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

From: Whose Garden Was This ; Year: 1970; Genre: Folk For being such an admirer and fan of his work, I have never really paid much attention to this record. I dunno why, maybe it's the dreaded sophomore album curse , with the successor being his massive breakout and its predecessor being quite a strong outing. With the majority of the contents being covers could also be a factor, but I thought I should really delve back into it. This is one of brightest gems in my opinion; I love the sparse accompaniment that beautifully contrasts with the overall sadness and heaviness of his voice and guitar/chord choices in this rather emotional piece concerning the parting of ways, bringing a close relationship to an end.   Hear The Game Is Over on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Uriah Heep - Rainbow Demon     My song pick 2 years ago today: Counting Crows - August And Everything After   My song pick 3 years ago today: 3rd Secret - Last Day of...

From: Get Lucky ; Year: 1981; Genre: Hard Rock Dang, August just blew by this year and now Labor Day weekend starts today, marking the unofficial end of summer. I had this classic '80s track just pop into my mind when thinking about today and thought it was a very appropriate choice.    Hear Working for the Weekend on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - I'm An Animal     My song pick 2 years ago today: Lenny Kravitz - A Long and Sad Goodbye   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Winery Dogs - Moonage Daydream   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bonnie Tyler - Straight From The Heart   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Who - I Can't Explain   My song pick 6 years ago today: Journey - Kohoutek My song pick 7 years ago today: The Chakachas - Yo Soy Cubano My song pick 8 years ago today: George Gershwin - An American in Paris My song pick 9 years ago today: War - Summer My song pick 10...

From: Love Is All Around ; Year: 1976; Genre: Soul/Funk/Psychedelic Rock Kind of funny how this album has been released as War Featuring Eric Burdon and Eric Burdon & War . No matter whom got top billing, the music is top-notch positivity incarnate; it is hard to not be in a great mood when these songs are played within earshot.   Hear Magic Mountain on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Rare Earth - I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night     My song pick 2 years ago today: Diana Ross - Touch Me in the Morning   My song pick 3 years ago today: Nazareth - Love Hurts   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Nice - Hang on to a Dream   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Grass Roots - The River Is Wide   My song pick 6 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Perfect Water My song pick 7 years ago today: Cinderella - Gypsy Road My song pick 8 years ago today: April Wine - Just Between You and Me My song pick 9 ye...

From: The Transformers: The Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) ; Year: 1986; Genre: Rock/Pop Let's be honest here: if it weren't for all of the nostalgia and its use in popular culture that is connected to this track the dated sound that is set in mid 1980s concrete so to speak would probably be a detriment. However, with it so tied up with The Transformer: The Movie and subsequent films, television shows and other media, almost everyone hearing it will even to this day whole-heartedly rock out and own the song. That being said, it's not bad or anything negative, just very much identifiable soundwise with that decade and even without the tie-ins in my personal opinion makes it a great track. Anyway, from wot I understand it was inspired by the film Iron Eagle and was intended on being part of the Stallone movie Cobra , but for some reason apparently did not make the cut. Instead it became one of the most memorable songs on The Transformers soundtrack along with W...

From: Pictures at an Exhibition ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock/classical This one is a fascinating arrangement by Keith Emerson of the piece from the suite composed by maestro Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition . Whilst the original was written as a duet of two woodwinds, in the early portion of the piece Emerson utilized the mammoth Moog Synthesizer in this live recording to make it sound out of this world accompanied by drums. Almost like wot you would hear played on a theremin in an old science fiction b-movie, which was a very neat way of approach. After that the full band kicks in with the bass and drums a rock oriented foundation for Emerson to continue his synth-driven rendition of the piece that then segues into the Blues Variation track.   Hear The Old Castle on YouTube.   Hear Blues Variation on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Friend & Lover - Reach Out Of The Darkness     My song pi...

From: Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? ; Year: 1986; Genre: Thrash Metal The last few weeks I have really done some damage to my body whilst doing work. After all the previous injuries I've been dealing with and awaiting for them to heal, within an hour of each instance I burnt my arm and suffered an electrical burn on my hand... suffice it to say, I've had the feeling like how this song describes the way it is. Anyway, this is, of course, a very unique cover of the original classic blues track, which was originally written by legendary writer and performer Willie Dixon and recorded by the incomparable legend Howlin' Wolf . Apparently Willie Dixon heard Megadeth's rendition of his classic blues standard and approved and thought their thrash metal take on it was great.   Hear I Ain't Superstitious on YouTube.          My song pick 1 year ago today: Red Siren - All Is Forgiven     My song pick 2 years ago today: Rammstein - Sehnsucht   My so...

From: Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die! ; Year: 1976; Genre: Progressive Rock It is surprising when I find songs that I have not chosen yet; this one in particular. Not only is this my favourite from this record, but amongst my top 10 favourites from Jethro Tull, which is one of my top five favourite bands. So, yes, I am taken aback that being almost 18 years into my song-a-day blog that this one hasn't been picked yet. Anyway, musically this song is amongst their best as 'Tull was at one of their musical crests and in my opinion most of their best work came from this period. I can remember learning this song's bass line, playing it note-for-note along with the late-great John Glascock, and he was just one piece of the musical equation. For this one though, the lyrics are just as great of a draw. Whilst some might find the subject matter a bit morbid, that of completion of one's life symbolically as crossing the finish line and reviling in the adulatio...

From: The Boy From New York City/Johnny Boy (Single); Year: 1965; Genre: Doo-Wop/Soul I remember that this one seemed to have a big resurgence back in the early 1980s due to The Manhattan Transfer's cover of the song and it is the one that is still to this day ingrained in my mind. It is surprising how their blend of doo-wop and soul did not make even more super hit songs.   Hear The Boy From New York City on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Buck Owens and His Buckaroos - I've Got a Tiger By the Tail     My song pick 2 years ago today: Billy Joel - Summer, Highland Falls   My song pick 3 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street   My song pick 4 years ago today: Robin Trower - Same Rain Falls   My song pick 5 years ago today: Classics IV - Spooky   My song pick 6 years ago today: Black Sabbath - E5150 My song pick 7 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay My song pick 8 years ago today: ZZ Top - I'm ...

From: Ten ; Year: 1991; Genre: Alternative Rock/Grunge It is kinda odd if you think about it, but albums such as Ten are much harder to find a deep cut than normal records. Looking again at the track listing most of the songs were hits and even more of them got some radio play. I suppose Why Go is about as close as you can get as far as a deep cut on this one....   Hear Why Go on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: James Brown - Brother Rapp (Part I & Part II)     My song pick 2 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Deadline   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rufus and Chaka Khan - Fool's Paradise   My song pick 4 years ago today: Coleman Hawkins - Night Hawk   My song pick 5 years ago today: Jigsaw - My Summer Song   My song pick 6 years ago today: Bootsy's Rubber Band - Rubber Duckie My song pick 7 years ago today: Lee Dorsey - Ya Ya My song pick 8 years ago today: Curved Air - Back Street Luv My song pick 9...

From: Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It ; Year: 1975; Genre: Funk/Soul Just happened to have this great album from The Funky Slapmeister Extraordinaire Mr. Graham and his band of renown on my mind, which works perfectly for this Funky Friday.       Hear Easy Rider on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Modest Petrovitch Mussorgsky - Misunderstood One     My song pick 2 years ago today: Rush - Face Up   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jigsaw - Baby Don't Do It   My song pick 4 years ago today: Clifford Brown and Max Roach - Sandu   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - Between Sun & Moon   My song pick 6 years ago today: Styx - Superstars My song pick 7 years ago today: Kajagoogoo - Too Shy My song pick 8 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Summer and Lightning My song pick 9 years ago today: Cheap Trick - Surrender My song pick 10 years ago today: The Kinks - Autumn Almanac My song p...

From: Goats Head Soup ; Year: 1973; Genre: Hard Rock/Funk Rock/Blues Rock For most the day thus far I have had this great track from The 'Stones playing incessantly in my brain. I, once again, believed that I had already picked it at some point, but I guess I was in error. This is one of those songs from The Rolling Stones that is heavy all the way around and should be a crime not to crank the volume when played. Those horns and the keyboards add so much to the already amazing music of the band.   Hear Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Eric Clapton featuring Tina Turner - Tearing Us Apart   My song pick 2 years ago today: Weezer - Troublemaker   My song pick 3 years ago today: Pallas - A Million Miles Away (Imagination)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Louis Armstrong - Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)   My song pick 5 years ago today: Funkadelic - Good to Your Earhole   My...

From: The Game ; Year: 1980; Genre: Pop/Rock I normally do not choose songs that I really don't care for, but for Queen and Freddy Mercury I make an exception. I am really surprised that this one came from Freddy's pen, but I guess you cannot always hit a home run. The music and vocals are as great as always, but the lyrics is where this one just falls flat. I haven't the foggiest as to wot his intentions were with this one, but out of almost all songs dealing with this subject are trying to commiserate and talk someone out of it, this track in particular would be more likely to make someone follow through with it. As I have said many time, just not on here of course, the lyrics fall into cliche-laced preaching and patronizing; the stuff that would do great on a bumper sticker or one of those crappy self-help posters one would find on a low energy counselor/psychiatrist's office wall. I only hope that he did not write it as a joke or something similar. Anyway, be as it ...

From: Ghost Stories ; Year: 2024; Genre: Hard Rock Committed one of my own "cardinal sins" with this album I suppose. I assumed it was new original material, until when I recently discovered that it is actually remixed/edited tracks from the late 70's/early '80s songs that were left off of their album from that time.  In my defense, with all of the streaming/listening to songs online, I did not have a chance to read up on it other than see the song list. Just recently saw a critic/overblown "tastemaker" write a snarky remark about them reviving these old songs using artificial intelligence that I dug deeper and actually found out about them. Looking back on the other songs from the record that I have already picked I can see where I did, in fact, catch on to the older sound from one of the band's high points that I like a lot. Anyway, enough about that, to me a good song is a good song, especially when the original writers and musicians are involved; and...

From: Smash Hits ; Year: 1968 (1967); Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Hard Rock Felt like something from Jimi Hendrix once more, but by no means the last time.... This spaced out piece of heavy psychedelia was originally the b-side of a U.K. single of the song Burning of the Midnight Lamp , which is one of my top favourite songs from the legend. Whilst the title of the track is an overt reference to two widely used hallucinogens, the overall musicianship and performance make this one far more than it would appear superficially.   Hear The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs - May I     My song pick 2 years ago today: Alley Pat - Pat's Rubber Band   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Doors - Love Street   My song pick 4 years ago today: Benny Carter - Cotton Tail   My song pick 5 years ago today: Mr. Big - Defying Gravity   My song pick 6 years ago tod...

From: Meddle ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock/Psychedelic Rock Meddle would have to be in my top five records from the band Pink Floyd, and this is to most the epic centrepiece that takes up one entire side of the LP. From wot I understand it was an amalgamation of other songs and ideas they threw together and became something entirely cutting edge musically.     Hear Echoes on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Journey - Faithfully     My song pick 2 years ago today: Elton John - The Bitch Is Back   My song pick 3 years ago today: Styx - Common Ground   My song pick 4 years ago today: Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Relaxin' With Lee   My song pick 5 years ago today: Ugly Kid Joe - I'm Alright   My song pick 6 years ago today: Hawkwind - Night of the Hawks My song pick 7 years ago today: Aretha Franklin - Freeway of Love My song pick 8 years ago today: Queen - She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in ...

From: X In Search of Space ; Year: 1971; Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Space Rock/Progressive Rock Some bluesy/folk psychedelic space rock with this pick to help get through the first half of the weekend. Such a perfect track to lose yourself listening to with a good set of headphones on.   Hear You Know You're Only Dreaming on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Marcus Miller - Teen Town     My song pick 2 years ago today: Primus - Jilly's On Smack   My song pick 3 years ago today: Michael Masser - You Don't Ever Have to Be Alone   My song pick 4 years ago today: John Coltrane - Moment's Notice   My song pick 5 years ago today: James & Bobby Purify - I'm Your Puppet   My song pick 6 years ago today: The (Detroit) Spinners - Four Hands In The Fire My song pick 7 years ago today: Pearl Jam - Can't Deny Me My song pick 8 years ago today: Helloween - Hocus Pocus My song pick 9 years ago today: Foreigner - Juke Box Her...

From: Blasters of the Universe ; Year: 1993; Genre: Funk Made it to the end of another workweek safe and sound... well... more or less. Nothing like some P-Funk to lift the mood... this entire album is filled to the brim with Parliament-Funkadelic alumni, so you know it's going to be top-shelf bump music.    Hear Funk Me Dirty on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: B.T. Express - Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Pegasus   My song pick 3 years ago today: Vixen - Cryin'   My song pick 4 years ago today: Weather Report - Surucucú   My song pick 5 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Summer Lady   My song pick 6 years ago today: Bobby Freeman - Do You Want To Dance? My song pick 7 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - If This Room Could Talk My song pick 8 years ago today: Rush - Grand Designs My song pick 9 years ago today: The Trammps - Rubber Band My s...

From: It Ain't Me Babe ; Year: 1965; Genre: Rock Don't know why, but apparently have not chosen anything from The Turtles yet. I guess I will just pick my favourite song from the band for my first Turtle pick. While they have bigger hits to their name, this Bob Dylan cover really was the "home run" coming out of the dugout for their debut release. Apparently the band revered Dylan and played the song live when they were known as the Crossfires, which got attention from the right people to get them signed.      Hear It Ain't Me Babe on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Automat - The Genus     My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Mrs. Tibbets   My song pick 3 years ago today: Savatage - Awaken   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rush - Cut to the Chase   My song pick 5 years ago today: Funkadelic - Tales of Kidd Funkadelic (Opusdelite Years)   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Moody Blues - No More L...

From: Labour of Love II ; Year: 1989; Genre: Reggae Boy, do I miss the 1980s... such a good time. UB40 was one of the bands that I associate a lot with that decade; particular the two Labour of Love albums. It seemed like for quite a long time, those I was around at least, had a cassette or compact disc of this album in particular playing. Anyhoo... yeah, to say the least, it's very upbeat and positive music that helps make memories as a soundtrack to your life.   Hear Groovin' on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Ronnie Milsap - Let's Take the Long Way Around the World     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Temptations - Smiling Faces Sometimes   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Occasional Demons   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get   My song pick 5 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Radioactive Toy   My song pick 6 years ago today: Dick Dale and The Del-Tones - ...

From: Banchee ; Year: 1969; Genre: Psychedelic Rock After having one of their songs come on whilst out and about I was thinkin' about bands that I discovered and came to like, such as Banchee, that only have a couple of albums, if that. It really sucks having such a limited amount of material, but then, you have a tendency to savour each note even more. Makes me wonder wot their sound would have become if they continued and things were different.... Anyway, this one kind of can get kind of lurching/disjointed going from the hard psychedelic sections and quickly into the more folkish rock parts. Sounds a lot like many mainstream bands would do a few years later in the mid-late 1970s. I really love the way they imitated a train whistle on the guitar.   Hear Train of Life on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Icehouse - Uniform     My song pick 2 years ago today: Steely Dan - Gaucho   My song pick 3 years ago today: Doc Oliver - Soul P...