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

From: Graham Central Station ; Year: 1974; Genre: Funk/Gospel/Soul Funky Friday once more, and wot a better way to mark it that with something from Larry Graham and his amazing band. This is a slow and gritty gospel funk track that does it so well some might say it crosses into a Spiritual . This one definitely has a great groove and rhythm as well, so it will probably transfix listeners in various ways.    Hear Ghetto on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Beach Boys - When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Jelly Jelly     My song pick 3 years ago today: Alice Cooper - Rock & Roll   My song pick 4 years ago today: Grand Funk Railroad - Nothing Is The Same   My song pick 5 years ago today: Helloween - Ride the Sky   My song pick 6 years ago today: Funkadelic - If You Don't Like the Effects, Don't Produce the Cause My song pick 7 years ago today: Cr...

1014 Louis Armstrong - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen For the last few days I have been listening to a lot of Louis Armstrong's music; this is one that I have replayed quite a bit. This song has such a powerful and deep narrative, combine that with the musical legend that is Louis Armstrong and you have one of the most beautiful and amazing songs in existence. Here is a studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance circa '62 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: R.E.O. Speedwagon - Take It On The Run My song pick two years ago today: The Grass Roots - Temptation Eyes +

944 ( Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground ) I'm venturing into a theme week; the theme: my favourite songs featured on The Voyager Space Probe's " The Sounds of Earth " golden record. I have already chosen at least a couple featured on record to my list, one being the first song I chose: J.S. Bach's 2nd Brandenburg Concerto , movement #1, and my twentieth pick: Mozart's " Queen of the Night Aria ." Suffice it to say if I had not already chosen them they would be featured this week. Anyway, this Gospel/Blues is simply a beautiful song. It features Blind Willie Johnson playing the slide guitar with him vocalizing along with the it. The song was apparently recorded in the mid-late 1920s. From what I have read, the team that gathered the songs led by Carl Sagan chose this track to express the human aspect of loneliness. To think, a humble Blues guitarist's composition might be one of the first pieces of music a...

783 ( Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys - Wayfaring Stranger ) I have not added any of Bill Monroe as of yet to my list and have been meaning to for quite some time; this bluesy and soulful Bluegrass tune just seemed perfect for today. Bluegrass was one of the many musical styles that I was surrounded by growing up, mostly due to having a Grandfather from Kentucky who was a master of all stringed instruments. I can still remember him playing a lot of Bluegrass music, especially that of Bill Monroe. Here is a recording on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: #411 Billy Squier - In The Dark My song pick two years ago today: #43 Jethro Tull - Steel Monkey +

This song has been running through my mind off and on the last couple of days; and I absolutely love this song. This rendition of Amazing Grace is set to the tune of " House of the Rising Sun ," however with the power that these gentlemen inject into the song, they make it their own. Their vocals are so powerful and mindblowing, just so much soul here. One of the aspects that really made this song so appealing to the ear is their use of symmetry in the song to effortlessly build it up and bring it back down. Here is a fan video with the studio version on YouTube. Here is a rather nice live performance on YouTube. +