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

From: Kansas ; Year: 1974; Genre: Progressive Rock/Hard Rock Here's another one from a band's debut album, although, I'd say that with Kansas they already had their defined sound which would just get all the more polished as time went on. Although, it would take a few albums and patience for them to reach their full fame. It was there, and Aperçu is one that I really love off the record, and is among my favourites from Kansas; both the album and song.   Hear Aperçu on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Marillion - Just for the Record     My song pick 2 years ago today: Fates Warning - Outside Looking In   My song pick 3 years ago today: Toad The Wet Sprocket - Fall Down   My song pick 4 years ago today: James Brown - Out Of Sight   My song pick 5 years ago today: Glenn Miller - PEnnsylvania 6 - 5000   My song pick 6 years ago today: Nirvana - Negative Creep   My song pick 7 years ago today: Gravity Kills - Falli...

From: Masque ; Year: 1975; Genre: Progressive Rock I just can't help but love this album, it's a lot better than people give it credit for. Sure, it is eclipsed by the next two without a doubt, but it's still a great record. This is another track written by Kerry Livgren, who authored most of their biggest hits, and is one that does demand your attention, refusing to be "background music." Strange though, even at six minutes in length it just seems like it goes by quickly, very surprisingly.    Hear Icarus -  Born On Wings of Steel on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Pendragon - The Last Man on Earth   My song pick 2 years ago today: Eddie Hazel - Until It Rains   My song pick 3 years ago today: April Wine - Say Hello   My song pick 4 years ago today: Funkadelic - Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow   My song pick 5 years ago today: Melvins - Heavyness of the Load My song pick 6 years ago today: A-ha - Manhattan ...

From: Masque ; Year: 1975; Genre: Progressive Rock Been unbelievably busy the last few days, however, I am still making time to pick a song for my blog. I've always had an affinity for this album, which just preceded the band hitting it big with the follow-up record: Leftoverture . There's a great deal of amazing songs from Masque , with this being one of the better ones in my opinion.   Hear Mysteries and Mayhem on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - Out of the Noise   My song pick 2 years ago today: Ultravox - Man of Two Worlds   My song pick 3 years ago today: Steppenwolf - Rock Me My song pick 4 years ago today: ABBA - One of Us My song pick 5 years ago today: Rick James - Below the Funk (Pass the J) My song pick 6 years ago today: Black Sabbath - Symptom of the Universe My song pick 7 years ago today: Pallas - Just a Memory My song pick 8 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Orfeo/Nathan's Reel My song pick 9 years ag...

From: Masque ; Year: 1975; Genre: Progressive Rock Yesterday I found out that Kansas band member, violinist and vocalist Robby Steinhardt passed away a couple of days ago; his music and contributions to the band and wider music are huge. This rather interesting track features his violin playing quite a bit, so it seemed like a good fit since I've already chosen Dust in the Wind .   Hear All The World on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Stevie Wonder - Part Time Lover   My song pick 2 years ago today: 30 Seconds to Mars - Echelon My song pick 3 years ago today: Blind Melon - Deserted My song pick 4 years ago today: Forest - Graveyard My song pick 5 years ago today: Billy Joel - Laura My song pick 6 years ago today: The Byrds - Mr. Spaceman My song pick 7 years ago today: Toronto - Enough is Enough My song pick 8 years ago today: Little River Band - Help Is On Its Way My song pick 9 years ago today: Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.45 in F ...

From: Leftoverture ; Year: 1976; Genre: Progressive Rock Been wanting to pick this song for a while now. It's one of the stronger tracks from the album Leftoverture ; it has a nice mix of orchestral grandeur and rock.   Hear The Wall on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Trio of Doom - Are You The One? Are You The One?   My song pick 2 years ago today: IQ - Fascination My song pick 3 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Winter My song pick 4 years ago today: Archie Bell & The Drells - Tighten Up My song pick 5 years ago today: Yes - Cinema My song pick 6 years ago today: Heart - Sing Child My song pick 7 years ago today: Soundgarden - A Thousand Days Before My song pick 8 year ago today: The Ink Spots with Ella Fitzgerald - I'm Making Believe   My song pick 9 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Vengeance (The Pact) My song pick 10 years ago today: Hawkwind - Sleep of a Thousand Tears My song pick 11 years ago today: T...

From: Leftoverture ; Year: 1976; Genre: Progressive Rock Here's one of the often overlooked songs on this album; in my non-expert opinion is one of the better ones on the record. Hear Questions of my Childhood on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - Quartet My song pick two years ago today: Mahavishnu Orchestra - Radio-Activity My song pick three years ago today: Toto - Stranger in Town My song pick four years ago today: Dream Theater - Hell's Kitchen My song pick five years ago today: Styx - Come Sail Away My song pick six years ago today: Alestorm - You Are a Pirate My song pick seven years ago today: Bill Evans Trio - Waltz for Debbie My song pick eight years ago today: The Box Tops - The Letter My song pick nine years ago today: Azteca - Mazatlan My song pick ten years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

From: Leftoverture ; Year: 1976; Genre: Progressive Rock Was in the mood for some more Kansas this morning; picking one of my favourites off of their breakout Leftoverture album. The song Miracles Out Of Nowhere is one of the masterpieces off the album; one of their best. Hear Miracles Out Of Nowhere on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Wilson Pickett - I'm a Midnight Mover My song pick two years ago today: Beat Crusaders - Slip Out My song pick three years ago today: Boston - The Launch/Cool the Engines My song pick four years ago today: Stratovarius - Dreamspace My song pick five years ago today: Queensrÿche - Promised Land My song pick six years ago today: Ed Bogas & Merl Saunders - The Riot My song pick seven years ago today: J. S. Bach - BWV 870 - Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major , from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book No. 2 My song pick eight years ago today: Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell My song pick nine years ago today: The Spenc...

From: Drastic Measures ; Year: 1983; Genre: Rock Had Kansas on my mind this morning; this early '80s hit still showed they had it. And whilst not equaling their hits of the '70s it's quite a good song in its own right. Hear Fight Fire With Fire on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Johnny Cash - Thanksgiving Prayer My song pick two years ago today: Joe Satriani - Satch Boogie My song pick three years ago today: Fates Warning - One Thousand Fires My song pick four years ago today: Dick Dale - Bandito My song pick five years ago today: Dream Theater - A Nightmare to Remember My song pick six years ago today: Bob Marley & the Wailers - Jamming My song pick seven years ago today: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Crossfire My song pick eight years ago today: 4 Non Blondes - What's Up? My song pick nine years ago today: Jethro Tull - ...And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps

From: Kansas ; Year: 1974; Genre: Progressive Rock/Hard Rock Normally with albums from bands such as Kansas I gravitate towards the longest tracks for some reason and they become my favourites. I do not know why, it just happens; but it's no different with their debut album. This is a great example of a magnum opus from 70's prog/rock: big sound, excellent rhythm, technical music, and deep, powerful lyrical content. Yes, eight minutes of epic awesomeness. Hear Journey from Mariabronn on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe My song pick two years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Takin' Care of Business My song pick three years ago today: Return to Forever - Jungle Waterfall My song pick four years ago today: Midnight Oil - Best of Both Worlds My song pick five years ago today: Northern Kings - Don't Stop Believin' My song pick six years ago today: King Crimson - Thela Hun Ginjeet My song pick...

From: Point of Know Return ; Year: 1977; Genre: Progressive Rock Yesterday I was watching a documentary on the band Kansas and I've had their music on the brain ever since. This one is probably to this day their biggest hit that is almost instantly recognizable to almost anybody, no matter what a person's personal musical preferences. This song is one that has it all in perfect portions; it's musically technical, but also catchy; it's big, but also unobtrusive; and the lyrics are deep, poetic, and philosophical, but almost all people that listen to it find something to they can identify with. Hear Dust in the Wind on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: King Crimson - Red My song pick two years ago today: Sky - March to the Scaffold My song pick three years ago today: Rhapsody of Fire - Holy Thunderforce My song pick four years ago today: Guided by Voices - Everybody Thinks I’m a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking) My song pick five years ago to...

From: Leftoverture ; Year: 1976; Genre: Progressive Rock For no reason whatsoever I felt like listening to this album today; this was one of the singles off the record and while not as great as the main track, it's still an excellent one. Hear What's on My Mind on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Appalachian Snowfall My song pick two years ago today: The Kinks - Dead End Street My song pick three years ago today: Megaherz - Kopfschuss My song pick four years ago today: Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper My song pick five years ago today: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Refugee My song pick six years ago today: Yes - Your Move/All Good People My song pick seven years ago today: King Harvest - Dancing in the Moonlight

From: Point of Know Return ; Year: 1977; Genre: Progressive Rock I have been thinking about picking one from Kansas for a while now; I don't believe that I have picked one of their for quite a while now, so now would be a good time. Anyway, this is one among many great tracks off of their epic Point of Know Return album. This one in particular has great combination of excellent music and lyrics. From what I understand Portrait was written about Albert Einstein. Hear Portrait (He Knew) on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Nightwish - Passion and the Opera My song pick two years ago today: Seven Mary Three - Cumbersome My song pick three years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Let It Ride My song pick four years ago today: Queen - Flash My song pick five years ago today: Joe Cocker - When The Night Comes

831 ( Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son ) I felt like some Progressive Rock today. Carry On Wayward Son is of the songs from the Prog/Rock genre that actually penetrated into the mainstream; it's one of Kansas' most famous hits. This is one of their more fun songs to play along with, mostly due to the distinct melodies and riffs in each section of the song. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a music video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: John Denver - The Eagle and the Hawk My song pick two years ago today: Three Dog Night - Liar +

After Max chose a Kansas song yesterday, I took a look at my list and realized that I had not chosen a song from Kansas in over a year, ( Song 250 ); way too long in my opinion. This music is the sort of stuff that causes most music critics to go insane and their ears to bleed, with symbolic and deep lyrics that would cause a pop music fan's head to explode if he/she tried to understand them; a ten minute opus: aaaaahhhhh, Progressive Rock at its best. Incredible, bombastic, self-indulgent music that is perfect for my mood today. Here is the studio version on YouTube. +

I heard from many individuals as well as from DJs on the radio that Kansas must be one of the most depressing bands in existence. A lot of their music in their catalogue can be a bit depressing at times, but a lot of people can relate to their messages. This song itself is very much in the genre of '70s Progressive Rock and is excellently done. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is the music video on YouTube. +