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

From: Counterparts ; Year: 1993; Genre: Hard Rock With this I will have picked every track from Counterparts ; not a surprise though in any sense.   Hear The Speed of Love on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Rush - For What It's Worth     My song pick 2 years ago today: Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way     My song pick 3 years ago today: Glass Hammer - The Conflict   My song pick 4 years ago today: Van Der Graaf Generator - Scorched Earth   My song pick 5 years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - I Can Feel It In My Bones   My song pick 6 years ago today: Return to Forever - Interplay   My song pick 7 years ago today: Hawkwind - Arioch My song pick 8 years ago today: Elvis Presley - All Shook Up My song pick 9 years ago today: Deep Purple - Never Before My song pick 10 years ago today: Ex Deo - Cruor Nostri Abbas My song pick 11 years ago today: Hawkwind - Be Yourself My song pick 12 years ago toda...

From: Snakes & Arrows ; Year: 2007; Genre: Folk Rock After watching some recent interviews with the two surviving members of the band I thought that I would revisit Snakes & Arrows once again. Still, it is difficult for me to comprehend that Neil Peart is gone... but a least Alex and Geddy are about to embark on a tour with Anika Nilles filling in on drums. Anyway, this is one of the three instrumental songs on this record and, if I remember correctly, when I saw them live for their tour promoting it, it was one of a handful of tracks they'd play whilst Neil rested after one of his epic drum solos. Whilst being a brief piece, Alex Lifeson, on his 12-string guitar really plays his heart out on it.   Hear Hope on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Grateful Dead - Shakedown Street     My song pick 2 years ago today: Boston - To Be a Man   My song pick 3 years ago today: George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars - T.A.P.O.A....

From: Feedback ; Year: 2004; Genre: Blues Rock/Hard Rock I cannot even begin to count the amount of times I have said "I thought for sure I picked this song already" or something similar, but I am stating that once again and probably will many more times.... Had this album of cover songs from Rush on my mind and had another track in mind, however, when I noticed this one was not chosen as of yet, I jumped at it. This is of course a cover of pure piece of Americana music as deep into the very soul of it as it gets. Originally written and recorded by the great musical titan Robert Johnson back in the 1930s and played, recorded, inspired and loved by Bluesmen, Blueswomen, and every musician who plays music even slightly related to that foundational genre. Rush's cover though, is a direct cover of the classic hard blues rock rendition by Cream. Whilst it is a great cover and the musicianship and overall ability is out-of-this-world by Peart, Lifeson, and Lee, in my personal ...

From: Test for Echo ; Year: 1996; Genre: Progressive Rock Thought I would pick another off of this often overlooked album from the band Rush. Definitely not their best material or songs, but better than many other band's best offerings and worth a listen every now and then.   Hear Half the World on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Innocent Bystanders - Winston     My song pick 2 years ago today: Van Halen - Eruption/You Really Got Me   My song pick 3 years ago today: Fear Factory featuring Gary Numan - Cars   My song pick 4 years ago today: UB40 - (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - High Water   My song pick 6 years ago today: Amnesty - Can I Help You?   My song pick 7 years ago today: Bad Company - Shake It Up My song pick 8 years ago today: Rush - Turn the Page My song pick 9 years ago today: The Nice - Azrial (Angel of Death) My song pick 10 years ago to...

From: Feedback ; Year: 2004; Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Hard Rock Surprised once more about a song that I thought I had already picked. This is the often-covered protest song originally done by Buffalo Springfield and written by Stephen Stills. The iconic power trio of Rush did an amazing job on this one keeping the original soul when they, without a doubt, could've just pushed it too far with their extreme abilities as musicians. However, this entire album was more of a tribute to songs that meant something deep to them when they were young musicians.   Hear For What It's Worth on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way     My song pick 2 years ago today: Glass Hammer - The Conflict   My song pick 3 years ago today: Van Der Graaf Generator - Scorched Earth   My song pick 4 years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - I Can Feel It In My Bones   My song pick 5 years ago today: Return to Forever - Interp...

From: Rush ; Year: 1974; Genre: Hard Rock I dunno, just felt like some more Rush... this is the only studio album from the band to not feature lyricist/drummer Neil Peart and instead featured John Rutsey, who would soon be replaced by the fore-mentioned Peart. I have always liked the full-on rawness and youthful energy on this record. You could tell they had not yet found their way, but had already started the journey that would lead them there.     Hear Take a Friend on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Kenny Loggins - I'm Alright     My song pick 2 years ago today: Night Ranger - Don't Tell Me You Love Me   My song pick 3 years ago today: Argent - Chained   My song pick 4 years ago today: Camel - Manic   My song pick 5 years ago today: Tom Rapp - The Swimmer (for Kurt Cobain)   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rare Earth - Born to Wander My song pick 7 years ago today: The Byrds - I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better ...

From: Test for Echo ; Year: 1996; Genre: Hard Rock/Progressive Rock Still, even five years on it is still difficult to believe that Neil Peart passed away and thus the ending of Rush. I remember that Test for Echo was essentially a possible final album for the group after the losses Neil Peart went through. They did eventually come back and went on to make more music and endless shows up until his death. However there's no possibility of a comeback and apparently Lee and Lifeson are only working sporadically since. Anyway, this poignant track is one of my favourites from this overall "less liked" album. I just love the immediate energy you get from the first few notes of Alex's guitar; when Neil and Geddy kick in it just pushes on to that amazing, raw power trio sound they were famous for.   Hear The Colour of Right on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Paul Revere & The Raiders - Steppin' Out     My song pick 2 years ago today: Blue...

From: Presto ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock It is kind of interesting to think actually how few songs the band Rush actually recorded; Presto being the only 1980s records that has songs that I have yet to choose. Each of their albums from this period seemed to have only 6 to 11 songs per and there were only seven studio albums during the decade, and this is when they started having shorter tracks. Anyway, as with what many have criticisms of Presto , Available Light is less "progressive and/or hard rock," but still a very good song.   Hear Available Light on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The O'Jays - For the Love of Money   My song pick 2 years ago today: R.E.O. Speedwagon - Time For Me to Fly   My song pick 3 years ago today: Hammerfall - And Yet I Smile   My song pick 4 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Only Way (Hymn)   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Tubes - She's a Beauty My song pick 6 years ago tod...

From: Roll the Bones ; Year: 1991; Genre: Hard Rock Part of me will always have a soft spot for Roll the Bones ; when I first got the album it was one of my most disliked from their catalogue. However, it grew on me and since the band's breakup and Neil Peart's far too young passing I am clinging onto what I have left of their music I suppose. For me personally it will always mark the end of their '80s period musically that frankly I grew up with and have fond memories thereof. Anyway, this is one of the deeper cuts from it, and whilst not as good as the more popular songs, there's a lot of great rush musicianship to make up for any shortcomings. Now, I just wish they would've had more unreleased tracks from their catalogue, but alas that was not the way they operated apparently.   Hear Face Up on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jigsaw - Baby Don't Do It   My song pick 2 years ago today: Clifford Brown and Max Roach - Sandu   My song pick 3 ...

From: Vapor Trails ; Year: 2002; Genre: Hard Rock/Progressive Rock Whilst still not even close to my favourite album and song from Rush, I have to say that I've been really enjoying it more in its remastered state. Being able to hear all the individual drums, instruments and vocals clearly makes the travesty that was the distorted and flat sounding mastering on the original CD sound like a completely different album. Anyway, I thought that I would revisit Vapour Trails once again with this track; while not the crown jewel by any means, it's a pretty good offering from the band.   Hear Peaceable Kingdom on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Screams   My song pick 2 years ago today: Alice in Chains - Dam That River   My song pick 3 years ago today: Funkadelic - Good Old Music   My song pick 4 years ago today: Vixen - Tangerine My song pick 5 years ago today: 3 Inches of Blood - 4000 Torches My song pick 6 years ago to...

From: Rush: The Broadcast Archives ; Year: 2018 (1974); Genre: Hard Rock/Metal Here's a rarer track from one of my top favourite bands; it has a sound that of the early heavy metal of the era you'd hear from bands like Black Sabbath and their ilk; kind of unique that way. Apparently it was one of a few songs of theirs that never got recorded in the studio, or at least never released. Whatever the case, it's a great example of their earlier, raw sound.   Hear Garden Road on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - May I Have a Talk With You   My song pick 2 years ago today: ZZ Top - Legs   My song pick 3 years ago today: Primus - Eclectic Electric   My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - Trombipulation My song pick 5 years ago today: The Alan Parsons Project - Silence and I My song pick 6 years ago today: Wall of Voodoo - Ring of Fire My song pick 7 years ago today: John Dowland - Time Stands St...

From: Roll the Bones ; Year: 1991; Genre: Rock Just felt like putting this album from one of my top favourite bands on today. Definitely not their best work, this song is a nice track to close out the disc; a nice cool down piece.   Hear You Bet Your Life on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Youngbloods - Get Together   My song pick 2 years ago today: Heart - Never   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Nice - Country Pie/Brandenburg Concerto No. 6   My song pick 4 years ago today: Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway My song pick 5 years ago today: Stanley Clarke - Opening (Statement)/He Lives On (Story About the Last Journey of a Warrior) My song pick 6 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Spacebase My song pick 7 years ago today: ABBA - Two for the Price of One My song pick 8 years ago today: Grateful Dead - Dire Wolf My song pick 9 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Queen and Country My song pick 10 years ago today: Stee...

From: Test for Echo ; Year: 1996; Genre: Progressive Rock Over the last few years I have been making a concerted effort to listen to and allow Test for Echo to grow on me. Resist has become one of my favourite songs on the album; it's just quite a pretty track, but still with that heavier edge Rush does. Dang, it's still difficult to believe that Neil Peart is dead and that Rush is basically over; I just wish there was more music of theirs, however, there are still some gems hidden in plain sight like this one.   Hear Resist on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Heart - The Oldest Story in the World   My song pick 2 years ago today: Cream - Sitting on Top of the World   My song pick 3 years ago today: Van Der Graaf Generator - Forever Falling   My song pick 4 years ago today: Genesis - Behind the Lines My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - Emotion Detector My song pick 6 years ago today: Al Di Meola - The Wizard My song pick 7 yea...

From: Fly By Night ; Year: 1975; Genre: Progressive Rock Guess I'll be choosing the last track from this nice record, since, of course, I have already picked all of the others from it. Rivendell is the least raucous song on the album and is the only one to not have bass or drums present and instead is acoustic 12 and 6 string guitars and Geddy Lee's vocals in wot is essentially a ballad that is about the elvish enclave in J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpieces The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels; how awesomely nerdy is that?   Hear Rivendell on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Carmen - Fandangos in Space   My song pick 2 years ago today: Harlequin - You Are The Light   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ozric Tentacles - Magick Valley   My song pick 4 years ago today: Elton John - Crocodile Rock My song pick 5 years ago today: Mr. Bungle - Quote Unquote (Travolta) My song pick 6 years ago today: Jane's Addiction - Stop! My song pick...

From: Presto ; Year: 1989; Genre: Progressive Rock Needed to listen to some '80s Rush again today and thought I'd choose another one for my blog as well. After going over wot I have already chosen from the band, (being that they are one of my top five favourite musical artists), I knew the pickin's of what was left that I had not added yet to my list would be scarce, however, I apparently had not posted about this gem of a song yet, so I will. Anyway, the overall bluesy feel combined with their late 1980s prog sound does make this one sound a bit different, especially good if you're looking for something you would not normally hear from Rush.   Hear Chain Lightning on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Yertle The Turtle   My song pick 2 years ago today: Ian Anderson - In Maternal Grace   My song pick 3 years ago today: Simon & Garfunkel - I Am a Rock   My song pick 4 years ago today: .38 Special - Stone Cold Bel...

From: Snakes & Arrows ; Year: 2007; Genre: Progressive Rock I cannot remember exactly how long it has been since I chose a song from Rush, who is one of my top favourite bands, so I guess I should once more. For me, Spindrift is one of the better songs on this album for Neil Peart's drum fills; I'm still amazed at how much those little accents add to the track.   Hear Spindrift on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Rush - Secret Touch   My song pick 2 years ago today: Megadeth - Never Walk Alone... A Call To Arms   My song pick 3 years ago today: Triumph - Follow Your Heart   My song pick 4 years ago today: Harlequin - Survive My song pick 5 years ago today: Mr. Bungle - My Ass Is On Fire My song pick 6 years ago today: Mike + The Mechanics - All I Need is a Miracle My song pick 7 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Ramble On My song pick 8 years ago today: Cream - I Feel Free My song pick 9 year ago today: Eddie Lang - Pickin'...

From: Counterparts ; Year: 1993; Genre: Progressive Rock Been rather busy the last few days and I have been hearing music from this album somewhat frequently whilst driving. This one continues in that compact epic, (prog/rock songs with a story that is less than 5-mimutes in length), that they've been known for since the early 1980s.   Hear Cold Fire on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Molly Hatchet - Miss Saturday Night   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Who - Who Are You   My song pick 3 years ago today: Gentle Giant - His Last Voyage My song pick 4 years ago today: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - The Waiting My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - Marathon My song pick 6 years ago today: Devo - Beautiful World My song pick 7 years ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - E-Man Boogie My song pick 8 years ago today: Yes - The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be My song pick 9 years ago today: Soundgarden - Non-State Actor My song ...

From: Vapor Trails ; Year: 2002; Genre: Hard Rock/Progressive Rock Revisiting Rush's album Vapor Trails once again and I was surprised I had not chosen this one yet; it's one of my favourites from the record. I absolutely love the hard-hitting and very musical nature of this song; it embodies what I like about the band.   Hear Secret Touch on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Megadeth - Never Walk Alone... A Call To Arms   My song pick 2 years ago today: Triumph - Follow Your Heart   My song pick 3 years ago today: Harlequin - Survive My song pick 4 years ago today: Mr. Bungle - My Ass Is On Fire My song pick 5 years ago today: Mike + The Mechanics - All I Need is a Miracle My song pick 6 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Ramble On My song pick 7 years ago today: Cream - I Feel Free My song pick 8 year ago today: Eddie Lang - Pickin' My Way My song pick 9 years ago today: Sergei Rachmaninoff - Op. 27 - Symphony No. 2 My song pick ...

From: Presto ; Year: 1989; Genre: Progressive Rock Had this album on my mind today and I thought I would choose another song off of it. There's a lot of great music to be had on this record; I don't really know why it gets so much static from people. While not their best album by any measure it's better than a lot of other artists' best in my opinion. This is one of the tracks I've always liked off of it; I really love that bass line.   Hear Hand Over Fist on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Wild Turkey - Gentle Rain My song pick 2 years ago today: Eddie Money - Walk on Water My song pick 3 years ago today: Dayton Sidewinders - Go Ahead On My song pick 4 years ago today: Victor Wooten - I Saw God My song pick 5 years ago today: Melvins - A History of Bad Men My song pick 6 years ago today: Wild Turkey - Ballad of Chuck Stallion and the Mustangs My song pick 7 years ago today: Nick Gilder - Here Comes the Night My song pick 8 year...

From: Counterparts ; Year: 1993; Genre: Hard Rock More of a straight-up hard rocker than the progressive material many would probably think of when you think of the band, which is kind of the main idea of this album for the most part.    Hear Cut to the Chase on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Funkadelic - Tales of Kidd Funkadelic (Opusdelite Years)   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Moody Blues - No More Lies My song pick 3 years ago today: 3 Inches of Blood - Wykydtron My song pick 4 years ago today: Deep Purple - Call of the Wild My song pick 5 years ago today: The Lively Ones - Surf Rider My song pick 6 years ago today: The Rhythm Machine - You Got Action, You Got Me My song pick 7 years ago today: Megadeth - Liar My song pick 8 years ago today: Weather Report - Second Sunday in August My song pick 9 years ago today: AC/DC - Thunderstruck My song pick 10 years ago today: Victor Wooten - Norwegian Wood My song pick ...