Delbert

Good analysis Freddy........I always thought of melodic metal to include bands that played a metal sound that fell somewhere between Melodic Rock and Metal.....having the addition of 'melody' and most have the addition of "keyboards". Some examples would be Brother Firetribe, Prayer, Myon and Terra Nova. What you were describing early on as the old guard 80's metal bands are usually referred to as New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) that includes Saxon, Trespass, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Praying Mantis for example. Heavy Metal in my book is the type of straight ahead metal style founded by these same bands. Thrash is the type of metal somewhat invented by the likes of Megadeth and Metallica. Heavy, mid to fast paced songs, tons of distorted guitars and mostly 'angry' and roaring vocals. Symphonic metal blends Melodic Metal with a huge symphonic production similiar to Nightwish and Visions of Atlantis. Power Metal puts the metal emphasis on double drum beats, driving rythyms and searing guitar work and includes bands like Helloween, Stratovarius and even Rhapsody and Sonata Arctica. Then, prog-metal signifies bands that mix the old progressive rock with the modern side of metal such as Dream Theater and Queensryche. Mostly with long epical songs and with a multitude of tempo changes. Again....just like anything else, it depends upon who you ask and what their slant is on music.......

Thomas...don't feel bad about that. I don't know how many times I've had band members bid in my auctions for CDs they performed on. I've received a large number of e mails from many of them telling me how they never got copies for themselves for one reason or another. I actually sold a copy of 'Midnight' to Bobby Kovacs and a 45 single from the band Hot City to Jerry Hemby because they didn't even have copies themselves.......

This was an exceptional score......my hearty congrats!!!!! Both of the Devil's In Heaven EPs are mega rare, but not only that, they are super high quality melodic rock too. Andy traded copies of both to me a few years back after they had been on my want list for ages.......Thanks again Andy!!! I can't say as I've ever seen either on E Bay before and probably many people have no clue about them!!! Again, what a super find........ Del

I have been getting numerous e mail notices about PM's from board members......have received about a dozen already this week.....no problems here!!!

Hi there all of you foxy chicks....my name is Mikey Maggot....my friends call me Arweenie!! My old lady threw me out about 6 years ago because I spent all my time on the computer.... My fingers were raw from punching those keys and my eyes were buggin out watchin those E Bay auctions night and day. I couldn't do anything constructive except drink beer and check E Bay all day long. I didn't even know my own name after I had run up 874 different E Bay ID's....you can't even begin to imagine how hard it was to try and keep up with 874 different ID's. After the old lady threw my ass out with the computer, I decided to try a new scam.....hustling sweet young chicks!!! Trouble is, after they take a look at me, they know I'm a couple of bricks short of a load!!!! I'll probably have to go back to E Bay scamming, but, I'd sure like to take a shot at something different and exciting. Even though I'm not always honest, truthful, loyal, committed, faithful, happy, positive, upbeat, witty, romantic, sensual, affectionate, considerate, sympathetic, empathetic, down to earth and practical, loveable and definitely not sexy, I do love fucking over people and will do just about anything to scam someone....just give me a computer and I'll show ya? I believe that each day of life is a gift that is meant to be enjoyed to it’s fullest, and in living each day to scam someone as if it’s my last. I have a very positive outlook on life, and strive to scam those around me. I am seeking a special someone to join me in this enjoyable and unpredictable journey called scamming, where one never knows what identity lies around the bend. Someone who is open to being friends first, and learning from a master low life. I feel I have so much to offer that special someone, and look forward to finding out if it may be YOU!

Come on Delbert! They are The Poodles not The German Shepherds. Obvioulsy they won't pull your chain so hard.

Paulo.....thanks for the nice post and you are correct sir.......we have "maggots" (an American slang for very very low life people) all over the USA and they inhabit the entire world...... I personally have some excellent contacts in Italy who have always been trustworthy and reliable. I do know that the Italian postal service does have some huge problems internally with their service, although I do not know exactly what the cause of it is.......could be poor management, dishonest workers or just inefficiency..... Anyway, thank you for your comment to remind us that there are "good" people everywhere and not to generally lump people of Nationality, race, culture or otherwise into the same pot with thieves, maggots and liars..... Oh yes....welcome to the board too!!!

Dave...what a dismal story.......this is the part of our hobby that is just being repeated more and more as a certain segment are preying on collectors to line their pockets. Thanks for the tip and for all of us, another lesson in cautious purchasing/trading!!!! Stick to the folks you know and trust......

I really liked the debut.....was anxious to receive this followup. After listening, it didn't pull my chain nearly so hard!!!

m-m-m-m-m-m??????? I signed on today and down at the bottom of the board, where it lists who has logged in......I noticed an indication of 2 people currently signed on to "chat"..... it said "swazi, swazi" I took that to mean that he was ........... uh......talkin to himself????????? Surely there's a simple explanation........please tell me there is????

Hey boss.....sorry about the omission.....one always thinks of the boss as sitting on his arse and calling the shots!!! LOL!!!!

Hey Mark......I know Sam thanks you for coming to his aid like that!!!!!

Good one......LOL!!!!

Just to clarify a couple of things......... I'm sure many know where these things originate and I don't have to provide documentation to their authenticity. I was just amazed at how blatant the bootlegger has become to just take whatever he can get his hands on and mass produce it..... Secondly, in response to your statement . One has to understand how an investigation of this type is conducted. It is not comparable to catching a robber or speeder or kidnapper where the authorities make an immediate arrest and then build their case. In these types of investigations, the authorities respond whenever the illegal activity comes to their attention, whether the source be an individual, influential corporation or victim of illegal activity. These investigations are conducted slowly, methodically and over a considerable period of time. I've seen these types of investigations continue for two or three years. The authorities make numerous purchases of the illegal products. There may be lots of leg work to track down sources, others who may be involved, and gathering of many different sources of evidentiary items. There may sometime in the later stages, search warrants executed for buildings, computers, documents, phone records......interviews with possible witnesses and connected individuals. When everything has been put together, the US Attorney will be given all the files for review, which again, may take a considerable length of time. He may recommend some additional followups before the case is presented to a federal grand jury. After that, indictments are handed down and bench warrants follow.........the bootlegger is agast.....he thought he had it all figured out......he thought the wind was blowing elsewhere and then the world crashes down on him........ Trust me....I've been there and have been a part of it..........here is an example of what I am talking about. In the case reported HERE, this investigation went on for over a year on just a simple copyright violation of an Illinois man right near where I live. Don't dismay because you think nothing is going to happen. That's just what "he" thinks when he operates so openly and with such confidence!!!

It never ceases to amaze me that people get on E Bay selling CDRs....attempting to pass these things off as legitimate releases. Another thing that amazes me is how so many turn their heads and look the other way when certain people are selling these bootlegs. Has anyone ever heard of the so called TIME WARP label that is being promoted by one particular seller???? Here is a fine example: ROCKNEE CD on Ebay Here is a picture of the back tray from the auction: I transferred this particular piece from a cassette (it was only released on cassette). I've traded copies to only a very limited number of people. Then, a particular individual has made copies and is selling them on his bootleg label called TIME WARP that is alledgedly from some place called Italy........ You say, how do I know this is actually the cassette which I transferred to CDR?????? You see, when I transfer anything to CDR, I create original artwork (or artwork that is close to original) to go with it for my collection. I add my personal bar code (which was scanned from a game back in 1997) Here is a picture of my bar code: You can quickly see that the bar code on the back of this "TIME WARP" bootleg is the same....... Then, I usually print somewhere on the artwork "Digital Mastering at UNDERGROUND SOUND followed by the year I did the transfer, or Digital Master by GOOCHMIESTER followed by the year I did the Transfer" Do you notice that printed at the bottom of the tray artwork pictured in the auction? Here is a picture of the tray artwork from my original scan: Then, there is this matter of STS records.....everyone who knows me well enough also knows that this is a dummy label I've used on my transfered CDRs which is short for "Super Transferred Sound". Here is my original label scan for that: Notice that this 'TIME WARP' bootleg also has STS records on the bottom left, just as my original scan? A particular reissue seller has several items in their catalog that I've observed to have my artwork on their bootlegs....... The seller that is pushing this on E Bay indicates this is a USED CD!!! Used CDR maybe, but not CD. Someone is going to be surprised.........

Thomas.....I too loved that CD...... I also got copies of the "One Step" demo from 2002 and the "Restless Heart, Restless Mind" demo and they were great as well.... keep up the good work!!

Josh....wow, what a trip. I bid on that Kidd Wikked and got an e mail from Kevin (from the band) alerting me this was a boot. I put in a pretty hefty bid for it too and someone came in an outbid me. Then, the next day, I get this e mail from that gal (she was in Germany!!!!) and she said that E Bay had cancelled the top bidder's bid and that I was now in line to buy the CD and that she would pay for the postage, just send the $XXX and the CD was mine.......I looked up the top bidder's E Bay ID and there wasn't anything indicating he was no longer registered, plus had a 100% feedback record......boy, was that ever a red flag. She also gave me the song and dance about selling her husband's CD collection on E Bay because he was in Iraq serving in the military when I asked some questions about the CD. Anymore, the only thing you can do is buy from people you know or with whom you have a track record......

Sounds good to me.....I always love to hear samples before I acquire a new title. Miss those days of radio air play when you heard the albums or songs you knew you wanted to add to your collection.

Sam Your manufacturer can make all sorts of claims concerning his product.......they all do. You want to read the bottom line from the experts? Check with MEDIA SCIENCES, that's what they do is test and evaluate DVD and CDR media. CDRs degrade over time.....the degradation is related to various environmental and handling conditions. Audio CDRs are more likely to fail than Data CDRs due to the fact that audio is bitstream. This is why we have error correction on our CD players.....unlike data CDRs, an audio track is a collection of sequential blocks of that bitstream and is designated in the TOC. Tracks must be split on block boundaries. Addressing in the TOC is in terms of blocks and you cannot split more finely than that. Each block on an audio CD is 1/75th second. If any block becomes corrupted (due to environmental or handling conditions) the error correction layer must work harder to fill in the missing pieces until eventually, the bitstream is corrupted and unplayable or noise such as clicks and pops begin entering into the equation. Excellent summation Jim........it really all boils down to personal preferences!

In 98% of the cases, I would have to say YES!!! If it was something I really really was after and I just couldn't live with out it, then I may drop the barrier for that title, but, I wouldn't like it!!! This FORMAT 'thing' has alot to do with my experience with longivity and reliability of the CDR format. It is not an exact science as we all know.....so many different dyes, various machines do not like certain dye formats, then there is the heat and humidity factor that breaks down the CDR dyes........CDRs are not as durable as pressed discs. I also feel they are inferior to a silver pressed disc...... It can be compared to any other marketable product......If the public won't buy them, the sellers won't sell them as an alternative to a pressed silver disc Would you enjoy going to the local mall to buy the new "XXXX" CD released on BMG or Sony and find a CDR!!! You would immediately think you were either ripped off or feel like you got something cheap.....after all, this is Sony or BMG. This is major label stuff......these are the big $$$ guys.......If a band released it privately and you bought it, it would be okay right? Everyone has there preferences....that's what makes the world go around, I just don't buy CDRs.........I record on them and trade them, but I don't buy them.

Sam Let me ask you.......how about releasing some of your titles on cassette......or better still, how about releasing some of it on 8 track........??? Oh, FORMAT is important then, right? People have format preferences........they love music, but they sure as hell won't line your pockets if you start selling your titles on cassette only or 8 track? You can twist and turn this arguement many different ways.....the bottom line is CDR releases are to CD collecting like a Yugo is to Livery Company.......the CDR and pressed CD both have music on them and the Yogo and the Cadillac both have wheels, but, that's where the similiarity ends...... With all due respect, I seriously think that if you put aside all the Rockit - Sock-it - Time - Warp and other questionable titles you've been selling and seriously go 100% into legit releases pressed on silver discs, your label would truly be top contender in the rock music industry. There would be no question in anyone's mind as to the quality and legitimacy of the title. You have a sense of what music is in demand, which is seriously needed for a reissue label, and apparently some good connections to work to that end......use those talents and bring total integrity to your efforts.......you've put out some very good legit releases on your label (more and more as time goes along), such as that DefCon release you so kindly sent me. You'll pick up more customers that will spend much more to support your releases. This is just my point of view and you can knock it down if you choose, but, I watched what you've done and you can do it and do it right if you chose to.

What say we take up a collection.....if Bob is INGAGED....maybe he'll be MERRYING pretty soon and we could use the money from the collection to buy him a gross of rubbers for a wedding present... 'WOULDN'T WANT ANY OFFSPRING FROM THAT UNION!!!!" If there was any money left over, we could always send him some more if he ran out........

I just wanted to check to see if you had any spare cash lying around to donate to the Heavy Harmonies Web site? Everyone hates to be solicited for donations, and every once in awhile Dan has to put up one of those banners requesting some help. How about it everyone......don't you think it's worth it to be able to drop by this web site (some as many as two or three times a day) and immerse yourself in news, info and discussion of CD collecting and Rock Music???? You darn right.....but, it ain't free...... I see some names of people logged on continually who have never once made a donation to help keep the site going. We have lots of good volunteers who do quite a bit of work behind the scenes, but, these servers cost $$$. I'm glad I'm not footin' the bill..... So let's all of us just overwhelm Dan and let him know how much we appreciate what he's provided for us here bY donating to the site.....????

Sam I didn't say I didn't have any CDRs in my collection.....I've got quite a few, mostly stuff that I've transferred from vinyl and cassette over the years......why, because I love the music. I've got some CDRs I've traded with other people to hear what an album sounds like. I listen and if it's something I like.....the hunt is on!!! Good example.......a little over a year ago, Tony (Koogles) put up THE TAKE - New Language on one of his auctions. I'd never heard of this band before and it really looked interesting......appearing to fall into the genre of music I really like. Tony was kind enough to send me a CDR to hear them (we have sent one another CDRs of rare titles to hear several times). When I got it, I loved it and knew right away it was something that was going on my want list. I finally met up with another collector who had a copy available and we pulled off a swap. I now have an original in my collection.... That's just how the CDR thing works with me......as I said, a temporary media. And Sam, shame on you for even making a statement such as "I have come to know the "habits" of quite a few self-professed "collectors" whether it be here or on Ebay and I know who the true fans are and who the obvious greed-meisters are." Surely you weren't inferring anything were you? Having been at this many many years, I know many true fans and I can also recognize obvious greed-meisters......... I also heartily agree with you that I am probably in the minority on this CDR thing.....the whole thing works for you, so by all means, do what works for you. Oh.....I do love home-made apple pie, and ice cream much better than that store bought crap......

Sam No.....I don't......It has only happened a handful of times. Since then, I call them on the phone to check first. I just will not buy a CDR....that is just me......I look everywhere and people are burning and trading these CDRs all over the world.....I don't see people sending out lists of titles they have and offering to sell a CDR for $XXX or whatever....they trade them!!! A CDR is just a temporary media to me. A quickie if you will to satisfy a craving to hear something......not something to collect and keep for a long period of time. I'm sorry, I know you are pretty heavily into CDRs. That fits into your method of operation nicely, but, I just cannot bring myself to purchase a CDR. I even suggested to CD Baby that they list in their descriptions if the title is on CDR media and they said they have considered it because they have a number of customers who do not want the CDRs. Most of the reissue titles I see being released on CDR are available either on Cassette or vinyl and I can transfer those to a CDR myself. In fact, it is very unfortunate that some of the titles I've transferred in the past and eventually traded over time have ended up being sold on E Bay as legitimate titles by bootleggers.....I've observed my Unique artwork that I did in the transfers......it was never my intent that these titles be sold like that. Back to your question though.......when I get a title that I ordered and it comes in CDR format, the most prominent thing on my mind is disgust, I feel cheated and just want to send it back for a refund!!! Delbert Sam Let me add one more thing to the CDR issue.....to me, the CDR thing leaves a taste of being "home made" in my mouth. Something less than top quality.........that's how I visualize it. Delbert