In this offering, we get up close and personal with Calgary, Alberta native Mike Huck. Mike writes for Angry Metal Guy and Heavy Music Headquarters, and plays bass poorly and sings occasionally, even more poorly, for hapless garage band Ten Drink Minimum.
The first record I ever bought with my own money was…
Love Gun – Kiss. Summer of ’77 when it was released, and I was seven years old. To a seven year old that was a pretty cool album cover! I still have it, although with the dozens of skips it’s pretty much unplayable now.
The record that made me want to make music was…
In my younger days I was a live sound tech and did some studio production work, I would say I was more turned onto that aspect of music than playing it, and the work of Martin Birch and Quincy Jones spurred me on in that regard. Two perfect producers from different ends of the spectrum.
The record I’ve played more than any other is…
Probably The Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden. That one was a game changer for my musical tastes, again purchased when it was released and based solely on the cover art. The next closest might be Time – Electric Light Orchestra, which to this day remains the only album I’ve ever bought based on the record store playing it while I was shopping.
The record that always make me feel good is…
Any hair metal (Black ’N Blue, Kingdom Come, Dirty Looks, etc) from the mid-late 80’s, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
The record I turn to when I’m feeling down is…
The same ones that make me feel good, or any of the recent albums I’ve rated as my favourites in recent years, including Amber Galactic – Night Flight Orchestra, Hymn of the Cosmic Man – Fire Down Below, and Phanerozoic II – The Ocean to name a few.
The record with my favorite cover art is…
Powerslave – Iron Maiden. I spent hours poring over that cover as a kid. Although I love all the “fantasy” artwork covers as well – Cirith Ungol, Khemmis, etc.
The strangest LP I own is…
I’ve got plenty of weird stuff, including lots of Frank Zappa experiments, Igorrr, Swans, Scott Walker, etc, but the “first” strange album I got would have to be My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, by Brian Eno and David Byrne. Some pretty disturbing songs on that one, a wild blend of ad hoc spoken word tracks mixed with electronic and world music. From eerie to uplifting, it is a must-own.
The rarest LP I own is…
A 7” single from The Modern Minds, Moe Berg’s first band before he formed The Pursuit of Happiness. No idea where or when I got it, and I never even listened to it until this year, but according to Discogs it is worth $600+. Five minutes of poppy punk, ha!
The last LP I bought was…
Way Down in the Rust Bucket – Neil Young With Crazy Horse, a 4LP live set from the Ragged Glory days. Phenomenal work.
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Check out Mike’s writing/reviews at Angry Metal Guy.
Links
https://www.instagram.com/lone_rhino/
https://twitter.com/huck_n_roll
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