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

From: Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls ; Year: 1969; Genre: Hard Rock/Psychedelic Rock I guess since today is Halloween I should probably get with the program and pick something appropriate. Coven is one of the earliest bands to embrace the dark, "satanic" lyrics and imagery that would define much of the hard rock/metal genres ever since; still it is rather interesting to think that their most noted and biggest hit song was One Tin Soldier , which was quite different from their style. Anyway, Black Sabbath is the first track from their debut album and actually was released a year prior to the debut album and song of the same title by the band Black Sabbath . As always, for me, Jinx Dawson's powerful vocals are the main draw, but the music is also quite good to boot.   Hear Black Sabbath on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Muse - You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween   My song pick 2 years ago today: Black Sabbath - When Death Calls ...

From: Club Ninja ; Year: 1985; Genre: Hard Rock This is such an excellent track to open this album with; grabs your ears from the earliest notes and especially after Eric Bloom begins singing.    Hear White Flags on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Billie Holiday - If The Moon Turns Green   My song pick 2 years ago today: Rolling Stones - Laugh, I Nearly Died   My song pick 3 years ago today: Joe Tex - Ain't Gonna Bump No More   My song pick 4 years ago today: Ugly Kid Joe - Under the Bottom   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Moontrekkers - Return of the Vampire (The Bogey Man) My song pick 6 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Confusion My song pick 7 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Lap of Luxury My song pick 8 years ago today: Victor Wooten - You Can't Hold No Groove If Ya Ain't Got No Pocket My song pick 9 year ago today: The Spooks - The Spook Walks My song pick 10 years ago today: Midnight Oil - D...

From: The Cry of Love ; Year: 1971; Genre: Hard Rock/Metal Had Hendrix on the 'ol brain once again.... This is a rather hard rocker from his posthumous record The Cry of Love ; a great track indeed. I deeply wish that he could've lived longer... God only knows where music would be today if that was the case.   Hear In From the Storm on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On   My song pick 2 years ago today: Dazz Band - Magnetized   My song pick 3 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Another Rainy Night (Without You)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Every Home is Wired   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Cranberries - Dreams My song pick 6 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Queen of the Reich My song pick 7 years ago today: The Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination My song pick 8 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Endless Enigma (Part 1)/Fugue/The Endless En...

From: X In Search of Space ; Year: 1971; Genre: Space Rock/Hard Rock/Psychedelic Rock This one is a great early metal hard rocker with all of the unusualness and science fiction inspired psychedelia to basically please most who are into those "stoner" rock/metal genres.   Hear Master of the Universe on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me (Why Do You Wanna Hurt Me)   My song pick 2 years ago today: Steve Vai - Tender Surrender   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Kinks - You Really Got Me My song pick 4 years ago today: Faith No More - Cone of Shame   My song pick 5 years ago today: April Wine - One More Time My song pick 6 years ago today: Riggs - Heartbeat My song pick 7 years ago today: Dazz Band - To the Roof My song pick 8 years ago today: Jan & Dean - The Little Old Lady from Pasadena My song pick 9 years ago today: Buddy Holley and the Crickets - Maybe Baby My song pick 10 yea...

From: Antipop ; Year: 1999; Genre: Funk Metal/Funk Rock Going with the hard and funky track from Primus for this Funky Friday pick. This one has definitely a different sound to their normal fare; probably due to the inclusion of Tom Morello in the writing of the track and him playing the lead guitar on it as well.    Hear Mama Didn't Raise No Fool on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Rush - Spindrift   My song pick 2 years ago today: Rush - Secret Touch   My song pick 3 years ago today: Megadeth - Never Walk Alone... A Call To Arms   My song pick 4 years ago today: Triumph - Follow Your Heart   My song pick 5 years ago today: Harlequin - Survive My song pick 6 years ago today: Mr. Bungle - My Ass Is On Fire My song pick 7 years ago today: Mike + The Mechanics - All I Need is a Miracle My song pick 8 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Ramble On My song pick 9 years ago today: Cream - I Feel Free My song pick 10 year ago t...

From: Can I Have My Money Back? ; Year: 1971; Genre: Folk Rock Whilst not exactly the sound that might come to mind when you think of Gerry Rafferty's more popular music, it is definitely fun to hear especially if you are a fan of his. This record was his first solo effort recorded at about the same time the band he was in, The Humblebums , ended and just prior to Stealers Wheel began. His second, and much more successful solo record, City to City would release some seven years later after Stealers Wheel dissolved.   Hear Can I Have My Money Back? on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Billy Joel - Vienna   My song pick 2 years ago today: Quasar - Logic?   My song pick 3 years ago today: Lenny Kravitz - Circus   My song pick 4 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Starlight   My song pick 5 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Ooby Dooby My song pick 6 years ago today: Fats Domino - I'm Walkin' My so...

From: Kings of Sleep ; Year: 1989; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Rock I have always personally found Stu Hamm as among the most listenable virtuoso experimental bass players out there; he seems to effortlessly incorporate all of the fun runs filled with velocity and weirdness in a very digestible song structure that even musical people of the casual persuasion will most likely enjoy it.    Hear I Want to Know on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Diesel - Leader Of The Pac-Man   My song pick 2 years ago today: Al Stewart - Flying Sorcery   My song pick 3 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Down   My song pick 4 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Fire & Ice   My song pick 5 years ago today: Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Weed Whacker My song pick 6 years ago today: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band- The Fire Down Below My song pick 7 years ago today: Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) My song pick 8 years ago to...

From: Open Road ; Year: 1970; Genre: Blues Rock/Psychedelic Rock Kinda hard to believe that it has been about 15 years since I chose my last track from Donovan apparently; that was a long while ago....  Anyway, this song, obviously, takes inspiration from Rudyard Kipling 's short story about the mongoose named Rikki Tikki Tavi from his epic collection of stories: The Jungle Book . In his blues rock piece inspired by the titular character, he uses Rikki symbolically to call individuals to action instead of waiting/expecting someone else to "slay the cobra" so to speak.   Hear Riki Tiki Tavi on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - Man of God   My song pick 2 years ago today: Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser   My song pick 3 years ago today: Wishbone Ash - No Easy Road   My song pick 4 years ago today: Redbone - Wovoka   My song pick 5 years ago today: Ultravox - Frozen Ones My song pick 6 years ago today: Savatage - Stay...

From: Poems, Prayers & Promises ; Year: 1971; Genre: Folk Rock I have been returning to this profound record a lot as of late; just need the non-jaded outlook toward wot is great about the world and that it's still worth saving from the late-great John Denver. Poems, Prayers & Promises is probably if not the most, right up there with his albums where his outlook had not been yet sullied and his spirit not yet battered by the same world he so wished to save. I decided to go with a double pick today with the two tracks that close it out; the first being a cover of one of James Taylor 's signature songs: Fire and Rain , and the second being a poem originally written and performed by Kendrew Lascelles . The one-two punch of both of these tracks are absolute perfection for closing out the record.   Hear Fire and Rain on YouTube. Hear The Box on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Testify   My song pick 2 ...

From: Chicago ; Year: 1970; Genre: Progressive Rock A real pretty piece here; exquisitely written, arranged and performed; I especially love Terry Cath's lead vocals on it. Colour My World is part of the song cycle/suit known as Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon written by band member James Pankow and appears as the fifth of seven songs within.   Hear Colour My World on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Devo - Shout   My song pick 2 years ago today: Ebony Rhythm Band - Get Yourself Together (Smiling Phases/Sunshine of Your Love Medley)   My song pick 3 years ago today: Genesis - Harold the Barrel   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Kinks - Apeman   My song pick 5 years ago today: David Bowie - China Girl My song pick 6 years ago today: The Beatles - A Day in the Life My song pick 7 years ago today: Paris - Blue Robin My song pick 8 years ago today: Dick Dale - Third Stone From the Sun My song pick 9 years ago today: Blue Öy...

From: The Young Rascals ; Year: 1966; Genre: Rock/R&B Been another busy last few days, but am not intending on missing a day. Anyway, heard this rather hooky and fun track the other day; it has been in my mind off and on ever since, so I'm choosing it.    Hear Good Lovin' on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Parliament - The Goose   My song pick 2 years ago today: Rage Against the Machine - Tire Me   My song pick 3 years ago today: Django Reinhardt - Echoes of Spain   My song pick 4 years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Chemical World   My song pick 5 years ago today: Don Henley - Heart of the Matter My song pick 6 years ago today: Bruce Hornsby and the Range - On The Western Sky My song pick 7 years ago today: Parliament - Children of Production My song pick 8 years ago today: Huey Lewis and the News - Power of Love My song pick 9 years ago today: Black Sabbath - Paranoid My song pick 10 years ago today: Th...

From: Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! ; Year: 1977; Genre: Funk/Psychedelic Soul This is such a cool love ballad of a sort with that slow and soulful funky rhythm; only one such as Bootsy and company could do such an awesome feat. Almost ten minutes of excellent music from the master himself; pure heaven to the ears.   Hear Munchies for Your Soul on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Just Look At Me Now   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Kinks - Money Talks   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Humboldt Currant   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bob Dylan - All Along the Watchtower   My song pick 5 years ago today: The O'Jays - Time To Get Down My song pick 6 years ago today: Dazz Band - Let it Whip My song pick 7 years ago today: Benny Carter - Things Ain't What They Used To Be My song pick 8 years ago today: The Kinks - Destroyer My song pick 9 years ago today: Band of Horse...

From: Ride To Infinity (single) ; Year: 1979; Genre: Electronica/Progressive Rock I'm not exactly sure why I have some sort of predilection to discover bands that I really like only to find out that they only released a scant few records and existed for quite a finite time: Cybotron exemplifies this. From what I understand, Ride To Infinity was their final single, released in 1980 and, from wot I can discern, never appeared on a studio album. Like much of their material it is definitely a great track to put on whilst working or on the road, although, that being said, this one in particular does not happily sit in the background as "wallpaper music;" it demands attention a lot of the time.   Hear Ride To Infinity on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Edgar Winter Group - Animal   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Eagles - The Disco Strangler   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ian Anderson - Meliora Sequamur   My song pick 4 years ago ...

From: Systems of Romance ; Year: 1978; Genre: New Wave Listening to some earlier material from Ultravox today; it is very interesting to hear the band at this point, especially without Midge Ure's vocals that I am quite a bit more used to. Not to taking anything away from John Foxx's work, it's just different; there is more of a raw energy about this track and record as well that I like.   Hear Someone Else's Clothes on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)   My song pick 2 years ago today: Asia - True Colors   My song pick 3 years ago today: Elton John - Ego My song pick 4 years ago today: George Duke - Funny Funk   My song pick 5 years ago today: Steeleye Span - We Shall Wear Midnight My song pick 6 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away My song pick 7 years ago today: Queen - Another One Bites the Dust My song pick 8 years ago today: U.K. - In the Dead of...

From: Selling England by the Pound ; Year: 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock/Hard Rock/Jazz Fusion You can tell just by listening that the band at this point in their career were really growing musically by pushing themselves beyond their musical limits in both composition and writing. Selling England by the Pound and the previous two albums for me are at the top of one of the many pinnacles of Genesis records of that era. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight has a lot of hallmarks of being the product of being written by a committee, which in this case was the entire band getting together to join their ideas to create a great song.   Hear Dancing with the Moonlit Knight on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Abaddon's Bolero   My song pick 2 years ago today: Chicago - Make Me Smile   My song pick 3 years ago today: April Wine - Comin' Right Down on Top of Me   My song pick 4 years ago today: Midnight Oil - Now or Neve...

From: Who's Next ; Year: 1971; Genre: Hard Rock Was enjoying the Who's Next record yet again and was getting ready to choose a song from it for today's pick, but was flabbergasted to discover that I had not chosen their classic Baba O'Riley yet. I must've just assumed that I had already picked it, but never noticed that I had not. Anyway, what's been said about this monstrously famous song that has not already been said? Well... I guess many miss title it as "Teenage Wasteland" and that it was originally part of Pete Townshend's rock opera Lifehouse that did not initially happen. For me there's a lot I like about it across the board, but at the top has to be the entertaining and totally fun drum work by the late-great Keith Moon; in my head I can picture him furiously pounding away with a grin on his face.   Hear Baba O'Riley on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Isley Brothers - Shout (Parts I + II)   My song pick 2 yea...

From: The Best of Dolly Parton ; Year: 1970; Genre: Country/Folk/Blues Speaking of artists that I grew up hearing a great deal, Dolly Parton would have to be at the top of that list; my mom was and is a huge fan of her and her music. Even back then I marveled at her vocal prowess, especially on this track. It is a famed bluesy country standard originally written and recorded by Jimmy Rodgers back in the early 1930s and apparently had lyrics added by George Vaughn Horton decades later when Bill Monroe re-recorded his version. It has been covered and made a hit a multitude of times, but Dolly Parton's rendition is by far the one that comes to mind when I think of it and I do believe that her's is most likely the biggest hit among them.   Hear Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8) on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Zombies - Time Of The Season   My song pick 2 years ago today: Sweat Band - Freak to Freak   My song pick 3 years ago today: V...

From: Dowdy Ferry Road ; Year: 1977; Genre: Soft Rock Here is yet another track I have not heard in ages, most likely prior to me being a teenager, yeah, that long ago.... Anyway, whilst never a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the duo, I grew up hearing their their music a great deal, so I have a lot of memories tied to their songs. However, it seemed as if they faded a bit by the '90s, at least on the radio as I recall. Like this song and many others they recorded back in the '70s soft rock time, I suppose many in more recent times might refer to them as "Yacht Rock ."   Hear It's Sad To Belong on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Primus - Follow The Fool   My song pick 2 years ago today: Gloryhammer - Quest for the Hammer of Glory   My song pick 3 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Nightmare Epiphany   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rod Stewart - (I Know) I'm Losing You   My song pick 5 years ago today: Lawrence Gowan - Moonlight Desire...

From: Movements ; Year: 2005; Genre: Funk/Soul/Blues Cannot find a lot out about The Soul Shakers, but I really like this track that is a funky 12-bar blues; a great song to bring the work week to a close with.    Hear You Ain't My Brother on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Contours - Do You Love Me   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Who - Substitute   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Guess Who - Of a Dropping Pin   My song pick 4 years ago today: Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show - Carry Me, Carrie   My song pick 5 years ago today: Hawkwind - Mutation Zone My song pick 6 years ago today: Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke My song pick 7 years ago today: Alestorm - Walk the Plank My song pick 8 years ago today: Sky - Sahara My song pick 9 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Trouble No More My song pick 10 years ago today: Simon & Garfunkle - Mrs. Robinson My song pick 11 years ago today: Rare Earth - ...