William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: I Robot ; Year: 1977; Genre: Progressive Rock Just had this record on my mind since yesterday evening; why not just go ahead and pick the first, title track? I Robot  acts as the overture to the overall concept album loosely based on Isaac Asimov 's stories concerning the mechanical men . Essentially is a six-minute instrumental piece heavy with synth programing and keyboards except for a chorale providing a human touch with vocalizations, which probably was the intention considering the overall conceptual story.    Hear I Robot on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Rainbow - Black Sheep of the Family   My song pick 2 years ago today: Funkadelic - Take Your Dead Ass Home! (Say Som'n Nasty)   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Exciters - Tell Him   My song pick 4 years ago today: Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - I Promise To Remember   My song pick 5 years ago today: Santana - Song of the Wind   My song...

From: You Don't Mess Around With Jim ; Year: 1972; Genre: Folk Rock I remember buying an old stereo 8-track tape of this album at either a yard sale or thrift store back when I was a young teenager for five cents; the tape was already quite old and a dead format even back then. Not having a lot of money to spend then, I would normally get my music cheap and then record it onto a cassette tape or just play it. One thing about Jim Croce's albums, for me at least, I never skipped a song; I'd let it play. Each and every song was special and so uplifting. The only problem with 8-tracks was the fact that you couldn't rewind them, so, if you wanted to hear a song again you had to let it come back around on the continuous loop of tape. As long as you kept your player and cartridge in good working order it'd just keep playing, that is, until that little metal switching splice fell off and it started to eat your tape. then you'd have to re-spool and use the good ol' s...

From: Tony Joe ; Year: 1970; Genre: Country Funk/Blues Something a little different for this Funky Friday; some funky country blues crossover. It is just the great kind of weird just how well country/western and funk go together. A lot of people probably see the two musical genres as not related, but since both genres are children of of blues so to speak they have much more in common than not and thus go together like peanut butter and jam. As I've said before blues is one powerful and all-encompassing musical school and can bond together a great deal; and not just music either. Tony Joe White really does well using the whole "jilted lover done wrong" idea by comparing their relationship to that of a black widow spider and her usually soon-to-be-dinner mate. Heck, this track could be played in many mixed settings and eras; even today this one would go over well. Probably the best aspect of this song for me is the overall lower fidelity production; makes his vocals even al...

From: Brain Salad Surgery ; Year: 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock Benny the Bouncer is one of "the other," more brief tracks on this extended, epic-laden album. It is driven by Keith Emerson's honky tonk ragtime-inspired piano playing that gets more and more complex as the song goes on. The overall arrangement and vocal delivery remind me a lot of late 1980s Savatage; their Streets: A Rock Opera specifically.   Hear Benny the Bouncer on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Neil Young and Promise of the Real - Already Great     My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Ladies   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Weirditude   My song pick 4 years ago today: Mott the Hoople - (Do You Remember) The Saturday Gigs   My song pick 5 years ago today: Luther - Everybody Rejoice   My song pick 6 years ago today: Wishbone Ash - Vas Dis   My song pick 7 years ago today: Journey - Spaceman My song pick 8 ye...

From: Strange Days ; Year: 1967; Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Blues Rock Once more went back to this record and have since had this track on my mind. From wot I've read this was either the first or one of the first songs written by Jim Morrison for The Doors. It is very much an odd composition with the weird groove and, of course, Jim Morrison's out-of-this-world lyrics/vocals. However, I would have to say that Robbie Krieger's spooky sounding slide guitar and solo really is the icing on the cake so to speak.   Hear Moonlight Drive on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Sammy Davis Jr. - Whisper to One     My song pick 2 years ago today: Queen - Flash to the Rescue   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ace - Rock & Roll Runaway   My song pick 4 years ago today: Imagination - Just an Illusion   My song pick 5 years ago today: Alestorm - Fannybaws   My song pick 6 years ago today: Marillion - Seasons End   My song pick ...

From: No Need to Argue ; Year: 1994; Genre: Alternative Rock/Celtic Rock Kind of odd that I have not chosen a song from The Cranberries for a St. Patrick's Day pick before today; definitely need to remedy that one. They are one of the more emotionally heart wrenching bands from Ireland, mostly thanks to the amazing vocals of the late-great Dolores O'Riordan and her signature wail.    Hear So Cold in Ireland on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Flogging Molly - Crushed (Hostile Nations)     My song pick 2 years ago today: Waylander - Kindred Spirits   My song pick 3 years ago today: Black 47 - Land Of DeValera   My song pick 4 years ago today: Frank Mackey & The Keltic Cowboys - Rocky Road to Dublin   My song pick 5 years ago today: Black 47 - Bodhráns On The Brain   My song pick 6 years ago today: Waylander - The Vernal Dance   My song pick 7 years ago today: Thin Lizzy - Dublin My song pick 8 years ...