It's not the most shoppable setup for a record shop. I cross the border to go to IKEA every so often, and I'm always amazed at the number of houses going up along Lake Ontario. It's always nice to meet up with VC members. It sounds like you had a great time. I do enjoy Lloyd Cole's music.
Hi Mark, It seems like the entire area from Oshawa through to Niagara has been under construction forever. Pretty soon, it will be one large contiguous city ...
Sometimes those little detours can indeed pay off, and Easy Pieces I'm on the lookout for. Third stop in Hamilton was the charm it seems. That Metric release looks sharp, and that LP title tracks for Godspeed, for sure. Nice, Brian! 🎶😎
Hey Brian. Glad we got to meet up again. Shops were disappointing except Revolution. I wish Dr Disc had been open later so we could have squeezed that in. I’ll have a video up in a day or two.
I'd love to meet some of my favorite Canadian VCers someday. I live a sheltered life, though, and so I have to live vicariously through these types of videos. Thanks for sharing! Some nice pick ups, too. I'll be watching for Rob's video in the next few days.
It's great that you got to meet up with Rob. I still haven't picked up that Adam & The Ants record, one of several I need to get (Adam Ant/Adam & The Ants). I think I bought one solo album after The Commotions and I'm not sure why I stopped. Everything is on CD, I don't have anything by him on vinyl. I don't think I have seen many bootlegs of regular releases in Kansas City record stores. Cheers.
Always love checking out new places & their records stores… sadly most are underwhelming (too pricey, too niche, too disorganized, etc) I picked up that first Adam & the Ants only within the last 5 yrs or so myself- intrigued by that ‘darkwave/shoegaze’ record you showed. It was neat that Rob messaged me with a pic of you two out & about on the day 👍 Cheers-R
Hi Brian Thanks for sharing your uneventful drive home 😀. Not much I’m that familiar with here but enjoyed seeing your pics from the shops .. I think I dropped Lloyd when you did not sure I’ll return .. though I do also enjoy mainstream the commotions 3rd album .. cheers 👍
Hey Brian! I was really bummed that I was not able to make it to Hamilton on Friday. What a day I had. I will get into the details when I make my video. Thankfully I was able to save my day at a record store in Gravenhurst. I’m glad you found some success at Revolution Records. Hopefully next year I can make it!
You better make it next year! 🙂 It was a good meet up, especially since I got to go to stores that were new to me. That is always a treat, even if I don't find anything 🙂
Hey Brian. Nice to see you grab some goodies. I really like PCV in Oakville. It's been a few years since I've been there. Had a couple VC meet ups there. I enjoy Godspeed You? Black Emperor. Still need to check out the new album. Cheers, Jeff
I enjoyed hearing your vinyl adventures. Your description of Hamilton reminds of the lyrics to Slag Heap Love by The Polka Dogs. I really should listen to God Speed You, Black Emperor.
Enjoyed the description of Hamilton, it sounds a bit like Manchester in the 1970s'. I was never much into Adam & the Ants though a few years ago I acquired nearly all their catalogue from a friend's wife who was getting rid of all her records. I sent the singles off to good will but kept the LPs though haven't played them yet. The one song of his I really liked was 'Goody Two Shoes'. Cool to see the John Peel Sessions record, they used to be quite common in charity shops in the UK but you don't see them much anymore. Don't know if you're aware of the RUclips podcast 'Word in Your Ear', but they did a fun interview with Lloyd Cole a couple of years back . Badly organised, over-priced record shops are always annoying!
Hi James, I used to see Peel Sessions more frequently, but now they are hard to find and they seem to be expensive. It's a shame. Thanks for the tip on 'Word in Your Ear'. I will look it up!
Your description of Hamilton, seeing the mills reminds me of Pittsburgh growing up. Major steel city back my childhood so much that when you drove past the coke ovens along the river oh the smells 😮. I used to service the copy machines in the office at the coke ovens. Grimey doesn't do it justice. Everything was covered in coal dust. I have tempered my record buying until after RSD.
Hi Greg, I didn't mention the smell. Usually, the car windows are closed! The water surrounding that area is heavily polluted, too. I didn't see anything on the RSD list that truly interested me. I will review it one more time 🙂
I love that Adam Ant 1st album - I’ve got a U.K. original but that import album with the different cover was highly sort after back in the day ! A good 5 bucks well spent !
Hi Brian. That Lloyd Cole looks great. I'd love more of his solo work. I have his... I had (have) 3 solo CD's and a solo comp from 1990 to 1995 (comp from 1999) and then about a year ago I got one more CD from 2003 and his solo debut on vinyl. Anything after I guess 1995 sort of just dropped off my radar, even when I got Rattlesnakes on a deluxe CD it didn't trigger a further pursuit of his goings on. I honestly don't know why. Love his music, voice and mood... Odd.
I always thought it was a nice drive into Hamilton coming in eastbound from Burlington. You drop down the Niagara Escarpment and you can see a nice view of Lake Ontario and Hamilton as you come down that long hill. Anyway, I did go to a few stores in Hamilton back then. I thought prices were high then, but now, if only they were the same prices now. I lost interest in Lloyd Cole also for a while though I always loved his work with The Commotions. I picked up a CD compilation that combined solo work and with The Commotions and I enjoyed the solo music as much as the group music, so I've been looking for more of his solo work now. LOL about the buyer going to lawn sales and having several copies of Alan Parsons et al. I'm pretty sure I was in that store, it looked quite familiar and I did notice several copies of very common artists. Congrats on getting the new GY!BE. Hoping that I'll be getting that one for Christmas. Very awesome finds this year!
I think there's a similar view coming down Highway 6, with a tremendous view of Hamilton. I am on a quest form more Lloyd Cole! I'm planning to give a complete listen to GY!BE soon. I hope Santa Claus comes through for you 🎅 I feel like I should have bought some Alan Parson from that guy, just to thin out his collection a bit.
“Maybe some of you don’t know where Hamilton is”…”Sometimes known as the hammer”…”You’re confronted by what seems like a post apocalyptic landscape when you drive from Toronto, which is interesting”..I was an Adam & The Ants fan, but have none inthe collection. I just stream the hits, but should dig a bit deeper. On the John Peel recordings…”I’ve encountered many of these over the years, and haven’t bought them. Maybe I should have”…I have a copy of Rattlesnakes on CD. I kind of checked out on some of that stuff as you did, but have come back to it over time. Those Hamilton prices on that first store sound terrible. “A bunch of common records in various categories. Nothing in that store appealed to me”…excellent video as always Brian. ✌️
You got the good quotes, once again. Hamilton sucks. Well, not really, but the prices of the first store sure did. For a while, I thought that I hated Adam and the Ants, but there is some cool stuff, especially that first record. I may well go back to The Hammer and check out the better stores! 👍
Also on the lookout for Peel Sessions - so far i found the Damned, the Specials and Stiff Little, plus a more modern one , The White Stripes which I highly recommend
My family was in Toronto for a long layover enroute to Ireland. The city seemed to have a great transit system. We enjoyed our 5 hours or so in the city. Agree with you on Lloyd Cole and was curious on that record you picked up. Pegboards do not seem ideal for record stores. The store owner may have given Eye in the Sky to you half off. Great VC meetup!
Hi Shawn, Toronto seems to have a great transit system, but if you live here, you will start to understand the problems. Still, I have few complaints overall. I should have tried to make a deal for the Alan Parsons! 🙂
The Peel Sessions are all worth having. If John liked it, it must be good 🙂 I came to that Adam Ant record late, after having heard Goody Two Shoes, so I was surprised by Dirk. It's really great. Although, I have to say that I do like Goody Two Shoes 👍 It's a fun track.
There is a record label PVC. I just picked up that Adam and the Ants album. In the 80s I always passed on the Peel Sessions records. Everyone that I’ve heard is really good. I see Misfits and Samhain records that are not official releases.
I assume that all unofficial releases are sourced from compact discs, so I avoid them, even though I am not certain that my aging ears will be able to tell the difference!
I bet theres someone out there with all The Peel Sessions..the irony being in the UK they were always incredibly cheap often £3.99....now very collectable... Have you heard Bill Callahan is releasing a 4 track EP called 'The Holy Grail' its his 2001 Peel Sessions, was listening to it online, fantastic stuff.
I didn't know about the Bill Callahan. I like his music, so I will check it out. I should have bought more Peel Sessions way back when 😔 They were a steal in the olden days 🙂
Post-rock is bit amorphous, to be sure. I usually look up a definition before I start talking about it, but I forgot this time. Otherwise, I may have tried to define it 🙂
Any size VC meet up would be good. I just have to tolerate my friends as an alternative 😂Yep my Dirk looks different, good find & their best imho. Are the Peel Sessions legit or bootlegs? I never buy unofficial recordings. I'd prefer to get something else than be annoyed at myself for paying any amount for a crap sounding knock off. What's the new Godspeed like? Allelujah! Don't Bend Ascend was the last one I got. Nice one HP 👍
This was a legit Peel Session, for sure. Totally authentic. I have only heard part of the the GY!BE. I always love them, and this sounds great. They have never let me down.
@ Cool. I’ll have to check my Slits Peel Session to see what it says. I think I might be only missing the new GS & is there 1 maybe 2 in between the newie & Allelujah?
@@benrankins4446 Believe it or not, there are four albums after Allelujah! - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress, Luciferian Towers, G_d's Pee At State's End!, and the new one!
Sorry I missed the meet up this time although Hamilton record shopping can be a bit low key / mediocre selection. Into the Abyss is yhe best shop there along with Flashbacks. Revolution is not bad either which you checked out. That darkwave electronic record sounds good. I like Aiden baker too. He is mega prolific! Good score for $9.99. Thats a pretty mimimalist basic hype sticker for Godspeed record ;)
@@EmbryonicRobot yeah Hamilton is off the center of the universe.. haha so prices are a bit higher. Actually I find record shopping is better in Ottawa (we are closer to MTL distros.. better selection too)
It's not the most shoppable setup for a record shop. I cross the border to go to IKEA every so often, and I'm always amazed at the number of houses going up along Lake Ontario. It's always nice to meet up with VC members. It sounds like you had a great time. I do enjoy Lloyd Cole's music.
Hi Mark, It seems like the entire area from Oshawa through to Niagara has been under construction forever. Pretty soon, it will be one large contiguous city ...
Sometimes those little detours can indeed pay off, and Easy Pieces I'm on the lookout for. Third stop in Hamilton was the charm it seems. That Metric release looks sharp, and that LP title tracks for Godspeed, for sure. Nice, Brian! 🎶😎
Hi Ed, The detour was awesome this time. I should have gone earlier so I had more time there 🙂
Hi Brian. It's always nice to see VC members meeting up in the real world. Some interesting finds and a very good Peel Sessions from Wah. Cheers Mike
Hi Mike, I agree about real world meet-ups. I've been lucky enough to take part in a few. More to come in future, I hope 🤞
Hey Brian. Glad we got to meet up again. Shops were disappointing except Revolution. I wish Dr Disc had been open later so we could have squeezed that in. I’ll have a video up in a day or two.
OK! Dr Disc next time I am in Hamilton. Also, Jason recommended Into the Abyss and Flashbacks. I'm looking forward to your video.
I'd love to meet some of my favorite Canadian VCers someday. I live a sheltered life, though, and so I have to live vicariously through these types of videos. Thanks for sharing! Some nice pick ups, too. I'll be watching for Rob's video in the next few days.
Hi Mark - Canadian VCers are the best 😃 Ha ha, all VCers are the tops!! Seriously.
I always have good luck at Dr. Disc. Interesting selection and many things I don't see in the Toronto stores.
Jason Skilz recommended Dr Disc, so I will make an effort to drop in the next time I am in Hamilton 👍
It's great that you got to meet up with Rob. I still haven't picked up that Adam & The Ants record, one of several I need to get (Adam Ant/Adam & The Ants). I think I bought one solo album after The Commotions and I'm not sure why I stopped. Everything is on CD, I don't have anything by him on vinyl. I don't think I have seen many bootlegs of regular releases in Kansas City record stores. Cheers.
Rob is always a jovial and friendly guy, so it was a great evening. I'm hoping we can meet up again soon :)
Always love checking out new places & their records stores… sadly most are underwhelming (too pricey, too niche, too disorganized, etc) I picked up that first Adam & the Ants only within the last 5 yrs or so myself- intrigued by that ‘darkwave/shoegaze’ record you showed. It was neat that Rob messaged me with a pic of you two out & about on the day 👍 Cheers-R
I hope it was a good photo that Rob sent your way! 🙂
Hi Brian Thanks for sharing your uneventful drive home 😀. Not much I’m that familiar with here but enjoyed seeing your pics from the shops .. I think I dropped Lloyd when you did not sure I’ll return .. though I do also enjoy mainstream the commotions 3rd album .. cheers 👍
Meet-ups are always great, even if small. I suppose an uneventful drive is far better than an eventful one!
Hey Brian! I was really bummed that I was not able to make it to Hamilton on Friday. What a day I had. I will get into the details when I make my video. Thankfully I was able to save my day at a record store in Gravenhurst. I’m glad you found some success at Revolution Records. Hopefully next year I can make it!
You better make it next year! 🙂 It was a good meet up, especially since I got to go to stores that were new to me. That is always a treat, even if I don't find anything 🙂
Hey Brian. Great video! I love the HAMMER (Hamilton). Been there many times. Good art scene. Nice snags. I love Metric! Cheers
The Hammer is fascinating for sure! It has a bit of urban decay mixed with renewal!
Hey Brian. Nice to see you grab some goodies. I really like PCV in Oakville. It's been a few years since I've been there. Had a couple VC meet ups there. I enjoy Godspeed You? Black Emperor. Still need to check out the new album. Cheers, Jeff
PCV has always been good to me. When I walked in, I wondered why it had taken me so long to get back there!
I enjoyed hearing your vinyl adventures. Your description of Hamilton reminds of the lyrics to Slag Heap Love by The Polka Dogs.
I really should listen to God Speed You, Black Emperor.
I think I remember the Polka Dogs, but maybe not that track... I should check!
I enjoyed your brief history of Hamilton. You’re pretty close to it. Man that record store had a weird layout to it. I hope Rob was nice to you.
Ha ha. Rob was nice to me, as always!
Enjoyed the description of Hamilton, it sounds a bit like Manchester in the 1970s'. I was never much into Adam & the Ants though a few years ago I acquired nearly all their catalogue from a friend's wife who was getting rid of all her records. I sent the singles off to good will but kept the LPs though haven't played them yet. The one song of his I really liked was 'Goody Two Shoes'. Cool to see the John Peel Sessions record, they used to be quite common in charity shops in the UK but you don't see them much anymore. Don't know if you're aware of the RUclips podcast 'Word in Your Ear', but they did a fun interview with Lloyd Cole a couple of years back . Badly organised, over-priced record shops are always annoying!
Hi James, I used to see Peel Sessions more frequently, but now they are hard to find and they seem to be expensive. It's a shame. Thanks for the tip on 'Word in Your Ear'. I will look it up!
Your description of Hamilton, seeing the mills reminds me of Pittsburgh growing up. Major steel city back my childhood so much that when you drove past the coke ovens along the river oh the smells 😮.
I used to service the copy machines in the office at the coke ovens. Grimey doesn't do it justice. Everything was covered in coal dust. I have tempered my record buying until after RSD.
Hi Greg, I didn't mention the smell. Usually, the car windows are closed! The water surrounding that area is heavily polluted, too. I didn't see anything on the RSD list that truly interested me. I will review it one more time 🙂
@EmbryonicRobot I'll be looking for the WAR box set , Tony Levin, Jorma K and the Doors set of course. Heard that Doors recording is pretty good.
OK, Tony Levin and War do look intriguing after all.
I love that Adam Ant 1st album - I’ve got a U.K. original but that import album with the different cover was highly sort after back in the day ! A good 5 bucks well spent !
Funny, today I saw a UK original and it was $25, so my $5 seems like a way better deal!
Hi Brian. That Lloyd Cole looks great. I'd love more of his solo work. I have his... I had (have) 3 solo CD's and a solo comp from 1990 to 1995 (comp from 1999) and then about a year ago I got one more CD from 2003 and his solo debut on vinyl. Anything after I guess 1995 sort of just dropped off my radar, even when I got Rattlesnakes on a deluxe CD it didn't trigger a further pursuit of his goings on.
I honestly don't know why. Love his music, voice and mood... Odd.
You just never know 🙂 I have an interest in the Echo and the Bunnymen records I missed after the 80s, so I am on a quest for them too $$$!
I always thought it was a nice drive into Hamilton coming in eastbound from Burlington. You drop down the Niagara Escarpment and you can see a nice view of Lake Ontario and Hamilton as you come down that long hill. Anyway, I did go to a few stores in Hamilton back then. I thought prices were high then, but now, if only they were the same prices now. I lost interest in Lloyd Cole also for a while though I always loved his work with The Commotions. I picked up a CD compilation that combined solo work and with The Commotions and I enjoyed the solo music as much as the group music, so I've been looking for more of his solo work now. LOL about the buyer going to lawn sales and having several copies of Alan Parsons et al. I'm pretty sure I was in that store, it looked quite familiar and I did notice several copies of very common artists. Congrats on getting the new GY!BE. Hoping that I'll be getting that one for Christmas. Very awesome finds this year!
I think there's a similar view coming down Highway 6, with a tremendous view of Hamilton. I am on a quest form more Lloyd Cole! I'm planning to give a complete listen to GY!BE soon. I hope Santa Claus comes through for you 🎅 I feel like I should have bought some Alan Parson from that guy, just to thin out his collection a bit.
@EmbryonicRobot Actually I think that could be Highway 6 that I'm thinking of...or 403 maybe.
It's definitely one or the other 🙂
“Maybe some of you don’t know where Hamilton is”…”Sometimes known as the hammer”…”You’re confronted by what seems like a post apocalyptic landscape when you drive from Toronto, which is interesting”..I was an Adam & The Ants fan, but have none inthe collection. I just stream the hits, but should dig a bit deeper. On the John Peel recordings…”I’ve encountered many of these over the years, and haven’t bought them. Maybe I should have”…I have a copy of Rattlesnakes on CD. I kind of checked out on some of that stuff as you did, but have come back to it over time. Those Hamilton prices on that first store sound terrible. “A bunch of common records in various categories. Nothing in that store appealed to me”…excellent video as always Brian. ✌️
You got the good quotes, once again. Hamilton sucks. Well, not really, but the prices of the first store sure did. For a while, I thought that I hated Adam and the Ants, but there is some cool stuff, especially that first record. I may well go back to The Hammer and check out the better stores! 👍
Also on the lookout for Peel Sessions - so far i found the Damned, the Specials and Stiff Little, plus a more modern one , The White Stripes which I highly recommend
Not bad! I have a small number on my want list, and they have been difficult to track down. Some day. I haven't heard the White Stripes one, yet!
Nice Ants cover, l love Lloyd Cole too. First two Hamilton shops were a bit strange. Not very customer friendly. Some nice stuff bought Brian.
Thanks, Mike. I won't be going back to those shops! The good news is that I got some tips on some really great Hamilton shops for a future visit.
My family was in Toronto for a long layover enroute to Ireland. The city seemed to have a great transit system. We enjoyed our 5 hours or so in the city. Agree with you on Lloyd Cole and was curious on that record you picked up. Pegboards do not seem ideal for record stores. The store owner may have given Eye in the Sky to you half off. Great VC meetup!
Hi Shawn, Toronto seems to have a great transit system, but if you live here, you will start to understand the problems. Still, I have few complaints overall. I should have tried to make a deal for the Alan Parsons! 🙂
Nice video. I have few Peel Sessions and I love those. Would like to get few more from certain bands.
There a few Peel sessions on my want list, but they seem very hard to find...
@@EmbryonicRobot Yeah, very rare to find those nowadays.
Ontario record store trivia: Emily Haines' brother Tim is the owner of Bluestreak Records in Peterborough.
Wow, thanks for that piece of trivia. I had no idea! I suppose this means that I have to visit Bluestreak Records now... 🙂
i have a bunch of those peel sessions, stump,new order, etc. i forgot how loud and heavy those 1st adam ant lp,s were.cheers.
The Peel Sessions are all worth having. If John liked it, it must be good 🙂 I came to that Adam Ant record late, after having heard Goody Two Shoes, so I was surprised by Dirk. It's really great. Although, I have to say that I do like Goody Two Shoes 👍 It's a fun track.
There is a record label PVC. I just picked up that Adam and the Ants album. In the 80s I always passed on the Peel Sessions records. Everyone that I’ve heard is really good. I see Misfits and Samhain records that are not official releases.
I assume that all unofficial releases are sourced from compact discs, so I avoid them, even though I am not certain that my aging ears will be able to tell the difference!
According to StuntRock Confusion, who ran a pressing plant, you can get a great vinyl record from a CD source.
That stands to reason. I bet I even have some vinyl that was sourced from a CD.
I just went to a Barnes and Noble book store and bought albums that were marked down to $5. Now did I really need them, no but it was only $5.
$5 for any record is unbeatable For that price, I'd probably buy records I hated, even ABBA!
I bet theres someone out there with all The Peel Sessions..the irony being in the UK they were always incredibly cheap often £3.99....now very collectable... Have you heard Bill Callahan is releasing a 4 track EP called 'The Holy Grail' its his 2001 Peel Sessions, was listening to it online, fantastic stuff.
I didn't know about the Bill Callahan. I like his music, so I will check it out. I should have bought more Peel Sessions way back when 😔 They were a steal in the olden days 🙂
I’m still not sure what Post Rock is.
Post-rock is bit amorphous, to be sure. I usually look up a definition before I start talking about it, but I forgot this time. Otherwise, I may have tried to define it 🙂
It's the VC itself. All talk blahblah blah....no music
Except that post-rock is generally instrumental with no words at all. No blah blah blah of any kind, just music.
Any size VC meet up would be good. I just have to tolerate my friends as an alternative 😂Yep my Dirk looks different, good find & their best imho. Are the Peel Sessions legit or bootlegs? I never buy unofficial recordings. I'd prefer to get something else than be annoyed at myself for paying any amount for a crap sounding knock off. What's the new Godspeed like? Allelujah! Don't Bend Ascend was the last one I got. Nice one HP 👍
This was a legit Peel Session, for sure. Totally authentic. I have only heard part of the the GY!BE. I always love them, and this sounds great. They have never let me down.
@ Cool. I’ll have to check my Slits Peel Session to see what it says. I think I might be only missing the new GS & is there 1 maybe 2 in between the newie & Allelujah?
@@benrankins4446 Believe it or not, there are four albums after Allelujah! - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress, Luciferian Towers, G_d's Pee At State's End!, and the new one!
@@EmbryonicRobot Bloody hell!! Where does the time go?
@@benrankins4446 I'd like an answer to that!
Sorry I missed the meet up this time although Hamilton record shopping can be a bit low key / mediocre selection. Into the Abyss is yhe best shop there along with Flashbacks. Revolution is not bad either which you checked out. That darkwave electronic record sounds good. I like Aiden baker too. He is mega prolific! Good score for $9.99. Thats a pretty mimimalist basic hype sticker for Godspeed record ;)
Next time I am in Hamilton, I will certainly try some other shops! I guess Toronto has the edge with record stores.
@@EmbryonicRobot yeah Hamilton is off the center of the universe.. haha so prices are a bit higher. Actually I find record shopping is better in Ottawa (we are closer to MTL distros.. better selection too)
I used to go to Ottawa annually, but it hasn't happened since the pre-pandemic times. One day again, maybe!
@EmbryonicRobot you can stay with us if you visit! Will def take you around to the 3-4 shops here in Ott.
Wow, sounds like a party! 👍🙂