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

From: City Lights ; Year: 1978; Genre: Soul/Funk/Jazz I noted that I had only chosen one song from Dr. John, and that was some time ago, so let's pick another! Dr. John is another one of those musicians that I find comforting for some reason; don't really understand why exactly, but I just like it a lot.   Hear Snake Eyes on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Harry Nilsson - Jump Into the Fire   My song pick 2 years ago today: Bob Dylan - It Ain't Me Babe   My song pick 3 years ago today: Of Monsters and Men - Alligator   My song pick 4 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Beat 'Em Up My song pick 5 years ago today: ZZ Top - Cheap Sunglasses My song pick 6 years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - Time Is On Your Side My song pick 7 years ago today: Exile - Please Be There My song pick 8 years ago today: Hank Williams - Hey Good Lookin' My song pick 9 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Speak My song pick 10 years ago today: The Be...

From: Hydra ; Year: 1979; Genre: Rock/Soft Rock Happened to catch some of Toto's music in passing last night and thought I should choose another from the band. 99 is probably one that most would not know by title, but as soon as the song starts anyone who grew up in the 80s or listens to 80s music should recognize it. Apparently David Paich wrote the song as a tribute to George Lucas' classic film THX1138 , which inspired him.   Hear 99 on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Lou Reed - Men of Good Fortune   My song pick 2 years ago today: Victor Wooten - Joe's Journey   My song pick 3 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Fighting for Strangers   My song pick 4 years ago today: Dire Straits - Romeo & Juliet My song pick 5 years ago today: James Brown - I Got You (I Feel Good) My song pick 6 years ago today: King Crimson - Dinosaur My song pick 7 years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Both Sides My song pick 8 years ago today: Egg - I Will ...

From: Madman Across the Water ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock Been binging on a slew of Elton John songs recently, especially from Madman Across the Water , which had also been coming on a lot whilst driving, so it seems as if my own personal universe is trying to tell me something.... Anyway, I had not heard this song in particular for quite a great while until just recently; upon hearing it once more I immediately remembered how much I liked Razor Face , so it's my obvious pick for today.   Hear Razor Face on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Duprees - You Belong to Me   My song pick 2 years ago today: Styx - Earl of Roseland   My song pick 3 years ago today: Klaatu - A Routine Day   My song pick 4 years ago today: Motörhead - Iron Fist My song pick 5 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Stand Back My song pick 6 years ago today: Mastodon - High Road My song pick 7 years ago today: A-Ha - Love is Reason My song ...

From: Into The Woods ; Year: 2017; Genre: Space Rock/Hard Rock Their song Spaceship Blues has some sounds that hearkens back to 1960s hard rock, (somewhat in the style of The Kinks in particular once it gets going). There is also spots that are, of course, in their normal psychedelic space rock style as well as some country and blues elements; all-in-all it's quite a unique and eclectic song, but what else would you expect from a band such as Hawkwind?   Hear Spaceship Blues on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jamiroquai - Space Cowboy   My song pick 2 years ago today: Hall & Oates - You Make My Dreams (Come True)   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Something's on the Move   My song pick 4 years ago today: Queen - Don't Try So Hard My song pick 5 years ago today: Sky - Hotta My song pick 6 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Farm on the Freeway My song pick 7 years ago today: Quasar - The Loreli My song pick 8 years a...

From: New and Improved ; Year: 1974; Genre: R&B/Soul The Spinners never fail to put me in a great mood with their positive and heartfelt music that is purely a joy to listen to. This is a very wistfully sentimental song with so much soul and heart; perfect to pick you up and keep you going even in the bad times.   Hear Sadie on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders - Middle Child   My song pick 2 years ago today: Traffic - Feelin' Alright?   My song pick 3 years ago today: Bad Company - Ready for Love   My song pick 4 years ago today: Tesla - Not Fragile My song pick 5 years ago today: Jigsaw - Ready to Ride My song pick 6 years ago today: Billy Joel - Big Man on Mulberry Street My song pick 7 years ago today: INXS - Suicide Blonde My song pick 8 years ago today: Pleasure - Bouncy Lady My song pick 9 years ago today: Pearl Jam - Once My song pick 10 years ago today: Rush - Lock and Key ...

From: Four Wheel Drive ; Year: 1975; Genre: Hard Rock For me, the Four Wheel Drive album is always the one that seems to not get as much attention from the band's most famous "superstar" era; I honestly don't know why except possibly the sheer volume of excellent music they were putting out at that point. That being said, this is yet another shining example of "album oriented rock" that just works playing it straight through and thus you wont notice the weak material as much. She's a Devil is another one of their tracks that uses the more mellow and melodic verses and then launches into the much harder driving riff-based choruses; and of course C.F. Turner's vocals are as good as ever.   Hear She's a Devil on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Lively Ones - Crying Guitar (Surfer's Lament)   My song pick 2 years ago today: George Clinton - One Fun At a Time   My song pick 3 years ago today: Band of Horses - Window Blues   My...

From: Pickin' the Cabbage/Paradiddle ; Year: 1940; Genre: Big Band Jazz Thought I would get a two-for-one pick in today so to speak; Pickin' the Cabbage is one of Dizzy Gillespie's compositions, which was recorded at the time when Diz' was part of Cab Calloway's Orchestra, so getting to listen to two legendary jazz heavyweights in one song: what a treat! Sadly, Diz' did not last long after some defugalties, which came to a head during an altercation that resulted in him getting dismissed by Cab Calloway. I guess it ended up being for the best; Cab Calloway continued making great songs and many appearances throughout popular culture and Dizzy Gillespie went on to become the legend he is through countless recordings and was key in the creation of the Bebop Jazz style; it's just fun to hear him with that great orchestra. As you would probably guess, Pickin' the Cabbage is quite an avant-garde sounding piece of big band/swing jazz with a definite flavour o...

From: Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs ; Year: 1977; Genre: Funk/Soul/Psychedelic Rock/Hard Rock Man, there is a lot of blending of some genres for this monster instrumental from the legendary guitar virtuoso Eddie Hazel on this just-over-two-minute instrumental. Originally this track, as well as three others, was released on what is a rare EP titled Jams From the Heart , but was also included in a special expanded edition of Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs back in 2004.   Hear Unkut Funk on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Harlequin - Rise   My song pick 2 years ago today: Toronto - Lookin' for Trouble   My song pick 3 years ago today: Judas Priest - Evening Star   My song pick 4 years ago today: John Denver - Sunshine On My Shoulders My song pick 5 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Madness to the Method My song pick 6 years ago today: Jerry Reed - Rooster Jones My song pick 7 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Journey From E...

From: Communiqué ; Year: 1979; Genre: Rock The main draw for me with this song, as with most of the music from the band, is that exquisite guitar playing throughout.   Hear Once Upon a Time in the West on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Dave Edmunds - Queen of Hearts   My song pick 2 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Sinful Love   My song pick 3 years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - Spirit of a New World   My song pick 4 years ago today: Primus - Space Farm My song pick 5 years ago today: Geraldine Hunt - Can't Fake the Feeling My song pick 6 years ago today: .38 Special - Rockin' Into the Night My song pick 7 years ago today: The Miracles - You Really Got a Hold on Me My song pick 8 years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Think About Me My song pick 9 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Jerusalem My song pick 10 years ago today: Marillion - Kayleigh My song pick 11 years ago today: Johann Sebastian Bach - BWV 106...

From: Tell Him ; Year: 1962; Genre: Soul/Pop Another song just happened to pop into my mind once again that I had not heard in a very long while; this monster early 1960s hit made famous by The Exciters. Whilst not originating with the group, they definitely made quite a mark with it; Tell Him features many sounds and musical ideas that would become mainstays of the Soul, R&B, and other associated genres throughout the '60s, '70s, and on. It's very much without a doubt a song for the ages.   Hear Tell Him on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - I Promise To Remember   My song pick 2 years ago today: Santana - Song of the Wind   My song pick 3 years ago today: Elton John - Jamaica Jerk-Off   My song pick 4 years ago today: Jimmy Castor - Amazon My song pick 5 years ago today: April Wine - Enough is Enough My song pick 6 years ago today: Faith No More - Falling to Pieces My song pick 7 years ago ...

From: Fly By Night ; Year: 1975; Genre: Progressive Rock Guess I'll be choosing the last track from this nice record, since, of course, I have already picked all of the others from it. Rivendell is the least raucous song on the album and is the only one to not have bass or drums present and instead is acoustic 12 and 6 string guitars and Geddy Lee's vocals in wot is essentially a ballad that is about the elvish enclave in J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpieces The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels; how awesomely nerdy is that?   Hear Rivendell on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Carmen - Fandangos in Space   My song pick 2 years ago today: Harlequin - You Are The Light   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Magick Valley   My song pick 4 years ago today: Elton John - Crocodile Rock My song pick 5 years ago today: Mr. Bungle - Quote Unquote (Travolta) My song pick 6 years ago today: Jane's Addiction - Stop! My song pick...

From: Voyage ; Year: 2021; Genre: Rock/Pop Have been off an on listening to ABBA's last release and felt like choosing another song off the record on this Monday, which is also the first day of spring. This track oozes with some wistful sentimentality that really touches not only with the members of the band, but to the fans as well who have been along for the ride all of these decades.   Hear I Still Have Faith In You on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - Mine Is the Mountain   My song pick 2 years ago today: Hawkwind - Ascent   My song pick 3 years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - (You're A) Foxy Lady   My song pick 4 years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Heroes Are Hard To Find My song pick 5 years ago today: Peter Gabriel - Come Talk to Me My song pick 6 years ago today: Chuck Berry - Maybellene My song pick 7 years ago today: Maddy Prior - Rollercoaster My song pick 8 years ago today: Bootsy's Ru...

From: Strangeitude ; Year: 1991; Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Space Rock Probably the aspect of Ozric Tentacles' sound that I like the most is the huge dynamic wall of sound they make. The production and mixing is so good that you can hear the low notes and beats thump away whilst everything throughout the aural spectrum comes through in crystal clarity. By no means is this "wallpaper music" either, it truly demands attention.   Hear Weirditude on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Mott the Hoople - (Do You Remember) The Saturday Gigs   My song pick 2 years ago today: Luther - Everybody Rejoice   My song pick 3 years ago today: Wishbone Ash - Vas Dis   My song pick 4 years ago today: Journey - Spaceman My song pick 5 years ago today: Van Halen - And the Cradle Will Rock... My song pick 6 years ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) - Tears My song pick 7 years ago today: Dave Edmunds - Slipp...

From: Five-a-Side ; Year: 1974; Genre: Rock/Pop Since hearing this band yesterday I've had them on my mind and thought I would choose one of their songs for today's pick. Best known for the hit song How Long , they aren't really remembered otherwise than a "one hit wonder." However, this was essentially their only other track to chart, but unlike their main hit, it wasn't nearly as big or as memorable; that being said, it's still a good track to just listen to.   Hear Rock & Roll Runaway on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Imagination - Just an Illusion   My song pick 2 years ago today: Alestorm - Fannybaws   My song pick 3 years ago today: Marillion - Seasons End   My song pick 4 years ago today: Dick Dale - Esperanza My song pick 5 years ago today: Kansas - Questions of my Childhood My song pick 6 years ago today: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - Quartet My song pick 7 years ago today: Mahavishnu Orchestra - Radio-Activity ...

From: Black 47 ; Year: 1991; Genre: Celtic Rock/Alternative Rock/Funk Rock Happy St. Patrick's Day once again! You know wot that means... yep more Celtic-inspired rock and related music. Picking another one from one of my favourite bands of that ilk: Black 47; this one comes off their self-titled debut album and from towards the end of the record. It has more of their noted Celtic rock sound with the horns in the choruses whilst the verses are more of a rap/funk style in the vocal delivery with a syncopated beat and sparse instruments.   Hear Land of DeValera on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Frank Mackey & The Keltic Cowboys - Rocky Road to Dublin   My song pick 2 years ago today: Black 47 - Bodhráns On The Brain   My song pick 3 years ago today: Waylander - The Vernal Dance   My song pick 4 years ago today: Thin Lizzy - Dublin My song pick 5 years ago today: Black 47 - Paddy's Got a Brand New Reel My song pick 6 years ago tod...

From: Primitive Man ; Year: 1982; Genre: Synth-Pop/Rock Had the Australian band Icehouse on my mind today; haven't chosen a song from them in a long while. Primitive Man is most likely my favourite record from the band unless my mood goes somewhere unique; there's such a great sound across the board here. Trojan Blue is one that fits quite well with the overall sound of the album with it being is a similar vein to its vibe.   Hear Trojan Blue on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Miles Davis - Paraphernalia   My song pick 2 years ago today: Utopia - Set Me Free   My song pick 3 years ago today: Nick Gilder - Rated X   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rush - Second Nature My song pick 5 years ago today: Diana Ross & The Supremes - Someday We'll be Together My song pick 6 years ago today: Megadeth - Dread and the Fugitive Mind My song pick 7 years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets My song pick 8 years ago today: ...

From: Time ; Year: 1981; Genre: Progressive Rock Almost out of songs left to pick from ELO's album Time , which is also my personal favourite record from Jeff Lynne and company. Of course I am biased to say this, but in my opinion there's no real weak song on it, sure, some are better than others, but nothing in need of skipping whilst listening to the record. Anyway, this one is somewhere in the middle of the story contained in the time-travel concept album, and still works on its own by itself when listening to it alone.   Hear The Lights Go Down on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Lawrence Gowan - The Dragon   My song pick 2 years ago today: Alice Cooper - I'm Eighteen   My song pick 3 years ago today: U.K. - Rendezvous 6:02   My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop) My song pick 5 years ago today: The Enid - And Then There Were None My song pick 6 years ago today: Ted Nugent -...

From: Little Bit O' Soul ; Year: 1967; Genre: Rock/Pop/Garage Rock I had this song just pop into my mind for no apparent reason; I have definitely heard it many times over the years, but honestly I had no idea which band recorded it. Evidentially, their version was a cover, which was previously done by a band call the Little Darlings and has been covered many times after. The Music Explosion, which is a band out of Mansfield, Ohio, had some prior and subsequent success, but nothing close to the scale of Little Bit O' Soul .   Hear Little Bit O' Soul on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Alice Cooper - Hello Hooray   My song pick 2 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Road   My song pick 3 years ago today: Genesis - The Serpent   My song pick 4 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Knife-Edge My song pick 5 years ago today: UB40 - Rat in mi Kitchen My song pick 6 years ago today: Dust - Learning to Die My song pick 7 ye...

From: The Great Southern Trendkill ; Year: 1996; Genre: Thrash Metal/Groove Metal Noticed that it was the 13th day of the month and a Monday to boot, so I thought that I would, (once again), resurrect my underutilized Monday the 13th Pick theme. Pantera is one of a long list of bands that I have not given enough attention to, so, and it just so happens that they have an apt song in their catalogue for the occasion; a perfect match for this Monday the 13th.   Hear 13 Steps To Nowhere on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Till Lindemann - Ich Hasse Kinder   My song pick 2 years ago today: Normaal - Deurdonderen   My song pick 3 years ago today: Bootsy Collins - World Wide Funk   My song pick 4 years ago today: Sam Cooke - Chain Gang My song pick 5 years ago today: King Crimson - Lizard My song pick 6 years ago today: Band of Horses - Lying Under Oak My song pick 7 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Three Fates My song...

From: Evolution ; Year: 1967; Genre: Rock/Pop Even when I was young the bass line in the chorus drew me in to this track; I chalk a lot of it up to Ron Richards who produced it. Most of their songs from this time period seemed to have the bass brought up in the mix or so it would seem, so it wasn't just a "one off." Besides that, for being just a "jangley" pop song, there is a lot of work and musicianship throughout it, especially in the vocals and harmonies.   Hear Carrie Anne on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Europe - Stormwind   My song pick 2 years ago today: Dazz Band - Let It All Blow   My song pick 3 years ago today: Faith No More - Epic   My song pick 4 years ago today: Stevie Wonder - Too Shy To Say My song pick 5 years ago today: The Postal Service - Brand New Colony My song pick 6 years ago today: Wolfmother - Joker & the Thief My song pick 7 years ago today: Peter Gabriel - Digging in the Dirt My song pick 8 yea...