-
The Doobie Brothers Walk This Road Album Review
The Doobie Brothers are one of my favorite bands ever.
I’ve seen them in concert three times and have their albums.
They released their latest album, Walk This Road, on June 6 of this year.
It features original members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons, as well as long time members Michael McDonald and John McFee.
If you are a fan of The Doobie Brothers, you will enjoy this album.
Lots of rocking and soulful songs, great singing and playing, everything you want in an album by The Doobie Brothers.
I’m really glad Michael McDonald is back in the band, having rejoined them for their 50th Anniversary tour a few years ago.
What can I say? The Doobie Brothers rule!!!!! And thanks guys for signing the album booklet too!!!
-
Giuffria Discography
Giuffria was a rock band formed in the 1980s by keyboardist Greg Giuffria after leaving the band Angel (another favorite of mine).
Giuffria released two studio albums (Giuffria and Silk + Steel) and a live album/video called Live In Japan 1985.
They also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Gotcha!
They were working on a third album but only got to the demo stage.
That album of demos, surprisingly, was released this year as The Unreleased Remastered Demos (Greg signed the CDs and Vinyl).
I still need to buy the live album and hopefully I’ll get that soundtrack someday, but I have everything else.
Like Greg’s previous band, Angel, Giuffria are another band I think should have been so much bigger.
Giuffria did have a couple of minor hit singles with the songs “Call To The Heart” and “Lonely In Love”, both from their first album.
Giuffria opened for some big bands, including Deep Purple and Foreigner, but unfortunately, they just never quite got to the top level of success.
They had all the tools. Great musicianship and songwriting, their singer David Glen Eisley was incredible as well as their guitarist on their first album Craig Goldy (later in the band Dio) and all the musicians really. And I really think the albums are really good, especially the first one.
Giuffria kind of sound of like Journey, but with a bit more edge.
So, if you are into catchy hard rock with great singing and playing, Giuffria is the band for you.
Greg later went on to form the band House Of Lords and ultimately became a multimillionaire because he invented a chip that’s in many of the slot machines you see and maybe play. I’m serious.
Anyway, check out Giuffria. They are awesome and should be more well known.
-
Waxing On: The Karate Kid And Me Book Review
Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid 1, 2, and 3, The Outsiders, My Cousin Vinny, Cobra Kai, Karate Kid: Legends and more) released his biography Waxing On: The Karate Kid And Me in 2022.
It’s definitely a biography, but it is not a full on autobiography because even though he touches on his life a fair amount, the majority of the book is about his experiences making the first The Karate Kid movie.
If you are a fan of The Karate Kid, you must read this book.
Ralph tells you everything you want to know about the making of the movie.
He also talks about the other movies and Cobra Kai quite a bit and some of this other movies and shows.
Like I said, it is definitely a biography, but it’s not a full on one.
But it is an amazing and quick read and I love it.
And thank you Ralph for signing it (via Talk Shop Live).
-
Karate Kid: Legends Movie Review
Karate Kid: Legends was released on May 30 of 2025.
It is set a few years after the series Cobra Kai and stars Jackie Chan, reprising his role as Mr. Han from The Karate Kid 2010 movie, Ralph Macchio reprising his role as Daniel LaRusso from most of The Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai, and Ben Wang as the new Karate Kid and is Jackie’s character’s nephew in the movie.
If you are a fan of The Karate Kid movies and of Cobra Kai, there is nothing not to like in Karate Kid: Legends.
Ben Wang’s character, like Larusso’s character in the original movie, moves from his home to a new home and has to get acclimated. Along the way, he gets a girlfriend, who has a mean ex who is also a martial artist and bully.
Both Jackie and Ralph’s characters end up helping Ben’s character become an even better martial artist and prepares him for this tournament.
And of course, he ends up facing his girlfriend’s ex in the tournament.
For some, it may be business as usual, but if you want to have some fun, watch Karate Kid: Legends.
I’m not saying everything about it here, but trust me, it is a lot of fun.
And stick around for the end credits because there is a fun Easter egg.
-
The Queen Of The Ring Book Review
I saw the movie Queen Of The Ring and enjoyed it, but it made me want to read the book about it.
Called Queen Of The Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend (released in 2009, author Jeff Leen went into a lot more detail about the life and times of wrestler Mildred Burke.
This book talks about how Burke got into wrestling and her relationship with her manager Billy Wolfe, both good and bad.
It talks about various wrestlers Burke faced and knew over the years, holding the women’s championship for many years, eventually getting away from Wolfe and training wrestlers, and so much more.
The movie is very good, but as usual, books cover a lot more, and this book is no different.
I highly recommend it. Even if you are not a wrestling fan, that’s OK. This is a book about a person who wanted to achieve something and she achieved more than she could have ever imagined.
Seek out this book.
-
Ric Flair To Be The Man Book Review
Two time WWE Hall of Famer and 16 time (I think 21 time) world champion Ric Flair released his book, To Be The Man, in 2004.
Written by Flair and Keith Elliott Greenberg (and edited by Mark Madden), To Be The Man tells Ric’s story from birth, getting into wrestling, the 1975 plane crash he was in, recuperating from the crash and returning to wrestling, many of the feuds he had with many different wrestlers, title wins, and so much more.
If you are a fan of Ric Flair, you must read this book.
I got my copy signed by Ric when I met him in 2009.
WOOOOOOO!!!!!
-
Meeting Ric Flair
WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I met two time WWE Hall Of Famer and 16 Time (Really 21 Time) World Champion “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair on April 18 of 2009 at the Charleston Town Center Mall.
He was there doing a signing.
I was able to be one of the first in line and had him sign his book for me.
Like most of these events, it was brief but I got to thank him and he thanked me back, which was all I needed.
And I love the picture I got with him.
He’ll always be one of the greatest wrestlers ever and I’m glad I got to meet him.
WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
-
L.A. Guns Leopard Skin Album Review
L.A. Guns have been on a roll in the last eight years.
They have released five great albums: The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, Checkered Past, Black Diamonds, and now Leopard Skin.
Singer Phil Lewis, guitarist Tracii Guns, and the rest of the band (guitarist Ace Von Johnson, bassist Johnny Martin and Adam Hamilton plays drums on the albums and Shawn Duncan plays drums in concert) continue to put out stellar albums and I so wish that all my other favorite bands/artists were as prolific as L.A. Guns are.
Every song is really good and if you are an L.A. Guns fan, you should not be disappointed.
Get their new album Leopard Skin, as well as the last four albums they released.
Rock on everyone.
-
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo/The Vindys Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Saturday, May 24, 2025
- Location of Concert: Centennial Terrace in Sylvania, OH
- Opener: The Vindys
I went with Mariah and her parents to see the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Pat Benatar and her husband/guitarist/pianist/songwriter/producer Neil Giraldo.
We saw them at a nice venue in Sylvania, Ohio called Centennial Terrace.
A band from Youngstown, Ohio called The Vindys opened the show.
Mariah and I saw The Vindys in 2024 and we really liked them a lot, so it was great seeing them again.
They’ve been around about 11 years, but are still fairly young and I really think and hope they have a bright future.
All of the band are great.
The singer, Jackie Popovec, is especially PHENOMENAL.
The rest of the band includes guitarists John Anthony and Rick Deak, bassist Brendan Burke, drummer Owen Davis, and keyboardist Nathan Anthony (last time we saw them they had a horn section, which included trumpet player Kyle O’Donnell, saxophone player Garrett Kuchmaner, and trombone player Brian Mayle).
They only played about 30 minutes, but they were great and as I said, I hope their future is bright and will become much bigger of a band.
OK to the headliner.
I had never seen Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo before, but I knew they would be great. And they were.
Pat’s voice is still very powerful and Neil’s musicianship has always been great.
They truly are a great couple.
They’re still playing lots of classics, but also a new song not yet released (I hope this means a new album is coming), which is really good, as well as deep cuts!!
They and the band sound really good and tight and what can I say? They rock!!
Another show for the books.
We all had a great time.
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Set List:
- All Fired Up
- Invincible
- Ties That Bind
- Promises In The Dark
- Go
- In These Times (w/Jackie Popovec of Vindy’s)
- We Belong (w/Jackie Popovec of Vindy’s)
- Come Together (New Song)
- River Of Love
- Shadows Of The Night
- Hell Is For Children
- You Better Run
- Love Is A Battlefield
- Encore: Disconnected
- Everybody Lay Down
- Heartbreaker/Ring Of Fire/Heartbreaker continued
The Vindys Set List
- Don’t Tell Me, Just Love Me
- Electric
- Bang
- Save Me
- Morning Light
- Chasin’/War Pigs
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
-
Guns N Roses Discography Rankings
I didn’t think I would rank this band’s discography because quite frankly, there’s not much there.
But Guns N Roses has been one of my favorite bands since I was a kid so I have to.
They may not have released much music, but it is important music to me and to a lot of people.
They are as big today as they’ve ever been and that is a wonderful thing.
It’s been a wild ride over the years, but they’re in a great place now with 3/5 the classic lineup of singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash, and bassist Duff McKagan.
Their debut full length album, Appetite For Destruction, is one of the biggest selling albums of all time and deservedly so.
GNR came out during the so called “Hair Metal” period and really turned the music world upside down and became the biggest rock band in the world for a little while.
But as with many bands, there were problems and breakups along the way.
Some of the members pursued solo careers and/or started other bands or in the case of Axl went into seclusion for many years.
But as I said, they’re in a mostly great place now and are still a stadium/arena act, which is phenomenal.
I wish they would put out a new album (they’ve put a few songs out in the last few years) but either way, GNR are forever etched in rock music history and that’s not a bad thing.
- Use Your Illusion II
- Use Your Illusion I
- Appetite For Destruction
- GNR Lies
- The Spaghetti Incident
- Chinese Democracy
- Live Era 87-93
- Hard Skool (Single)
- Oh My God (Single)
- Perhaps (Single)
- The General (Single)
- Absurd (Single)
Not the biggest discography, but some classic stuff though.
Also, check out Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, Duff McKagan’s Loaded band and Duff’s solo albums. Great stuff. Also check out their books too.
Also Velvet Revolver, featuring Slash, Duff and former GNR drummer Matt Sorum, put out two solid albums.
GNR guitarist Izzy Stradlin has released several solo albums too.
And GNR drummer Steven Adler released an album called Back From The Dead under the moniker Adler and released a good book.
Rock on everyone.
