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

From: Radio Free Albemuth ; Year: 1988; Genre: Classical/Jazz Fusion One of the odd things I have discovered concerning Stu Hamm is that only musicians seem to know who his is and wot he plays. I mean, he's played on a lot of albums from a lot of artists; mainly guitar shredders like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Most would likely know about Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten, or Steve Bailey before they'd remember Stu Hamm; not to take a single thing from those axe slingers, he is just every bit as good as them in my opinion. But, when you hear his solo works he really just blows you away with not just how great of a player he is, but how inventive and original his playing and style are. After hearing much of his records I was amazed how many odd and new sounds he could make with his bass guitar. Anyway, this one comes off of one of my favourite albums of his. Radio Free Albemuth's title was taken from the Philip K. Dick novel of the same name, as well as the lion's share of...

From: Back Stabbers ; Year: 1972; Genre: Soul Early this morning I was enjoying the songs from this album. I find the O'Jays' ability to take a negative subject matter and with their delivery and, of course, one of the best songwriting duos, Gamble & Huff make it feel uplifting and, dare I say, make it positive somehow. Although blending Philadelphia soul with a Bossa Nova beat, the chemistry will most always be awesome.    Hear 992 Arguments on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Rare Earth - Stop/Where Did Our Love Go     My song pick 2 years ago today: Azteca - Peace Everybody     My song pick 3 years ago today: Midnight Oil - Too Much Sunshine   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Nothing Lasts   My song pick 5 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Box in my Head   My song pick 6 years ago today: King Harvest - A Little Bit Like Magic   My song pick 7 years ago today: The Tempt...

From: Car Wash (soundtrack) ; Year: 1976; Genre: Funk/Soul Ultra busy couple of days, but definitely wanted to make a good pick for Friday. For wotever reason I just had Rose Royce on the brain, especially from their debut album and soundtrack for the classic Norman Whitfield film Car Wash . Lequeint "Duke" Jobe's bass playing really drives this one and just shows how much of an amazing player his is.   Hear Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Incredible Bongo Band - Let There Be Drums     My song pick 2 years ago today: Buster Poindexter - Hot Hot Hot     My song pick 3 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Awake, Awake   My song pick 4 years ago today: Zakk Wylde - Throwin' It All Away   My song pick 5 years ago today: The (Detroit) Spinners - I've Got To Make It On My Own   My song pick 6 years ago today: Bootsy Collins - Bass-Rigged-System   My song pick 7 years ago today:...

From: Idlewild South ; Year: 1970; Genre: Southern Rock/Blues Rock Recently, I read an insightful interview with the only surviving member of this historic band: Jai Johanny Johanson, or Jaimoe . He was one of the two amazing drummers/percussionists, (the other being Butch Trucks ), for the band throughout their most prosperous times and has appeared on the majority of their albums. I have to say that I still to this day love watching those two masters in the live recordings; almost like drumming professors putting on a clinic. Amongst a few neat things and anecdotes I learned was that each member had a tattoo of a psychedelic mushroom as kind of brotherhood bond and that he was proud to have the last one on his leg. It is still difficult for me to acknowledge that so many have passed on; they themselves were and are like monuments to American music. Anyway, I thought that I would revisit one of my favourite records; like most of their artistry, Idlewild South is best played all at on...

From: Simplicity ; Year: 2014; Genre: Hard Rock Tesla's Simplicity album is one that I "leap-frogged" over for no apparent reason. I absolutely love their previous album Forever More and the next album Shock , but just missed out on the one in between. I have to say, it is another case of better late than never, I really like wot I have heard; this is one of my favourites from it. Thematically, this one is quite heavy, dealing with someone who just missed out on what could've been a great relationship. From the narrator's point-of-view this individual rebuffed/strung him on throughout their time knowing one another, but then apparently comes back, expecting the narrator to have just waited endlessly. However, he and time moved on and now wot could've been can never happen. I really love the sound and composition of it; very much in their classic sound. It reminds me a lot of how they sounded back in the day, which is very good in my book.   Hear Burnout to F...

From: Undead ; Year: 1968; Genre: Blues Rock/Jazz Rock Found another cover of this favourite of mine; this one comes from the first live album from Ten Years After. It's a very interesting take on the Gershwin classic, which is used as an introduction/overture for drummer Ric Lee's  Shantung Cabbage  drum solo.    Hear Summertime/Shantung Cabbage on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: War - Slowly We Walk Together     My song pick 2 years ago today: Normaal - Val Kapot     My song pick 3 years ago today: Brass Construction - Screwed (Conditions)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Procol Harum - Song for a Dreamer   My song pick 5 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Watching Over You   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down To Georgia   My song pick 7 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Givin' It All Away My song pick 8 years ago t...