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

From: Alien Love Secrets ; Year: 1995; Genre: Hard Rock Usually by this time I have one or two Christmas/Seasonal songs already chosen, but this year in particular I just haven't felt that "merry." If my mood doesn't change I might have to force myself to pick one.... Anyway, as of late my music selection has been favouring Steve Vai for some reason, which is not a bad thing at all. You end up with a load of technical musicianship along with something catchy and/or something to laugh along with. This one is purely a gorgeous song with every not played seemingly played to elicit an emotion out of the listener, or so it seems to me.     Hear Die to Live on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Billy Idol - Blue Christmas   My song pick 2 years ago today: Chris Squire and Alan White - Run With the Fox   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rush - Cold Fire   My song pick 4 years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Miss Saturday Night   My song pick...

From: Flex-Able Leftovers ; Year: 1998; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Progressive Rock I tell ya what, I think I know why for certain this track was not released on a main studio album: just way too weird. The song reminds me a lot of Charles Mingus' music from the late 50s and well into the 60s, mostly the free-form/experimental jazz with multiple instruments seemingly playing different melodies that sound like an unintelligible cacophony to those that are not used to those forms of jazz and masters such as Mingus.    Hear The X-Equilibrium Dance on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Willie Nelson & Ray Price - Crazy Arms   My song pick 2 years ago today: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On   My song pick 3 years ago today: Funkadelic - Some Fresh Delic   My song pick 4 years ago today: Badfinger - Name of the Game   My song pick 5 years ago today: Fleet Foxes - Mykonos My song pick 6 years ago today: Wild Turkey - Butterfly My song...

From: Alien Love Secrets ; Year: 1995; Genre: Rock This is yet another popular one of Steve Vai's songs that really showcases his musicianship. It's not quite what people expect when they think of his music, being that this one is slower and played with a lot of feeling in style reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix.    Hear Tender Surrender on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Kinks - You Really Got Me My song pick 2 years ago today: Faith No More - Cone of Shame   My song pick 3 years ago today: April Wine - One More Time My song pick 4 years ago today: Riggs - Heartbeat My song pick 5 years ago today: Dazz Band - To the Roof My song pick 6 years ago today: Jan & Dean - The Little Old Lady from Pasadena My song pick 7 years ago today: Buddy Holley and the Crickets - Maybe Baby My song pick 8 years ago today: Lou Reed - Satellite of Love My song pick 9 years ago today: Alestorm - Barrett's Privateers My song pick 10...

From: Flex-able ; Year: 1984; Genre: Progressive Rock Been meaning to pick one from Steve Vai for a bit now and am finally getting around to it. This is kind of an experimental and somewhat discordant piece with some excellent guitar playing.   Hear There's Something Dead in Here on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Helloween - Future World   My song pick 2 years ago today: Billy Ocean - Nights (Feel Like Gettin' Down)   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ultravox - Lament My song pick 4 years ago today: Hawkwind - Paradox My song pick 5 years ago today: Brave Belt - Summer Soldier My song pick 6 years ago today: John Denver - Let it Be My song pick 7 years ago today: The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations My song pick 8 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - I Want to Take You Higher My song pick 9 years ago today: Argent - Tragedy My song pick 10 years ago today: Weather Report - Barbary Coast My song pick 11 years ago today:...

From: The Story of Light ; Year: 2012; Genre: Progressive Rock Was listening to some of Steve Vai's music; you know the rest. This is a very beautiful piece of complex music; seven minutes of musical amazement. Hear The Moon and I on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Lionel Richie - All Night Long (All Night) My song pick 2 years ago today: The Replacements - The Ledge My song pick 3 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Hey You My song pick 4 years ago today: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Powderfinger My song pick 5 years ago today: Jesus Jones - Right Here, Right Now My song pick 6 years ago today: Wings - Silly Love Songs My song pick 7 years ago today: Aphrodite's Child - End of the World My song pick 8 years ago today: Triumph - I Can Survive My song pick 9 years ago today: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside My song pick 10 years ago today: Cruachan - The Gael My song pick 11 years ago today: Jim Croce - Alabama Rain ...

From: The Ultra Zone ; Year: 1999; Genre: Hard Rock Made it to 4600 songs picked thus far; was thinking of something from Steve Vai for this occasion. Some very pretty and awesome guitar music to be had on this one. Hear The Blood & Tears on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Melvins - Don't Forget to Breathe My song pick 2 years ago today: Simple Minds - Sanctify Yourself My song pick 3 years ago today: Bob Dylan - If Not For You My song pick 4 years ago today: Garbage - Supervixen My song pick 5 years ago today: Jon Oliva's Pain - Look at the World My song pick 6 years ago today: Foreigner - Blue Morning, Blue Day My song pick 7 years ago today: Voivod - Mechanical Mind My song pick 8 years ago today: Quasar - Fanfare/Seeing Stars My song pick 9 years ago today: Waylander - A Hero's Lament My song pick 10 years ago today: Queen - Seaside Rendezvous My song pick 11 years ago today: Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London My song pick 1...

From: Fire Garden ; Year: 1996; Genre: Hard Rock Picking one of my old backlog list, which I have not gone over in a long while; I really need to update it and use it more. Anyway, this is a very upbeat song considering its title, but he sure wails on that guitar through the entire track. Hear The Crying Machine on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Rush - Territories My song pick 2 years ago today: Charley Pride - Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' My song pick 3 years ago today: Matthews' Southern Comfort - Woodstock My song pick 4 years ago today: King Crimson - Lament My song pick 5 years ago today: Steve Vai - The Boy From Seattle My song pick 6 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Bourée My song pick 7 years ago today: Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra My song pick 8 years ago today: 30 Seconds to Mars - Year Zero My song pick 9 years ago today: Don Williams - If Hollywood Don't Need You My song pick 10 years ago today: Cream - Strange Bre...

From: Passion and Warfare ; Year: 1990; Genre: Hard Rock Some instrumental guitar magic from Mr. Vai on this track. Hear The Animal on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Savatage - Strange Wings My song pick 2 years ago today: Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night My song pick 3 years ago today: Luther - It's Good for the Soul (Parts I & II) My song pick 4 years ago today: Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child 'o Mine My song pick 5 years ago today: Charles Blackwell Orchestra - Taboo My song pick 6 years ago today: Yes - South Side of the Sky My song pick 7 years ago today: Pallas - Eastwest My song pick 8 years ago today: Finntroll - Ursvamp My song pick 9 years ago today: Eric Burdon & the Animals - Sky Pilot My song pick 10 years ago today: The Rogue Traders - Voodoo Child My song pick 11 years ago today: The Cranberries - Zombie

From: Sex & Religion ; Year: 1993; Genre: Hard Rock/Progressive Metal This is the medley that opens up this album; it's a real fun one to listen to. Hear An Earth Dweller's Return/Here & Now on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: KC and the Sunshine Band - (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty My song pick two years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Tramp My song pick three years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Darkness 11/11 My song pick four years ago today: The Police - Walking on the Moon My song pick five years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Misty Mountain Hop My song pick six years ago today: Émile Waldteufel - Op. 232 - Rococo-Polka My song pick seven years ago today: Sky - Sarabande My song pick eight years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - On The Hunt My song pick nine years ago today: Ian Anderson - A Better Moon

From: Flex-Able Leftovers ; Year: 1998; Genre: Hard Rock Last night some of Steve Vai's music was on my mind; specifically songs from his Flex-Able Leftovers album. Judging by the sound I would venture to say that this rather catchy and mainstream sounding track was done in the mid 1980s. Kind of out of the ordinary for something from Mr. Vai, but still quite listenable and fun to the ear. Hear You Didn't Break It on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: UB40 - Kingston Town My song pick two years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - The Ghost My song pick three years ago today: Blondie - Dreaming My song pick four years ago today: Johann Sebastian Bach - BWV 244 - St. Matthew Passion My song pick five years ago today: UB40 - Tears From My Eyes My song pick six years ago today: Jethro Tull - 10.08 to Paddington My song pick seven years ago today: Jethro Tull - Mayhem, Maybe My song pick eight years ago today: The Kinks - Dedicated Follower of Fashion

From: Sex & Religion ; Year: 1993; Genre: Rock/Hard Rock I didn't really have a song in mind for today, so I just made a random selection and Steve Vai came up, and it seemed like a good fit. Anyway, this is a rather pretty one with Mr. Vai working his guitar over skillfully and with purpose. Hear Rescue Me or Bury Me on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Police - Spirits in the Material World My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - Silver River Turning My song pick three years ago today: George Frideric Handel - HWV 57 - Samson My song pick four years ago today: Argent - God Gave Rock and Roll to You My song pick five years ago today: Dio - Killing the Dragon My song pick six years ago today: ABBA - Me and I My song pick seven years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song

From: Alien Love Secrets ; Year: 1995; Genre: Rock I had another song in mind this morning, but some of Steve Vai's songs, including this one running through my mind. While still as technical as ever, this is a rather pretty track; Steve Vai's guitar is as good as ever. Hear The Boy From Seattle on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - Bourée My song pick two years ago today: Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra My song pick three years ago today: 30 Seconds to Mars - Year Zero My song pick four years ago today: Don Williams - If Hollywood Don't Need You My song pick five years ago today: Cream - Strange Brew My song pick six years ago today: A-ha - The Living Daylights My song pick seven years ago today: Procol Harum - Conquistador 

From: The Infinite Desire ; Year: 1998; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Rock I'm still in the mood to listen to some badass guitar playing. This one, obviously, is a remake of Al Di Meola's classic Race with the Devil on Spanish Highway in a guitar duet between him and guitar maestro Steve Vai. This one also, as the title insinuates, has more of a middle eastern flavour musically. I love how they mostly kept a lot of the framework of the original whilst having two incredible virtuosos go at it. Yeah, it's enough technical playing to bring joy to a musician's or musical connoisseur's ear and at the same time make a hater types of extreme technical music run for cover. Hear Race with the Devil on Turkish Highway on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Nightwish - Beauty of the Beast My song pick two years ago today: L'Arc~en~Ciel - Spirit Dreams Inside My song pick three years ago today: Led Zeppelin - The Battle Of Evermore My song pick four years a...

From: Passion and Warfare ; Year: 1990; Genre: Rock It's kind of odd, but the other night I dreamed I was listening to Steve Vai, so that got me listening to more of his stuff. Anyway, this instrumental is considered by many to be one of his best, and I have to say I agree. It's wonderful to hear a musician take his instrument and music to its limits like this. Hear For the Love of God on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Mastodon - Seabeast My song pick two years ago today: Vangelis - Blade Runner (End Titles) My song pick three years ago today: Karussell - Wer Die Rose Ehrt My song pick four years ago today: The Delgados - Accused of Stealing My song pick five years ago today: Bon Jovi - Always

From: G3: Rockin' in the Free World ; Year: 2004; Genre: Hard Rock I had this rather neat and interesting song from guitar great Steve Vai on my mind this morning and thought I would go ahead and pick it. As far as I know only the live version from the 2004 G3 Live album exists, but when you are talking about an artist at the level of Steve Vai the live version is almost preferable anyway. You have to love that triple-necked guitar he plays on the video; each of the necks are quite different: one normal neck, one 12 string neck, and one that is fretless. It's truly an awesome thing to watch him work that instrument over. Watch the performance from G3 2003 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Earthless - Godspeed My song pick two years ago today: Big Star - Thirteen My song pick three years ago today: David Bowie - Queen Bitch My song pick four years ago today: The Offspring - Self Esteem My song pick five years ago today: The Allman Brothers - Blue...

1583 Steve Vai - I'm the Hell Outta Here From: Elusive Light and Sound, Vol. 1 , Year: 2002, (1992) Genre: Metal/Hard Rock I had this song playing in my mind this morning; it felt like a good pick for the day as well. I'm not too sure how it got stuck in my mind, it's not like this song is super catchy or anything, just amazing mindblowing musicianship here. Anyway, this track was originally released on the soundtrack of the early '90s film Encino Man and was later re-released on his The Elusive Light and Sound, Vol. 1 album. Actually the entire album is made up of his music that was used in movies. Hear I'm the Hell Outta Here on YouTube. Here is an amazing live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Fear Factory - Replica My song pick two years ago today: David Bowie - Changes My song pick three years ago today: Heart - Black On Black II My song pick four years ago today: Fontella Bass - Rescue Me +

1552 Steve Vai - Bad Horsie From: Alien Love Secrets , Year: 1995 Genre: Hard Rock I was listening to this song the other day; I thought I'd already picked it before. I checked and apparently I hadn't yet, so today I will. As with the majority of his work, this track showcases his virtuosity and inventiveness with the guitar. I love the thunderous, gritty, and bassy chords Steve Vai used in this one. You can actually hear this song in an embryonic state in the '86 Ralph Macchio film Crossroads at the beginning of the guitar duel between him and Steve Vai, who plays the part of the Devil's guitarist Jack Butler. The entire guitar duel scene from the movie can be found here on YouTube . Also, I happened to notice that Bill, (Heuristics Inc.), has fired up his song-a-day blog once again . Hear Bad Horsie on YouTube. Watch a music video/performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Fats Domino - Ain't That a Shame My song pick two years ago today: ABBA - I Le...

1444 Steve Vai - Details at 10 From: Flex-Able Leftovers , Year: 1998 Genre: Guitar Rock/Comedy I'm attempting to get my Sunday pick in and this track off of Steve Vai's Flex-Able Leftovers seemed to fit my mood. This is another social commentary song done in the vain of Frank Zappa. In this song he lambastes the news media concerning the narcissistic and disgusting way they interrupt your television viewing with disturbing presentations of news stories. Hear Details at 10 on YouTube. There is more than a bit of extreme language contained so, (NSFW). My song pick a year ago today: England Dan & John Ford Coley - Westward Wind My song pick two years ago today: Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale My song pick three years ago today: Louis Armstrong - Hello Dolly +

1394 Steve Vai - Call it Sleep From: Flex-Able , Year: 1984 Getting my Saturday pick in this afternoon with another great song from the guitar maestro Steve Vai. This is a rather mellow track overall, but it still contains a lot of awesome guitar work throughout. Hear Call it Sleep on YouTube. Watch a live performance of the song circa '84 on YouTube. Here is a live recording circa '93 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: John Denver - Calypso My song pick two years ago today: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Idecide My song pick three years ago today: Soft Cell - Tainted Love +

1342 Steve Vai - The Attitude Song From: Flex-Able , Year: 1984 Been enjoying Steve Vai's music this morning. Some amazingly technical and raucous guitar music: what a perfect track to end a workweek with! Hear The Attitude Song on YouTube. A live performance of the song from a G3 concert circa '96 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Richard O'Brien & Richard Hartley (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) - Science Fiction/Double Feature My song pick two years ago today: Puhdys - Bas Buch My song pick three years ago today: The Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang +