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

From: Bachman & Turner ; Year: 2010; Genre: Hard Rock It amazes me that every time I put this album on how much they all sound precisely like they did back in their heyday some 35 years earlier; especially the vocals. I only wish that they had recorded more before Fred Turner retired from touring, which I can understand with him now being an octogenarian and all. Still, that voice... most performers less than half his age cannot belt it out like he does.   Hear Rollin' Along on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Yes - And You and I   My song pick 2 years ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) - Blue Drag   My song pick 3 years ago today: Warren Zevon - Nighttime in the Switching Yard   My song pick 4 years ago today: April Wine - Silver Dollar   My song pick 5 years ago today: Smokehouse - Polar Funk My song pick 6 years ago today: Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall My song p...

From: Bachman & Turner ; Year: 2010; Genre: Hard Rock Enjoying this album again recently; I still marvel at how much the record sounds like it came right out of the mid 1970s with all that hard Canadian rock goodness. Hear Find Some Love on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - Another Harry's Bar My song pick 2 years ago today: Ronnie James Dio/Tony Iommi/Rudy Sarzo/Simon Wright - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Holly Herald My song pick 4 years ago today: Sting - Gabriel's Message My song pick 5 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Bad Risk My song pick 6 years ago today: Bob Dylan - See That My Grave is Kept Clean My song pick 7 years ago today: Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - I Am Santa Claus My song pick 8 years ago today: Daft Punk - End of Line My song pick 9 years ago today: Avatar (Savatage) - Rock Me My song pick 10 years ago today: Savatage - White Witch My song pic...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock Off and on for the last week or so I've had this track on my mind. In my opinion Summer Soldier has a definite style and feel of both The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive , which were Randy Bachman's previous and successor bands respectively. A lot of hard-hitting riff based rock and melodic/soulful pop in this one; a very interesting track. Hear Summer Soldier on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: John Denver - Let it Be My song pick two years ago today: The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations My song pick three years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - I Want to Take You Higher My song pick four years ago today: Argent - Tragedy My song pick five years ago today: Weather Report - Barbary Coast My song pick six years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Gator Country My song pick seven years ago today: The Beatles - I Me Mine My song pick eight years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - U...

From: Bachman & Turner ; Year: 2010; Genre: Hard Rock Upon hearing this song for the first time if you didn't know any better you'd swear it was written and recorded in the early/mid 1970s. It has all the hallmarks of the classic hard rock sound of that era, but it is from the current decade. All can say is that C.F. Turner's voice hasn't lost any of its soulful punch; neither has the band lost its soul. Hear Moonlight Rider on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Jethro Tull - Cup of Wonder My song pick two years ago today: Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Poor Me Israelites My song pick three years ago today: Sky - Cannonball My song pick four years ago today: Muse - United States of Eurasia (+Collateral Damage) My song pick five years ago today: Alice in Chains - Would? My song pick six years ago today: Rammstein - Jeder lacht My song pick seven years ago today: Rammstein - Ein Leid My song pick eight years ago today: Eric Clap...

From: Bachman-Turner Overdrive II ; Year: 1973; Genre: Hard Rock Most music today is sadly missing one aspect that this entire album has: being built around the entire album as a composition rather than making singles. Album Oriented Rock, (AOR), is just that; it's made so you would drop the needle down on the first track and you wouldn't notice a song ending and a new one beginning as much. You'd just flip it over and listen to the other side too; that's why if you like a certain album songs like this one, which are not the big hits still resonate and you'll still enjoy them. Sure, people would probably quickly to notice Let it Ride and Takin' Care of Business a lot quicker, but if the album passed to another track it was still a good song you'd probably enjoy. Anyway, I like how this one plays around with the hard and bluesier, but catchier choruses to the much harder-edged verses. Hear Tramp on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Van der...

From: Head On ; Year: 1975; Genre: Hard Rock I've had BTO on the brain for most of this weekend, so I'm picking one of my favourites from their Head On album. This one features that hard-hitting rhythm and great guitar playing, plus C.F. Turner's powerful and gravely vocals are awesome in this one. Hear It's Over on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Petula Clark - Kiss Me Goodbye My song pick two years ago today: The Walter Murphy Band - Toccata and Funk in D Minor My song pick three years ago today: Eddie Rabbitt - I Love a Rainy Night My song pick four years ago today: Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out My song pick five years ago today: Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John My song pick six years ago today: Savatage - If I Go Away My song pick seven years ago today: Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

From: Bachman & Turner ; Year: 2010; Genre: Hard Rock I was in the mood to listen to something from BTO this morning and I ended up going for something from Randy Bachman and C.F. Turner's 2010 album of their namesake. It still amazes me how all of the songs on this album sound like they belong right along side their hits from the mid '70s Not Fragile/Four Wheel Drive era; mostly because of C.F. Turner's powerful vocals, which have not faded one bit. Hear Neutral Zone on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Xerath - The Glorious Death My song pick two years ago today: John Fogerty - Premonition My song pick three years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - The Joker My song pick four years ago today: Elvenking - The Wanderer My song pick five years ago today: Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street My song pick six years ago today: Scorpions - Rhythm of Love My song pick seven years ago today: Supertramp - Bloody Well Right

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock After listening to a bunch of music from Randy Bachman the other day it got me into the mood for some more. This one's from the band that would become Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO), and has a bit of the heavier sound and vocals that exemplified the hard-hitting Canadian rock sound they were known for. Hear Too Far Away on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - Protect and Survive My song pick two years ago today: The Flying Burrito Brothers - Wild Horses My song pick three years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - My Dark Hour My song pick four years ago today: Fear Factory - Fear Campaign My song pick five years ago today: Gunnar Madsen - Surprise! My song pick six years ago today: Charles Mingus - Tonight At Noon My song pick seven years ago today: Megadeth - Architecture of Aggression

From: Bachman & Turner ; Year: 2010; Genre: Hard Rock This is yet another one I've been meaning to pick for a bit now and thought I would today. This is a straight up rocker in the style of their great 1970s era music; it's awesome to hear artists that have aged so well and pertain near sound the same as they did in their heyday. Hear Rock & Roll is the Only Way Out on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Mortification - Overseer My song pick two years ago today: Deep Purple - Highway Star My song pick three years ago today: Rush - Not Fade Away My song pick four years ago today: Steeleye Span - Shaking of the Sheets My song pick five years ago today: Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face My song pick six years ago today: Taj Mahal - Fishin' Blues

From: Bachman-Turner Overdrive II ; Year: 1973; Genre: Hard Rock The other day I discovered that this year Bachman-Turner Overdrive is getting inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. This three chord bar room classic is probably their most famous song and will probably be played for many, many years after we're all dead. Interestingly enough Takin' Care of Business was originally written by Randy Bachman when he was with The Guess Who under the working title White Collar Worker, but due to disagreements in the band among other reasons it never got recorded. Later when BTO was still in its infancy he happened to hear a disc jockey utter the idiom "Taking Care of Business" and circumstances happened that he decided to play it live for the first time with the new title. After some adjustments and tweaking the anthemic song we have today was born. Hear Takin' Care of Business on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Return to Forever - Jungle Wa...

From: Bachman & Turner ; Year: 2010; Genre: Hard Rock Every time I hear it, it amazes me just how much this album sounds like it time warped straight out of the 1970s, but in a good way. Literally this one would fit in perfectly with the rest of BTO's popular catalogue, however, because of this it sounds a bit dated even though it's a few years old. That being said I have to say I absolutely love having what is essentially a new BTO album! This song is a bit interesting in places; not only do you have the driving BTO sound, but also a smattering of jazz fusion for good measure. Hear That's What It Is on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Santo & Johnny - Harbour Lights My song pick two years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Plush My song pick three years ago today: Eddie Floyd - Knock on Wood My song pick four years ago today: Jethro Tull - Pussy Willow My song pick five years ago today: Bon Jovi featuring Big & Rich - We Got It Going ...

From: Head On ; Year: 1975; Genre: Hard Rock I felt like posting some BTO this morning. This great hard rocker was one of the first song that got me into the band in the first place. Some excellent riff based Canadian hard rock to get through a Wednesday. Hear Wild Spirit on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Wings - Jet My song pick two years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Welcome Home My song pick three years ago today: Puhdys - Alt Wie Ein Baum My song pick four years ago today: Christian Pezold - Minuet in G Major (Anna Magdalena Notebook II), BWV Anh. 114 My song pick five years ago today: Berlin - The Metro

From: Not Fragile ; Year: 1974; Genre: Hard Rock It's been a crazy morning, so I'm making a quick pick today. I've been listening to a lot of BTO lately, so they've been on my mind as well. This is one of their bigger hits off of one of their most popular albums. Hear Roll On Down the Highway on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Pallas - Ark of Infinity My song pick two years ago today: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - A Taste of Honey My song pick three years ago today: Steve Miller Band - Rock'n Me My song pick four years ago today: Three Dog Night - Try A Little Tenderness My song pick five years ago today: Steve Winwood - Roll With It

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Rock I'm pretty sure many are unaware of the band Brave Belt and what became of them; to sum it up, they essentially became the Canadian Hard Rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Brave Belt was in fact the project that Randy Bachman started up following his departure from The Guess Who along with his brother Rob Bachman and Chad Allen, who was also a former member of The Guess Who. A short time later bassist C.F. Turner and his other brother, Tim Bachman would join up as well and Chad Allen would depart. As Brave Belt they never really took off and with some prodding from their management they changed the band's name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Interestingly enough, BTO's debut album was originally intended on being the third Brave Belt album. Who knows, if they had been stubborn perhaps they would've made it big as Brave Belt, but then again who knows? Anyway, this song is quite a bit lighter than what you might expec...

From: Bachman & Turner ; Year: 2010; Genre: Hard Rock A while ago I saw Randy Bachman and C.F. Turner perform on a televised live performance and discovered the music from this album. While I've never have really liked anything from the band released after the Freeways album, even at that I look at Freeways as a major letdown on all aspects, I've been very happy with this new one from Bachman & Turner. Although technically it's not a "Bachman-Turner Overdrive" album in name, it has their signature hard-hitting Canadian hard rock sound. Hear Slave to the Rhythm on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Pink Floyd - San Tropez My song pick two years ago today: Janis Joplin - Mercedes Benz My song pick three years ago today: Pink Floyd - Pigs On The Wing Parts 1 and 2 My song pick four years ago today: Charlie Parker - Blues For Alice +