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

From: Under Wraps ; Year: 1984; Genre: Synthpop/Electronic Rock Jethro Tull was in town last night and I got to see them again; it was excellent. I haven't gotten to see a lot of concerts in recent years, so it was definitely a treat. I thought I would wrap up my early 80s pop/rock theme week with one of their songs. This is one of the most "un-'Tull" songs and albums in their catalogue, and whilst it's definitely not one that a lot of fans of the band like, (quite a few revile this very "synthpoppy" album), on its own merit it's an okay album and definitely has its gems. If you've heard any songs off this album, a good chance it was Lap of Luxury ; if you like keyboard synth and blazing lead guitars this one is right up your alley. Hear Lap of Luxury on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Victor Wooten - You Can't Hold No Groove If Ya Ain't Got No Pocket My song pick two year ago today: The Spooks - The Spook Walks ...

From: Fascination! ; Year: 1983; Genre: New Wave/Synthpop I heard (Keep Feeling) Fascination last night while playing a video game and I knew it was the next pick in this impromptu theme week. There's a noticeable disco feel to this synthpop classic; it's quite catchy as well, but in a good way. Hear (Keep Feeling) Fascination on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Endless Enigma (Part 1)/Fugue/The Endless Enigma (Part 2) My song pick two years ago today: Hawkwind - Lost Chances My song pick three years ago today: Elton John - Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) My song pick four years ago today: Béla Bartók - BB 52 - String Quartet No. 1 in A minor My song pick five years ago today: Victor Wooten - Us 2 My song pick six years ago today: The Sons of the Pioneers - Cool Water My song pick seven years ago today: Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky My song pick eight years ago today: Electri...

From: Joystick ; Year: 1983; Genre: Funk/Electronic Since I've been picking so much early 80s music I thought I would not only continue doing so with this piece of very '80s sounding "electrofunk" and being able to keep my streak of Funky Fridays going too. So, even though I started back on Monday instead of Sunday, why not make it official and call it an "Early '80s Theme Week;" (even though the Japan's Quiet Life was released in December of '79). Hear To the Roof on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Jan & Dean - The Little Old Lady from Pasadena My song pick two years ago today: Buddy Holley and the Crickets - Maybe Baby My song pick three years ago today: Lou Reed - Satellite of Love My song pick four years ago today: Alestorm - Barrett's Privateers My song pick five years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Sing a Simple Song My song pick six years ago today: Miles Davis - So What My song pick sev...

From: Mike + The Mechanics ; Year: 1985; Genre: Rock I heard this track come on the radio this morning and thought it would be a great pick; so, I guess I'm picking some more '80s popular music, why not? This song, which is probably Mike Rutherford's side project's most noted hit, is another one that exemplifies that mid 1980s sound pretty well. Although overall more pop oriented and commercially targeted than what he was putting into Genesis, it still bled into and had an impact on their sound. Hear All I Need Is a Miracle on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Led Zeppelin - Ramble On My song pick two years ago today: Cream - I Feel Free My song pick three year ago today: Eddie Lang - Pickin' My Way My song pick four years ago today: Sergei Rachmaninoff - Op. 27 - Symphony No. 2 My song pick five years ago today: AC/DC - Big Balls My song pick six years ago today: The Guess Who - Hand Me Down World My song pick seven years ago today:...

From: Lament ; Year: 1984; Genre: Synthpop/New Wave Got another '80s tune on my mind, as it seems, so whatever. Anyway, while always a song I've liked quite a bit, I thought of it as a brooding "lost love" song with some excellent music that has some broad appeal. It wasn't that long ago I started listening to the lyrics very close and to my surprise discovered how heavy it actually was. One of those songs that tapped into the Cold War feeling of impending doom and living out the last few minutes of your life. Although it doesn't in the song give an actual name as to what the "storm" that's approaching is, but in the video it was depicted as a nuclear meltdown. Though I cannot help but think, as a child who grew up in the 1980s being told by public service announcements about nuclear war to duck under something if you heard the air raid siren, that it was a song about "the button" being pushed and the world as we know it coming to ...

From: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) ; Year: 1983; Genre: New Wave/Synthpop/Electronic Rock I absolutely cannot believe that I've picked this one yet; it's one of those songs that whilst is bathed in that sound of '80s synth there is something timeless about it. It is difficult to believe that this song is well over 30 years old now; I can remember when it was brand new, it doesn't seem that long ago. Hear Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Judas Priest - You Got Another Thing Commin' My song pick two years ago today: Van Halen - Right Now My song pick three years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Tell Me What It Is My song pick four years ago today: Rush - Mr. Soul My song pick five years ago today: Megadeth - How the Story Ends My song pick six years ago today: Sethian - Epitaph My song pick seven years ago today: Marcus Miller - Frankenstein My song pick eight years ago t...

From: Quiet Life ; Year: 1979; Genre: New Wave/Synthpop After hearing this song last night it was still on my mind come this morning, so I thought I would pick it. This one's very early '80s in sound and definitely has that sound that Duran Duran made famous and that some claim they got it from. But whatever the case it's an excellent song; especially if you love '80s synthpop/new wave. Hear Quiet Life on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Maddy Prior - Rosettes My song pick two years ago today: Funkadelic - Funky Dollar Bill My song pick three years ago today: Sky - Westway My song pick four years ago today: Asia - Wildest Dreams My song pick five years ago today: Don Henley - Dirty Laundry My song pick six years ago today: The Scorpions - Big City Nights My song pick seven years ago today: Graham Central Station - Earthquake My song pick eight years ago today: John Denver - Season Suite - Fall My song pick nine years ago today: Kyu...