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

From: Santana IV ; Year: 2016; Genre: Chicano Rock/Latin Rock Discovered this one-off record that featured almost all of the surviving members from the early period of Santana: Santana III and prior. This includes Carlos Santana (of course), Neal Schon, Gregg Rolie, Michael Shrieve, and Mike Carabello; the rest of the lineup was completed by current members of the band. I really like this classic sound all around, it really takes you back to those revered songs we all love from the band. The only niggling criticism that I personally have is that the sound is overproduced and too clean; it would've been better to reuse older studio equipment and recording techniques in my personal opinion.    Hear Leave Me Alone on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - Back to the Family     My song pick 2 years ago today: Klaatu - Hope   My song pick 3 years ago today: Midnight Oil - We Resist   My song pick 4 years ago today: T...

From: Ritchie Valens ; Year: 1959; Genre: Rock 'n Roll/Chicano Rock I had some other songs in mind for today, but thought I should pick something apropos for Cinco de Mayo . Although, I am feeling more than a bit sheepish with this obvious pick. Don't get me wrong, I love Ritchie Valens and his music a lot, just wish I could think of something deeper so to speak; oh well. Anyway, this is one of the most famous non-English songs to grace the U.S. charts and is still played and sung around the world since. Originally it was a traditional Mexican folk tune with many 1000s of verses written and ad-libed over the centuries since its conception, which makes it an amazing party tune. And since Ritchie Valens made it so popular, no matter wot language you speak it is fun for all.   Hear La Bamba on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Coasters - The Deodorant Song   My song pick 2 years ago today: Barrabás - Wild Safari   My song pick 3 years ago t...

From: By the Light of the Moon ; Year: 1987; Genre: Latin Rock Kind of a downer, socially conscious track, but not preachy or extreme, but at least it finishes with a good ending/call to action.    Hear The Mess We're In on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Ultravox - Visions in Blue   My song pick 2 years ago today: Miami Sound Machine - Bad Boy   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Northern Pikes - She Ain't Pretty   My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - Wizard of Finance   My song pick 5 years ago today: ABBA - Super Trouper   My song pick 6 years ago today: Pallas - Ghost My song pick 7 years ago today: UB40 - Here I Am (Come and Take Me) My song pick 8 years ago today: The Charlie Daniels Band - Long Haired Country Boy My song pick 9 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Lodi My song pick 10 years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - All I Can Do Is Write About It My song pick 11 years ago toda...

From: War ; Year: 1971; Genre: Soul/Blues Rock/Jazz Fusion When one of their songs came on while driving this morning it just put me in a better mood, which was without a doubt needed. They are one of those bands that seems to almost always have something positive and uplifting about their material; this beautiful bluesy soul instrumental included.   Hear Vibeka on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Spacehog - Only a Few   My song pick 2 years ago today: Duran Duran - New Religion   My song pick 3 years ago today: T. Rex - Dandy in the Underworld   My song pick 4 years ago today: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough   My song pick 5 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Phase I   My song pick 6 years ago today: Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell My song pick 7 years ago today: Dire Straits - Heavy Fuel My song pick 8 years ago today: The Doobie Brothers - Black Water My song pick 9 years ago today: The...

From: Why Can't We Be Friends? ; Year: 1975; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion/Latin Rock Closing out a very, very busy week with this four piece medley: Leroy's Latin Lament , which consists of the sub-songs: 1. Lonnie Dreams , 2. The Way We Feel , 3. La Fiesta , and 4. Lament . Interesting though, with it being a multi sectioned track, it is only just over six minutes in length and the third longest on the record, but make no mistake, there is a lot of music going on in this one in a few varying styles that fuse together to make a stunning piece.   Hear Leroy's Latin Lament on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Porcupine Tree - Strip the Soul   My song pick 2 years ago today: Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road   My song pick 3 years ago today: Return to Forever - Majestic Dance   My song pick 4 years ago today: Manfred Mann's Earth Band - As Above So Below   My song pick 5 years ago today: Parliament - P Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) My song...

From: Azteca ; Year: 1972; Genre: Latin Rock/Jazz Fusion Here is a great tune from the brothers Escovedo and their post-Santana band of amazing musical talent, Azteca, which does not get the attention it rightly deserves.    Hear Peace Everybody on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Midnight Oil - Too Much Sunshine   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Nothing Lasts   My song pick 3 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Box in my Head   My song pick 4 years ago today: King Harvest - A Little Bit Like Magic   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Temptations - My Girl My song pick 6 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Mysticum Arabicola My song pick 7 years ago today: Billy Idol - White Wedding My song pick 8 years ago today: Bruce Hornsby and the Range - The Valley Road My song pick 9 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Get Off of My Cloud My song pick 10 years ago today: Rick James - She Blew My Min...

From: Enter the Heart ; Year: 1998; Genre: Flamenco/Flamenco Rock Yesterday whilst entering the freeway this track came on; it was the perfect song at the exact perfect time.... I don't know wot it is about flamenco and all of its subgenres, but it immediately gets me in one of those great moods and if I happen to be behind the wheel of a car, my right foot gets real heavy; like it feels as if it is made out of dark matter.    Hear Flamenco Wind on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Reunion - A Brighter Day   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Guess Who? - Guess I'll Find a Place   My song pick 3 years ago today: Klaatu - Maybe I'll Move to Mars   My song pick 4 years ago today: Journey - Just the Same Way   My song pick 5 years ago today: Graham Central Station - Mirror My song pick 6 years ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Little Wing My song pick 7 years ago today: The Cosmic Sound Orchestra - Movin' Groovin' My ...

From: Caravanserai ; Year: 1972; Genre: Jazz Fusion Such a neat atmospheric intro/prelude instrumental that starts off this quite unique album from Santana. I really like the way the instruments work together in a very beautiful manner with none of them taking to outshine another; each is an integral piece keeping that ethereal groove going.   Hear Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Weather Report - River People   My song pick 2 years ago today: Audioslave - Until We Fall   My song pick 3 years ago today: Gloryhammer - Power of the Laser Dragon Fire   My song pick 4 years ago today: Ian Anderson - Cold Dead Reckoning (2044)   My song pick 5 years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Good Rockin' My song pick 6 years ago today: Carmen - Bullfight My song pick 7 years ago today: The Outfield - Say It Isn't So My song pick 8 years ago today: Quarterflash - Take Me To Heart My song pick 9 years ago today:...

From: Why Can't We Be Friends? ; Year: 1975; Genre: Latin Rock/Rock/R&B No other reason to choose this track; without a doubt I adore the band, this record and all the songs contained within. This, the opening song, has that great mellow sound with that beautiful Latin rhythm, which, along with the encouraging subject matter, makes it a nice one to have on in almost any situation.   Hear Don't Let No One Get You Down on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues   My song pick 2 years ago today: Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Coming Home)   My song pick 3 years ago today: Pallas - The Alien Messiah   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Beach Boys - Your Summer Dream My song pick 5 years ago today: Blue Cheer - Rock Me Baby My song pick 6 years ago today: The Byrds - So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star My song pick 7 years ago today: The Chi-Lites - Stoned Out of My Mind My song pick 8 years ago today: ...

From: Wild Safari ; Year: 1971; Genre: Latin Rock/Funk Felt like going somewhere I've not gone before for my pick this Friday; this Spanish band. It's exactly wot I needed; that unique funky Latin rhythm just fit.   Hear Wild Safari on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The First Class - Beach Baby   My song pick 2 years ago today: Weather Report - Five Short Stories   My song pick 3 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Death Valley Nights   My song pick 4 years ago today: Ray Stevens - The Streak My song pick 5 years ago today: Faith No More - Sunny Side Up My song pick 6 years ago today: Parliament - Do That Stuff My song pick 7 years ago today: Primus - Eyes of the Squirrel My song pick 8 years ago today: Jethro Tull - A Gift or Roses My song pick 9 years ago today: Paris - Starcage My song pick 10 years ago today: Soundgarden - Big Dumb Sex My song pick 11 years ago today: King Crimson - Cirkus, Including: Entry of the C...

From: Santana III ; Year: 1971; Genre: Latin Rock/Jazz Fusion Happened to hear some of Santana's music the other day; it also felt like a perfect day to choose another one of their songs. If you like hearing virtuosity across the board, then this song and album are right up your alley so to speak. No One to Depend On shows how Santana at this point in time was like a well-built machine with each part doing their own job to a high level of competence to make an amazing piece to music.   Hear No One to Depend On on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Tightrope   My song pick 2 years ago today: Carmen - Por Tarantos   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Guess Who - Runnin' Down the Street My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention – B3M) My song pick 5 years ago today: The Alan Parsons Project - Sirius/Eye in the Sky My song pick 6 years ago today: 30 Seconds to Mars - N...

From: How Will the Wolf Survive? ; Year: 1984; Genre: Latin Rock/Blues Rock This is yet another band that I like that I have yet to choose a song from for my list. For me, their music back from the '80s is just excellent and the best time for the band's music in my opinion, although I have yet to hear their newest releases, so, we'll just stick an asterisk there for now.    Hear Will the Wolf Survive on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Sylvia - You're a Legend In Your Own Mind   My song pick 2 years ago today: Marillion - The Carol of the Bells   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Pogues - Fairytale of New York My song pick 4 years ago today: Victor Wooten - Zenergy My song pick 5 years ago today: S.M.V. - Classical Thump (Jam) My song pick 6 years ago today: Vangelis - Chariots of Fire - Titles My song pick 7 years ago today: Chet Atkins - Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) My song pick 8 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Forever Yo...

From: Caravanserai ; Year: 1972; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Latin Rock Caravanserai is still one of my favourites from Santana. This song is a little bit more in the wheelhouse of the regular Santana sound compared to the other tracks on the album. I really like the use of the Hammond Organ as the second lead instrument; it makes the song sound quite excellent.   Hear Song of the Wind on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Elton John - Jamaica Jerk-Off   My song pick 2 years ago today: Jimmy Castor - Amazon My song pick 3 years ago today: April Wine - Enough is Enough My song pick 4 years ago today: Faith No More - Falling to Pieces My song pick 5 years ago today: The Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches My song pick 6 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler My song pick 7 years ago today: The Five Stairsteps - O-o-o Child My song pick 8 years ago today: The Delgados - Mr. Blue Sky My song pick 9 years ago tod...

From: Azteca ; Year: 1972; Genre: Latin Rock/Progressive Rock/Jazz Fusion I had Azteca on my mind since yesterday; thought I'd make a Funky Friday pick with one of their songs. Whilst not totally a funk track, this one has a lot in it along with varying sections and all that great Latin Jazz and rock. Hear Non Pacem on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: The Zombies - Beechwood Park My song pick 2 years ago today: Three Dog Night - The Loner My song pick 3 years ago today: Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Babies My song pick 4 years ago today: Live - Lightning Crashes My song pick 5 years ago today: Duran Duran - The Reflex My song pick 6 years ago today: Savatage - The Storm My song pick 7 years ago today: John Dowland - In Darkness We Dwell My song pick 8 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - I Love the Night My song pick 9 years ago today: The Byrds - Eight Miles High My song pick 10 years ago today: Wings - Band on the Run My song pick 11 years ago toda...

From: Santana ; Year: 1969; Genre: Latin Rock/Jazz Fusion The other day I happened upon a Santana concert on the television; got the band back into my mind. This is, I believe, their biggest hit from their debut album and immediately noticeable to anyone who's listened to the radio in the last 45+ years. I absolutely love the incredible playing from all the band members throughout this one. Hear Evil Ways on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Gerry Rafferty - The Tourist My song pick two years ago today: Loudness - Let It Go My song pick three years ago today: Carmen - She Flew Across the Room My song pick four years ago today: California Guitar Trio - Ghost Riders on the Storm My song pick five years ago today: Al Di Meola and Steve Vai - Race with the Devil on Turkish Highway My song pick six years ago today: Nightwish - Beauty of the Beast My song pick seven years ago today: L'Arc~en~Ciel - Spirit Dreams Inside My song pick eight years ago to...

From: Los Lonely Boys ; Year: 2004; Genre: Latin Rock I had this one pop on my playlist yesterday; it was the perfect song to put me into a better mood. It's difficult to believe that this song is over a decade old; it doesn't seem that long. Hear Heaven on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders - Louise My song pick two years ago today: .38 Special - Hold On Loosely My song pick three years ago today: Deep Purple - Anthem My song pick four years ago today: Billy Joel - You May Be Right My song pick five years ago today: Jethro Tull - Songs From the Wood My song pick six years ago today: Jethro Tull - Crew Nights My song pick seven years ago today: The Guess Who - These Eyes My song pick eight years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare for the Common Man My song pick nine years ago today: The Kinks - Do It Again My song pick ten years ago today: The Guess Who - Hang On To Your Life

From: Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Original Soundtrack , Year: 2010; Genre: Latin Rock/Surf Rock Halloween again... I suppose I should pick something appropriate; this is one of the first ones that came to mind, so I'm picking it. This was the final track off the Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Soundtrack and is another spooky surf rock track; great music for the atmosphere. Hear Stinking Zombies on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Helloween - Halloween My song pick two years ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Dracula Parts 1 & 2 My song pick three years ago today: Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers - The Monster Mash My song pick four years ago today: Kreeps - Dead Men Walking My song pick five years ago today: Dick Dale - Riders In the Sky My song pick six years ago today: Andrew Gold - Spooky, Scary Skeletons My song pick seven years ago today: Rammstein - Mein Teil My song pick eight years ago today: Rus...

From: Pyramid of the Moon ; Year: 1973; Genre: Latin Rock/Funk/Jazz Fusion Another Funky Friday pick upon me today. I felt like picking some funk with some Latin flair; Azteca is always one that fits that bill for me and then some. The unique musicality of this band and song has always been a main draw; so many different sounds and shadings combining to make such a great, remarkable sound. Hear A New Day on the Rise on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Evil Woman My song pick two years ago today: The Main Ingredient - Everybody Plays the Fool My song pick three years ago today: Bee Gees - I Started a Joke My song pick four years ago today: Nocturnal Rites - Fools Never Die My song pick five years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Can You Handle It? My song pick six years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Fool in the Rain My song pick seven years ago today: Styx - Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) M...

From: Pyramid of the Mood ; Year: 1973; Genre: Latin Rock/Jazz For the first time in a while I started out my day without having a song on my mind, so instead I decided on picking one from a favourite band of mine that I haven't apparently chosen one from in a few years: Azteca . This is one of the most upbeat tracks on the album with incredible horn and rhythm sections; of course Neal Schon's guitar playing is as good as always. Hear Red Onions on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Dream Theater - The Looking Glass My song pick two years ago today: Deep Purple - Hush My song pick three years ago today: Paris - Big Towne, 2061 My song pick four years ago today: Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You My song pick five years ago today: Alan Menken and Howard Ashman - Feed Me (Git It) (From: Little Shop of Horrors ) My song pick six years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Who'll Stop The Rain My song pick seven years ago today:...

From: Why Can't We Be Friends? ; Year: 1974; Genre: Funk/Latin Rock Today is my 44th consecutive Funky Friday in a row; it's kind of strange, but I'm now edging up on 2600 songs picked and I haven't chosen War's seminal hit Low Rider yet; I must remedy that immediately. Everyone knows this one; so sit back and enjoy the grooves. Hear Low Rider in a video clip on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Midnight Oil - Truganini My song pick two years ago today: The Nightwatchman - I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night My song pick three years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Childlike Faith In Childhood's End My song pick four years ago today: Billie Holiday - Gloomy Sunday My song pick five years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra - Ticket To The Moon My song pick six years ago today: ABBA - So Long