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

863 ( Rammstein - Reise, Reise ) In a quandary as to which song I should choose today, but I decided that this Rammstein track would be rather nice for my mood. It is one of my favourite songs off of the album of its namesake; I love the big, brooding sound in this song along with Till's awesome vocals. Something odd that I found out a bit ago about this song, or may I say certain pressings of the album is that there is an Easter Egg of sorts included. On the version that I have when you start this song there is about 35 seconds of muffled screams followed by a klaxon and a computerized voice repeatedly saying "pull up." For quite a while when I started the song I did not have my player up loud enough to even hear it and thought that it was a long lead-in on the disc. After hearing it I did some researched and I found out that it is actually a voice recording from the last few seconds before the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash ; this is the flight in which Japanese...

862 ( Genesis - Turn It On Again ) I had another song in mind for today, however last night I heard this one and I realized that I hadn't chosen a song from Genesis in quite some time. I have always liked this song about television addiction quite a lot; it moves along quite nicely. I really like how often they change the time signature in this one and yet it is not distracting when it does. Hear Turn It On Again on YouTube. Here is an excellent live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Miles Davis - Walkin' My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - Cold Wind To Valhalla +

861 ( Steely Dan - Josie ) Last night I was playing this one along with a bunch of other Steely Dan music; it seemed like an excellent song for today, so I am adding it. A nice piece of Fusion Jazz with mindblowing musicianship all around. Hear Josie on YouTube. Watch a live performance circa '06 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Joni Mitchell - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat My song pick two years ago today: Big Country - In A Big Country +

860 ( Gunnar Madsen - Surprise! ) Some time ago I found this album, which is compilation of music celebrating The Space Race and space exploration and decided on picking one of my favourite tracks off of it today. This song is about Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, which touched off the Space Race; a very cute and entertaining way of imparting history. The music is written in the style of Russian Cossack Music, those who are not familiar with that definition think of the music in the video game: Tetris . Here is a fan video with the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Charles Mingus - Tonight At Noon My song pick two years ago today: Megadeth - Architecture of Aggression +

859 ( Nightwish - Wanderlust ) I felt like some Symphonic Rock from Nightwish today, this was one of the songs that came on my iPod's playlist whilst out and about today. From what I understand, this is one of their songs that was inspired from the fantasy book series Dragonlance . Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is an excellent live performance of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Dizzy Gillespie - Salt Peanuts My song pick two years ago today: Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name +

858 ( Rammstein - Feuer Frei! ) I have been feeling like some Rammstein today. I decided to go through my picks and I could not believe that I had not chosen this one yet; it is probably one of my top five favourite Rammstein tracks. The song's title, Feuer Frei! , translated from German is "Fire Free!" i.e. the command to fire at will. This is one of their more famous tracks and has been featured in film and television. It is one of those songs that even if you do not understand the language you still feel compelled to rock out and headbang. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. Here is the live performance from Vökerball on YouTube. Here is the Junkie XL remix on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Huey Lewis and the News - Back In Time My song pick two years ago today: Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone Again (Naturally) +

857 ( Ian Anderson - Birthday Card At Christmas ) Making a quick pick this Christmas evening. We made a Christmas music playlist for the iPod and this is one of the songs that played whilst we were on the road. It was released on The Jethro Tull Christmas Album and the Ian Anderson solo album Rupi's Dance ; both released about a month apart from each other. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all! Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - Another Christmas Song My song pick two years ago today: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness) +

856 ( Louis Armstrong - 'Zat You Santa Claus? ) Merry Christmas all! This is an absolutely perfect song for the occasion and my mood; Christmas and Satchmo: two things that go together quite nicely. I don't know how someone could not be in a good mood after hearing him sing. Here is the studio version on YouTube. A bonus for today: here is Louis Armstrong reciting " The Night Before Christmas ." My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - Christmas Song My song pick two years ago today: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Ghost of Christmas Eve +

854-5 ( Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Joy/Angels We Have Heard On High ) Well, yesterday I found a Christmas song that I felt like picking. This is a rather nice melody from Trans-Siberian Orchestra consisting of their rendition of J.S. Bach's Jesus, The Joy of Man's Desiring and the traditional carol Angels We Have Heard on High . Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a cover of the song by the Las Vegas Guitar Ensemble on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Kinks - Father Christmas My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick +

853 ( Sylvia - Drifter ) I should be picking some Christmas tunes at this time of year, but I have not really felt like listening to them this time around. Maybe I will force myself to listen to some TSO or something Christmassy today. Anyway, this Country/Pop Rock crossover from the early '80s was in my mind and felt like a good pick for today. The steel guitar is my favorite part of this song making a wailing sound that comes off quite haunting. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Cheech & Chong - Santa Claus and His Old Lady My song pick two years ago today: Supertramp - The Logical Song +

852 ( Steeleye Span - Edwin ) For some reason I felt like picking something in the Folk/Prog Rock genre today and this one from Steeleye Span fit my mood quite well. Edwin is another traditional folk song that Steeleye Span covered in their own style. As with many Traditional Folk songs this is a rather sad one featuring the theme of lovers being separated by death. This is also one of their songs that did not feature the lead vocal talents of Maddy Prior, instead bassist Rick Kemp provided lead vocals; she did, however, perform the whispering in the song. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - Ring Out Solstice Bells +

851 ( Avatar (Savatage) - Rock Me ) This is a song from an early bootleg demo recording from what would become the Metal group Savatage, which also would later on bring about the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. At the time the band was going by the name "Avatar" until they found out about another band that already had the name and they were forced to changed it. They settled on the name: "Savatage" apparently by mixing the words "Savage" and "Avatar." This song in particular sounds much like the Metal at the time, (early '80s), and is a real treat to hear especially if you are a fan of the band. A few of the other songs off of this bootleg sound more like the Power Metal that would be their early success. It is quite fun to listen to some of the songs from their Dead Winter Dead , Hall of the Mountain King , and Edge of Thorns albums and then listen to these songs. Hear Rock Me on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Savatage - White Witch My...

850 ( Violent Femmes - Color Me Once ) Having a very busy day today and have just a little time to make my song pick; (doing some shopping and performing at a show this evening). Most of this morning while getting around we were listening to the iPod's playlist and this gem from The Crow soundtrack came on; I though it would make an excellent selection for my list today. An excellent track driven by an awesome bass line. Here is the studio version with a slide show of pictures from The Crow on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Who - Eminence Front My song pick two years ago today: John Fogerty - Almost Saturday Night +

849 ( Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Blue Collar ) While waking up this morning this nice BTO tune was running through my mind; I had to check and see if I had chosen it, and sure enough I had not. Blue Collar was the one of the main hits, if not the biggest hit, from their first album as Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This song has a Bossa Nova feel to it and features Randy Bachman's exquisite guitar work throughout, it ends with an awesome instrumental section. Hear Blue Collar on YouTube. Here is live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: John Denver - Season Suite - Winter My song pick two years ago today: Band of Horses - The Funeral +

848 ( Finntroll - Jaktens Tid ) I noticed that I have not added this one to my list yet, so I will remedy that with today's pick; plus, I have also felt like listening to some Finntroll for a bit now. As with many of their Humppa influenced tracks, this one is very danceable. It features Jonne Järvelä Joik , or ( Yoik ) singing, which adds another incredible aspect to the song as well. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Band of Horses - St. Augustine My song pick two years ago today: Dan Fogelberg - Leader of the Band +

847 ( John Denver - Poems, Prayers and Promises ) I was thinking about this song earlier in the week and it felt like an excellent pick for today. This is a very introspective track that is mostly acoustic in the John Denver folk styling that most are acquainted with. (I just love finishing a sentence with a preposition whenever I can!) It is quite beautiful musically with John Denver's amazing vocals. One interesting tidbit about this one that it is famous for is that it contains a probable drug use reference; "... while my friends and my old lady sit and pass the pipe around." However, The Muppets didn't get a pipe to pass around. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a classic live performance on YouTube. Here is a more recent live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Marrakesh - Express My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - We Used To Know +

846 ( Wolfsheim - Once In A Lifetime ) I have been meaning to add a Wolfsheim track to my list for quite a while now and it seems like a good day for it. To those who do not know of them, Wolfsheim is a German Synthpop/New Wave band consisting of musician Markus Reinhardt and vocalist Peter Heppner, however at this time Heppner is no longer in the act. Because many of their songs are written in English with more of a traditional pop sound it is probably more accessible to an English speaking audience than many of their German counterparts. Here is the music video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Grand Funk Railroad - I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home) My song pick two years ago today: Pet Shop Boys - So Hard +

845 ( Azteca - Love Is A Stranger ) I have been waiting a while for someone to post this excellent piece of Latin Funk/Rock on YouTube or another site online. I have in the past posted a couple of other great songs without a YouTube video available and I don't want to do that again if I can help it. Plus with this album apparently still being out of print, this amazing band and album needs to be heard. A thank you goes out to YouTube user musicminor25 for posting this one, I highly recommend the music on his channel. Anyway, this is one of the funkiest tracks on this album and contains a lot of Jazz inspired music with very soulful vocals. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Danzig - Mother My song pick two years ago today: Savatage - Gutter Ballet +

844 ( David Bowie - Changes ) While on the way home this evening this one came on my iPod, I could not believe that I have not chosen this one yet. There is so much that I love about this song along with most of his other material; such an awesome tune! Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Heart - Black On Black II My song pick two years ago today: Fontella Bass - Rescue Me +

843 ( Ian Anderson - In the Moneylender's Temple ) I was a bit leery about this album, Divinities: Twelve Dances With God , when it first came out and did not buy it until just a few years ago to complete my collection of Ian Anderson's solo albums. I guess it was the overall concept of the album itself which put me off to begin with, however after I bought it I was pleasantly surprised and some of the songs grew on me; in my opinion going into something with low expectations always makes it better in the end. The whole concept behind the album was a suite of music themed to some of the major "isms" and cultures in the world with Ian's brand of Contemporary Modern classical music mixed with some Rock. The entire album sounds quite eclectic at times, especially if you "bounce" between or shuffle the songs, however if you listen to it linearly you don't notice it as much. This one, as you might have guessed, would be the "religion" of banking...

842 ( Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed - Something ) This is an instrumental cover of The Beatles song composed by George Harrison. To say that their rendition of the song is beautiful does not give it justice. Two masters of the guitar let loose collaborating on a cover of a great well-written song; simply how could it not be amazing? This album, Me & Jerry is fast becoming a favorite of mine. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Buddy Holly & the Crickets - Well... All Right My song pick two years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Dreams +

841 ( Maddy Prior - The Fabled Hare ) I was thinking about picking this one for quite a while as well and have finally gotten around to it. It is quite a beautiful piece of Folk/Rock and is broken up into six pieces. The music and Maddy Prior's vocals make this song a nice treat. This song is about the fable/legend from the British Isles concerning the link between witches and hares. It is interesting that in quite a few cultures the hare is maligned and thought of as evil. The song contains quite a bit of Old English in the lyrics, which can make it a little difficult to fully understand at points. They also borrowed lyrics straight from an old poem called The World's Joy in the 4th section of the song. As the legend goes, a witch is being pursued and changes herself into a hare to avoid detection. The song then switches to the perspective of the hare and the perils of the animal. An oddity that I discovered when I read about this fable/legend, the Easter Bunny is most likely...

840 ( The Kinks - A Rock & Roll Fantasy ) I have been meaning to pick this track off and on for the last two years and I have finally gotten around to choosing it. Again, Ray Davies shows off his excellent song writing skills both lyrically and in arrangement in this one. The song's lyrics and subject matter takes a look at the fantasies and dreams of both the rock band as well fans of music. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - My Sunday Feeling +

839 ( Joachim Witt - Bataillon 'd Amour ) For some reason I felt like picking a song from Joachim Witt and I thought that this cover originally from the band Silly, which can be found here on YouTube , seemed like an excellent pick for today. One thing that is beginning to annoy me is the fact that most denizens of the internet seem to believe that any Rock/Metal song is sung in the German language with low register vocals is the band Rammstein. While Rammstein is an awesome band that I personally like a lot, they are not the only band from Deutschland . The German music scene is quite large and diverse and contains many bands over a multitude of genres. Off of my soapbox now.... Watch the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Ohio My song pick two years ago today: Donovan - Sunshine Superman +

838 ( Django Reinhardt - I'll See You In My Dreams ) For well over last few years I have been researching a lot of the music and recordings prior to World War II; particularly the various forms of Jazz and Folk music. Anyway, this is one of the Jazz guitarists that I found out about who started the genre known as Gypsy Jazz, which is a fusion of American Swing Jazz, French Musette, and Eastern European folk music. One interesting fact about Django Reinhardt is that he had partial use of two of his fingers on his left hand and was forced to play his guitar mostly with just those two fingers due to an accident. This song was originally written by Isham Jones with lyrics by Gus Kahn in the mid '20s and has gone on to be a standard in many genres, covered a countless amount of times. My first introduction to this song was actually from my Grandfather, who did an excellent rendition of the song in the Chet Atkins style. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year...

837 ( Frijid Pink - House of the Rising Sun ) For some reason, this one seemed to jump at me when I was thinking about picking a song this evening. This is, of course, a cover of the traditional Folk/Blues made famous by The Animals. One major difference about Frijid Pink's version of this song is the change in time signature from the traditional 6/8 to a common 4/4. The song also has more of a psychedelic sound led by a driving bass and drums with a heavily distorted guitar. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a television performance of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jaco Pastorius - Portrait of Tracy My song pick two years ago today: Rush - Time Stand Still +

836 ( Stuart Hamm - Flow My Tears ) Quite a few years ago I was trying to find out who were the "screamers" on bass playing behind many of the guitar greats' solo albums, mostly Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. I discovered that one of those bassists was the legendary Stu Hamm. After going over his discography I ran across one Stu Hamm solo album in particular that caught my attention for one main reason: the album's title and some of the songs made reference to some of Philip K. Dick's works, who is one of my favorite Sci-Fi/Post Modern authors. The album's name, Radio Free Albemuth is actually name of one of his books, which was published posthumously a few years before this album was released. This song, Flow My Tears , is also a reference to one of his more famous and award winning Sci-Fi works: Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said ; the title was itself a reference to the 16th century piece of music credited to John Dowland; Flow My Tears . It is amazing to see...

835 ( Rush - Twilight Zone ) For the last little bit I have been listening to a lot of the early Rush material. I noticed that I had not chosen a song off of 2112 in a while, which is considered to be one of their best, if not their best album by some. 2112 is one of those albums that was arranged extremely well as to keep the listener engaged throughout; I usually play it all of the way through when listening to it without skipping songs. I have noticed that many Rock/Metal bands back in the '70s made many albums like this. They seemed to focus on the concept of releasing a hit album rather than just a hit single; the hit singles ended up being more of a bi-product. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live recording on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Firm - Radioactive My song pick two years ago today: Ozzy Osbourne - Shot in the Dark +

834 ( Grand Funk Railroad - Footstompin' Music ) I heard this one on the radio this morning whilst on the road and it seems like a very good song for today. This track is a straight-up feel good rocker that is mostly drum and bass driven; as with any Grand Funk song the overall musicianship is incredible across the board. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Petula Clark - Don't Sleep in the Subway My song pick two years ago today: Band of Horses - Wicked Gil +

833 ( The Who - Squeeze Box ) I cannot begin to count the amount of times people have asked me: "Who did that song Squeeze Box ?" Most are usually surprised that it is from Pete Townshend's pen. Squeeze Box doesn't have the sound from The Who that most casual fans are expecting; the confusion might also due to their use of a banjo in this song. For those who are unaware, a Squeeze Box is a slang term given to a Concertina or, in some cases, and Accordion or any other hand-held instrument operated with bellows. However, this song is filled with loads of innuendo and word play; they are not completely referring to the musical instrument. Here is a fan video with the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Steely Dan - FM (No Static At All) My song pick two years ago today: The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night +

832 ( Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Refugee ) I had a couple of other songs in mind for today, but after I heard this one on the radio this morning I had to pick it. Tom Petty's straight-up rock sound is perfect for my mood today. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Yes - Your Move/All Good People My song pick two years ago today: King Harvest - Dancing in the Moonlight +

831 ( Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son ) I felt like some Progressive Rock today. Carry On Wayward Son is of the songs from the Prog/Rock genre that actually penetrated into the mainstream; it's one of Kansas' most famous hits. This is one of their more fun songs to play along with, mostly due to the distinct melodies and riffs in each section of the song. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a music video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: John Denver - The Eagle and the Hawk My song pick two years ago today: Three Dog Night - Liar +

830 ( Eric Idle - F--- Christmas ) Am beginning to put up the Christmas decorations today and this tongue-in-cheek tune just seemed perfect for the occasion. All of us, at one time or another, this Holiday season will have at least one of those " Grinch " moments in having to deal with the problems and hassles associated with it. Anyway, this song was written and performed by Eric Idle, who is one of the actors from the legendary British comedy show Monty Python. Here is a live recording on YouTube. Many "F" bombs in this one. (NSFW) My song pick a year ago today: Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay My song pick two years ago today: The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes +

829 ( Northern Kings - Hello ) A while ago I found out about this band through researching the European Metal bands that I am a fan of. Northern Kings are a supergroup made up of: Marco Hietala (bassist/vocals for Nightwish and Tarot among others), Tony Kakko (Vocalist for Sonata Arctica), Jarkko Ahola (Vocalist/Bassist for Teräsbetoni among others), and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto (Vocalist for Charon among others). Anyway, Northern Kings are a side project for these musicians in which they come together to make covers of songs in their unique style of Metal. This was one of their songs that caught my attention immediately, it is their cover of the famous song by Lionel Richie, which can be found here on YouTube. They did an excellent job with their interpretation of the song, the lyrics and chord progression do not get lost at all in the conversion to Symphonic Metal. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - Fallen On Hard Times My song pick two ...

828 ( Steely Dan - Black Friday ) It seems as if I am choosing quite a bit of Steely Dan as of late, it has just seemed right. They are one of my older favorite bands; I have been listening to their music for most of my life. I could not let today go without choosing this one concerning economic disaster for the occasion with it being Black Friday and all. This is the day, (the Friday after Thanksgiving), which most retail businesses are supposed to actually start to turn a profit for the fiscal year and go out of the "red" and into the "black," hence "Black Friday." Hear Black Friday on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Ozzy Osbourne - I Just Want You My song pick two years ago today: Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel The Noize +

827 ( Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Crossfire ) Been meaning to choose this song for quite a while now and I feel like adding it today. This is one of those rare songs that is liked across many genres and can be played in mixed company without problems. I love this song in almost every aspect, it is wonderfully arranged and performed. Watch the music video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: 4 Non Blondes - What's Up? My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - ...And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps +

826 ( Nightwish feat. Tapio Wilska - The Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean ) I have been listening to a lot of Progressive/Symphonic Metal as of late, Nightwish is one of the bands that keeps coming up. This is another one of their songs that features Tapio Wilska in a duet with Tarja Turunen; the contrasting vocals and styles complement each other extremely well. I really like the fusion of Metal and classical/Opera in this one. Jukka Nevalainen's drumming is one of my favorite aspects of this song; he is simply amazing with that double kick. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year go today: Mason Proffit - Two Hangmen My song pick two years ago today: Frank Zappa - Don't Eat The Yellow Snow +

825 ( Antonio Salieri - Requiem in C-Minor (Piccolo Requiem) ) This is a piece of music that I have been meaning to add to my list for a bit now and it just seemed right today. Ever since I first heard Salieri's music I was amazed by the sheer amount of passion that he put into it; I have since become a fan of his music. Salieri is the composer that has been vilified in pop culture as the rival of Mozart. While it is historically accurate that he did get in the way of Mozart, it was not even close to the extent that it has been portrayed. This, of course, is the music for a Funeral Mass, which is an extremely beautiful piece of music. I find that often if I like music from the Classical period, (from the mid 1700's to early 1800's), it is usually the requiems. However, there are many other pieces in different types of composition from this period that I like a lot as well. The entire piece of music is on YouTube and in sections, the links to all are belo...

824 ( Savatage - When the Crowds Are Gone ) I really felt like some Savatage today; I noticed that I had not chosen a Savatage/Trans Siberian Orchestra/Jon Oliva's Pain song in a while. This is one their song that I love to just sit back, listen and zone out to. This was from one of their transition albums from straight-up metal or thrash to the progressive symphonic metal that they are known for and which spawned Trans Siberian Orchestra. As with all of Savatage's music the vocals are mindblowing and the guitar work from Chris Oliva is excellent as ever. One part about this song that I find interesting is that much of the lyrics from the break section were borrowed and used again in their hit song Believe on the next album: Streets . Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance from '02 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Joe Walsh - Ordinary Average Guy My song pick two years ago today: Warren Zevon - Roland the Headless Thompson G...

823 ( Rush - Manhattan Project ) This was one of the songs that played on my iPod while I was on the road recently, which prompted me to play the entire Power Windows album today whilst getting caught up on work. This song is about the project that brought about the atomic bomb and the use of it in the waning days of WWII on Japan. From what I understand Neil Peart did a lot of research on the Manhattan Project before writing the song. Even with the heavy subject matter and extremely descriptive lyrics the song is still is quite listenable to the casual listener and has quite a few hooks within. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance from A Show of Hands on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Andy Taylor - When the Rain Comes Down My song pick two years ago today: Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant Massacree +

822 ( Duran Duran - Serious ) Another late pick on a Saturday, what else is new? I noticed that I have not chosen a Duran Duran song for a bit now and I decided on this one tonight after it came on my iPod's playlist. This is a nice piece of late '80s Pop/Rock with that signature smooth Duran Duran sound. Here is the music video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Styx - Crystal Ball My song pick two years ago today: Rush - Tom Sawyer +

821 ( The Charlie Daniels Band - The Legend of Wooley Swamp ) This song just popped into my mind yesterday and I had not heard it in well over ten years. I immediately had to look it up YouTube, sure enough it was there. It was one of the Country-Rock crossover songs from the late 70s/early '80s; I listened to this song quite a bit while growing up. The music itself is more Southern Rock than Country in my opinion with awesome guitars and bass line. I absolutely love songs that tell stories; this one is a ghost story written in the old-time folklore fashion. It is about a greedy old man named Lucius Clay who lived in a swamp and buried his money. A bunch of young punks killed the man for his money but end up dying themselves. As the story goes, ever since the spirits of the dead men still roam the swamp. Here is the studio version in a fan video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Doors - Strange Days My song pick two years ago today: Argent - Hold ...

820 ( Pink Floyd - Waiting for the Worms ) The other day I saw a headline that read: "Waiting for the End of the World." The article itself was about the fascination people have with disaster films, particularly flicks with the theme of world-ending disasters. Anyway, upon reading the headline this Pink Floyd song: Waiting for the Worms immediately popped into my mind. This was one of the darker songs from The Wall in which the main character, Pink, is hallucinating about being a fascist leader spreading his nefarious message. I love how this song was arranged; the dynamics are excellent; Progressive Rock at its best! Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is the video of the song from The Wall on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Rush - Roll the Bones My song pick two years ago today: Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - A Moment So Close +

819 ( Alexander Courage - Where No Man Has Gone Before (Theme From Star Trek) ) We picked up the new Star Trek movie the other day, and I thought that it would be fun to add the theme from the original Star Trek series to my list. This is one of the more recognizable television themes in existence. The theme actually changed a bit throughout the run of the series with both the melody being sung and played instrumentally. Most are probably unaware that Gene Roddenberry wrote lyrics to this song: Beyond the rim of the starlight, my love is wandering in star flight. I know he'll find In star clustered reaches Love, strange love A starwoman teaches. I know his journey ends never. His Star Trek will go on forever. But tell him while He wanders his starry sea, Remember, Remember me. I could probably post a page of links to the various versions, covers, and parodies, but here are a few: Here is the operatic opening on YouTube. Here is the intro without vocal...

818 ( Steely Dan - Caves of Altamira ) For no reason whatsoever I felt like some Steely Dan this morning. You can really hear the Steely Dan light Jazz/Rock prominently in this one with a some definite Jazz Fusion influence; a very beautiful song in multiple ways. The song is written about the actual Cave of Altamira in Spain, in which there are many prehistoric cave paintings. Hear Caves of Altamira on YouTube. Here is a live performance from '03 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Free - All Right Now My song pick two years ago today: The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind +

817 ( Jethro Tull - Baker St. Muse ) I have been contemplating picking this one for quite a while now and have finally gotten around to it today; not like I need a reason to choose a 'Tull song. The Baker Street in this song is the same street in London made famous by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, and it is also the same street written about in the Gerry Rafferty hit Baker Street , which was released a few years later and can be found here on YouTube . This is the "Magnum Opus" from the Minstrel in the Gallery album and clocks in at over 16 minutes; ten minutes and above was nothing to a Progressive/Rock band back in the '70s. Baker St. Muse actually contains five distinct pieces of music within: 1. Baker St. Muse, 2. The Pig-Me and the Whore, 3. Nice Little Tune, 4. Crash-Barrier Waltzer, and 5. Mother England Reverie . Apparently Ian Anderson wrote this song during the time he resided in the Baker Street area; the lyrics are based on what...

816 ( Johnny Rivers - Poor Side of Town ) As with many of the songs that I seem to add to my list, (especially as of late), this one was running through my mind a bit and I like it, so I am adding it to my list. I cannot remember when I first heard this song, but have always loved it. I have discovered that I have not heard a Johnny Rivers' song that I dislike and this song is no exception. I love the power and emotion that he puts into this one, of course you really can't go wrong with a song about a jilted love; that and similar subjects account for some of the biggest hits ever written. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance from last year on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Stayed Awake All Night My song pick two years ago today: David Essex - Rock On +

815 ( ABBA - I Let the Music Speak ) This one has been running through my mind for over a month now, it seems like an excellent pick for today. This is one of their most intricate songs that I have heard both musically and lyrically. It is amazingly arranged: very brooding with a classical waltz feeling in the verses and then builds in the pre-chorus and, (with the signature ABBA hook), it launches into the chorus, then it brings you back down. The song's subject is about a musical artist going through the creative process of putting feelings to music, treating the music as a living entity in almost the context of a lover. The lyrics are so deep you could almost drown in them at times. Hear I Let the Music Speak on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - The Big Empty My song pick two years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Mr. Blue Sky +

814 ( Banchee - Beautifully Day ) I found out about this band a bit ago and this was one of their songs I have heard that I like the most. I have not found much information about the band other than what little I could scrounge up from the meager research on them that I have done. Banchee were a short lived Acid/Psychedelic Rock group formed in '69 from Boston. They sound similar to many of the groups in their genre at the time, but are still quite distinct. The musicianship is excellent and this song is brilliantly put together; a nice track for my Friday. Hear Beautifully Day on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Cure - Burn My song pick two years ago today: Fire Bomber (Hummingbird) - Dynamite Explosion +