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

From: Foxtrot ; Year: 1972; Genre: Progressive Rock Listened to Genesis' Foxtrot album again yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it once more. Got me thinking about Genesis and how, as not amongst the most rabid of fans of the band, but I really enjoy their music a lot, how I never really got into the whole loving/hating one period of the band due to the different comings and goings of band members and thus the contrasting styles from one decade to the next. That being said, they're probably one of the most successful groups to change lead singers and stay on top. Truthfully, I cannot choose between Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins; they are both amazing in my book, and Phil is a monster drummer to boot. Personally, I really believe that Peter Gabriel's vocals were at a peak at this point, and it show on this track. Kind of a comedic social commentary on greed, specifically concerning landlords, he uses the Leid format in which he plays the parts of four different characters i...

From: Selling England by the Pound ; Year: 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock/Hard Rock/Jazz Fusion You can tell just by listening that the band at this point in their career were really growing musically by pushing themselves beyond their musical limits in both composition and writing. Selling England by the Pound and the previous two albums for me are at the top of one of the many pinnacles of Genesis records of that era. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight has a lot of hallmarks of being the product of being written by a committee, which in this case was the entire band getting together to join their ideas to create a great song.   Hear Dancing with the Moonlit Knight on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Abaddon's Bolero   My song pick 2 years ago today: Chicago - Make Me Smile   My song pick 3 years ago today: April Wine - Comin' Right Down on Top of Me   My song pick 4 years ago today: Midnight Oil - Now or Neve...

From: Invisible Touch ; Year: 1986; Genre: Rock/Progressive Rock Was in the mood today for some of the 1980s incarnation of Genesis; I have not heard this song in quite a while and is certainly a blast to hear. Phil Collins' vocals were still at a peak here; so powerful and clear, not to mention his exquisite drumming/drum programming. The only aspect that detracts for me personally is the over-reliance/use of synth/electronic by all three band members where a more human sound would've accomplished it better, again, in my opinion; but it was the sound du jour of the time. Whatever the case, it is still a great track, especially the fore-mentioned vocals.   Hear Tonight, Tonight, Tonight on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Hawkwind - Strange Encounters   My song pick 2 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Space for the Earth   My song pick 3 years ago today: Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life   My song pick 4 years ago today: Dayton Sidew...

From: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway ; Year: 1974; Genre: Rock/Progressive Rock This is among my favourites from the record that would be the "swansong" of the classic prog/rock era of Genesis. It's kind of fitting that both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins would share vocal duties on this, and a few other songs from the album, with the former leaving the band and the latter taking over his singing duties from then on.    Hear Counting Out Time on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Asia - Never Again   My song pick 2 years ago today: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Go Robot   My song pick 3 years ago today: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Trying to Never Catch Up My song pick 4 years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Pilgrims My song pick 5 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Is There Anybody Out There? My song pick 6 years ago today: .38 Special - Caught Up In You My song pick 7 years ago today: Funkadelic - I Bet You My song pick 8 years ago ...

From: Duke ; Year: 1980; Genre: Progressive Rock It's the end of another year; one that many would say "good riddance" to, but all the same here's to hoping for an excellent New Year to come filled with hope, joy, and happiness. Anyway, I almost did a double pick yesterday by adding this track with Duke's Travels , but knowing that today was New Year's Eve this song just seemed to perfect and aptly titled for the occasion.   Hear Duke's End on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Kool & The Gang - Celebration   My song pick 2 years ago today: Scrawl - 11:59 (It's January) My song pick 3 years ago today: Ella Fitzgerald - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? My song pick 4 years ago today: Iron Maiden - When the Wild Wind Blows My song pick 5 years ago today: Primus with The Fungi Ensemble - Farewell Wonkites My song pick 6 years ago today: The Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin/Late Lament My song pick 7 years ago today: Ra...

From: Duke ; Year: 1980; Genre: Progressive Rock This one, which is the longest song on the record, really hearkens back to their mid-70s full-on prog/rock era with all the neat movements, time signatures and such.   Hear Duke's Travels on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Yazoo - Don't Go   My song pick 2 years ago today: C.W. McCall - Riverside Slide My song pick 3 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Four Sticks My song pick 4 years ago today: Frankie Miller - Supersnatch My song pick 5 years ago today: Motörhead - Ace of Spades My song pick 6 years ago today: Yes - Looking Around My song pick 7 years ago today: Alestorm - Over the Seas My song pick 8 years ago today: Paul Simon - Mother and Child Reunion My song pick 9 years ago today: Maurice Ravel - M.81 - Boléro My song pick 10 years ago today: Megaherz - Schizophren My song pick 11 years ago today: Genesis - Turn It On Again My song pick 12 years ago today: Miles Davis ...

From: Nursery Cryme ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock Bringing another great record to a close today after picking every song off the album. You can feel the tightness of the band on this song; they were like a well-oiled machine playing their music.   Hear Harold the Barrel on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Kinks - Apeman   My song pick 2 years ago today: David Bowie - China Girl My song pick 3 years ago today: The Beatles - A Day in the Life My song pick 4 years ago today: Paris - Blue Robin My song pick 5 years ago today: Dick Dale - Third Stone From the Sun My song pick 6 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - The Revenge of Vera Gemini My song pick 7 years ago today: Queen - Ride the Wild Wind My song pick 8 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Enter Maurice My song pick 9 years ago today: Mastodon - Capillarian Crest My song pick 10 years ago today: Hot Chocolate - Brother Louie My song pick 11 years ago today:...

From: From Genesis to Revelation ; Year: 1969; Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Progressive Rock I heard some of their early music yesterday and it got me in the mood to hear more of their music from this embryonic period of the band's development. It's a very interesting song, The Serpent , rife with Biblical and psychedelic imagery. Hear The Serpent on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Knife-Edge My song pick 2 years ago today: UB40 - Rat in mi Kitchen My song pick 3 years ago today: Dust - Learning to Die My song pick 4 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - When the Apple Blossoms Bloom in the Windmills of Your Mind, I'll Be Your Valentine My song pick 5 years ago today: Yello - Oh Yeah My song pick 6 years ago today: Wilson Pickett - Take That Pollution Out Your Throat My song pick 7 years ago today: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody My song pick 8 years ago today: The Doobie Brothers - Listen to the Music My song p...

From: Foxtrot ; Year: 1972; Genre: Progressive Rock Been hearing a lot of this album as of late and thought I'd revisit it on my blog. As with all the music on this record this song sounds just beautiful all across the board; the musicianship and production are top-notch. Hear Time Table on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Geddy Lee - Grace to Grace My song pick 2 years ago today: Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) My song pick 3 years ago today: Phantom Blue - A Little Evil My song pick 4 years ago today: Cheap Trick - Dream Police My song pick 5 years ago today: Rick James - Give it to Me Baby My song pick 6 years ago today: Weather Report - Medley: Vertical Invader; T.H.; Dr. Honoris Causa My song pick 7 years ago today: Band of Horses - Laredo My song pick 8 years ago today: Fairport Convention - Dawn My song pick 9 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Alive and Well and Living In My song pick 10 years ago today: .38 Special - Chain ...

From: Nursery Cryme ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock The Fountain of Salmacis really does make a good ending song for this album; an excellent book-end for the opening track: The Musical Box . I love the layers of music and vocals on this track, so much to listen to. Hear The Fountain of Salmacis on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Klaatu - Doctor Marvello My song pick 2 years ago today: Olivia Newton-John - Have You Never Been Mellow My song pick 3 years ago today: America - Man's Road My song pick 4 years ago today: Bernard Wright – Haboglabotribin’ My song pick 5 years ago today: Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) My song pick 6 years ago today: The Beach Boys - I Get Around My song pick 7 years ago today: Dick Dale - Nitro My song pick 8 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Astronomy My song pick 9 years ago today: Yoshiki Fukuyama - Angel's Voice My song pick 10 years ago today: The Kinks - (Wish I C...

From: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway ; Year: 1974; Genre: Progressive Rock I had the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway on my mind today. This is, of course, the overture and title track to the greater concept album. Hear The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Stanley Clarke - Opening (Statement)/He Lives On (Story About the Last Journey of a Warrior) My song pick 2 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Spacebase My song pick 3 years ago today: ABBA - Two for the Price of One My song pick 4 years ago today: Grateful Dead - Dire Wolf My song pick 5 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Queen and Country My song pick 6 years ago today: Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne My song pick 7 years ago today: Steppenwolf - Monster/Suicide/America My song pick 8 years ago today: Max Roach - Valse Hot My song pick 9 years ago today: Nightwish - Amaranth My song pick 10 years ago today: The Grateful Dead - Alabama Getway My song pick 11 years...

From: Duke ; Year: 1980; Genre: Progressive Rock Am in the mood for some '80's era Genesis music this morning; went with this rather dramatic sounding song with the neat opening overture. Hear Behind the Lines on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Rush - Emotion Detector My song pick 2 years ago today: Al Di Meola - The Wizard My song pick 3 years ago today: Rhapsody of Fire - Dark Wings of Steel My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - Flash Light My song pick 5 years ago today: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Breakdown My song pick 6 years ago today: Marillion - Garden Party My song pick 7 years ago today: Alestorm - Heavy Metal Pirates My song pick 8 years ago today: Guns N' Roses - Sympathy for the Devil My song pick 9 years ago today: Bon Jovi - Bounce My song pick 10 years ago today: The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes My song pick 11 years ago today: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Tears of a Clown

From: Invisible Touch ; Year: 1986; Genre: Rock/Synthpop For some reason I've been looking back into some songs that kind of exemplifies the sounds of the '80s; this was one of the songs that really fits that in my opinion. It's been stuck in my head since and I'm taking it as a sign to pick this song. Hear Invisible Touch on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Jim Croce - One Less Set of Footsteps My song pick 2 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Jeremy Bender My song pick 3 years ago today: Peter, Paul & Mary - I Dig Rock And Roll Music My song pick 4 years ago today: Ozzy Osbourne - So Tired My song pick 5 years ago today: Mastodon - Iron Tusk My song pick 6 years ago today: Rammstein - Rammlied My song pick 7 years ago today: Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 My song pick 8 years ago today: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Ko-Ko My song pick 9 years ago today: Rush - Bastille Day My song pick 10 years ago today: The S...

From: Duke ; Year: 1980; Genre: Rock One of the many songs on my mind at the moment; plus it felt like a good choice. It's one of those songs that did well during the transition time of the classic Genesis and the more pop oriented '80s/'90s version of the band. Hear Misunderstanding on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Pallas - The Blinding Darkness of Science My song pick 2 years ago today: Aerosmith - Remember (Walking in the Sand) My song pick 3 years ago today: AC/DC - Money Talks My song pick 4 years ago today: The Doors - People are Strange My song pick 5 years ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) - Minor Swing My song pick 6 years ago today: Van Der Graaf Generator - A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers My song pick 7 years ago today: Asia - Only Time Will Tell My song pick 8 years ago today: British Whale (Justin Hawkins) - This Town Ain't Big Enough For the Both of Us My song pick 9...

From: Abacab ; Year: 1981; Genre: Rock Was revisiting Abacab this morning and thought I'd pick one from it. Hear Dodo/Lurker on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: War - Slippin' Into Darkness My song pick two years ago today: Megadeth - Trust My song pick three years ago today: The Chi-Lites - Oh Girl My song pick four years ago today: Guns N' Roses - Knockin' on Heaven's Door My song pick five years ago today: AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap My song pick six years ago today: Frédéric Chopin - Op.19 - " Bolero " My song pick seven years ago today: Missing Link - Filled Up My song pick eight years ago today: Hawkwind - The Church My song pick nine years ago today: Quincy Jones - Walking in Space My song pick ten years ago today: Ozzy Osbourne - Dreamer

From: We Can't Dance ; Year: 1991; Genre: Rock Had this album come to my mind as I started to think of what to pick today. This rather heavy, dark, and brooding song is probably my favourite from the record; so much attention to detail went into it you can tell both musically and lyrically. Hear No Son of Mine on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Elton John - Saturday's Alright for Fighting My song pick two years ago today: Laura Branigan - Gloria My song pick three years ago today: The Zombies - Care of Cell 44 My song pick four years ago today: Band of Horses - The Great Salt Lake My song pick five years ago today: Stahlhammer - Eisenherz My song pick six years ago today: Exist†Trace - RESONANCE My song pick seven years ago today: Three Dog Night - One Man Band My song pick eight years ago today: The Eagles - Outlaw Man My song pick nine years ago today: Def Leppard - Lets Get Rocked My song pick ten years ago today: Alabama - Roll On (...

From: Foxtrot ; Year: 1972; Genre: Progressive Rock Ever since last night when I had the epic piece Supper's Ready playing in my car it got me in the mood to hear the rest of Foxtrot again. Can-Utility and the Coastliners is such a great song over the spectrum; another one of those songs I wouldn't change a single thing about it if I could. Hear Can-Utility and the Coastliners on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: The Cure - Friday I'm in Love My song pick two years ago today: Carmen - Margarita My song pick three years ago today: Ludwig Van Beethoven - Op.130 - String Quartet No.13 "Cavatina" My song pick four years ago today: Wadsworth Mansion - Sweet Mary My song pick five years ago today: Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath My song pick six years ago today: Louis Armstrong - C'est si bon My song pick seven years ago today: Jethro Tull - Journeyman My song pick eight years ago today: Kansas - The Pinnacle My song pick n...

From: Selling England by the Pound ; Year: 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock Just couldn't really settle on a song to pick, but for some reason I kept coming back to Genesis. So I finally went with this beautiful song that feature Phil Collins singing backup to Peter Gabriel. The way The Cinema Show is arranged and written is something to behold; simply one of the best from the band. Hear The Cinema Show on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Skid Row - Monkey Business My song pick two years ago today: ZZ Top - Tush My song pick three years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - In Thee My song pick four years ago today: Rush - La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence) My song pick five years ago today: Cheap Trick - Don't Be Cruel My song pick six years ago today: Rufus & Chaka Khan - Tell Me Something Good My song pick seven years ago today: Freddie Taylor and His Swing Men from Harlem - Viper's Dream My song pick eight years ago today: ...

From: Foxtrot ; Year: 1972; Genre: Progressive Rock Getting back to some more contemporary material today; I had a few songs on my mind, but for some reason Genesis just fit my mood the most. Anyway, as anyone who knows this album would know, this is the 23 minute magnum opus that closes out Foxtrot containing seven songs in and of itself, which go from very grounded and straight-forward all the way around, to just completely nonsensical and out there in every aspect. In other words, there's probably something for everyone within this piece of music. Hear Supper's Ready on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Ian Anderson - Puer Ferox Adventus My song pick two years ago today: Jon Oliva's Pain - Afterglow My song pick three years ago today: B.J. Thomas - The Eyes of a New York Woman My song pick four years ago today: Fleetwood Mac (Bob Welch) - Sentimental Lady My song pick five years ago today: Hawkwind - Fall of Earth City My song pick six yea...

From: From Genesis to Revelation ; Year: 1969; Genre: Rock/Pop/Folk Rock It's always fun to hear earlier works from bands whose sound ended up quite different. All in all though this piece of "Baroque Pop" is quite musically interesting with all the string arrangements and such; a good piece of the pop oriented fan as well as a connoisseur of music. Hear Silent Sun on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: The Winery Dogs - Elevate My song pick two years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Bloody Reunion My song pick three years ago today: Alice In Chains - Down in a Hole My song pick four years ago today: Tower of Power - What is Hip? My song pick five years ago today: Hawkwind - Sentinel My song pick six years ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) feat. Freddy Taylor - Shine My song pick seven years ago today: Alice Cooper - School's Out My song pick eight years ago today: The Guess Who - Shaki...