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

From: Operation: Mindcrime ; Year: 1988; Genre: Progressive Metal Just wot I need to get the blood moving on such a busy day. This one begins side two, which more or less places it in the middle of the story. Musically The Needle Lies is a fast-paced and hard hitting metal track that really compliments the point in the tale where Nikki confronts the nefarious Dr. X and tells him that he and Mary are leaving. He comes to terms with his past as an addict and vows to move on.   Hear The Needle Lies on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Aphrodite's Child - Day of the Fool     My song pick 2 years ago today: Nelson - (Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection   My song pick 3 years ago today: Louis Armstrong - Everybody's Talkin' (Echoes)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way   My song pick 5 years ago today: Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Guess W...

From: Empire (reissue); Year: 1990; Genre: Hard Rock I had not re-visited Queensrÿche or this album in a long time, so I thought I should rectify it. Last Night in Paris originally comes from the motion picture soundtrack from The Adventures of Ford Fairlane , but was later included on reissues of Empire . I vaguely recall the movie, but I do not believe that I ever actually saw it. At least we got a good new song out of it!   Hear Last Time in Paris on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Alive 'N Kickin' - Tighter, Tighter   My song pick 2 years ago today: Sweet - Call Me   My song pick 3 years ago today: Lou Rawls - Groovy People   My song pick 4 years ago today: Marillion - Dry Land   My song pick 5 years ago today: Ray Davies - The Getaway   My song pick 6 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Keep On Chooglin' My song pick 7 years ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Luther the Anthropoid (Ape Man) My s...

From: Operation: Mindcrime ; Year: 1988; Genre: Progressive Rock/Hard Rock Here are a couple of shorties that open the Queensrÿche's epic rock opera or concept album Operation: Mindcrime , together I Remember Now and Anarchy X clock in at just over 2 and 1/2 minutes and act as an "opening scene" and "overture" of the piece respectively. They work excellently for setting the stage for the track Revolution Calling , which is one of the best-known from the record. This is one of the better concept albums in that the story within is quite riveting, especially if you like dystopian science fiction. To be honest, I am a bit surprised that no one has made a film based on it, but I am sure some have been at least inspired by it.   Hear I Remember Now on YouTube. Hear Anarchy X on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Steeleye Span - Bach Goes To Limerick   My song pick 2 years ago today: Funk Factory - Rien Ne Va Plus   My song pick 3 years ago today:...

From: Operation: Mindcrime ; Year: 1988; Genre: Progressive Metal This is a short, but sweet little piece of music that serves as an interlude between bigger pieces. It has such intensity and great vocals that even over a minute in length it's got a lot to listen to.   Hear Electric Requiem on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: HammerFall - Never Forgive, Never Forget   My song pick 2 years ago today: Hall & Oates - Perkiomen My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - North Sea Oil My song pick 4 years ago today: Lakeside - Taboo My song pick 5 years ago today: The Flying Burrito Brothers - Sweet Desert Childhood My song pick 6 years ago today: Cream - Sunshine of Your Love My song pick 7 years ago today: Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit My song pick 8 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Lady Picture Show My song pick 9 years ago today: Ludwid van Beethoven - Op.125 - Symphony No.9 in D-Minor My song pick 10 years ago to...

From: Operation: Mindcrime II ; Year: 2006; Genre: Progressive Rock Speed of Light is one of the songs from this concept album that, in my opinion, works both as part of the story and is still listenable by itself.    Hear Speed of Light on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Lighthouse - Set the Stage   My song pick 2 years ago today: Badfinger - The Dreamer My song pick 3 years ago today: Bad Company - Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy My song pick 4 years ago today: Badfinger - Without You My song pick 5 years ago today: Hank Williams - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry My song pick 6 years ago today: Pat Benatar - Hell is for Children My song pick 7 years ago today: The Headhunters feat. The Pointer Sisters - God Make Me Funky My song pick 8 years ago today: Yes - Beyond & Before My song pick 9 years ago today: Billy Joel - The Downeaster 'Alexa' My song pick 10 years ago today: Oasis - Cast No Shadow My song pick 11 years ago today: N...

From: Empire ; Year: 1990; Genre: Progressive Metal I admit it: I like Queensrÿche's Empire album a lot; in my opinion there are only a very few weak songs on it. Another Rainy Night (Without You) is one I've always liked quite a bit; from the great music to the deep lyrics, it's a great song in my opinion. "Strange how laughter looks like crying with no sound; Raindrops taste like tears without the pain."    Hear Another Rainy Night (Without You) on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Porcupine Tree - Every Home is Wired   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Cranberries - Dreams My song pick 3 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Queen of the Reich My song pick 4 years ago today: The Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination My song pick 5 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Endless Enigma (Part 1)/Fugue/The Endless Enigma (Part 2) My song pick 6 years ago today: Hawkwind - Lost Chances My song pick 7 years ago today: Elto...

From: Operation: Mindcrime ; Year: 1988; Genre: Progressive Metal This album has been on my mind over the last little bit and I thought I'd choose another track from it. I love this entire album the music is just as deep as the lyrics and story line throughout; such an amazing piece of work. Hear The Mission on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: C.W. McCall - Four Wheel Drive My song pick 2 years ago today: Black Sabbath - Neon Knights My song pick 3 years ago today: Savatage - Chance My song pick 4 years ago today: Megadeth - A Secret Place My song pick 5 years ago today: Wings - Live and Let Die My song pick 6 years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Are You Happy? My song pick 7 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Creep My song pick 8 years ago today: The Moog Cookbook - Come Out and Play My song pick 9 years ago today: Hurricane Smith - Oh Babe, What Would You Say? My song pick 10 years ago today: John Cafferty & Th...

From: Take Cover ; Year: 2007; Genre: Hard Rock This is a very interesting cover of the Buffalo Springfield original; I really like the harder rock edge direction they took it in. Hear For What It's Worth on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Marillion - The New Kings My song pick two years ago today: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - K.619 - Die ihr des Unermeßlichen Weltalls My song pick three years ago today: Billy Joel - She's Got a Way My song pick four years ago today: Rick James - Cold Blooded My song pick five years ago today: Primus - Amos Moses My song pick six years ago today: Pink Floyd - Speak to Me/Breathe/On the Run My song pick seven years ago today: Aerosmith - Rag Doll My song pick eight years ago today: John Lennon - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) My song pick nine years ago today: Fuel - Million Miles My song pick ten years ago today: Tom Petty - Runnin' Down A Dream

From: Queensrÿche ; Year: 1983; Genre: Metal/Progressive Metal For a while now I've had early Queensrÿche on my brain. This is, of course, their first song from their debut EP and also the source of the band's namesake. At this point their sound reminds me a lot of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden from that period. Hear Queen of the Reich on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: The Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination My song pick two years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Endless Enigma (Part 1)/Fugue/The Endless Enigma (Part 2) My song pick three years ago today: Hawkwind - Lost Chances My song pick four years ago today: Elton John - Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) My song pick five years ago today: Béla Bartók - BB 52 - String Quartet No. 1 in A minor My song pick six years ago today: Victor Wooten - Us 2 My song pick seven years ago today: The Sons of the Pioneers - Cool Water My song pick eight years ag...

From: Rage for Order ; Year: 1986; Genre: Metal/Progressive Metal Had early Queensrÿche on my mind; decided on choosing one off of their second album for my pick today. I love the drums and the rhythm throughout this song; gives it a feel of some earlier metal bands, but still has that '80s edge. Hear Screaming in Digital on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Canned Heat - Going Up the Country My song pick two years ago today: Jaco Pastorius - Soul Intro/The Chicken My song pick three years ago today: Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells, Part One My song pick four years ago today: Mr. Big - Nobody Left To Blame My song pick five years ago today: Savatage - Somewhere in Time My song pick six years ago today: Rammstein - Links 2-3-4 My song pick seven years ago today: Rammstein - Donaukinder My song pick eight years ago today: U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love) My song pick nine years ago today: The Charlie Daniels Band - Uneasy Rider My song pick ten ye...

From: Empire ; Year: 1990; Genre: Progressive Metal I had this, the title track from Queensrÿche's Empire album on my mind this morning and decided on picking it. Hear Empire on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Pendragon - Fly High, Fall Far My song pick two years ago today: Luther Davis Group - Keep On Dancing My song pick three years ago today: Tarot - Wings of Darkness My song pick four years ago today: John Denver - Shanghai Breezes My song pick five years ago today: Aphrodite's Child - The Beast My song pick six years ago today: Duran Duran - Lonely In Your Nightmare My song pick seven years ago today: Jethro Tull - Dogs in the Midwinter My song pick eight years ago today: John Denver - Season Suite: Late Winter, Early Spring (When Everybody Goes To Mexico) My song pick nine years ago today: César Antonovich Cui - Orientale

From: The Warning ; Year: 1984; Genre: Progressive Metal Was listening to some off of their debut album this morning; as I normally do, I'm picking one from it. Take Hold of the Flame was one of the songs of note from it; which had more of an international following than here in The States. It's neat to hear the band at a more basic sound than wot would go on become one of the premier progressive metal acts. Hear Take Hold of the Flame on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Glenn Frey - Smuggler's Blues My song pick two years ago today: Weather Report - Predator My song pick three years ago today: Joni Mitchell - Hejira My song pick four years ago today: Dream Theater - Under a Glass Moon My song pick five years ago today: Pearl Jam - Light Years My song pick six years ago today: Band of Horses - Factory My song pick seven years ago today: Rush - Freewill My song pick eight years ago today: R.E.M. - Stand My song pick nine years ago today: ...

From: Operation: Mindcrime II ; Year: 2006; Genre: Progressive Metal Been meaning to pick a song from 'Mindcrime II for well over a week now; I finally don't have another track coming to mind to get in the way, or so it would seem. Anyway, this one comes later within the story in the concept album and is very much heavier lyrically and emotionally with some great music as you'd expect from Queensrÿche. Hear If I Could Change it All on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Kleeer - You Got Me Rockin' My song pick two years ago today: Nocturnal Rites - Test of Time My song pick three years ago today: Deborah Harry and Robin Zander - Send Love Through My song pick four years ago today: Megaherz - Jagdzeit My song pick five years ago today: Alabama - Mountain Music My song pick six years ago today: Boston - Higher Power My song pick seven years ago today: Fire Bomber (Hummingbird) - Seventh Moon My song pick eight years ago today: Crabby Ap...

From: Operation: Mindcrime ; Year: 1988; Genre: Progressive Metal Today is my last pick of March, tomorrow will be the start of a new month. I had some Queesrÿche on my mind and thought I would pick one. This is one of the more popular tracks off the the hit concept album Operation: Mindcrime . Hear Speak on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Beach Boys - God Only Knows My song pick two years ago today: Hawkwind - Living on a Knife Edge My song pick three years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Graveyard Train My song pick four years ago today: Sethian - Blood Calling My song pick five years ago today: Azteca - You Can't Take The Funk Out Of Me My song pick six years ago today: Bryan Adams - Run To You

From: Operation: Mindcrime ; Year: 1988; Genre: Progressive Metal I felt like picking another from Queensrÿche this morning to start out another workweek; their music is always great to help get you ready from another week of the rat race. Anyway, this is a great track among many from their Mindcrime album. Hear Breaking the Silence on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Aerosmith - Jaded My song pick two years ago today: Blind Faith - Had to Cry Today My song pick three years ago today: Jethro Tull - By Kind Permission Of My song pick four years ago today: Peter Gabriel - Down To Earth My song pick five years ago today: Edgar Winter Group - Free Ride My song pick six years ago today: Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee

From: Operation: Mindcrime ; Year: 1988; Genre: Progressive Metal I felt like listening to some Queensrÿche today; of course Operation: Mindcrime is one of my favourites, so I gravitated more to it than some of the others. While it's not the best track on the album, in my opinion it is one of the more pivotal song in the story told throughout Operation: Mindcrime . Hear Spreading the Disease on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Fates Warning - Monument My song pick two years ago today: Rush - Alien Shore My song pick three years ago today: Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town My song pick four years ago today: Bon Jovi - My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms My song pick five years ago today: Three Dog Night - An Old Fashioned Love Song

From: Dedicated to Chaos ; Year: 2011; Genre: Progressive Metal I only have a couple of more days until my song pick number goes past coinciding with past years; I am unsure if I am going to be picking a song released in 2013 since the year is only just over a month in and thus not much music has been released. We'll have to see. Anyway, here's my pick for 2011 from Queensrÿche's most recent album: Dedicated to Chaos . I have to say I was definitely interested is hearing the album once I knew of its existence, but after hearing a bit of it I am unsure. To be frank, other than Geoff Tate's vocals, it really does not sound like the Queensrÿche I remember. Unless it grows on me this will remain my least favourite of their albums, but this is one of the better songs on the album, and a pretty good one. Hear At The Edge on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Rock Is My Life, and This Is My Song My song pick two years ago...

From: Hear in the Now Frontier ; Year: 1997; Genre: Progressive Metal I have to admit, even though I'm a fairly big fan of the band, I haven't yet heard this album before today. It is interesting to hear such a stripped-back sounding Queensrÿche; with that being said, however, they at least didn't stray too far from their progressive metal sounds. Hear Sign of the Times on YouTube. Here is a live performance circa '97 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Don McLean - Vincent My song pick two years ago today: Eric Burdon and War - Spill the Wine My song pick three years ago today: Supertramp - School My song pick four years ago today: Steely Dan - Do It Again +

1687 Queensrÿche - Promised Land From: Promised Land , Year: 1994 Genre: Progressive Metal I was listening to a bunch of Queensrÿche today and thought I would pick another one of their songs to close out this weekend. This is the title track off of their '94 album Promised Land. It's rather pretty and dark at the same time; I absolutely love it. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Ed Bogas & Merl Saunders - The Riot My song pick two 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 three years ago today: Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell My song pick four years ago today: The Spencer Davis Group - Give Me Some Lovin' +

1651 Queensrÿche - Jet City Woman From: Empire , Year: 1990 Genre: Progressive Metal I notice that these weekend picks seem to always be later in the day; I should try getting them in sooner. Anyway, I was messing around with this song today on my bass; I hadn't played it in ages, so it was fun getting re-acquainted with it again. Even though this is one of their more mainstream offerings, it still is an awesome record and song. I think I've said it before in other posts, but Empire was one of the first albums I'd bought on the Compact Disc format. This song in particular is an incredible driving song; I remember driving to Empire a lot in my Datsun Z, which also coincidentally was the first car I owned equipped with a CD player. At times if I wasn't paying attention my foot got heaver when this track came on; there were some times when I ended up doing well over 100 while it was playing. Now that brings back some fun memories! Watch the music video on YouTube. Here i...