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

From: End of the World ; Year: 1968; Genre: Psychedelic Rock From time to time I go back to Aphrodite's Child and their gorgeous music; I'm glad I did last night once more. Rain and Tears , which was their first big hit and was particularly popular in Italy and across northern Europe; I do not know how it did on this side of "The Pond," but if it didn't we really missed out. Evangelos Papathanassiou (aka Vangelis) and Boris Bergman wrote this piece around the overly used motif of Johann Pachelbel's famous Canon in D, P.37 . Immediately you will recognize the melody, but once they start to introduce and reintroduce their themes and vocals, their musical masterwork embellishes around the skeletal motif into something really amazing and beautiful. I cannot help but keep on resetting the needle over again and again.   Hear Rain and Tears on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Pearl Jam - Why Go     My song pick 2 years ago today: James Brown -...

From: Ars Longa Vita Brevis ; Year: 1968; Genre: Symphonic Rock/Progressive Rock Here's a great one from The Nice, who were known for such big, bombastic musical terrors. As you might be able to discern from the title, both it and the music it contains derives from Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concertos ; the Third in particular. Keith Emerson is as amazing as ever on the keys in this "classical rocker."   Hear Brandenburger on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Guess Who - Lightfoot     My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Roots to Branches     My song pick 3 years ago today: Queen - The Prophet's Song   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bee Gees - To Love Somebody   My song pick 5 years ago today: Marillion - Warm Wet Circles   My song pick 6 years ago today: Dire Straits - Tunnel of Love   My song pick 7 years ago today: Banchee - 3/4 Song My song pick 8 years ago today: Parliament - ...

From: I Robot ; Year: 1977; Genre: Progressive Rock Just had this record on my mind since yesterday evening; why not just go ahead and pick the first, title track? I Robot  acts as the overture to the overall concept album loosely based on Isaac Asimov 's stories concerning the mechanical men . Essentially is a six-minute instrumental piece heavy with synth programing and keyboards except for a chorale providing a human touch with vocalizations, which probably was the intention considering the overall conceptual story.    Hear I Robot on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Rainbow - Black Sheep of the Family   My song pick 2 years ago today: Funkadelic - Take Your Dead Ass Home! (Say Som'n Nasty)   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Exciters - Tell Him   My song pick 4 years ago today: Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - I Promise To Remember   My song pick 5 years ago today: Santana - Song of the Wind   My song...

From: Days of Future Passed ; Year: 1967; Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock Whilst driving around this morning I had this song come on and it has stuck in my brain ever since, which is certainly not expected from genres such as from this record. I believe that I have stated before that the 'Moodies were my "gateway drug" into all music progressive and I've never wavered in my love of the band. It is kind of superficial to say with all of the amazing and beautiful songs on the record, but this is one of the prettiest, especially with the orchestral accompaniment, which I believe was actually Mike Pinder overdubbing all of the "instruments" played on the Mellotron , but there was a proper orchestra on the record as well, mostly in the interludes. Pinder's Mellotron was one of the main cornerstones for the band's emerging sound and those contributions really show why Days of Future Passed and their subsequent songs are such landmarks in studio reco...

From: Can You Feel It ; Year: 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock/Jazz Rock Had the Canadian Jazz/Rock band Lighthouse on my mind since last night. They are one of the main bands known for having a full horn section along with Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears, and as such have a lot of similarities on the surface, but also have a very unique sound. This track uses a lot of middle eastern/Spanish modes that makes quite an exotic blend of tones and musical ideas.   Hear Disagreeable Man on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Redbone - The Witch Queen of New Orleans     My song pick 2 years ago today: Karussell - Nachtkind   My song pick 3 years ago today: Aerosmith - Lightning Strikes   My song pick 4 years ago today: Jim Croce - Box No. 10   My song pick 5 years ago today: Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now My song pick 6 years ago today: The Cult - Sweet Soul Sister   My song pick 7 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Pied ...

From: Pictures at an Exhibition ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock/classical This one is a fascinating arrangement by Keith Emerson of the piece from the suite composed by maestro Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition . Whilst the original was written as a duet of two woodwinds, in the early portion of the piece Emerson utilized the mammoth Moog Synthesizer in this live recording to make it sound out of this world accompanied by drums. Almost like wot you would hear played on a theremin in an old science fiction b-movie, which was a very neat way of approach. After that the full band kicks in with the bass and drums a rock oriented foundation for Emerson to continue his synth-driven rendition of the piece that then segues into the Blues Variation track.   Hear The Old Castle on YouTube.   Hear Blues Variation on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Friend & Lover - Reach Out Of The Darkness     My song pi...

From: Rain Dances ; Year: 1977; Genre: Symphonic Rock You know, for a progressive symphonic rock record, the music within can really "earworm" you. I suppose that is a good thing with all of the pretty and intricate music on it. Hard to believe that: 1. there are only three musicians present on this track, and: 2. that the song is just under a radio-friendly three minutes in length; seems longer with all the layered lines playing. It is weird though that they chose Rain Dances as the title-track with it being buried at the end of side 2 as well as it being by far the briefest song on the album.   Hear Rain Dances on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Bi-Polar Bear     My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Seal Driver   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Delgados - Primary Alternative   My song pick 4 years ago today: Toto - Make Believe   My song pick 5 years ago today: Badfinger - Take It A...

From: Age of Impact ; Year: 1998; Genre: Progressive Metal/Progressive Rock Picking up where I left off with this album after choosing the first three, here is the 4th track, or chapter? This is the one song apparently that features guitar great Steve Howe on acoustic guitar, who is best known as Yes' guitarist/songwriter as well as the band Asia and too many others to list. This piece in particular will take you through an aural journey through some amazingly written and produced music. Even though there are vocals, the music itself is so well written that it narrates as well as any orator.   Hear Impact 4 - Time Enough on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Marcus Miller - Keep 'Em Running   My song pick 2 years ago today: Iain Matthews - Darkness, Darkness   My song pick 3 years ago today: Laura Branigan - Forever Young   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rhythm Machine - Lil's Place   My song pick 5 years ago today: Van Der Graaf G...

From: Eve ; Year: 1979; Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock/New Wave This is the opening track that is an instrumental and, I guess, you could call an "overture" to begin the record. I just love that big almost orchestral sound, albeit with modern synth and rock band ensemble.   Hear Lucifer on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Midnight Oil - At the Time of Writing   My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Ginnungagap   My song pick 3 years ago today: Meat Loaf - I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bernard Wright - Firebolt Hustle   My song pick 5 years ago today: Asia - Eye to Eye   My song pick 6 years ago today: Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band My song pick 7 years ago today: Argent - It's Only Money (Parts 1 + 2) My song pick 8 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Woncha Take Me for a While My song pick 9 years ago today: Bass Extremes - Bassically...

From: U.K. ; Year: 1977; Genre: Progressive Rock/Jazz Fusion/Symphonic Rock U.K. is one of those bands that I really should listen to more often, but do not understand why I don't that often. Essentially they are a supergroup consisting of members from some of the big names in prog rock of the time. This one has all the hallmarks of King Crimson blended in a heavy jazz fusion sound along with an amazing guitar solo to boot.   Hear Thirty Years on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: James Brown - Lowdown Popcorn   My song pick 2 years ago today: Joan Baez - Rejoice in the Sun   My song pick 3 years ago today: Uriah Heep - Hold Your Head Up   My song pick 4 years ago today: Alice in Chains - Rain When I Die   My song pick 5 years ago today: Return to Forever - Spain   My song pick 6 years ago today: Asia - The Last to Know My song pick 7 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Childhood's End My song pick 8 years ago today: Queensrÿche ...

From: Rain Dances ; Year: 1977; Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock Once again, sitting down to make today's pick and had an album playing in my mind; guess which one. Initially when this track came on I was bemused by the wordplay of using the name of the ubiquitous device that keeps a musician in time whilst giving one the image of a savvy-dressed garden ornament with a stylish pointy hat and professionally groomed hair and beard. You know a "metro-sexual" garden gnome, even though the term "metro-sexual" did not exist in the late 70s to my knowledge. Perhaps it is referring to a garden gnome that lives in a bustling downtown. Anyway, enough silliness.... This one is quite an interesting one in how it starts with the tic-toc of the fore-mentioned metronome with a very "Beatlesque" first verse which quickly becomes big and epic when the entire band kicks in. The Beatlelike sound continues through the second verse, but this time with more instrument...

From: A Passion Play ; Year: 1973; Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock Well, today marks, I suppose the beginning of the holiday season and all the positives and negatives therein. Thanksgiving in particular has always been somewhat difficult for me personally with the plethora of personalities and sore trigger spots that you try to navigate like an old minefield, knowing that the slightest wrong step will set off an explosion figuratively speaking. I get exhausted having to put on a false front, keeping all of the cracks in my facade as opaque as possible. All I can say is that when the season is over I will definitely need a long break.   Anyway, to today's pick, (it is a song blog after all).  This brief instrumental piece shows up at the end of Act 1, just after protagonist Ronnie Pilgrim's funeral as he is being taken to the afterlife to the "viewing room" at the start of Act 2. It starts out on the acoustic guitar and then the whole band kicks in with the org...

From: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock Pulled my vinyl records out of the case last night, towards the end I came upon my collection of classic Moody Blues records. There is just something you cannot quite quantify about the feeling of actually holding the sleeve and disc in your hand. Even though I have not played them in a long time, I am glad I still have them. Anyway, this album in particular I had to stop and look it over and peruse the gatefold as well as peer in at the vinyl. The cover art of this one for some reason has always caught my attention in physical form; it was done quite well. This song, or rather My Song is the final track on side two and is a perennial that I like to hear. This is one written and sung by the late-great Mike Pinder, who apparently wanted his vocal to sound "spacey," so they actually placed a box on his head and thinned out the sound to make it sound like a communication from orbit, of at ...

From: Music Inspired by The Snow Goose ; Year: 1975; Genre: Progressive Rock Getting to pick another song from a band I have been lately meaning to pick. This is a neat instrumental track that features a good blend of synth and regular rock sounds. From wot I understand, this record kind of went through a few concepts and eventually settled on it being based on the novella of the same name written by Paul Gallico . Originally the music on the record was supposed to contain lyrics from the story, however, the author did not take kindly to it and they settled on instrumentals instead. What is rather neat is how this one is broken up into more "bite sized" tracks with most being under three minutes in length, which contrasts with most prog rock of the time. I suppose it is a matter of opinion because the songs could just as easily be grouped together in a sub-pieces or such.   Hear Flight of the Snow Goose on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Ramblers...

From: Days of Future Passed ; Year: 1967; Genre: Symphonic Rock/Progressive Rock " Time seems to stand quite still... in a child's world it always will.... "    Hear The Morning: Another Morning on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Marillion - Blind Curve   My song pick 2 years ago today: Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jon Oliva's Pain - Time to Die   My song pick 4 years ago today: Guns N' Roses - November Rain   My song pick 5 years ago today: Jethro Tull - War Child My song pick 6 years ago today: Geddy Lee - Runaway Train My song pick 7 years ago today: Yes - Step Beyond My song pick 8 years ago today: Creed - Torn My song pick 9 years ago today: Steeleye Span - The Fox My song pick 10 years ago today: Victor Wooten - When I Want to Get Funky My song pick 11 years ago today: Curved Air - What Happens When You Blow Yourself Up? My song pick 12 years ago today: Megadeth - W...

From: Automat ; Year: 1978; Genre: Electronic Rock/Electronica/Disco Just had this ephemeral electronic/symphonic/progressive rock act on my mind for some reason today, so I thought I'd revisit their one and only record again. Droid is one of those "soundscape" type pieces that not only grabs your attention, but actually makes you want to get up and dance.    Hear Droid on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Paul Revere & The Raiders - Hungry   My song pick 2 years ago today: Cybotron - Encounter   My song pick 3 years ago today: Soundgarden - Bleed Together   My song pick 4 years ago today: Focus - Sylvia   My song pick 5 years ago today: Funkadelic - (Not Just) Knee Deep My song pick 6 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Morning Final My song pick 7 years ago today: Jethro Tull - The Third Hoorah My song pick 8 years ago today: Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad My song pick 9 years ago today: Yes - I Would ...

From: To Our Children's Children's Children ; Year: 1969; Genre: Progressive Rock Just seemed like a great day for something from the 'Moodys'; specifically this record. Most of their albums from this era are all perfect for just "dropping the needle" and letting it play through. I believe that this was the only single from To Our Children's Children's Children and is interestingly enough the final song on side two. Even though it's not my top favourite track on the record, it is definitely a good "cool down" song, which I suppose being at the end of the record makes more sense.   Hear Watching and Waiting on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - Where Did Saturday Go?   My song pick 2 years ago today: Santo & Johnny - Love In Space   My song pick 3 years ago today: Harlequin - Shine On   My song pick 4 years ago today: Tower of Power - It's Not The Crime   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Beatles - Th...

From: Second Album ; Year: 1971; Genre: Symphonic Rock/Progressive Rock This epic track written by the late-great Francis Monkman has a lot, I mean A LOT going on throughout the piece. Kind of hard to precisely choose a solid genre for Piece of Mind ; there are elements of rock, jazz, different types of classical music, electronica, and even some folk elements amongst others. Whilst I like to just put it on for background music, but it's one of those pieces that will not stay there, it will demand your attention throughout most of the song.   Hear Piece of Mind on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Dire Straits - Hand in Hand   My song pick 2 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing   My song pick 3 years ago today: Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me   My song pick 4 years ago today: Caramba - Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot My song pick 5 years ago today: Big Star - In The Street My song pick 6 years ago today: Bowling ...

From: Pictures at an Exhibition ; Year: 1971; Genre: Progressive Rock/classical The other day I happened to hear a wind chime play some of the notes that matched the main theme to Mussorgsky's Promenade from his masterpiece Pictures at an Exhibition . Since then I've been mentally "chewing" over the entire piece ever since, but for some reason felt like hearing the E,L&P live progressive rock adaptation, although, The Sage is actually not part of the original from Mussorgsky piece, but rather written by Greg Lake. It was inspired overall by the other movements ("pictures") and fits in especially well with a vary large sound and complex music.   Hear The Sage on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Ratt - Round and Round   My song pick 2 years ago today: Little River Band - The Night Owls   My song pick 3 years ago today: Three Dog Night - Night in the City   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Guess Who - Key My song pick 5 years ago...