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

From: Built to Last ; Year: 1989; Genre: Country Rock Dang, another month is now over; October is always positive, or at least I can hope. Had the 'Dead on my mind for most of yesterday, so I figured I should pick another one from the band, which is one I have always enjoyed. This one, which was written by late keyboardist Brent Mydland and long-time 'Dead collaborator/poet John Barlow, also features Mydland on lead vocals has a message and feel similar to the Earth movement back in the 1960/70s with more of a '90s production and sound indicative of them and their music of the era. Of course, this was also the Grateful Dead's "swansong" studio album; Brent Mydland passed away less than a year later.   Hear We Can Run on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: King Crimson - The Great Deceiver     My song pick 2 years ago today: Geddy Lee - Gone     My song pick 3 years ago today: Tommy Roe - Dizzy   My song pick 4 years ago tod...

From: In Square Circle ; Year: 1985; Genre: Soul Was getting ready to choose another song and kept having this amazing album keep playing through my mind. You can tell when a song is well-written/arranged/produced when it can take you back to when you first heard it complete with wot was happening at the time, but also you can just put it one and it blends with the current time and environment. Although, I have to say that if you play this one next to current top 40 fare you'll find a track such as this to be way overshadowing it.   Hear Go Home on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Joseph Haydn - Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major     My song pick 2 years ago today: Gloryhammer - Legendary Enchanted Jetpack     My song pick 3 years ago today: Pearl Jam - Animal   My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - [You're a Fish & I'm a] Water Sign   My song pick 5 years ago today: Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like ...

From: Chicago 17 ; Year: 1984; Genre: Soft Rock/Pop Caught a stupid head cold and have been insanely tired; wot a way to spend a weekend....  Had this one play in my mind for most of my waking hours yesterday, and whilst not my favourite from Chicago, the chorus always is a great draw for me. Also, it does get some play in different media every now and then, so it keeps itself somewhat in the cultural mindspace.   Hear You're the Inspiration on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Motörhead - Lost Johnny     My song pick 2 years ago today: Funkadelic - Wars of Armageddon     My song pick 3 years ago today: Black 47 - Fanatic Heart   My song pick 4 years ago today: Motörhead - Hellraiser   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Charlie Daniels Band - Reflections   My song pick 6 years ago today: Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot   My song pick 7 years ago today: Victor Wooten - Keep it Low ...

From: Outrageous ; Year: 1984; Genre: Funk I absolutely love Lakeside; always puts a big smile on my face and a bounce in my step.     Hear Make My Day on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Deep Purple - Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming     My song pick 2 years ago today: Audren - The Darkstone Will Shine     My song pick 3 years ago today: David Bowie - Soul Love   My song pick 4 years ago today: Band of Horses - Lights   My song pick 5 years ago today: Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love   My song pick 6 years ago today: Funkadelic - Connections & Disconnections My song pick 7 years ago today: Rage Against the Machine - Ashes in the Fall My song pick 8 years ago today: The Thermals - Power Doesn't Run on Nothing My song pick 9 years ago today: Sandy Denny - Solo My song pick 10 years ago today: Blondie - Call Me My song pick 11 years ago today: Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting My...

From: One Foot In Hell ; Year: 1986; Genre: Power Metal/Doom Metal Been exceptionally busy the last couple of days and haven't gotten a lot of sleep, so I am making somewhat of an abbreviated song pick today. Not that I am slighting this song or band; I love the song, band and album. Just needed to heavier fantastical metal to get through the day as it is.    Hear Doomed Planet on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Joan Baez - Silent Running     My song pick 2 years ago today: Primus - Mr. Knowitall     My song pick 3 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - The Stake   My song pick 4 years ago today: John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom   My song pick 5 years ago today: Parliament - Presence of a Brain   My song pick 6 years ago today: Jethro Tull - The Clasp My song pick 7 years ago today: Stuart Hamm - Quahogs Anyone? (119, 120 Whatever It Takes) My song pick 8 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Tatto...

From: Bad to the Bone ; Year: 1982; Genre: Blues Rock Had a few other songs in mind as a possible pick today, but just kept having George Thorogood and the Destroyers' music on my mind; again, took it as a sign I should choose something from them. It used to be hard for me to seek out and listen to this band, mostly due to the sheer overplay they used to, and probably still, receive on radio airplay. Bad to the Bone had to be one of that frankly got played into the ground. Lately though, since I kind of quit listening to the radio, enough time has passed that I can enjoy it when I do hear them it's actually quite enjoyable.   Watch the music video on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: John Denver - The Game Is Over     My song pick 2 years ago today: Uriah Heep - Rainbow Demon     My song pick 3 years ago today: Counting Crows - August And Everything After   My song pick 4 years ago today: 3rd Secret - Last Day of August ...

From: So Happy ; Year: 1989; Genre: Funk/New Jack Swing Thankfully I am not picking a song from someone who passed away today. Although yesterday Peter Cullin, who voiced many characters like Transformers ' Optimus Prime and Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh amongst many other credits, did sadly pass away. Back in the 1980s it seemed though that many famous movie and television stars recorded some music on the side; of course Eddie Murphy is one of them. Whilst this record didn't fare so well, it is one that I like the most; just the super deep list of huge talent he worked along side alone makes it very good.   Hear Let's Get With It on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Stan Bush - The Touch     My song pick 2 years ago today: Kansas - Icarus - Born On Wings of Steel     My song pick 3 years ago today: Pendragon - The Last Man on Earth   My song pick 4 years ago today: Eddie Hazel - Until It Rains   My song pick 5 years ...

From: Joystick ; Year: 1983; Genre: Funk/R&B/Electronica Another day of picking a band whose music was playing in my mind a lot. I really like this piece of funky electronica; such great music and a groove to die for.   Hear Straight Out Of School on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Motels - Only the Lonely     My song pick 3 years ago today: Brick - Dusic   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Just For You   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rage Against the Machine - Beautiful World   My song pick 7 years ago today: ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man My song pick 8 years ago today: Midnight Oil - Put Down That Weapon My song pick 9 years ago today: Dayton Sidewinders - Funky Chicken Stew My song pick 10 years ago today...

From: Voices of Babylon ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock Just felt like revisiting and picking another one from The Outfield. A great track from their third outing, which has quite a nice melodic groove and sound to it.   Hear Voices of Babylon on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Ad Libs - The Boy From New York City     My song pick 2 years ago today: Buck Owens and His Buckaroos - I've Got a Tiger By the Tail     My song pick 3 years ago today: Billy Joel - Summer, Highland Falls   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street   My song pick 5 years ago today: Robin Trower - Same Rain Falls   My song pick 6 years ago today: Classics IV - Spooky   My song pick 7 years ago today: Black Sabbath - E5150 My song pick 8 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay My song pick 9 years ago today: ZZ Top - I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide My song pick 10 years ago today: Spooky Tooth - Better By You, B...

From: East Side Story ; Year: 1981; Genre: New Wave Yet another song that I was sure I already had chosen.... Truthfully, I have known this song very well for a long time, but never looked in to who it was exactly that recorded it. Actually, the English new wave band Squeeze was and is quite popular, just more so in Britain of course, but had a few other hits over here.   Hear Tempted on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Easy Rider     My song pick 2 years ago today: Modest Petrovitch Mussorgsky - Misunderstood One     My song pick 3 years ago today: Rush - Face Up   My song pick 4 years ago today: Jigsaw - Baby Don't Do It   My song pick 5 years ago today: Clifford Brown and Max Roach - Sandu   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rush - Between Sun & Moon   My song pick 7 years ago today: Styx - Superstars My song pick 8 years ago today: Kajagoogoo - Too Shy ...

From: Your Wish is my Command ; Year: 1981; Genre: Funk/Soul Cannot help but have a huge grin across my face when boogieing down to Lakeside; just excellent sounds.     Hear Magic Moments on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Turtles - It Ain't Me Babe   My song pick 2 years ago today: Automat - The Genus     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Mrs. Tibbets   My song pick 4 years ago today: Savatage - Awaken   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - Cut to the Chase   My song pick 6 years ago today: Funkadelic - Tales of Kidd Funkadelic (Opusdelite Years)   My song pick 7 years ago today: The Moody Blues - No More Lies My song pick 8 years ago today: 3 Inches of Blood - Wykydtron My song pick 9 years ago today: Deep Purple - Call of the Wild My song pick 10 years ago today: The Lively Ones - Surf Rider My song pick 11 years ago today: The Rhythm Machine - You Got Action, You Got Me ...

From: Listen to the Radio ; Year: 1982; Genre: Country Last night whilst cooking dinner I had some of Don Williams' music playing in my brain. My Mom had some of his records, which she loves and used to play frequently when I was younger, are among the music burnt into my mind, so it is not surprising that it pops back in from time to time. Every time I hear this track in particular I can still audibly hear my Mother happily singing along; good memories indeed.   Hear Listen to the Radio on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Van Der Graaf Generator - A Place to Survive     My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - A Single Man     My song pick 3 years ago today: Funkadelic - Some More   My song pick 4 years ago today: Journey - Destiny   My song pick 5 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Electric Requiem   My song pick 6 years ago today: HammerFall - Never Forgive, Never Forget   My song pick 7 years ago toda...

From: Word Up! ; Year: 1986; Genre: Funk/Hip-Hop I keep coming back to Word Up! , and I know why: it's a freaking awesome album, period. It is a record that you just put on and just lifts your mood to the stars with no filler songs!   Hear She's Mine on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Winery Dogs - The Dying     My song pick 2 years ago today: Automat - The Advance     My song pick 3 years ago today: Crowded House - Never Been The Same   My song pick 4 years ago today: Elton John - This Song Has No Title   My song pick 5 years ago today: Tin Tin - Toast and Marmalade for Tea   My song pick 6 years ago today: Funkadelic - Stink Finger   My song pick 7 years ago today: April Wine - Crash and Burn My song pick 8 years ago today: Foreigner - Cold As Ice My song pick 9 years ago today: Rush - Everyday Glory My song pick 10 years ago today: Rod Stewart - The Motown Song My song pick 11 years ago tod...

From: "He's Back" (The Man Behind The Mask) single; Year: 1986; Genre: Hard Rock/Metal Just noticed that today is Monday the 13th ; couldn't let it go without picking something apropos. Whilst by no means even close to Alice Cooper's finer offerings, there is just something about this era of his music that I like; probably the familiarity of growing up with it and the movies of the time. This was one of three song of Alice's that were used for the soundtrack to the sixth installment of the Friday the 13th franchise . I remember that film quite well, although I never actually saw it back then. It was mostly the genius advertisement campaign where people would slap up posters of or paint "Jason Lives" all over the place. It even showed up in television shows, including Saturday morning cartoons; the 1980s were definitely a different time, eh?   Watch the music video on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven ...

From: Radio Free Albemuth ; Year: 1988; Genre: Classical/Jazz Fusion One of the odd things I have discovered concerning Stu Hamm is that only musicians seem to know who his is and wot he plays. I mean, he's played on a lot of albums from a lot of artists; mainly guitar shredders like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Most would likely know about Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten, or Steve Bailey before they'd remember Stu Hamm; not to take a single thing from those axe slingers, he is just every bit as good as them in my opinion. But, when you hear his solo works he really just blows you away with not just how great of a player he is, but how inventive and original his playing and style are. After hearing much of his records I was amazed how many odd and new sounds he could make with his bass guitar. Anyway, this one comes off of one of my favourite albums of his. Radio Free Albemuth's title was taken from the Philip K. Dick novel of the same name, as well as the lion's share of...

From: Watts in a Tank ; Year: 1980; Genre: Rock I remember hearing Diesel a lot back in the day, but they eventually faded only to come back into the pop culture conscience every now and then. I did not look much into the band, but with their mega hit Sausalito Summernight and its California car adventure theme, I assumed they were a U.S. band, but were actually Dutch. From wot I understand, between band member defections and not fully being able to recapture the magic they only lasted a handful of years and a total of three records, but had reunions and one other studio album since their first breakup. This track was one of the four singles from their debut, and, depending on which market you focus on, the second or third highest charting of their songs.   Hear Going Back to China on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Camel - Rain Dances     My song pick 2 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Bi-Polar Bear     My song pick 3...

From: Vivid ; Year: 1989; Genre: Hard Rock/Alternative Metal Seems like every time I put one of the discs on I'm blown away at just how hard they rock. I really need to have them more in my rotation; at that there's no doubt!   Hear Open Letter (To a Landlord) on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Lalo Schifrin - Mission: Impossible     My song pick 2 years ago today: War - This Funky Music Makes You Feel Good     My song pick 3 years ago today: Blancmange - Blind Vision   My song pick 4 years ago today: Brenton Wood - Gimme Little Sign   My song pick 5 years ago today: Duran Duran - Too Much Information   My song pick 6 years ago today: Billy Joel - We Didn't Start the Fire   My song pick 7 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Sex Machine My song pick 8 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Crossword My song pick 9 years ago today: Blood, Sweat & Tears - You've Made Me So Very Happy My song pick 1...

From: Right Track ; Year: 1981; Genre: Soul Lately I've been really enjoying the music of Soul/R&B/Funk artists/bands, that were best known for their music from the 50s through the 70s, that they released in the 80s and 90s; kind of at the point that their popularity started to ebb. I find a lot of this material that is mostly marginalized to be quite exceptional in reality. With Wilson Pickett, I am admittedly biased with him being one that I like quite a lot, but I really do dig this record in particular and this track is among the highlights for me.   Hear Maybe This Time on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Waylander - Of Fear and Fury     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Trammps - Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart     My song pick 3 years ago today: 10,000 Maniacs - Everyday is Like Sunday   My song pick 4 years ago today: Megadeth - Mastermind   My song pick 5 years ago today: Bootsy Collins - Don't Tak...