ALLMUSIC REVIEW BY LAURIE MERCER “Canadian John Paul Young (not to be confused with the Brit-pop star of the same era) released The Life of Ermie Scub after leaving his band the Cardboard Brains, a popular Toronto art-punk club band who put out a few records and toured with such bands as Bauhaus and The Stranglers. A concept solo album (truly solo, Young wrote, co-produced, and played most of the instruments), ERMIE SCUB is a rather bleak tale of an introverted child struggling with confusion and loneliness, trying to figure out his place in a hostile world: “Have You Seen the Boy In the Gutter With the Broken Mind?”. Musically its a minor synth-pop gem. A postcard from a time when synthesizers offered unlimited possibilities and an electronic rhythm section eliminated the need for drummers and bass players And layered composition was all the rage. Like much music of this time, Ermie Scub can seem overbearing and pretentious at times, yet riveting and creative at others. fans may...

I wrote the last blog early in the morning, feeling terribly ill, which explains all the typos and such. One day, I intend to edit all of it, but for now, I'm just glad to have some material published. It's material that's difficult for me to discuss, yet it's something I constantly think about. However, I find it cathartic to share it on a public online forum. I touched upon my brother's death to some extent, though not completely. Honestly, I'd prefer not to delve into it, but I find it necessary. I felt compelled to mention discovering my brother's body to provide context to the series of events that impacted my nuclear family: the subsequent passing of my mother, my abduction, my seven baseless arrests, and four unjust incarcerations. Not to mention, enduring ten years on the harsh streets of Toronto while being swindled out of approximately fifteen million dollars in cash and assets. The "sick as a dog" episode began with a tickle in my throat...

I come from a family of four: my mother, Margaret Isabel Young (née Peace), my father, Dr. Robert Goddard Young, my brother, William Robert Stuart Young, who was six years my junior, and myself, John Paul Young. My brother's untimely death in July 1996 occurred just as I was about to turn forty. For the next six years, I took on the role of primary caregiver for my parents. The grim discovery of my younger brother's body in his apartment shocked me profoundly. The officer on duty, "Bart," suggested at the scene that by identifying my brother's body for the Coroner, I could shield our elderly parents from the anguish of seeing their son in such a condition. In clinical shock, I waited for the Coroner, a compassionate woman who arrived with the others. She understood the emotional impact of identifying a deceased relative, particularly given the condition of his body after two days. I wasn't allowed to see my brother's body until the Coroner deemed it approp...

I discovered amongst a mountain of paper the container the replicated CD came in, and it is from DODAX AG, OBERNEUHOFSTRASS 10a 6340 BAAR SWITZERLAND. Here are the two side by side for comparison: Notice the difference in the spines. One BLACK and the counterfeit one OPAQUE. Well I think that is interesting. I really more INTERESTING would happen. I used to have pints in the evening twenty years ago, just before all hell broke out in my life at a pub in Etobicoke near where I lived at Islington and Bloor Street West. Called The Squire and Firkin. There were a variety of interesting dudes that I hung out with, one being Curtis Smith, a drummer who toured across Canada with Janis Joplin. He was only 17 at the time and couldn’t understand why this good looking guy followed her around everywhere. That good looking guy was Kris Kristofferson. Another notable figure was a very smart fellow who I will dub IBM ROB.     

Amongst the unfortunately limited discography of myself  and CARDBOARD BRAINS is 1998 digital compilation of all the vinyl releases. Above you can   see the original, which has a BLACK spine. I found on AMAZON when I was scouring the internet, which I am prone to do, a copy of the compilation CD. Having lost all my possessions including all of the mint rare vintage vinyl that I had archived diligently, I am forced to buy up copies of my own records and CDs from collectors. I purchased the compilation CD, and when it arrived from Switzerland I could tell it was a reissue because  it was an exact duplicate except for the fact that it has an OPAQUE spine. To tell you the truth it remains unopened in shrink wrap, but yes it is an exact reproduction. This morning I cannot locate the package it was shipped in to publish the company and address. It is here somewhere amidst the chaos on my desk, a product of my ADHD mind. Sometime later when again scoring the internet, I discover...