home with me over the last ten or twelve years and he has crept up into my Top 10 favorite artists/bands. Doesn’t matter if it’s Sabbath, Rainbow, solo, Elf or gueat appearances, I just have had a need over the last decade or so to collect all things Dio. Now that he’s gone, I want even more Dio music. Anyway, I saw this tour in Boston the same summer so it’s a nice way to re-live a great show. Saved $5 on the CD…..there was also a DVD released the same day.

Firewind – Days Of Defiance (2010) – $12: With Gus G. touring as Ozzy’s new guitarist, I completely forgot that a new Firewind album was coming out! Newbury Comics didn’t forget because there were at least ten copies available all with nice sale tags. I have a couple of Firewind CDs so I put this on my list and ended up going back and picking this up right away instead of waiting another week. You know what your getting with Firewind…..European Power Metal and excellent guitar work from Gus G. Usually I don’t get too excited over a new Firewind album but I must have had a Gus G. hangover after seeing Ozzfest and re-visiting the Dream Evil album that was released earlier in the year. Gus G. is having a pretty good year in 2010! I’ll tell you what sold me on picking this up right away…..there was something else released the same day that wasn’t in stock when I got to the record store so I spent the money I had on Firewind and still saved $4, regular price was $16. And that item was…..

Heaven & Hell – Neon Nights: Live In Europe DVD (2010) – $10: The DVD version of the new Heaven & Hell live album was released the same day as Firewind but the store only stocked two copies of the DVD and I got to the store an hour after it opened so I missed out. I got the CD no problem, there were plenty of copies of that available but the DVD is what I really wanted. I wanted to see the show one more time because I had seen the Boston tour stop and it was a great show. I had the guy at the counter check the next delivery date, which was the next day, so I had it reserved. Show up the next day and the DVD didn’t come in, only more live CDs so my pal at the counter took my name and number and promised me a copy ASAP. Another 24 hours and I get a phone call from the store that my DVD is in so i made my third trip to the record store in two days for one DVD…..at least I got it and saved $5 in the process, regular price was $15.

David ‘Rock’ Feinstein – Bitten By The Beast (2010) – $10: And the Ronnie James Dio releated releases keep on coming! David ‘Rock’ Feinstein is Dio’s cousin and was in early Dio bands like Ronnie & The Prophets and Elf with RJD but you might remember Feinstein best from his days with The Rods. I remembered reading a year or so ago that Feinstein was working on two new albums: a solo album and a new Rods album both with performances from Ronnie. The album was going to be released by Ronnie and Wendy Dio’s label, Niji Entertainment, and Ronnie not only performed a song, ‘Metal Will never Die’, he helped Feinstein mix and master the album before his death. I probably would have picked this up eventually but because of Ronnie’s death, the Dio radar is up and I have to have more Dio related music. Picked this up on sale for $10, regular price was $14, so I saved $4.

Yngwie Malmsteen – Relentless (2010) – $12: Can anyone tell me why Yngwie has to release new albums so close to the end of the year? He did the same thing with his last record a couple years ago and I totally missed it! Anyway, I’m a Malmsteen fan all the way back to Steeler and Alcatrazz so I usually buy Yngwie’s new records but I wasn’t going to initially because I was sent a digital promo…..or so I thought. I get a lot of promos, mostly digital downloads and, if I like the band or album, I usually go buy it because I’m a collector. I got an email from Yngwie’s promotional people offering a digital copy of the album for review but, when I followed the links, I got a digital stream that wasn’t downloadable. I like to download this stuff into my iPod and listen to these album’s on the go but I was chained to my computer to hear RELENTLESS. Now I get the whole priacy thing and I don’t question an artist from trying to avoid it but it was just an inconvenience…..so I didn’t bother with it. I even forgot the album was released! I happened to see it when I grabbed the Feinstein CD and noticed the good sale price, regular price was $18. I didn’t want to pay such a high price knowing that I would end up grabbing this eventually so i bought it and saved $6. By the way, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens is back on the vocals.

Total = $298

Total (year) = $1758

Average Price (per item) = $10.72

Total CDs (year) = 149

Total DVDs (year) = 6

Total Box Sets (year) = 7

Total LPs (year) = 2

Nov 1 2010

CD Scavenger Hunt (October 2010 update)

I’m trying to get back into regular posting, especially catching up on what I’ve been buying. With two months full of purchases sitting on my desk, the goal was to catch up quick and, hopefully, be prepared for November’s and December’s updates. I got September’s update posted a couple days ago so here’s the October update, it’s a small one because I made only one shopping trip to the record store…..

Newbury Comics

Angra – Aqua (2010) – $12: I got into Brazil’s Angra back in 1998 when I first got hooked up to the Internet, that was the year of Metal re-birth for me because I discovered all these bands that I had read about briefly in the few fanzines I subscribed to. My first Angra album was 1998′s FIREWORKS and I have collected every album since. I had no idea Angra was releasing a new album and I only found out when my Newbury Comics e-newsletter arrived in my inbox. This has happened with a bunch of releases lately and it’s due to my not being attached to the computer as much as I’ve been in the last few years…..if you’re not paying attention, then you might miss out! This was one of the two albums on my list this week so it was a definite purchase whether it was on sale or not. Regular price was $16 so I saved $4 buying the day of release.

Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra (2010) – $9: I don’t own any Dimmu Borgir albums but I have kept my eye on the band over the years reading about them in magazines and online and sampling their music from time to time on MySpace or their official website. I just never got around to buying any of their albums but, with my purposeful committment to try out more extreme Metal, I have been waiting for an excuse to buy a Dimmu Borgir album. The $9 sale price helped a lot considering that the regular price would eventually be $15 so I saved $6. I wasn’t going to buy this album but I saw it in the new release rack and I figured I would take a chance and check it out. The CD includes deluxe cardboard packaging, a bonus track and bonus video.

Grave Digger – The Clans Will Rise Again (2010) – $12: I’ve been a Grave Digger fan for a long time and their last album, BALLADS OF A HANGMAN (2009), just came out last year so I was surprised to see this new album on the new release list. The problem was that the store only had one copy and it was sold immeadiately at 10am when they opened. I got to the store 15 minutes later so I was a little pissed that I didn’t get the album right away. Rather than drive the half hour to the next closest location, I decided to go back to the store a couple days later when two more copies would be available! Inconvenience due to my own lateness aside, a new Grave Digger album is a must have and this was the only other album on my list along with the new Angra. The U.S. pressing includes the bonus track ‘Watch Me Die’.

Angel Dust – Of Human Bondage (2002) – $3 used: Bargain of the month! Since I had to make the 10 minute trip back to my local Newbury Comics a couple days later to pick up the new Grave Digger record I might as well take some time and browse again! I go to the same store every week because it’s so close to my house so I usually get my new releases right away but the store’s regular stock and used CD stock generally stays the same…..there’s not a lot of turnover in the North Attleboro location like there is in the busier Warwick location 25 minutes away. I pretty much have the place memorized so it was a great surprise to find this Angel Dust CD in the bargain bin that I just checked two days earlier…..and for $3! The added bonus to the whole thing is that the album comes with a bonus CD sampler from Centruy Media…..I will always take basically 2 CDs of music for $3. Assuming regular price is around $12 then I saved $9.

Ebay

Lana Lane – Ballad Collection I (1998), Ballad Collection II (2000) & European Tour 2003 Souvenir CD (2003) – $12: All three CDs were bought from the same seller who I believe is Think Tank Media, Lana Lane’s label that is run by her husband and fellow musician Erik Norlander. I have been trying to fill the holes in my Lana Lane collection but a lot of the earlier albums are out of print and hard to find, especially all of her albums prior to, and including, 2000 because they were al released exclusively in Japan on the Avalon/Marquee label. Both BALLAD COLLECTON CDs are sealed Japanese pressings and the Euro Tour 2003 CD is also sealed, usually the Ballad CDs go for $20 at the Think Tank website and $25+ on Ebay and the Euro Tour 2003 CD for $15 at Think Tank and about the same at auction. Getting all three albums for an average of $4 each was a huge score and I estimate that I saved at least $43 based on the average regular prices I’ve seen in the last few years.

Total = $48

Total (year) = $1460

Average Price (per item) = $10.28

Total CDs (year) = 130

Total DVDs (year) = 4

Total Box Sets (year) = 6

Total LPs (year) = 2