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

From: You Are What You Is ; Year:1981; Genre: Soul/Doo-Wop/Gospel It's so interesting that most of Frank Zappa's song's messages are as, if not more relevant today. I am not sure if it's that he was a visionary or whatever, but I believe that it is also the fact that, here in The States at least, people as a whole are complete and utter imbeciles. Anyway, Mr. Zappa was such a fun and articulate artist to listen to and it's always amazing to hear his music.   Watch a live performance on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Whodini - Freaks Come Out at Night     My song pick 2 years ago today: Stuart Hamm - I Want to Know   My song pick 3 years ago today: Diesel - Leader Of The Pac-Man   My song pick 4 years ago today: Al Stewart - Flying Sorcery   My song pick 5 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Down   My song pick 6 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Fire & Ice   My song pick 7 years ago today: Béla Fleck ...

From: Waka/Jawaka ; Year: 1972; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Progressive Rock There's a lot of amazing musicians on this one doing some mind-blowing work. To be honest, at certain times throughout this piece if I didn't know it was a song by Frank Zappa, I'd guess it was either Weather Report or something featuring Al Di Meola; it's that good.   Hear Waka/Jawaka on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Green Heaven   My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Quartet   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rainbow - Fool For The Night   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Grateful Dead - Unbroken Chain My song pick 5 years ago today: The (Dixie) Dregs - Kat Food My song pick 6 years ago today: King Crimson - Fracture My song pick 7 years ago today: Sly & The Family Stone - Luv n' Haight My song pick 8 years ago today: Outlaws - Green Grass & High Tides My song pick 9 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Jungle...

From: Joe's Garage (Act III); Year: 1979; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Progressive Rock Bringing actually a pretty good July to a close with this piece from the legend Frank Zappa; as always, the song goes all over the place musically, thematically, you name it. Quite a fun piece and album set to listen to, especially in mixed company and with the tracks playing out of order of course.😁 Anyway, with this concept album that encompasses three records, this one comes from towards the end, after the titular character exits prison only to find a world totally bereft of music.   Hear He Used to Cut the Grass on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: England Dan & John Ford Coley - The Prisoner   My song pick 2 years ago today: Firehouse - All She Wrote   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Motoreyes My song pick 4 years ago today: Ween - The Mollusk My song pick 5 years ago today: Simon & Garfunkle - At the Zoo My song pick 6 years ago to...

From: Ship Arriving Too Late to Save the Drowning Witch ; Year: 1982; Genre: Progressive Rock Felt like hearing some Zappa today and this one off his '82 offering seemed great for the day.   Hear No Not Now on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Nocturnal Rites - Our Wasted Days   My song pick 2 years ago today: Soundgarden - Room a Thousand Years Wide   My song pick 3 years ago today: Morrissey - First of the Gang to Die My song pick 4 years ago today: Raspberries - I Wanna Be With You My song pick 5 years ago today: Bud Tutmarc - End of the Trail My song pick 6 years ago today: Jon Oliva's Pain - The Evil Beside You My song pick 7 years ago today: Luther Davis Group - To Be Free My song pick 8 years ago today: Pearls Before Swine - Another Time My song pick 9 years ago today: Sir Arthur Sullivan - The Lost Chord My song pick 10 years ago today: Jimi Hendrix - Machine Gun My song pick 11 years ago today: Django Reinhardt &...

From: You Are What You Is ; Year: 1981; Genre: Jazz Fusion It's always nice having Christmas over with, not that I hate the Holiday or anything like that, but it is very nice to have the holiday stress over with. It's also nice to go back to picking random songs that are just running in my mind again. Anyway, I love this instrumental piece from the maestro of music that is experimental and weird. Hear Theme From The 3rd Movement Of Sinister Footwear on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: The Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Loving My song pick 2 years ago today: Steeleye Span - The Cruel Mother My song pick 3 years ago today: The Fifth Dimension - Up, Up and Away My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - Rumpofsteelskin My song pick 5 years ago today: Mr. Big - Shine My song pick 6 years ago today: Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues My song pick 7 years ago today: Genesis - Land of Confusion My song pick 8 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Stuck in the ...

From: The Grand Wazoo ; Year: 1972; Genre: Progressive Rock/Jazz Fusion Earlier this morning I had one of Frank Zappa's songs running through my mind incessantly. After that it seemed like an excellent idea to pick one of his track for today. This song, which is very popular amongst those who listen to his music, features the incomparable George Duke lending his talents on the keys. It's a totally brilliant amalgamation of Zappa's signature almost otherworldly musical ideas and cutting-edge jazz fusion at the time. Hear Eat That Question on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Nocturnal Rites - Ring of Steel My song pick two years ago today: The Moody Blues - The Sunset/Twilight Time My song pick three years ago today: Hawkwind - Damnation Alley My song pick four years ago today: Chet Atkins - I Wish I Knew My song pick five years ago today: Sergei Prokofiev - Op. 67 - Peter and the Wolf My song pick six years ago today: Lalo Schifrin - Scorpio...

From: Over-Nite Sensation : 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock/Comedy I had this rather goofy song on my mind this morning and, as I normally do, I decided to make it today's pick. While, like with a lot of Frank Zappa's music, the lyrics and subject matter can be a bit strange, I've always been blown away by the music and especially its extremely complex arrangements; this is definitely Frank Zappa at his normal great level. Hear Montana on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Boston - Don't Look Back My song pick two years ago today: Beat Crusaders - Hit in the USA My song pick three years ago today: ABBA - Thank You for the Music My song pick four years ago today: Genesis - Home By The Sea My song pick five years ago today: Alannah Myles - Black Velvet My song pick six years ago today: Alice Cooper - Poison

From: Freak Out! ; Year: 1966; Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Progressive Rock Some very early progressive rock here, to some Freak Out! is considered to be the very first Prog Rock/Concept album. Who Are the Brain Police? is an interesting one; I love the loosely defined 3/4 waltz that lends more of an uneasy insane feeling than that of a dance. On that base Zappa and company build a strangely, but at the same time a well-constructed piece of music complete with zombiesque singing. "What will you do if the people you knew Were the plastic that melted, And the chromium too?" Now, that's some totally awesome lyrics! Hear Who Are the Brain Police? on YouTube. Watch a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Johann Strauss II - Op. 314 - An Der Schönen Blauen Donau , or ( The Blue Danube Waltz ) My song pick two years ago today: The Walter Murphy Band - A Fifth of Beethoven My song pick three years ago today: Béla Fleck & the Fleck...

From: Just Another Band From L.A. ; Year: 1972; Genre: Progressive Rock/Comedy When I first heard this song I was a bit off-put by the rather whimsical/nonsensical lyrics, but I definitely kept listening because of the real good music that seems to take you all over the place and to different genres. To say the least it's a very interesting and awesome track even if you don't care about vegetables, but it helps.  Hear Call Any Vegetable on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Queensrÿche - Sign of the Times My song pick two years ago today: Don McLean - Vincent My song pick three years ago today: Eric Burdon and War - Spill the Wine My song pick four years ago today: Supertramp - School My song pick five years ago today: Steely Dan - Do It Again

1540 Frank Zappa - Treacherous Cretins From: Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar , Year: 1981 Genre: Progressive Rock For some unknown reason I felt like listening to Frank Zappa this morning before I got my day started. This is a very beautiful and eclectic sounding piece; it's kind of a Rock meets Reggae meets Jazz Fusion. Hear Treacherous Cretins on YouTube. The song begins about 18 seconds in. My song pick a year ago today: Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Skyliner My song pick two years ago today: Santana - Oye Como Va My song pick three years ago today: Joe Walsh - Vote for Me My song pick four years ago today: Jerry Reed - East Bound and Down +

1386 Frank Zappa - I'm the Slime From: Over-Nite Sensation , Year: 1973 I absolutely love these social commentary ditties from Frank Zappa; this one, of course, is about the media's control over the populace. Pure Frank Zappa at his finest. Hear I'm the Slime on YouTube. Watch a live performance of the song on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Joachim Witt - Und... Ich Lauf My song pick two years ago today: Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al My song pick three years ago today: Every Mother's Son - Come On Down To My Boat +

1279 Frank Zappa - Mudd Club Nothing else to say other than I'm in a Zappa mood. Hear Mudd Club on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: U2 - I Will Follow My song pick two year ago today: The Delgados - Keep On Breathing My song pick three years ago today: Yoko Kanno (The Seat Belts) - Tank! +

1206 Frank Zappa - Dumb All Over This track has been running through my mind ever since late yesterday when I experienced first-hand the utter lunacy of another person. This song, while more about the idiots blindly following those in authority, just fits my mood perfectly. What I have always loved about Frank Zappa's songs is that while they are comedic in nature, much of the time there is a sociological/political element and/or a deeper moral to the story. What is actually saddening and scary at the same time is how often he hit the nail right on the head. Hear Dumb All Over on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Django Reinhardt - I'll See You In My Dreams My song pick two years ago today: Queen - You're My Best Friend My song pick three years ago today: The Zombies - She's Not There +

This song came up in a discussion last night and I just had to make it my pick it today. I really like the artistic genius that was Frank Zappa; this track shows it in spades. A funny song that most everyone has probably heard at one time or another. Here is a fan video with the song on YouTube. +