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

From: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones ; Year: 1990; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Bluegrass Apparently I have not chosen one of their songs in quite some time; in around six years to be exact. Strange, with them being a favourite of mine, I guess I should rectify that today. It's kinda odd how Béla Fleck & the Flecktones have not released a new album, as far as I am aware, for almost 15 years. At least they are still together and performing, again, as far as I am aware. Anyway, here's one from their debut album, which came out in 1990. Doesn't seem that long ago to me, but that was actually 35 years ago... wow.    Hear Frontiers on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Spaced Cowboy     My song pick 2 years ago today: Wings - Again and Again and Again   My song pick 3 years ago today: Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills   My song pick 4 years ago today: Paco De Lucía - De Madruga (Seguiriyas)   My song pic...

From: Petaluma ; Year: 1972; Genre: Folk Rock/Country Just felt like some whimsical folkish music from Norman Greenbaum today.   Hear Petaluma on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Grace Slick - Fox Face   My song pick 2 years ago today: Funkadelic - Fish, Chips and Sweat   My song pick 3 years ago today: Boston - Someone   My song pick 4 years ago today: Genesis - Duke's Travels   My song pick 5 years ago today: Yazoo - Don't Go   My song pick 6 years ago today: C.W. McCall - Riverside Slide My song pick 7 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Four Sticks My song pick 8 years ago today: Frankie Miller - Supersnatch My song pick 9 years ago today: Motörhead - Ace of Spades My song pick 10 years ago today: Yes - Looking Around My song pick 11 years ago today: Alestorm - Over the Seas My song pick 12 years ago today: Paul Simon - Mother and Child Reunion My song pick 13 years ago today: Maurice Ravel - M.81 - Boléro...

From: Georgia Sunshine ; Year: 1970; Genre: Folk/Bluegrass/Country I don't know exactly why, but I had this song come to mind earlier in the day and I thought that I would make it today's pick. Originally written by the legendary musician Grandpa Jones back in the mid 1940s, when I heard Jerry Reed's version I knew I had to go with it. The overall deceptive complexity of this song is only made all that more deceptive to the listener by Jerry Reed's effortless virtuosity both on the guitar and vocally. I remember back in the day when my own Grandfather would play his own rendition of Eight More Miles To Louisville it was one of the songs that would especially get other musicians' attention, mainly due to the rapid-fire and constant chord changes throughout the piece.    Hear Eight More Miles To Louisville on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Demon's Kiss   My song pick 2 years ago today: Bee Gees - I Gotta Get a Message to ...

From: The Hidden Land ; Year: 2006; Genre: Jazz Fusion I knew I wanted to pick a Béla Fleck & co. tune today; to my knowledge I have not chosen one from The Hidden Land yet, so I'll take care of that. This track is almost 8 minutes of great instrumental jazz fused with so much else. Hear Weed Whacker on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band- The Fire Down Below My song pick 2 years ago today: Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) My song pick 3 years ago today: Judas Priest - You Got Another Thing Commin' My song pick 4 years ago today: Van Halen - Right Now My song pick 5 years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Tell Me What It Is My song pick 6 years ago today: Rush - Mr. Soul My song pick 7 years ago today: Megadeth - How the Story Ends My song pick 8 years ago today: Sethian - Epitaph My song pick 9 years ago today: Marcus Miller - Frankenstein My song pick 10 years ago ...

From: Outbound ; Year: 2000; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Classical/etc... When I sat down to make my pick today I had the insatiable urge to listen to something from Béla Fleck and his band or renown. This is one of those songs that doesn't have a real genre and rather bounces about to most genres known to man; it's definitely a fun song. Watch a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Triumph - A World of Fantasy My song pick two years ago today: Fats Waller - Jitterbug Waltz My song pick three years ago today: Jethro Tull - Pibroch (Cap in Hand) My song pick four years ago today: Ozzy Osbourne - Civilize the Universe My song pick five years ago today: Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son My song pick six years ago today: John Denver - The Eagle and the Hawk My song pick seven years ago today: Three Dog Night - Liar

From: Left of Cool ; Year: 1998; Genre: Jazz Fusion Yesterday whilst on the road this one came on my iPod and it seemed to fit my mood perfectly; it was still on my mind this morning, so I'm making it my pick today. This one has a great riff or main melody that carries it along in a manner that is quite fun to the ear. The masterful playing of the music is at their normal great level, plus this track also feature Dave Matthews vocals. Hear Communication on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: "Weird Al" Yankovic - Livin' in the Fridge My song pick two years ago today: Duran Duran - (Reach Up for the) Sunrise My song pick three years ago today: The Offspring - Gone Away My song pick four years ago today: Converge - Cruel Bloom My song pick five years ago today: Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids - She's So Fine My song pick six years ago today: Lobo - A Big Red Kite

From: Rocket Science ; Year: 2011; Genre: Jazz/Bluegrass I have nothing much to say today other than I felt like listening to something different; of course much of what Béla Fleck and company write falls under that criteria. Anyway, this is one of my favourites off of their most recent album. Hear Life in Eleven on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Red Rider - White Hot My song pick two years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Melissa My song pick three years ago today: Queen - Play The Game My song pick four years ago today: Jerry Reed - Guitar Man My song pick five years ago today: Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home

From: Live Art ; Year: 1996; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Bluegrass Well, it's Thanksgiving once again; I was really wanting to pick a song that was apropos, but nothing came to mind. Anyway, as it so happened yesterday I heard this one come on, which is one of my favourites from the band. I thought for sure I'd already chosen it, but apparently I had not. This is another fine example as to why I love this band: so many awesome and contrasting musical ideas being brought together to make one great, unique sound. Hear Stomping Grounds on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Mahavishnu Orchestra - You Know You Know My song pick two years ago today: The Kinks - Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues My song pick three years ago today: Rush - Manhattan Project My song pick four years ago today: Andy Taylor - When the Rain Comes Down My song pick five years ago today: Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant Massacree

From: Rocket Science ; Year: 2011; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Bluegrass I've been having a rather difficult time making my pick today. I had a few songs that I wanted to pick, but it seemed as if I was thwarted at every turn at finding the song online. Frustrated, I finally just picked this interesting track off of Béla Fleck & the Flecktones' newest album. However, as it ends up this is the second time I am posting the song due to me accidentally deleting the original post prior to finishing it, so, here it is anyway. Like much of their material it's a very interesting blend of musical styles and sounds; if you have heard them before you should pretty know what to expect. Hear Earthling Parade on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Stuart Hamm - Kings of Sleep My song pick two years ago today: Steeleye Span - Lovely on the Water My song pick three years ago today: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Just a Song Before I Go My song pick four years ago today: R...

1691 The Foggy Mountain Boys (Flatt & Scruggs) - Cripple Creek From: Foggy Mountain Banjo , Year: 1961 Genre: Bluegrass Yesterday I found out that legendary musician Earl Scruggs passed away. The two songs most would probably remember from Flatt & Scruggs would be " The Ballad of Jed Clampett " (the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies ), which can be heard here on YouTube ; and Foggy Mountain Breakdown (from the film Bonny and Clyde ); it can be heard here on YouTube . Anyway, after hearing about his death I was remembering a lot of his music, which I was mostly exposed to through my grandfather. He was a big fan of Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and bluegrass in general. This was the first song he taught me to play on the banjo many, many years ago. Here is a recording on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Queensrÿche - Fear City Slide My song pick two years ago today: Dream Theater - Light Fuse and Get Away My song pick three years ago today: The Doors - Gh...

1419 Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Big Country From: Left of Cool , Year: 1998 Genre: Jazz Fusion/Other I had one of those 'duh' moments this morning; I noticed that I hadn't picked this, one of my favourite Béla Fleck tunes, yet. Well, at that point it became very apparent which song I was choosing. This is a truly awesome instrumental piece; there's so much feeling in this one to go along with the usual supremely high level of musicianship. Watch the performance + interview from Live at the Quick on YouTube. Watch a live performance from Bonnaroo 2011 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: ABBA - When All is Said and Done My song pick two years ago today: Hawkwind - Motorhead My song pick three years ago today: Savatage - Can You Hear Me Now +

1309 Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys - The Ghost and Honest Joe From: Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys, Year: 1953 The other day I stumbled upon the title to this old song and was able to find a version of it on YouTube. I remember back when I was quite young my grandfather played this song to me, my siblings, and cousins; it was quite a lot of fun. This track, which was written by Redd Stewart, who was the brother of the band's vocalist, tells the tale of an encounter with a ghost a man named Honest Joe has; it is mostly Bluegrass with some Gypsy Jazz thrown in. I really liked Grandpa's rendition when he changed the final line in the song to: "My head told me to stand back there , but my feet told me to run." Hear The Ghost and Honest Joe on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jerry Reed - Amos Moses My song pick two years ago today: Santana - All The Love In The Universe My song pick three years ago today: The Who - My Gen...

1065 Primus - Pork Chop's Little Ditty I'm continuing my theme week of picking " songitesimals ," i.e. songs less that 100 seconds in total length. This short piece is split in to two pieces at the beginning and toward the end of the album; they clock in at :22 and :63 seconds. The song is, as the title suggest, a little ditty; it is comprised of just drums and mandolin. A nice contrasting tune to compliment the rest of the album. Here is the first part on YouTube. Here is the second part on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me My song pick two years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Shooting Shark +

783 ( Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys - Wayfaring Stranger ) I have not added any of Bill Monroe as of yet to my list and have been meaning to for quite some time; this bluesy and soulful Bluegrass tune just seemed perfect for today. Bluegrass was one of the many musical styles that I was surrounded by growing up, mostly due to having a Grandfather from Kentucky who was a master of all stringed instruments. I can still remember him playing a lot of Bluegrass music, especially that of Bill Monroe. Here is a recording on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: #411 Billy Squier - In The Dark My song pick two years ago today: #43 Jethro Tull - Steel Monkey +

759 ( Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed - Cannonball Rag ) This is one of the better guitar picking songs in existence. This song was originally written by master guitarist and songwriter Merle Travis , who is one of the pioneers of Thumb Style guitar picking. This style of guitar playing is characterized by the playing of a bass line on the guitar's lower strings with the thumb while playing the melody on the higher strings with the fingers. He might not have invented it, but he did definitely make it famous and was an inspiration to many other pickers, Chet Atkins being one of them. Both Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins do an amazing job in their rendition of this one! Here is a studio recording on YouTube. I believe that Jerry is in the left speaker and Chet is in the right. My song pick a year ago today: The Moody Blues - The Voice My song pick two years ago today: W. A. Mozart - The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night Aria) K.620 +

This is a song that I fell in love with when I first heard it, it reminds me a lot of the music that my grandfather played. It showcases Jerry Reed's picking; his playing in this song sounds classical at times. From what I understand it was used in the film " Moonrunners ," which was the precursor to " The Dukes of Hazard ;" great car chase music. Here is a live television performance on YouTube. +

This is another one that I have been waiting to choose for some time and now seem as a good time as ever. This song was recorded with Zakk Wylde's band Pride and Glory, which was another side-band that he formed in the 90s, and was part of the compilation: The Guitars that Rule the World . The song really shows off his range as well as his virtuosity with the different styles of music. For me the best part of the song is the first part, which is in the Bluegrass style of guitar picking and is just incredible; after that section it goes into the classic Zakk Wylde sound that is just as awesome. Here is the studio version on YouTube. +

Last night I came across a program on public television about a Bluegrass festival in San Francisco. The first artist on the show was Earl Scruggs and his performance of this song was shown. A lot of the others on the show, including such artists as Béla Fleck, were excellent and were very much worth staying up late to watch it. The song can be heard on the soundtrack to the movie " Bonnie and Clyde ;" it has been used on a lot of other places as well. It is considered to be one of the more difficult song to play on the banjo. Earl Scruggs is considered by all to be the master of the 5-string banjo and he shows it in spades on this one. Here is a studio recording on YouTube. Here is a television performance on YouTube. +