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

This song had a lot of air play back in the 90s, which would have been enough to make it memorable. It is a very dynamic song, especially in the verses; the vibrato that is used in the song is quite nice. Of course the main hook to this song is the transition from the mellow and melodic verses to the heavier chorus. Here is the music video on YouTube. +

This is an odd band that I have come to like for various reasons. I first saw them playing on Austin City Limits wearing their multi-colored robes; I was intrigued. They almost appeared to me as an odd religious cult of musicians; of course the Koolaid jokes were thrown about while watching them. They are a very talented group of between 20 and 30 varying musicians/singers, they consist of a choir and various other instruments that are not normally found in a pop/rock band. What is odd is that much of their music is in opposition to the cynical and darker music that I normally listen to. One aspect that I really like about them is that there is a lot to listen to in their music; it is quite complex. Here is the studio version on YouTube. +

I needed some Rammstein today and I thought the Sonne (Sun) would be an excellent choice. This song is one of their more popular tracks, it's about a fighter in the ring. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance from Völkerball on YouTube. +

Most who hear their music are usually at a loss to "pigeon hole" them into a genre, however, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones are officially considered Fusion Jazz and Country; I believe that the Country label comes from the fact that Béla Fleck's primary instrument is the banjo. In this song, I hear a lot of classical influences in the way that Béla Fleck plays it; he does an excellent job at it. Of course as always, Victor and Roy "Future Man" Wooten do an great job blending their music with the others' to make the excellent sound that is Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Unfortunately, as with most Béla Fleck's music, it is more musician's music and is lost to some non-musicians and non-connoisseurs of music. Here is a live performance circa '91 on YouTube. +

When I was on the road today this song was running through my mind and I figured that this song would be excellent for a pick. I have always loved Gordon Lightfoot's mellow and powerful voice and it is excellent as ever on this one. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a television performance on YouTube. +

This was the first single recorded by the band as Jethro Tull, however the name on the 45 rpm records credits the song to "Jethro Toe," which has made the single a collector's item; it was later released on the 20 Years of Tull Boxed set along with the b-side Areoplane . The song does not have much of the feeling or sound of Jethro Tull as most would know. Sunshine Day was written by their guitarist at the time Mick Abrahams; the sound can be identified more with the blues and beat groups at the time. Quite a nice song for an excellent weekend. Here is a fan video with Aeroplane , Blues for the 18th , and Sunshine Day on YouTube. +

I had to get up early this morning and it was quite a treat to see the bright orb rising over the Eastern horizon; this especially after about three days of cold and wet weather. Don't get me wrong, I love the rain a lot but not all of the time, but I digress. Anyway, this Harrison written tune seemed to fit the moment quite well and so I decided on choosing this wonderful Sunshine Pop song for today. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is a live performance by George Harrison on YouTube. +