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

From: Whodini ; Year: 1983; Genre: Rap/Hip Hop/Funk Happy Halloween once again! I went with another one from Whodini this year; a lot of their music is absolutely perfect for the holiday. Haunted House of Rock is the first track on their debut album, so, not only did they open with a funky Halloween song for the ages, but it was most likely the first song of Whodini's that people heard.   Hear Haunted House of Rock on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party     My song pick 2 years ago today: Coven - Black Sabbath   My song pick 3 years ago today: Muse - You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween   My song pick 4 years ago today: Black Sabbath - When Death Calls   My song pick 5 years ago today: Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath   My song pick 6 years ago today: Helloween - The Time of the Oath   My song pick 7 years ago today: Concrete Blonde - Darkening of the Light My song pick 8 y...

From: The Devil's Rejects Soundtrack ; Year: 2005 (1966); Genre: Country/Gospel Around this time of year I watch a lot of horror flicks to help get into the Halloween spirit. This classic Buck Owens track was used as part of the soundtrack to black comedy/horror film:  The Devil's Rejects , which is the second movie in the Firefly series written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie.  The whole antithetical message and mood of this song as well as others on the soundtrack actually help to ground the film to some degree, plus, being a period-piece, having a Buck Owens tune with everything the movie entails helps sell that aspect.   Hear Satan's Gotta Get Along Without Me on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Sugarcult - Memory     My song pick 2 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - White Flags   My song pick 3 years ago today: Billie Holiday - If The Moon Turns Green   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rolling Stones - L...

From: The Symbol Remains ; Year: 2020; Genre: Metal Getting close to Halloween, so I thought I should pick something creepy; this one certainly ticks that box. Any time BÖC combines their music and theatrics with some great author's work it always ends seemingly epic. They utilize H. P. Lovecraft's short story of the same name, but instead write it from the antagonist's point of view, which Eric Bloom crushes it with his vocal delivery and is able to bring the malevolent soul Charles le Sorcier to life.   Watch the awesome music video on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Tears for Fears - Power     My song pick 2 years ago today: Jimi Hendrix - In From the Storm   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On   My song pick 4 years ago today: Dazz Band - Magnetized   My song pick 5 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Another Rainy Night (Without You)   My song pick 6 years ago today: Porc...

From: All the Hits by The Orlons ; Year: 1962; Genre: R&B/Doo-Wop Another one has been playing in my mind for the last bit; dang, this one is so great, kicky and hooks you right in. Some incredible lead vocal arrangements, harmonies and of course the music is pure fun and interesting at the same time; and they got a sax solo wedged in there to boot!   Hear Don't Hang Up on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Marillion - The Crow and the Nightingale     My song pick 2 years ago today: Hawkwind - Master of the Universe   My song pick 3 years ago today: Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me (Why Do You Wanna Hurt Me)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Steve Vai - Tender Surrender   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Kinks - You Really Got Me My song pick 6 years ago today: Faith No More - Cone of Shame   My song pick 7 years ago today: April Wine - One More Time My song pick 8 years ago today: Riggs - Heartbeat ...

From: Spirit ; Year: 1976; Genre: Folk Rock This is another one of the many of John's songs that begs simple questions that are quite profound; not preachy or claiming to know some greater "truth" as some anointed judge on a lofty pedestal, but just as another human as lost as the rest of us. (How's that for a run-on sentence? 😜)    Hear The Wings That Fly Us Home on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Phil Lesh & Friends - Celebration     My song pick 2 years ago today: Primus - Mama Didn't Raise No Fool   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rush - Spindrift   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rush - Secret Touch   My song pick 5 years ago today: Megadeth - Never Walk Alone... A Call To Arms   My song pick 6 years ago today: Triumph - Follow Your Heart   My song pick 7 years ago today: Harlequin - Survive My song pick 8 years ago today: Mr. Bungle - My Ass Is On Fire My song pick 9 years ago today: Mike +...

From: When Seconds Count ; Year: 1986; Genre: Hard Rock Needed something more positive and uplifting for my sagging mood as it is. This power ballad that was originally written for the Rocky IV  motion picture soundtrack, but not chosen for whatever reason, just felt like a great match. I really like the piano and guitars in this one as well as the message of perseverance in the face of trials and tribulation.   Hear Man Against the World on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Gloryhammer - Anstruther's Dark Prophecy/The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee     My song pick 2 years ago today: Gerry Rafferty - Can I Have My Money Back?   My song pick 3 years ago today: Billy Joel - Vienna   My song pick 4 years ago today: Quasar - Logic?   My song pick 5 years ago today: Lenny Kravitz - Circus   My song pick 6 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Starlight   My song pick 7 years ago today: Creedence Clearw...

From: You Are What You Is ; Year:1981; Genre: Soul/Doo-Wop/Gospel It's so interesting that most of Frank Zappa's song's messages are as, if not more relevant today. I am not sure if it's that he was a visionary or whatever, but I believe that it is also the fact that, here in The States at least, people as a whole are complete and utter imbeciles. Anyway, Mr. Zappa was such a fun and articulate artist to listen to and it's always amazing to hear his music.   Watch a live performance on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Whodini - Freaks Come Out at Night     My song pick 2 years ago today: Stuart Hamm - I Want to Know   My song pick 3 years ago today: Diesel - Leader Of The Pac-Man   My song pick 4 years ago today: Al Stewart - Flying Sorcery   My song pick 5 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Down   My song pick 6 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Fire & Ice   My song pick 7 years ago today: Béla Fleck ...

From: Emergency ; Year: 1984; Genre: Funk/R&B It really feels like this week just blew by and now I'm back to Friday... a great day for some '80s music from Kool & The Gang!     Hear Fresh on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida     My song pick 2 years ago today: Donovan - Riki Tiki Tavi   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Man of God   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser   My song pick 5 years ago today: Wishbone Ash - No Easy Road   My song pick 6 years ago today: Redbone - Wovoka   My song pick 7 years ago today: Ultravox - Frozen Ones My song pick 8 years ago today: Savatage - Stay With Me a While My song pick 9 years ago today: Japan - Quiet Life My song pick 10 years ago today: Maddy Prior - Rosettes My song pick 11 years ago today: Funkadelic - Funky Dollar Bill My song pick 12 years ago today: Sky - Westway ...

From: P.O.A. ~ Pop on Arrival ~  ; Year: 2006; Genre: Surf Rock/Punk Rock Been trying really hard to pull myself out of a rut so to speak by going back to some bands that I really like, but for wotever reason I just don't choose much from.  At just over one-and-a-half minutes, ~ Sasquatch ~ is a super little number that is a neat blend of surf rock and punk, so, a lot of energy to be had in such a "transistor glamour." XD   Hear ~  Sasquatch  ~ on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Dick Dale - Take It Or Leave It     My song pick 2 years ago today: John Denver - Fire and Rain/The Box   My song pick 3 years ago today: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Testify   My song pick 4 years ago today: Nightwish - Harvest   My song pick 5 years ago today: Kool and the Gang - Funky Granny   My song pick 6 years ago today: Soundgarden - Blood on the Valley Floor   My song pick 7 years ago today: Ba...

From: When the Eagle Flies ; Year: 1974; Genre: Progressive Rock After reading an article about Steve Winwood and his music it got me in the mood to listen to some more. When the Eagle Flies was basically the final studio album from Traffic, not counting the one-off 1994 reunion album Far from Home . Walking in the Wind has a great, infectious groove with Winwood's amazing organ and synth playing on top; such a nice track to have going whilst working.    Hear Walking in the Wind on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Megadeth - Killing Time     My song pick 2 years ago today: Chicago - Colour My World   My song pick 3 years ago today: Devo - Shout   My song pick 4 years ago today: Ebony Rhythm Band - Get Yourself Together (Smiling Phases/Sunshine of Your Love Medley)   My song pick 5 years ago today: Genesis - Harold the Barrel   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Kinks - Apeman   My song pick 7 years ago...

From: Closure/Continuation ; Year: 2022; Genre: Progressive Rock Had this one come on in the car today and thought it'd make a good choice for my song today.      Hear Herd Culling on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Bob Seger System - Lucifer     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Young Rascals - Good Lovin'   My song pick 3 years ago today: Parliament - The Goose   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rage Against the Machine - Tire Me   My song pick 5 years ago today: Django Reinhardt - Echoes of Spain   My song pick 6 years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Chemical World   My song pick 7 years ago today: Don Henley - Heart of the Matter My song pick 8 years ago today: Bruce Hornsby and the Range - On The Western Sky My song pick 9 years ago today: Parliament - Children of Production My song pick 10 years ago today: Huey Lewis and the News - Power of Love My song pick 11 years ago tod...

From: Crime of the Century ; Year: 1974; Genre: Progressive Rock I find that a good deal of Supertramp's songs are quite heavy and intense, but if you're not listening closely it sounds like anything but. Hide in Your Shell is one that exemplifies this and from wot I understand is autobiographical about what was going on in Roger Hodgson's life around the time. Much of the subject matter of this track is something that I, also, take to heart with my life experiences.   Hear  Hide in Your Shell  on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Neil Young - The Loner     My song pick 2 years ago today: Bootsy's Rubber Band - Munchies for Your Soul   My song pick 3 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Just Look At Me Now   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Kinks - Money Talks   My song pick 5 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Humboldt Currant   My song pick 6 years ago today: Bob Dylan - All Along the Watc...

From: Piper at the Gates of Dawn ; Year: 1967; Genre: Psychedelic Rock Haven't the foggiest as to why, but had this record, which was Pink Floyd's debut, on my mind. This is a rather short, but sweet bit of psychedelia that really shows wot Syd Barrett was capable of when his mind allowed him to do so. I have always found it kind of strange how much influence he continued to have on the band even though this was essentially the only record from the band that he was fully involved.    Hear The Scarecrow on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Curved Air - Once a Ghost, Always a Ghost     My song pick 2 years ago today: Cybotron - Ride To Infinity   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Edgar Winter Group - Animal   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Eagles - The Disco Strangler   My song pick 5 years ago today: Ian Anderson - Meliora Sequamur   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Delgados - Strathcona Slung   M...

From: Folk Songs of the Hills ; Year:1947; Genre: Folk/Blues I'm not sure how many times this song has been covered, but it's been more than I am willing to count. Sixteen Tons was first recorded by and has always been credited to Merle Travis even though others have claimed authorship apparently. Tennessee Ernie Ford's version is, without a doubt, the de-facto version most would recall, the Merle Travis original that was a blend of Appalachian Folk, Blues, and Jazz is still one of the best.   Hear Sixteen Tons on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Lou Rawls - Season of the Witch     My song pick 2 years ago today: Ultravox - Someone Else's Clothes   My song pick 3 years ago today: Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Asia - True Colors   My song pick 5 years ago today: Elton John - Ego My song pick 6 years ago today: George Duke - Funny Funk   My song pick 7 ye...

From: Ace Frehley ; Year: 1978; Genre: Glam Rock Yesterday was taken aback when I saw that founding member, Ace "Space Man" Frehley, of the band Kiss passed away after complications from an accidental fall. He was probably the member of the band I admired the most, if nothing else for the way he let his virtuosity speak for him instead of his mouth. Anyway, this one is from his first solo record, which was one where each member of Kiss made their own album whilst still a member; from wot I understand, it was the best-selling of the four. New York Groove was really the first song from his work outside Kiss that I really liked, but others since I have liked as well. It was originally written by songwriting powerhouse Russ Ballard and recorded by the English glam band Hello a few years prior. However, I have to say, Ace really made the track his own.   Hear New York Groove on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Kinks - Do You Remember Walter? ...

From: Raise Your Fist and Yell ; Year: 1987; Genre: Metal I suppose this one counts as "Halloween appropriate..." more or less. On this one Alice Cooper is excellent as always with his amazing performance, vivid imagery, and music. However, this one also feature horror film legend Robert Englund reprising his Freddy Krueger character with a spoken word part towards the tracks beginning. Freddy, in judgment, reads charges against Alice and asks him to plead to the charges, then lets out his signature maniacal laugh.     Hear Lock Me Up on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Kinks - No Return     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Who - Baba O'Riley   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Isley Brothers - Shout (Parts I + II)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bee Gees - Boogie Child   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rufus & Chaka Khan - Jive Talkin'   My song pick 6 years ago today: Iron Maiden - Run S...

From: Circling From Above ; Year: 2025; Genre: Hard Rock/Progressive Rock Finally had a chance to listen to Styx's new album. Again, it is nice to hear bands that try new things, but without a doubt immediately identified due to " that " sound. This track exemplifies it: the keyboards and guitars still have that unique quality that only comes from its members and at the same time the sound has progressed and is in the present-tense, if you will.   Watch the music video on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Power Underneath Despair     My song pick 2 years ago today: Dolly Parton - Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Zombies - Time Of The Season   My song pick 4 years ago today: Sweat Band - Freak to Freak   My song pick 5 years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Orthenthian St (Parts I & II)   My song pick 6 years ago today: Steve Vai - The Crying Machine...

From: Empty Sky (reissue); Year: 1969 (1995); Genre: Blues Rock This is one of those songs that you must replay multiple times to make sure you hear and experience every nuance, of which there are many. Whilst "pigeon-holed" as just pop/rock, this one contains jazz, blues, gospel, classical, and poetry as well in one well blended "musical soup." The music is truly something to behold, but I have to state that the emotions that Sir Elton belts into Bernie Taupin's exquisitely crafted prose is simply breathtaking. All Across the Havens is one of his songs that predates his debut album, ( Empty Sky ), and was initially released as a b-side of a single about six months earlier. It was finally included on the record on the 1995 reissue, so at least it is much easier to find and listen to now.    Hear All Across the Havens on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: 4 Non Blondes - Drifting     My song pick 2 years ago today: England Dan &...

From: Shake, Rattle and Roll ; Year: 1955; Genre: Rock 'n Roll/Rockabilly It's Monday the 13th once more... and in October to boot; just had to take advantage of it for another pick on that theme. Anyway, I quite like this cover of the song originally written and recorded by Dickie Thompson  and really fit wot I needed. Quite risqué for the time, this one is about a man having a dream about a hydrogen bomb going off and only he and thirteen women survive in the town. Of course it doesn't go into vivid detail, but you can probably get the picture of the day to day and hi-jinks that ensue. From wot I understand, they threw the part about the H-Bomb in to make it more palatable to the radio audience. While the song did not have immediate success, after Bill Haley hit it big with Rock Around the Clock it caught on and became pretty popular.    Hear Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town) on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Rezső Ser...