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: Coat of Many Colors ; Year: 1971; Genre: Country Along with many others yesterday I was shocked when I heard of Dolly Parton's passing. However, with how private she was about her personal life it was no shock that she kept her cancer battle out of the headlines, and rightly so. Anyway, I refer to Dolly's music personally and "Mom Music" because she was among her biggest fans over the years and this is one of my Mom's favourite songs that she wrote. This one is autobiographical and tells the story of how she grew up in extreme poverty and her mother had to sew together some fabric remnants to make her a winter coat. As she made the rags into a coat her mother recited the story of Joseph from The Bible, which made it all the more special. However, the other children ridiculed her for wearing such a coat and tried to tell them about how special it was, but it seemed they would not listen. She brings the song to a perfect close with her profound statement: ...

From: Four Foot Shack ; Year: 2014; Genre: Folk/Country Got this album the other day and have been bemused and entertained to say the least. Duo De Twang is a weird side-project by Primus frontman and soundtrack maker extraordinare Les Claypool and his longtime friend and guitarist for the band M.I.R.V.: Bryan Kehoe. Everything they do is stripped-back and folk/country covers and original material. Anyway, this has to be one of the most unique covers of the Alice in Chains classic grunge standard, and they do it as weirdly as you would expect.   Hear Man in the Box on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Queen - Don't Try Suicide     My song pick 2 years ago today: Robin Trower - The Fool and Me     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jerry Reed - When You're Hot, You're Hot   My song pick 4 years ago today: Billy Joel - Turn Around   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Bertha Butt Encounters Vadar ...

From: Hot A' Mighty! ; Year: 1973; Genre: Country/Rock Mr. Reed will always be an artist that really is difficult to pigeon-hole into a single genre, which is true of the majority of "pickers." Basically pickers were wot people referred to your more "down home" guitar/stringed virtuosos that came out of the folky styles of music like folk, blues, country, and early rock 'n roll. Jerry Reed is probably best-known for fusing country with funk and rock, which he perfected. Anyway, this one, whilst primarily is country, you can hear and feel him taking pieces from across the musical spectrum to masterfully assemble this one. Lyrically/vocally he does his normal great delivery is such an upbeat and happy way.   Hear You Took All the Ramblin' Out of Me on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Pink Floyd - Echoes     My song pick 2 years ago today: Journey - Faithfully     My song pick 3 years ago today: Elton John - The Bitch Is Back   My...

From: Luna Sea ; Year: 1977; Genre: Soft Rock/Country Rock Felt like some late 1970s rock/power pop/soft rock today; do not know why. Firefall is one of the bands that tics all of the above criteria, so I'm picking another one of their tracks. So Long is one of those nice tracks that has a good beat, good vocals, and an amazing twin guitar lead; all positives in my book.     Hear So Long on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Curtis Mayfield - Superfly     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Winery Dogs - Xanadu     My song pick 3 years ago today: Bob Welch - I'll Dance Alone   My song pick 4 years ago today: Headstones - S.O.S.   My song pick 5 years ago today: Maxine Nightingale - Right Back Where We Started From   My song pick 6 years ago today: Primus - Last Salmon Man (Fisherman's Chronicles, Part IV)   My song pick 7 years ago today: Paul Simon - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover My song pick 8 y...

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: Blue Sky - Night Thunder ; Year: 1975; Genre: Progressive Country Been reading a lot about a musical movement that happened in the tail end of the '60s and early 1970s that is called progressive country . Whilst admittedly was unaware of the sub-genre, I do know about the music and I generally like it quite a bit more than the mainstream country; always assumed wot I heard was part of outlaw country , but more of a close cousin to it so to speak genre wise. A lot of the rebellious nature of outlaw was indeed a part of it, and many artists wrote and recorded songs in both. However in the case of progressive country, like progressive rock it was all about expanding, (progressing), music into something new and/or fusing other forms of music with country. It's not a surprise at all then that I just happened to like many of the songs under the genre before I knew it existed. Anyway, as you probably surmised, Michael Martin Murphey was one of the founders of prog-country and ha...

From: Sloppy Seconds ; Year: 1972; Genre: Country Rock/Comedy Yesterday I heard of Dennis Locorriere's passing; he was the lead vocalist and whilst played the lead guitar primarily, he basically at one time or another played almost every instrument with Dr. Hook. This rather fun comical track with its old timey sound really opens up the record beautifully. As with all the material on Sloppy Seconds , it was written by noted song-smith  Shel Silverstein , who earlier the same year recorded it as the title track to his own album.    Hear Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Soundgarden - Searching WIth My Good Eye Closed     My song pick 2 years ago today: John Cougar Mellencamp - R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to 60's Rock)   My song pick 3 years ago today: ABBA - Bang-A-Boomerang   My song pick 4 years ago today: Faster Pussycat - Nonstop to Nowhere   My song pick 5 years ago t...

From: Nobody Wants to be Alone ; Year: 1985; Genre: Pop/Country If I remember correctly, this album was right at the tail-end of the whole country/pop/rock crossover era that permeated the late 1970s and early 1980s. Not that there's anything wrong with that blend of genres; I for one actually like quite a few of them and believe that it was better "country" than a lot of the exaggerated nasally singing pushed out today. I would actually categorize this track in particular way more in the pop/rock or power pop genre than country. Anyway, I have heard this one a lot over the years; it really has the ability to get stuck in your head, and a fun one all the same.    Hear Touch and Go on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Savatage - Forever After     My song pick 2 years ago today: Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised   My song pick 3 years ago today: Les Paul & Mary Ford - Bye Bye Blues   My song pick 4 ...

From: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia ; Year: 1973; Genre: Country/Pop/Rock I've always loved songs that tell engaging tales, of which this one. I heard this one a lot over the years and always listen until it ends. While Vicki Lawrence is considered a "one hit wonder," her acting career is far greater; I saw her in many roles on different shows. In fact, did not connect the dots for many years that she was the artist that recorded this song. I guess she saw a job in acting as better and/or just liked the lifestyle better. Anyway, as with the best tales, this one is about some fictional murders and judicial injustice that leads to the execution of an innocent man; in this case it was the brother of the person telling the story, who in a twist is the actual killer.    Hear The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Before the Kiss, A Redcap     My song pick 2 years ago to...

From: Ooh, That's Corny ; Year: 1963; Genre: Country/Comedy Was listening to Homer & Jethro yesterday, which is something I don't do too much unless I'm in the mood for something silly, which, for me at least, is normal for most comedy/parody artists. Anyway, this is one of their songs that I heard a lot over the years that, I believe, features the late-great Boots Randolph on saxophone, but if it's not him it is someone who was doing a good job of copying him.   Hear She Made Toothpicks of the Timbers of My Heart on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Rob Zombie - House of 1000 Corpses     My song pick 2 years ago today: Mike Pinder - Among the Stars   My song pick 3 years ago today: War - All Day Music   My song pick 4 years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - Side By Side   My song pick 5 years ago today: Sly & The Family Stone - Shine It On   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rush - We Hold On   My son...

From: Centerfield ; Year: 1985; Genre: Blues Rock/Country Rock/Rockabilly Had some of the great music from this album come on in a story I happened to be in; I thought I would revisit it. This song is one of the typical Fogerty tracks that crosses all the major Americana genres and seemingly can be played almost anywhere to a crowd.    Hear Big Train (From Memphis) on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Humble Pie - 30 Days in the Hole     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Thermals - An Ear For Baby   My song pick 3 years ago today: Hawkwind - Jack of Shadows   My song pick 4 years ago today: George Clinton - Maximumisness   My song pick 5 years ago today: Bruce Hornsby & The Range - Look Out Any Window   My song pick 6 years ago today: Marillion - This Strange Engine   My song pick 7 years ago today: 10cc - Good Morning Judge My song pick 8 years ago today: The Moody Blues - I Know You're Out There ...

From: Déjà Vu ; Year: 1970; Genre: Folk Rock/Country Rock This has always been one of my favourite albums from CSN&Y; one of the first records of theirs that I bought. Heck, this is another one of those albums that might as well be a "Greatest Hits" compilation with essentially every one of the tracks getting radio play; definitely easier to name the non hit singles, that's for sure! Teach Your Children is one in particular that has permeated culture since its release; almost to the point of overplay, but with its writing and arranging it avoids that negative aspect in some regard. Apparently Graham Nash wrote it years prior when in The Hollies, but never got recorded until with CS&N. I do not believe that Neil Young had anything to do with this track on the record, but he was part of the act on the record. Without a doubt though, the best aspect of this one is hearing Jerry Garcia playing his pedal steel doing counter-lines, harmonies, and solos.   Hear Teach Yo...

From: Honeysuckle Rose (Soundtrack) ; Year: 1980; Genre: Country Looking forward to another four hours of driving... if that's possible. (I really hate being behind the wheel for even short distances if you could not guess). I guess my personal mood is the opposite sentiment of this seminal hit from the outlaw country/western legend that is Willie Nelson. ....yeehaw....😩   Hear On the Road Again on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Kinks - Animal Farm     My song pick 2 years ago today: Duran Duran - Girls on Film   My song pick 3 years ago today: Mountain - Tired Angels (to J.M.H.)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Ramble Tamble   My song pick 5 years ago today: 10cc - Art for Art's Sake   My song pick 6 years ago today: Brotherhood of Man - Save All Your Kisses For Me   My song pick 7 years ago today: Wolfmother - Enemy Is In Your Mind My song pick 8 years ago today...

From: Tony Joe ; Year: 1970; Genre: Country Funk/Blues Something a little different for this Funky Friday; some funky country blues crossover. It is just the great kind of weird just how well country/western and funk go together. A lot of people probably see the two musical genres as not related, but since both genres are children of of blues so to speak they have much more in common than not and thus go together like peanut butter and jam. As I've said before blues is one powerful and all-encompassing musical school and can bond together a great deal; and not just music either. Tony Joe White really does well using the whole "jilted lover done wrong" idea by comparing their relationship to that of a black widow spider and her usually soon-to-be-dinner mate. Heck, this track could be played in many mixed settings and eras; even today this one would go over well. Probably the best aspect of this song for me is the overall lower fidelity production; makes his vocals even al...

From: Aerie ; Year: 1971; Genre: Folk Aerie is one of my top favourite John Denver records; it contains many of his songs that I like a great deal. Tools is a short, but sweet acoustic track that really acts like a "cooldown" to bring the album to a close, especially after the previous epic and energetic song The Eagle and the Hawk . Apparently it is an ode to a childhood pet rabbit he had for a short span.   Hear Tools on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Lovin' Spoonful - Daydream     My song pick 2 years ago today: Hawkwind - Lost Johnny   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Soul Searchers - Ashley's Roachclip   My song pick 4 years ago today: Frank Mackey & The Keltic Cowboys - Promise of a Better Life   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love   My song pick 6 years ago today: Yes - Harold Land   My song pick 7 years ago today: The Charles Mingus Quintet + Max Roach - Dr...

From: The Spirit of Hank Williams ; Year: 1961 (1947); Genre: Blues/Folk/Rockabilly I have always liked wot I have heard of Hank Williams, but over the last few years of delving into his music and such, I have developed a much greater respect and admiration for him and his work. In my opinion, looking at the lyrics and mournful melodies that he wrote plus the life he lead and came from, I would say he would not be out of place amongst many of the tortured artists that seemingly come once in a generation; and he even made it past the cursed age of 27, just barely. Writing songs that pierced through the bravado to go right to the heart of the regular "everyman" and expose his soul by saying and emoting hurt, sadness, loneliness, heartbreak and the overall pain of living in the lower-echelon of society. Heck, even the Grand Ole Opry didn't want him, his band, and his "lesser" music on their stage. However, when people heard this new sound they were hooked and his m...

From: He'll Have To Go ; Year: 1960; Genre: Country/Pop Today would've been my Grandmother's 90th birthday; she passed away almost 6 years ago now. I have probably have stated this in another post when I chose a song from Jim Reeves, but he was her favourite singer. Couldn't think of a better pick for today than one of his most famous hits.   Hear He'll Have To Go on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Herbie Flowers - Don't Take My Bass Away     My song pick 2 years ago today: Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks - Wonderin'   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio - For Those Who Like To Groove   My song pick 4 years ago today: Dio - Sacred Heart   My song pick 5 years ago today: Brave Belt - Dunrobin's Gone   My song pick 6 years ago today: Hawkwind - The Watcher   My song pick 7 years ago today: Styx - Can't Find My Way Home My song pick 8 years ago today: Return to Forever - Theme to the Mot...