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

983 ( Falco - Titanic ) I felt like something off the wall this morning; some of Falco's music popped into my mind and seemed absolutely perfect. There were actually about 8 songs of his I had in mind to choose, I narrowed it down to either " Titanic " or " Vienna Calling; " for no real reason I decided on this one. I love how he mixed so many different types of music in this one yet it makes one unified sound; it was very well arranged. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Guess Who - Undun My song pick two years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - The Ballad of Curtis Loew +

982 ( Alice Cooper - Go To Hell ) Yesterday I was a victim of a random act of assholery, (yes that is a word I just made up), from a person who was quite rude. So, this one is dedicated to that person along with a few certain other people in particular. Although it was written from the perspective of Alice Cooper's critics attacking him, it still fits my mood perfectly. This song kicks some serious ass in so many ways; I wish I was as eloquent with my insults. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond My song pick two years ago today: The Doors - Riders On The Storm +

981 ( Janis Joplin - Mercedes Benz ) This morning I had Janis Joplin playing and I noticed my 4 year old child was singing along, I took it as a sign that I should choose one of her songs this morning. Most people alive today have heard this a capella track at least once in their lifetimes. A very nice song for an otherwise dreary Wednesday. Here is a fan video with a recording of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Pink Floyd - Pigs On The Wing Parts 1 and 2 My song pick two years ago today: Charlie Parker - Blues For Alice +

980 ( The Hep Stars - Cadillac ) For some reason I felt like adding this track from the Swedish Pop group The Hep Stars this morning. From what I understand some actually referred this band as "The Swedish Beatles:" and were quite big in the '60s. Most who follow music should recognize The Hep Stars' keyboardist: he is Benny Andersson; he would later go on to form ABBA. Here is a fan video with the studio version on YouTube. Here is a performance circa '65 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Hallo Venray - Orange My song pick two years ago today: Flatt & Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Breakdown +

979 ( Uriah Heep - Stealin' ) Some would not recognize this song by just the band name and song title, but if you have ever listened to Classic Rock radio stations for a time you have definitely heard it. This is probably Uriah Heep's biggest and most recognizable hit; it's a very bluesy progressive rock tune. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way   My song pick two years ago today: Ludwig van Beethoven - Fur Elise-WoO59 +

978 ( Meat Loaf - Two out of Three Ain't Bad ) Whilst on the way home this evening this one popped on my iPod's playlist; for some reason it really fit mood quite well, so it is my pick for the evening. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is the music video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Christian Pezold - Minuet in G Minor (Anna Magdalena Notebook II), BWV Anh. 115 My song pick two years ago today: Raymond Scott - Powerhouse Finishing out my week long experiment of how long it takes to make a post; this one took 14 minutes, 12 seconds. A total weekly average of a little over 14 minutes total. +

977 ( Puhdys - Alt Wie Ein Baum ) I have been wanting to add another Puhdys track to my list for a bit; it feels like a nice day to do so. This one popped in my mind and is a fitting song for my mood; it is quite a fun song to listen to. Who wouldn't want to be an old tree, really? Here is a studio recording on YouTube. Here is a music video/television performance on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Christian Pezold - Minuet in G Major (Anna Magdalena Notebook II), BWV Anh. 114   My song pick two years ago today: Berlin - The Metro Continuing my week long experiment seeing how long it takes to post: This post took 8 minutes, 45 seconds to post. +

976 ( Jethro Tull - Dark Ages ) I have two reasons that I am picking this song today other than I like it: 1. since I am doing my experiment of how long it takes me to post a blog I figured I should choose an "epic" track to represent the extreme end, and 2. I noticed that I have not chosen a track off of Jethro Tull's 1979 " Stormwatch " album yet. I remember about five years ago this song kicked my butt for about a week whilst trying to learn it; I finally prevailed. It's not that the song is super hard to play, but the changes and distinct sections made it a bit of a trial; plus it was really the first time I was trying to learn how to play lines in the jig style. This song is really the centrepiece of the album, which is the final album in Ian Anderson's trilogy of albums themed to man's relationship with nature. This album is one of the darker 'Tull albums because it is Ian's vision of what the consequences might be concerning ma...

975 ( Richard O'Brien & Richard Hartley (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) - Science Fiction/Double Feature ) I first watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was in my mid teenage years, at the time I really was unsure as to what exactly I was watching. I spent most of the movie with one eyebrow perpetually raised with a WTF expression on my face. Fast forward ten or so years in the future I rented the movie; mostly to see the WTF expression on my wife's face. However, after I watched it that time I actually understood what they were getting at. Every time since when I see it playing on the television I have to watch it and usually end up singing along with the songs. Anyway, this is the opening song on the film in which the disembodied mouth sings; the mouth belonged to Patricia Quinn, but the vocals were performed by the song's lyricist Richard O'Brien, who also played Riff Raff in the film. Subject matter wise this song pays homage to many of the old bla...

974 ( Styx - Lorelei ) For a while now I have been meaning to add this one to my list; this is one of my top ten songs from the band. For me Styx is one of those bands that is quite Progressive and fun, yet has more than enough mainstream appeal for the masses at the same time. I have always liked Styx and their music ever since I was young and it has not changed over the years. Here is a studio recording on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Three Dog Night - Never Been To Spain My song pick two years ago today: Concrete Blonde - Joey Continuing my week long experiment on how long it takes to make a blog post. Total time to post this song: 14 minutes, 8 seconds. +

973 ( The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today ) For last couple of days this track has been running through my mind; I like the track so I am choosing it. This is the biggest hit for the Soul/Psychedelic Rock band The Chambers Brothers and most have probably heard it over the last 40 or so years. To me this track has a sound similar to that of The Rolling Stones, mostly due to the sound of the guitar, however it still has its own distinct sound. Got to love their use of the cowbell. Here is a studio recording on YouTube. Here is the extended studio recording on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Road My song pick two years ago today: Nirvana - Lithium I am continuing my week long experiment today to see actually how long it takes me to post a song in my blog. Total time to post: 10 minutes 25 seconds . +

972 ( The Guess Who - Minstrel Boy ) I had not heard this track in quite a while, so I checked on YouTube and I got lucky. While growing up my dad played The Guess Who's " Canned Wheat " album quite a bit and this was one of the songs that got a lot of play. I've never been completely sure as to what the story in the song is about with the vague story telling and symbolism. However, with it being written in during the time of the Vietnam War, I have always wondered if there is a connection. Randy Bachman's guitar is interesting in this song; it compliments and adds a lot of angst. One of the more interesting parts of the song is towards the end where they keep raising the pitch every time the lyrics comes around. Here is a fan video with the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Metallica - Nothing Else Matters   My song pick two years ago today: Steely Day - Rikki Don't Lose That Number I am doing a bit of an experiment for...

971 ( Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tank ) One year ago today I moved my song a day blog here from MySpace; for my first pick on Blogger I chose a track from Emerson, Lake and Palmer. So, to mark the occasion I am adding this rather ponderous piece of Progressive Rock from the same band for my pick today. From what I understand it was written as a vehicle to showcase drummer Carl Palmer. Here is a studio recording on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Karn Evil 9 My song pick two years ago today: Kenny Rogers & the First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) +

970 ( Tears For Fears - Break It Down Again ) More than a few years ago I ran into this track on an AMV (Anime' music video) and immediately liked it. A new song usually has to grow on me after a couple of listens before I really like it; though I really like Tears For Fears' music, so it was not like it was a completely new experience. There is a lot I like about this song, but I especially love the tone and timbre of the bass guitar in this song. Here is a studio recording on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Dream Theater - 6:00 My song pick two years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man +

969 ( Genesis - Home By The Sea ) Heard this one yesterday and it seemed like and excellent choice for today. I love way this one was arranged; the way they layered the different sounds is quite nice. Here is a studio recording on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Alannah Myles - Black Velvet My song pick two years ago today: Alice Cooper - Poison +

968 ( Rammstein - Waidmanns Heil ) Rockin' out to some Rammstein this morning; their music really gets the blood moving. This is one of their more uptempo rousing tracks off of their new album. The song is about a hunter stalking a quarry; if you don't look too much into the lyrics the quarry is just a deer. All I can say that this band has a very clever lyricist. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - Rock Island My song pick two years ago today: Cheap Trick - Mighty Wings +

967 ( Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lookin Out My Back Door ) Today feels like a Creedence day; this is one that I was sure that I have already chosen, but I guess not. Now that I am almost 1000 songs deep into this adventure it is getting more difficult to remember what you have and have not chosen; good thing I keep a "cheat sheet." Anyway, I have heard this song for most of my life and like most Creedence songs is pretty much listenable to mixed crowds of people. One of that I like about John Fogerty's recent live performances is that he seems to be one of the only classic rockers whose voice has not aged terribly and sounds essentially the same as he did on albums 40 years ago. This song has been called a drug song by many because of the weird acid trip like imagery and the reference to a "flying spoon." However, a while ago I was looking at a biography of author Dr. Seuss I found out that that " Lookin' Out My Backdoor " was actually ...

966 ( Looking Glass - Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) ) Yet another overdue pick that I am finally getting around to. This is one of my Dad's favourites; he played it a lot whilst I was growing up. The story within the song is one of its best attributes. It's about a forlorn girl living in a port town faithfully waiting for her lover who is a sailor even though she is constantly propositioned by others. However, in a twist of romanticism her lover has another love, which is the sea itself. This song has been rumoured to be loosely based on the story of Mary Ellis , who had a similar life story and lived New Jersey; (where the band Looking Glass was from). From what I understand this song actually caused the band some amount of trouble when it gained them mainstream success. The majority of the band's music was heavier, which was their normal sound; their new fans were expecting more of a mainstream sound similar to this track. Even though this song has been covered ma...

965 ( David Bowie - The Supermen ) Been meaning to choose this one for a while now; after having it run through my mind this morning I decided it was time to pick it. Like most of his other work, the music and arrangements are simply incredible; I love the choice of chord progression. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is an acoustic studio recording on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Rolling Stones - 2000 Light Years From Home My song pick two years ago today: Garbage - Push It +

964 ( Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin) - Piece Of My Heart ) Over the weekend our band which I play bass guitar in had a show; this was one of the covers along with a some original material that we played. The show and this song in particular turned out quite nice, so I figured that it would make a good song pick to close out the weekend. The song gained the most popularity from the Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company version, however the song was originally recorded by Aretha Franklin's elder sister Erma Franklin, which can be found here on YouTube . It has been covered quite a bit since. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Watch a live performance of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Nightwish - The Kinslayer My song pick two years ago today: Boz Scaggs - Lido Shuffle +

963 ( Bon Jovi - Bounce ) For some reason this track fits my mood today, so I am adding it to my list. While not even close to my favourite song by the band, even on this album for that matter, I do like it. The musicianship from the band is excellent as always. Here is a music video with the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes My song pick two years ago today: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Tears of a Clown +

962 ( Queen - The Show Must Go On ) This one popped on my playlist last night and I knew which song I was choosing this morning. This is easily one of my top ten Queen tracks of all time; there is so much I like about this one. There is so much power within this track, this is mostly due to it being closely connected subject matter wise with Freddy Mercury's imminent death and his image and music living on. Here is a music video with the studio version on YouTube. Here is the performance from the Freddy Mercury Tribute Concert on YouTube. Here is a Queen + Paul Rogers live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55 My song pick two years ago today: Blind Mellon - No Rain +

961 ( Sheena Easton - For Your Eyes Only ) This track has been running through my mind most of the morning; I've always liked this song quite a bit. Oddly enough I was acquainted with the song before I ever watched the James Bond movie it was attached to; in my opinion it really stands on its own without the film it is connected to. My dad loved this song when it first came out and recorded it off the radio on to cassette tape. I've heard it quite a bit back then and over the years since, it seemed to get a lot of radio play back then. I first made the connection with the Bond Film only after we got our first VHS player my dad rented the movie. From what I understand the group Blondie wrote and recorded a song that was supposed to be the theme to the film, however for some reason it was not used. Here is a fan video with a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: John Denver - Season Suite: Spring ...

960 ( John Denver - Spirit ) This is song is one of my favourites from John Denver's catalogue; a very uplifting and energetic track. This one comes off of his album " Windsong ," which also happens to be one of my favourite of his albums. To describe the sound, I would say it is a bit of a mix between Rock and Bluegrass with John's vocals cutting right through the middle. The lyrics are woven in mythology and symbolism, which makes for a nice narrative. Here is a fan video with a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Everyday People   My song pick two years ago today: David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust +

959 ( Steeleye Span - Sails of Silver ) I had a few songs in mind from my pick today, however, a bunch of different Steeleye Span tracks started running through my mind. For some reason their music does in fact feel excellent for today. This was the title track off of their 1980 album, which has a different sound than their earlier work; it has more of a mainstream Rock sound with less reliance on traditional Folk songs. From what I understand the band was under contract to make this album and was kind of a "comeback" after a short hiatus. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella My song pick two years ago today: Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom +

958 ( King Crimson - Thela Hun Ginjeet ) Another great act that has not graced my list yet; and this is one of the grand daddies of Progressive Rock. I could probably be over 50,000 songs into this list and there will be some act not represented on my list. Anyway, this is quite a fun funky track with awesome bass from Tony Levin. "Thela Hun Ginjeet" is actually an anagram for "Heat in the Jungle." Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jaco Pastorius - Slang   My song pick two year ago today: Falco - Der Kommissar +

957 ( ? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears ) Off and on over the last few days this song has been running through my mind so I'm adding it. Far and gone the main draw for me to this song is the counter line played on the organ, although the rhythm section is quite nice as well. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is a music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Pink Floyd - Goodbye Blue Sky My song pick two years ago today: The Bee Gees - New York Mining Disaster 1941 +

956 ( Wolfsheim - Über's Jahr ) For some reason this rather beautiful piece fit my mood quite nicely. This one is a ballad with a definite classical feel to it. The acoustic guitar work and the vocals are balance and complement each other excellently. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Alice in Chains - Man In The Box   My song pick two years ago today: INXS - Disappear +

955 ( Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra - Things to Come ) The other day one of my friends surprised me with a bag full old sheet music, magazines, and some CDs. Apparently a local Jazz pianist of some renown had passed away and his family was getting rid of some of his possessions. From what I understand the guy was beyond amazing and one of those musicians who was always striving for something new/better; he constantly bought sheet music and instructional manuals, which piled up over the years. My friend, being an acquaintance of the deceased, was invited to go thought his stuff and take what he wanted; the rest was to be thrown away. After getting what he wanted he started getting stuff for other musicians he knew; I was one he thought of knowing how much of a fiend I am for Jazz, especially Bop Jazz. Anyway, one of the pieces that I ended up with was the complete orchestral sheet music for Dizzy Gillespie's " Things to Come " printed in 1946. It kind of gives you...

954 ( Led Zeppelin - Fool In The Rain ) I had another song in mind this morning for my pick, but I remembered that it was April Fools' Day. So I decided on choosing another song for this occasion with an appropriate title. This was the first one to come to mind; I figured that I couldn't go wrong with some 'Zeppelin. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Styx - Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) My song pick two years ago today: The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again +