And we’re back.
What happened during the past two -seemingly inactive– months was covered in the immediately previous post.
Moving on then.

Effective immediately
1. (Even) More thorough details:
In addition to standard information [Record Label/Catalogue Number/Barcode], each CD/DVD rip will be accompanied by the corresponding “Matrix Numbers”

No more doubts as to where a Disc was manufactured.
The Mastering & Mould SID Codes can be used to determine the origin of a pressing/pinpoint the exact CD factory/press 😉
All that in conjunction with a constantly updated database provided by Musik-Sammler.de
It’s only available in German but it still comes very handy 🙂

2. Changes regarding File-Hosting Services:
I -reluctantly- stopped using Rapidshare.
It’s shame really, from a downloader’s point of view it remains one of the fastest -if not the fastest- service around.
But try to see things from my perspective too:
One of the primary criteria as an uploader is file expiration [due to inactivity], an area in which Rapidshare is at a disadvantage.
It used to be 90 days, then a year ago or so was reduced to 60 and after yet another policy change, is now limited to 1 month.
Not good enough.
Fileserve will be used instead, along with Filefactory, iFile, Megaupload and Mediafire.

3. Potential delays/postponements:
Switching to new OS => Trouble ahead!
It was going to happen sooner or later, I couldn’t spend another 10 years using XP now could I?
It’s more a need for a change than a necessity for me, but nevertheless, I decided to install Windows 7 [quite possibly creating a dual-booting PC: I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Linux Mint, so I might give it a try]
All those combined with a certain SSD drive which comes highly recommended and I have yet to buy 😉
Oh, the technological advancements!
You know what that means, don’t you?
Set up programmes while maintaining their previous settings, familiarize with the new environment, ensuring everything is working properly etc.
It’s bound to take some time, I may have to *reschedule* one or two CDs…

September’s schedule*, not necessarily in this order:
Firewind – “Forged by fire” [Enhanced CD] ✔
Whitesnake – “Live at Donington 1990 ” [Deluxe edition CD+DVD] ✔
Judas Priest – “Painkiller” [“Fan Pack” edition 2009] ✔
Warrant – “Dirty rotten filthy stinking rich” [2004 Remaster inc. 2 bonus tracks] ✔
Warrant – “Cherry pie” [2004 Remaster inc. 2 bonus tracks] ✔
The Poodles – “Sweet trade” [2008 issue inc. 2 bonus tracks] ✔
Ratt – “Detonator” ✔
Electric Boys – “And them boys done swang” ✔
Kens Dojo – “Reincarnation” ✔
California Guitar Trio – “Andromeda” ✔
Dream Theater – “Black clouds & silver linings” [3-CD set Deluxe edition] Rescheduled for next month
Dream Theater – “A dramatic turn of events” [CD+DVD] Rescheduled for next month

* Subject to change

Boring, dull, tedious, tiresome, wearisome…
Had enough (synonyms)? I know I have.
But it had to be done. Promises must be kept and I -naively- made one from the very beginning:
To -gradually- transfer the old blog’s content.
Back then, I’d figured it would only take a few days, a week at worst.
Little did I know, I’d be working incessantly for an entire month… [started in early August and I’m not even halfway through yet!]

Sure, it seems easy in theory -and to some extend it is- but there will always be factors you didn’t take into account, things you only notice at a later stage and so on.
Like the platform compatibility.
After reading a few how-to guides and other relative articles, I realised the direct import of Blogger xml [xml documents contain all published posts & comments] into a WordPress site may not be the safest way.
Following the advice of more experienced users, I’ve registered for a free WordPress account and created an additional -private- blog serving as a *guinea pig*.
All editing, testing etc is done there.
From that point on, it’s just a matter of a few clicks: exporting a perfectly compatible WordPress xml file from the aforementioned temporary blog and then importing it here.
This method automatically eliminates any possibility of *side-effects* e.g. text missing, characters/paragraphs not appearing correctly etc.
It is, in essence, a migration within the same platform and as such 100% secured 😉

That, dear readers, was the easy part. The real mess begins when you have to check hundreds of files.
And I’m not referring merely to expired links. At least in that case the course of action is simple: Mark the links as dead and re-upload.
It’s worse. Even the ones currently active have to be tested ❗
You see, for a certain period [rough estimate: autumn 2009 to early September 2010 when I ultimately switched ISP] my internet connection was severely affected by a short circuit (or some other shite) resulting in corrupt uploads.
If there’s one thing I can’t stand, is having to answer the same question over and over again.
And that’s precisely what was happening during that time. Visitors who had never encountered similar problems, kept asking “the rar won’t extract properly, what should I do?”
I understand their frustration (what about mine?), so I made a commitment to replace all those files.
With the exception of iFile.it and Rapidshare.com which provide MD5 checksum information [an extremely handy feature: the uploader can confirm file integrity by simply comparing the hash values] all other archives must be downloaded first.
Insane, isn’t it? Downloading YOUR OWN stuff just to make sure they’re intact.
But that’s how far I’m willing to go in order to have some peace of mind (and for YOU to stop bugging me!)

By now you must have had a general idea of what has been going on the past few weeks, right?
Instead of ripping new CDs, I was correcting old posts and uploading throughout the day! Not my idea of fun…
Has anybody noticed though? Judging from the “When can we expect new uploads” sort of messages I’ve been getting, I’d say no.
Ironically, the bandwidth meter I’m using to monitor the internet connection/keep statistics etc, reports more than 68 GB of outgoing data [and the month isn’t over yet], exceeding the previous record by 25.
So have some sympathy, will you?
It’s probably escaped your attention, but every post from October 2009 to December 2010 [excluding one or two perhaps] has been transferred.
All you need to do, is click the archives button [drop-down menu] and select a month.
This is where I draw the line though, my schedule is hectic and time is limited.
I’ll finish up September 2009 and and that will be it.
More important issues have come up. First and foremost this bloody *404 error page* appearing whenever I try to edit/update a comment containing Rapidshare links.
Why does that happen, I have no idea. It as if it’s cursed 😯

And now, the moment you all have been waiting for:
Bands whose albums may be included in next month’s schedule.
As usual, the list can change at any time -excluding “Sweet trade” by The Poodles which has already been ripped.
Jani Lane sadly passed away recently, some Warrant is in order – double dosage too.
Judas Priest, Whitesnake and Firewind all appeared on (the same) stage last July and I’d like to start where I left off.
Dream Theater I missed, they too were here for a show, but I’ve already pre-ordered their upcoming album marking the post-Portnoy era, so I don’t think I’ll change that either.
Let’s see, there are still a couple of slots to be filled so shoot away 😉

In alphabetical order:
Airbourne
Beyond Twilight
Black Country Communion [x2]
California Guitar Trio
Dream Evil
Dream Theater [x2]
Electric Boys
Eric Johnson
Firewind
Judas Priest
Kens Dojo
Mattias Eklundh
Ratt
Slaughter
Tesla
The Michael Schenker Group
The Poodles
Warrant [x2]
Wig Wam
Whitesnake

Inexcusable? Not quite.
I did promise some Whitesnake last month but the way things turned out, I found myself short on time.
First it was computer equipment.
Among others, I had to pick a new scanner [the old Canon CanoScan LiDE 90 has been malfunctioning for the past 9 months], RMA my faulty Dell monitor [Quality Control these days is a joke – at least the warranty was still valid and the company’s return policy/service department is impeccable] and buy a new hard disk [you can’t have too much space]

Then came various doctors’ appointments, some scheduled -the cavity filling I’d kept postponing for instance-, some unexpected.
Like the blood donation request I got from a friend.
His father was about to undergo a heart surgery; fortunately, the operation went smoothly and the man is now back on his feet, alive and kicking 🙂
One note is still left on the calendar: tomorrow’s visit to the ophthalmologist – I think I’m falling apart 😛
Whatever the doctor prescribes, we all know what the best remedy is, don’t we?
A good dosage of politically incorrect (aka sexist) tunes by David Coverdale & co.
Those low octave vocals of his in conjunction with Doug Aldrich’s/Reb Beach’s double axe attack are bound to get your blood pumping at no time!

As an added bonus to visitors who were expecting “Good to be bad” & “Forevermore” sooner, I decided to throw in the 2007 Remaster of “Come an’ get it” as well.
Get a taste of Whitesnake’s early Hard Rocking Blues period, an equally important era often overlooked in favour of the post-1987 material.
How’s that for compensation?

Pending from last month:
Def Leppard – “Pyromania” [2-CD set Deluxe Edition] ✔
Whitesnake – “Good to be bad” [Ltd. edition cardboard box inc. bonus CD] ✔
Whitesnake – “Forevermore” [Deluxe edition CD+DVD] ✔

New additions, not necessarily in this order:
Whitesnake – “Come an’ get it” [2007 Remaster] ✔
Saxon – “The eagle has landed” [2006 Reissue] ✔
Russell Allen/Jørn Lande – “The showdown” ✔
Alice Cooper – “Raise your fist and yell” ✔
Great White – “Once bitten” ✔
Al Di Meola & Leonid Agutin – “Cosmopolitan life” [Enhanced CD] ✔
Wig Wam – “Wig Wamania” ✔
Journey – “Eclipse” ✔

Last updated: 29/06

If there’s one Sleaze Rock/Glam Metal (or whatever you want to call it) singer constantly overlooked by the masses, that’s Steve Whiteman.
Even the fans who were around in the mid80s (aka Glory Days) seem to ignore his presence. Man, does it piss me off!
You’ll hear them praising Cinderella or Mötley Crüe or … (pick any other band of the genre that emerged in the same period) but when you mention Kix as an important part of the scene, they get a particular expression on their faces – rather annoying I must say.
The “Oh yeah, I remember those guys” kind of look (nodding condescendingly), as if you brought up a second rate act in the discussion.
To make things more interesting (adding fuel to the fire according to others), I suggest a Steve Whiteman vs Tom Keifer comparison.
Stating my personal preference (in favour of the former of course) does the trick every single time.
From that point onwards, the whole thing becomes less of a conversation and more of a shouting contest.
“You can’t be serious” and “What the Hell are you talking about?” must be the most common *arguments*.

Mission accomplished: Next time, they’ll remember Kix for sure 😉

May’s schedule*, not necessarily in this order:

Kix – “Original album series” [5-CD set; 2009 issue] ✔
Includes the following:
• “Kix” [1981] ✔
• “Cool kids” [1983] ✔
• “Midnite dynamite” [1985] ✔
• “Blow my fuse” [1988] ✔
• “Hot wire” [1991] ✔
Whitesnake – “Good to be bad” [Ltd. edition cardboard box inc. bonus CD] => Rescheduled for next month
Whitesnake – “Forevermore” [Deluxe edition CD+DVD] => Rescheduled for next month
Dio – “Master of the moon” ✔
Cacophony [Marty Friedman/Jason Becker] – “Go off!” ✔
Marty Friedman – “Dragon’s kiss” ✔
Marty Friedman – “Scenes” ✔
Marty Friedman – “Introduction” ✔
Marty Friedman – “Music for Speeding” ✔
Megadeth – “Rust in peace” [2004 Remaster inc. 4 bonus tracks] ✔

Pending from last month:
Blue Öyster Cult – “Agents of fortune” [2001 Remaster inc. 4 bonus tracks] ✔
Def Leppard – “Pyromania” [2-CD set Deluxe Edition] => Rescheduled for next month

* Subject to change

Last updated: 31/05

After minus21grams.baywords.com (whose customization features are virtually non-existent and uptime leaves a lot to be desired)
and
m21grams.wordpress.com (which IMHO was pretty decent in every aspect but unfortunately caught the attention of “concerned citizens”),
it’s time for yet another effort:

Introducing the new, and from now on primary, blog minus21grams.net
Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip hooray!
…
(awkward silence)
What, no applause?
…
(moderate booing)
Are these ironic cheers I’m hearing? How dare you?
Don’t forget, I know who YOU are. You’ll be dealt with accordingly 😛

Seriously now, the *new* -and greatly improved if I may add- blog has been up and running for almost 3 weeks now.
That’s right folks, opening day was April’s first, I fool you not.
Alas, judging by the traffic statistics I’m reading [3 weeks’ data should be sufficient to draw some conclusions], most of you are unaware of its existence.
Numbers don’t lie: this old, roughly designed blogger hosted blog gets 5 times the visitors in comparison 🙁
in·con·ceiv·able!
Maybe you don’t pay much [correction: ANY] attention to the Twitter messages I’m leaving…
They’re right in front of you, you know…
Really hard to miss…
You have to be blind NOT to notice them!
Try clicking one of these for a change and you’ll be nicely surprised (or so I’d like to think)

Where were we? Oh yes. Time to update those bookmarks/favourites of yours and drop by the new place.
I insist. Otherwise I’ll be offended.
Don’t ruin my mood please, I’m known for having a notorious temper. Do you really want to put your life in jeopardy over this? 😛

Right.
Here’s a somewhat more detailed description:
After the unpleasant surprise/traumatic experience I had with the free hosted WordPress blog, I figured “What the Hell, let’s do it properly this time”.
And by properly I mean a paid hosting service.
Thanks to some very eager people, members of a domestic tech forum/community, I got valuable information and guidance as well as a few recommendations.
Based on those facts, I registered my own domain [Cost: $13,98 – valid for 2 years] then bought a “starter pack” from a (local) web hosting provider [Cost: €44,98 annually]
The idea of spending money on something other than CDs or tickets doesn’t appeal to me at all.
I did, however, weigh my options carefully prior to making such a decision; unless something totally unexpected -meaning catastrophic- happens, this is the last time you’ll ever hear me complaining about web site expenses.

Blah, blah, blah. Spare us the details and GET TO THE POINT!
How is it different?
Well, first and foremost I will no longer see any of those “we have received a complain regarding your blog, remove the content in question or else…” notices.
Peace of mind at last. That is not to say links won’t get reported though.
But at least the prospect of being shut down just because some wanker got up on the wrong side of bed will be nothing but a distant memory.
So, the #1 difference is independence.
Followed closely by flexibility.
The advantages of running your own domain are endless.
You can start a site from scratch, pick a theme/template out of thousands and customize it and so on.
Sounds cliché I know, but “the sky is the limit”.
Complete freedom to do whatever you set your mind to. That of course includes the possibility of messing it entirely but that’s another story…
All those plugins I used to see but couldn’t use due to restrictions, are now at my disposal.
One of the first ones I implemented involves a decent rating system using a scale from 1 to 10 rather than the standard, insufficient 5-stars.
It allows you to vote for each album, very handy considering most visitors don’t usually care to comment.
[Just go easy with that, I noticed high scores -9s and 10s- on albums that IMHO don’t deserve it]

Which bring us to the process of leaving a comment.
It’s slightly different compared to blogspot and given there is no CAPTHCA code to insert, easier too.
All you have to do after writing your message, is to tick a box confirming you’re NOT a SPAM bot
Couldn’t have been simpler.
You should also know I’m planning on installing the Google Friend Connect plugin.
Any visitor already logged-in to their Google (and several others if I’m not mistaken) accounts, will be spared the nuisance of filling the name & e-mail address boxes in order to leave a comment 😉
As an alternative, you can always count on the ShoutBox widget. No (150) character limit like ShoutMix’s, knock yourselves out.
I’m sure you’ll figure out the rest, it’s all straight-forward.

Be advised:
I intend to transfer the content of blogspot, starting with the posts of 2010.
It won’t be completed over a day but when it does, all the comments containing tracklists, information, logs and download links will be removed.
The initial posts will be edited in order to re-direct to the new blog and any future comments posted here will be BLOCKED.
If you have something to say, do so at http://minus21grams.net
That’s the whole point anyway 😉

(Not that I needed a reason, still…)
Saxon will be visiting Athens in a couple of days, April the 7th to be specific.
Needless to say I’m going, it’s been several years since I last saw them.
Edit:
I just went through my ticket collection, it was December 2003;
I guess I’ve missed a few shows in the years between 😳

Anyhow, a few months ago I spotted these 2009 & 2010 Reissues of their back-catalogue and bought them.
All, of course.
I merely couldn’t resist, there is tons of *bonus material* and the prices were affordable (at least at the time, perhaps they still are)
As for the quality of the Remasters, you’d better consult with someone who has the 1st (vinyl) pressings.
Time to give these CDs a few spins 😉

April’s schedule*, not necessarily in this order:

Saxon – “Saxon” [2009 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Wheels of steel” [2009 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Strong arm of the law” [2009 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Denim and leather” [2009 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Power & the glory” [2009 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Crusader” [2009 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Innocence is no excuse” [2010 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Rock the nations” [2010 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Saxon – “Destiny” [2010 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔

Pending from last month:
Mr. Big – “Back to Budokan” [Limited edition 2CD/2DVD set] ✔
Blue Öyster Cult – “Agents of fortune” [1999 Remaster; Digipack] ✔
Blue Öyster Cult – “Agents of fortune” [2001 Remaster inc. 4 bonus tracks] => Rescheduled for next month
Def Leppard – “Pyromania” [2-CD set Deluxe Edition] => Rescheduled for next month
Thunder – “Behind closed doors” [2010 Remaster; 2-CD set] ✔

* Subject to change

Last updated: 30/04

March’s schedule*, not necessarily in this order:

Pending from last month:
On The Rise – “Dream zone” ✔
Mr. Big – “Back to Budokan” [Limited edition 2CD/2DVD set] => Rescheduled – again!
Fair Warning – “Aura” [Enhanced CD] ✔

FLAC requests previously available on lossy formats:
Uli Jon Roth – “Earthquake/Fire wind” [Combo] ✔
Synesthesia – “Synesthesia” ✔
Def Leppard – “Hysteria” [2-CD set Deluxe Edition] ✔
Thunder – “Bang!” ✔
7 for 4 – “Contact” ✔
7 for 4 – “Time” ✔
7 for 4 – “Diffusion” ✔
Blue Öyster Cult – “Agents of fortune” [1999 Remaster; Digipack] => Rescheduled
Blue Öyster Cult – “Agents of fortune” [2001 Remaster inc. 4 bonus tracks] => Rescheduled
and in case you’re wondering, YES, I’ll post both editions.

New additions:
Def Leppard – “Pyromania” [2-CD set Deluxe Edition] => Rescheduled
Thunder – “Behind closed doors” [2010 Remaster; 2-CD set] => Rescheduled

Off-schedule:
U.D.O. – “Timebomb” ✔
U.D.O. – “Solid” ✔
U.D.O. – “Holy” ✔
A little something for the U.D.O. *music flood* we’ve got running on Tunes-Unlimited 😉

* Subject to change

Last updated: 31/03

Again, the title is self-explanatory.
There are some CDs (posted on the *old* blog) available only on mp3 or other lossy formats.
I will, of course, upgrade everything eventually; I just wanted to give you the opportunity to prioritize…
The offer expires on Monday the 28th, 24:00 (GMT +2:00)
So, you’ve got more than two days to make up your mind – just leave a comment mentioning the album of  your choice
And fear not, this whole thing will NOT affect the latest Mr. Big which has already been ripped (the CD that is) and will be posted tomorrow 😉
To see the list, click HERE or the image (my “avatar”) at the top of this post.

February’s schedule*, not necessarily in this order:

Y & T – “Contagious” ✔
Bangalore Choir – “On target” [2010 Remaster; Enhanced CD] ✔
Accept – “Blood of the nations” [Limited edition digipack inc. bonus track] ✔
Stratosphere – “Fire flight” ✔
Geff – “Land of the free” ✔
Mr. Big – “What if…” [Collector’s edition/Bonus DVD] ✔
The Michael Schenker Group – “The Michael Schenker Group” [2009 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔
Blue Öyster Cult – “Fire of unknown origin” ✔
Atsushi Yokozeki Project – “Raid” [2010 Reissue] ✔
Heavens Edge – “Heavens Edge” [2010 Remaster inc. bonus tracks] ✔

* Subject to change

Also considering the following:
Mr. Big – “Back to Budokan” [Limited edition 2CD/2DVD set] => Rescheduled for next month
Fair Warning – “Aura” [Enhanced CD] => Rescheduled for next month
Driver – “Sons of thunder” ✔
Dreamtide – “Dream and deliver” ✔
On The Rise – “Dream zone” => Rescheduled for next month
► Re-rip requested: Fair Warning – “Go!” ✔
► Re-rip requested: Tamas – “Blue syndicate” ✔

Last updated: 28/02

Paul Gilbert & Jimi Kidd – “Raw Blues power” ✔
Dio – “Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987” [2CD set] ✔
Van Halen – “Van Halen” [2000 Remaster;  HDCD] ✔
Van Halen – “Van Halen II” [2000 Remaster; HDCD] ✔
Heir Apparent – “One small voice” [2010 Remaster inc. bonus tracks and DVD] ✔
Code Of Perfection – “Last exit for the lost” ✔
Black ‘N Blue – “Collected” [Special box set containing all 4 studio albums & a live DVD] ✔

Note:
The Black ‘N Blue Box-set counts for 4 which means I’ve reached the magic number for the month (in case you’re wondering it’s 10) and I’m off the hook 😛

Last Updated: 25/01