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

I right did not have a song ready to pick today, so I spun my iPod's playlist and found this one. What really can you say about a band that was the inspiration of so many great acts to come? The star-studded cast of musicians in this band and song are just incredible and it makes the song a treat to listen to. What's cool about this song is that it's one of those rare tracks where musicians as well as non-musicians both enjoy. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a television performance on YouTube. +

Oddly enough I was thinking about picking another song by Molly Hatchet until I started the process posting and this one happened to come to mind. To be honest, although I liked what I heard from them, I first really got into the band because of the album artwork by Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo. After I bought the albums I started listening to their other, less popular tracks I fell in love with the band's music the rest of the way. Here's a piece of trivia for anyone interested: from what I've heard, they actually got the band's name from an infamous female murderer who was called "Hatchet Molly" because her weapon of choice was a hatchet. What I really like about this song is, of course, the excellent musicianship and vocal work. It has a nice southern rock feel in a "boogie woogie" toe-tapping fast blues; when it's played almost everyone starts dancing to it in one way or another even if they're sitting down. It always puts me in ...

I was listening to a lot of Gordon Lightfoot's music the last little bit, so I figured I should pick one of them. I love this track mostly because of the powerful and deep lyrics of the song; although many other of his tracks fit that profile as well. Most of his songs, especially this one, comes off as sung poetry. I love the imagery and metaphor that he uses to put into words his thoughts and feelings; just amazing. The music as well is quite intricate and fits excellently together with the lyrics. This is a very melancholy song, but the one of best songs I have ever heard that expresses what one goes through with a lost love. Probably the best part about Gordon Lightfoot for me is that his singing voice sits at almost the exact spot that my singing voice is, so when I am singing along with the music it is very easy for me to keep up. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a Soundstage performance from '79 on YouTube. Here is a more recent live performance on YouTube...

This song came to mind earlier today and it seemed very much like a good pick. This song was written by Kris Kristofferson and has been covered by a multitude of people, however Janis Joplin's version is probably the most famous. If not my favorite song by Janis Joplin, it is somewhere toward the top; I have always loved this one and is very much one that needed to be added to my list. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a fan video with the song on YouTube. +

For the time being, I have been picking a song from each of the Jethro Tull eras from beginning to end on Sundays. The other eras are on picks: 100, 107, 114, 121, 128, 135, and 142. Each of these "eras" are either a bit different or are night and day from each other. At this point if one listens to this album and then listens to a previous album it sounds like two different bands; but the same soul is still there. This is my 8th era of 'Tull, which is another era to me consisting of one album. I would say that this era goes from somewhere in '81 to around late '83. Many 'Tull fans cut what they like at '79, however in my opinion there is a lot of good music after '79 as well. This era is a throwback to the '70s in sound a bit, however, it is quite different as well. During this time Eddie Jobson did not return for another album, but did play with them at later concerts; Peter-John Vettese took over for him on keyboards. To me his playing and ...

While out and about today this song came on my iPod and I thought it would be a good pick. This is a really cool song that is almost an instrumental piece except for a couple of places in it with lyrics describing a thunderstorm in terms of a battle between/within the clouds. A "Jacob's Ladder" is actually a type of lightning that usually arcs around very spectacularly, making somewhat of a ladder shape. Where the name for this came from is The Bible, where Jacob saw angels climbing up and down a ladder to Heaven, henceforth the namesake of "Jacob's Ladder." The musicianship is very good in this one and is really interesting to listen to. It gives off the feeling of a brooding storm and you can easily envision thunder and lightning while listening. Here is the studio version with some images of storm clouds on YouTube. Here is a live recording of the song from Exit... Stage Left on YouTube. +

I don't really know why I decided to pick this song today other than it fits my mood. A really nice instrumental that starts off with an old sci-fi feel with the strings ala Telstar by the Tornadoes; I really like how it moves flawlessly into metal and back again. The musicianship is excellent; the bass is especially good in this song. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. +

I was thinking of this song the last couple of days, so I decided to pick it. It has the Motown sound to it in spades, however with the addition of the orchestra it makes a very nice and unexpected sound and, of course, Diana Ross' vocals are incredible as always. The lyrical content and the subject matter are the best and strongest aspects of the song. This was, of course, the theme song to the Motown movie Mahogany ; while the film did not do so well, the song became a classic and is simply beautiful. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" afterward on YouTube. +

I have been thinking of this song for a couple of days, so I decided to pick it. Probably most people only know this song if they hear it, not by title or band name; it gets quite a bit of radio play, but really not too much that it would make it stale. I really love the bass in this one; especially the solo part; very much 70's progressive hard rock in almost every aspect. Here is the studio version on YouTube. +

Last night I started going over some Rare Earth tracks and re-discovered this cover of the Temptations song. This is actually not their only cover of another popular Motown song; I believe that their cover of Get Ready was their biggest hit. I really like how their music combines hard-edged Rock with Funk and Soul. I very much like what they did with this song, they kept the soul of the song but at the same time made it their own. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. +

For those who do not know about him, Jaco is considered by many to be one of the greatest electric bassist of all time. Although a lot of people could argue for others, he took the instrument to places it had never been before and today's bassist have built upon his foundations. Even Victor Wooten, who I believe is a better player than Jaco, credits him along with Stanley Clarke and Larry Graham as major influences. Victor Wooten even did his own version of the song with Steve Bailey in their act Bass Extremes called " Madonna Lee ." I often wonder what Jaco would be doing if he was still alive today? Anyway, this is a cover of a classic piece of Bebop Jazz music credited to Charlie Parker, but others such as Miles Davis have also claimed credit for it. The song is very good and is actually quite listenable to those who have an ear for Jazz. From what I understand it took Jaco a while to get the song right on the bass, when he did he created one of the "Holy Grails...

For this, my 7th era of Jethro Tull I decided to pick Crossfire from their 1980 album " A ;" the other eras can be found on song picks: 100, 107, 114, 121, 128, and 135. This was a hard era for me to define, while this album is somewhat similar to the '84 album Under Wraps , which is more dissimilar than alike in my opinion. And then of course there is Broadsword and the Beast from '82 between them, which is completely different from either one. This is an album that was supposed to be an Ian Anderson solo project, but ended up as a 'Tull album for various reasons. The only band members to continue with 'Tull was Ian Anderson and Martin Barre, everyone else quit or died. John Glascock died in November of '79 from complications with a heart surgery caused by a tooth abscess. David Pegg replaced Tony Williams (of Stealars Wheel fame) on bass; (he was filling in while John Glascock was sick). Mark Craney took over on drums, and Eddie Jobson took over k...

I was listening to this song whilst driving a bit ago and since then it has stuck in my mind, so I decided to make it my pick today. This song was one of Queen's first big hits from around '74; my Dad had this on a 45 rpm single, which he used to play a lot. What I really like about this song is the amazing harmonies along with the incredible and complex music; it does not disappoint at all in any aspect. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. +

I was thinking of this song today, so I decided to pick it. I love a lot of his music just because of his genuineness and bluntness in his music. I like this song in particular quite a bit and it is ingrained in my mind because of the amount I have heard it over the years; again not too much to make the song overly stale. I love how he blends Rock and Reggae in this song to give it the very distinct sound it has. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. +

This is another wonderful composition by the musical master J.S. Bach. Although mostly know for his organworks, this is one of his many pieces that utilizes strings. This is another one of his compositions that has been heard by many, but unknown to many in title; it's simply a marvelous piece music. Part of the themes from this piece and Bach's BWV-645 Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme were borrowed and used on Procol Harem's A Whiter Shade Of Pale on the organ. Here is a string orchestral version on YouTube. Here is a version played on a grand organ on YouTube. +

I was thinking of this song today, so I thought I should pick it. I cannot count how many times I have heard this song either on recording or the radio over the years; not so much that the song is spoiled though. I really like the driving bass line and the beat in this one, however every other aspect of the song is pretty good as well; a nice bluesy rock song. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. +

A few years ago I started to revisit songs from the '80s that I heard when I was younger; Tears for Fears was one of the bands that I came to like from this revisiting of the pop music. More recently I heard a cover of the song that was okay but lacked the soul and the feeling of a call to action of the original Tears for Fears version; it is a very depressing. I came across this song a while ago whilst doing some research on the band and immediately liked it. Funny enough when I got into heavily watching the BBC I noticed this song playing a lot in the background on commercials and programs. Probably the vocals and lyrics are my favorite aspects of this song; I love the way that they show feeling of hopelessness in the " Mad World " and the call to action against it. Hear Mad World on YouTube. Here is an extended studio version on YouTube. Here is a performance on Top of the Pops in '82 on YouTube. +

I did not have a song in my mind on this busy day, so I spun my playlist and found this one. This song is actually the one that got me heavily into their music. Before this I only knew them for their real big hits and either I did not know their more progressive material or I thought it was someone else playing those songs. Anyway, this song is very introspective and I love how Ray Davies vividly describes what he sees and how what he sees makes him think of and feel; there are few songwriters who can do this well in my opinion. After doing some research and seeing a documentary on them I did not realize that they were banned in America during the early to mid '60's when many British Invasion band were making their mark. A lot of their music took a more British feel than the rest of their British Invasion counterparts because of it. It is odd because a lot of the acts I listen to sight The Kinks as one of their biggest influences, so I guess that they did get more attention fro...

I am still picking a song from a Jethro Tull era on Sundays from beginning to end. The first 5 'Tull eras can be found on days 100, 107, 114, 121, and 128. Today is the 6th, and one of the most loved era for many 'Tull fans. The era for me consists of three albums from '77 to '79: Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses, and Stormwatch . In this trilogy Ian was trying to write about man's relationship with nature throughout time. In the album Songs From The Wood , this dealt with man and nature in the past and how man lived in somewhat of harmony with nature; in my opinion no songs on this album are weak at all. The album Heavy Horses , which subject matter wise dealt with man from the Industrial Revolution to present; it's a much darker album, which deals with what man has forsaken in the pursuit of progress and the consequences thereof. In my opinion there are no weak tracks on this album either. The last album, Stormwatch is darker yet and d...

I have been meaning to pick this song for a while but for some reason in the past I picked another one instead, however today I will finally pick it. I remember hearing this song a lot when I was younger, which is probably why it is stuck so heavily in my mind. It is quite good, very 80's with a lot of electronic sounds, however the guitar makes the song sound a bit like a Dire Straits song. The subject matter is probably one of the biggest points of the song: two young kids running away and making a life for themselves. Still, what I like the most about the song is Rod Stewart's singing style. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. +

As of late, (the last week or so), I had about three song vying to be picked and then when I get to the computer I end up not picking any of the ones that I had in mind; today is no different. This song just popped into my head today, I like this track quite a but so I'm picking it. This song was released in '72 by John Denver on the Rocky Mountain High album; it was originally written by John Prine. The song itself is about the coal mines around the town of Paradise in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky and how after the coal was gone the town became a ghost town and nothing was left except the scars on the land. The musicianship is excellent and John Denver's vocals are as perfect as always. One aspect about this entire album is that it seems that every song is a bit depressing, however, John Denver sings in his very upbeat vocal style without wavering. Here is the studio version on YouTube. +

I was thinking about this song today and chose to pick it. Two-Mix is a Japanese Technoesque Electronic Pop band comprised of two members at the time of this recording; they have since added a third member and re-named the band: II Mix Delta. The band features Minami Takayama, who is the singer/composer, and Shiina Nagano, who is the musician/lyricist; they are now joined by Joe Rinoie on vocals. For those who watch Animé, this band's music has been featured on Animés such as Gundam Wing and Detective Conan . The music in the song is incredible as well as the vocals. While they are not a cup of tea to everyone, they are definitely worth a listen. Watch the music video on YouTube. +

I picked this song today for an interesting reason. Last night I was watching the film: A Scanner Darkly , which is a movie based on the Phillip K. Dick book of the same name. In it there was a scene where an addict of the drug 'Substance D' was going to commit suicide by O.D.-ing on it; he turns on the radio and the voice on the radio is narrating the events like a news broadcast. He cleans himself up lays down on a bed with the Ayn Rand book The Fountainhead waiting to die. What was funny here was that he did not die, but began to hallucinate about a multi-eyed being reading off his sins to him; it was quite comical. Anyway, when I saw the Ayn Rand book I started immediately to think of this song, which its lyrics are based off of her Objectivism philosophy and titled after another one of her books that bears the same name of this song: Anthem . The song itself is quite heavy and features the technical musicianship. I figured that this song would be an excellent pick for to...

I was thinking about this song this morning and would not leave my mind, so I decided to pick it. This is a cover of Steve Goodman's song about the passenger train that travels between Chicago and New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie; although the song has been cover by many artists Arlo's version is what comes to mind when I think of it; I really like the way the pre-chorus builds in the song and goes into the chorus. From what I have read Amtrak changed the name of the train to the Panama Limited, but after the song gained a lot of popularity they changed it back to The City of New Orleans . According to the Wikipedia article, Arlo held fund raisers on the train and at the train's stops for the Hurricane victims in 2005. Here is a fan video with the studio version on YouTube. Here is a classic live performance on YouTube. Here is an excellent live performance with the Boston Pops on YouTube. "I didn't want to wear this either." +

Last night while driving home this song came up on my iPod's playlist and I thought it would be a nice pick for today. Ever since this song first came out I have liked it; that was a while ago since it came out, that makes me feel a bit old. Anyway, the song itself sounds a bit Beatleish and contains some excellent musicianship and harmonies. From what I understand this song was written about the Wittenoom asbestos mines where Australia had one of its worst ecological disasters. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. +

I have been picking songs from each of the Jethro Tull eras from beginning to end on Sundays; The other picks can be found in this blog on songs: 100, 107, 114, and 121. Anyway, the 5th 'Tull era for me consists of one album in 1976; the music from this album was originally supposed to be a musical. The musical was to be about 18 songs long and sung by pop singer Adam Faith and was about people from different walks of life, however it never came to fruition. Ian had all of this music written, so they decided to make it the new album: Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die! It consisted of 12 of the original tracks and they decided to base it around an aging rock star named Ray Lomas. In the story Ray is a '50s-60s greaser that is dutifully keeping up his old image while seeing his compatriots sell out to what is in or settling down. After a motorcycle wreak he comes out of a coma and finds that styles have come back around and he is "in...

  This is probably my favourite Moody Blues song; they were the first band really that I started to listen to that got me heavily into the genre of Progressive Rock. Although I have moved more toward bands that are heavier into the genre and less mainstream than the Moody Blues, I still listen to them a bit from time to time and they have a special place for me. Days Of Future Passed is a concept album that is beyond excellent and is a classic; in the album they use the day as a theme to make a sort of a suite of music. In my opinion side two is where it really shines on the record: from Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?) , to Nights in White Satin . In this song I really like the smooth transitions from one part to another; the musicianship is incredible throughout the entire song. You can really see that this song and album was well thought out and planned. Hear Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?), Time to Get Away on YouTube. Here is a live performance circa '70 on YouTube. +

From what I understand Burton Cummings wrote this one in Hawaii when he had a horrible sunburn. The song itself is about a man who is being held captive in a basement by some people who supposedly drugged and told him that they will let him live if he gave them his soul. I cannot find if this is based on a true story or not, but according to what I've read the lyrics: "It's here and it's real?" and "Screaming that 'I don't want to die!'" where supposedly spoken by the man who was held captive. Also the lyric "Feeling like betraying a friend" was written because two of his captors were supposedly friends of his. This is a very good song by one of my favourite bands; I've liked the song every since I first heard it, especially the twin lead guitars and the powerful vocals that got my attention. What really made this song stand out for me was at the end of the song (about .30 seconds) a passage from Psalms 22:14-15 is spoken with d...

This is a very interesting song pick for today. I have always liked songs with a message or a meaning and this one has it in spades. I chose it because it came into my mind the other day when watching some Sci-Fi/Fantasy about a distant future post-modern world; this track seemed to fit the movie and my mood after watching it. The song itself is anti-conflict song looking back on the wars in the past then focusing on our present small period in time and how we live it. I really like after that when he sings about, like with most parents want our children to live in a better world than we do. Probably the most powerful part of the song is the hope in a grand future without war and conflict and man puts his power into art and science; a truly beautiful and powerful song. I noticed on this album it has a very dark feeling to it on many of the tracks. I like most of the tracks, the only one that I dislike on this album is the title track; almost all of the rest I like in varying degrees. W...

I heard this song the other day and it immediately got my attention because I had not heard it in a while. I remember when my sister got a Queen album for Christmas a long time ago and it seemed as if she almost wore it out listening to it; this was one of the songs that was played a lot that I came to like. This track has an element of theatre in it that I like quite a lot; it is an incredible song and does not fail in any aspect to me. I especially like Freddie Mercury's voice, as always. Here is a music video on YouTube. +

Happy New Year! I really have no real reason for picking this song today other than it's a pretty good one. While KISS is not my favorite band, I really like a lot of their music as well as their honesty and showmanship. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a video/live performance on YouTube. +