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

From: Dead Winter Dead ; Year: 1995; Genre: Symphonic Metal/Progressive Metal No really Christmas or Holiday-related music, but it is a great track from the album that essentially launched the whole "symphonic metal Christmas music" that has since become a holiday staple. I Am marks the point in the arching story concerning the Bosnian War at which open hostilities break out following the withdrawal of the U.S.S.R., which the record was a concept album/rock opera based on the devastating and bloody conflict. Very hard to believe that it has been nearly 30 years since the album was released and the conflict "officially" ended; a truly horrific chapter in human history.   Hear I Am on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Lemmy Kilmister, Billy F. Gibbons & Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run   My song pick 2 years ago today: Booker T. & The MGs - Medley: Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End, Here Comes the Sun, Come Together   My song p...

From: Christmas Eve and Other Stories ; Year: 1996; Genre: Christmas Music/Symphonic Metal/Progressive Metal Christmas Eve is finally here; the Season has really flew on by, seems like a couple of weeks ago was Thanksgiving.... Anyway, with all of this Christmas music I could not let it go without picking at least one from TSO. This very rousing and emotional song happens to be the opening track off of the debut album; it's hard to believe that it was released back in '96... nearly three decades ago. I can still remember back in1995 when the Savatage record Dead Winter Dead came out, which kind of spawned this offshoot project: Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Great song, great musicians, and an excellent album.   Hear An Angel Came Down on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Bing Crosby - I'll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)   My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Pavane   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Smashing Pumpk...

From: Night Castle ; Year: 2009; Genre: Symphonic Rock/Christmas Music It really wouldn't be the Holiday Season without hearing some of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas-inspired music. Whilst Night Castle is not a Christmas album, this track very much is. Originally was conceived as a pop/rock interpretation by Kim Fowley of Tchaikovsky's march from his ballet The Nutcracker and recorded by noted studio musicians B. Bumble and the Stingers , which, of course became a hit. In 1972 Emerson, Lake & Palmer would perform their own rendition of it, and later Trans-Siberian Orchestra recorded their own take on it from this record. Interestingly enough, the late-great Greg Lake from E, L&P plays the bass on this track with the band, so it somewhat comes to a circle.   Hear Nutrocker on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Brecker Brothers With Steve Khan - The Christmas Waltz ...

From: Letters from the Labyrinth ; Year: 2015; Genre: Symphonic Metal Needed something a different for today's pick. This one from the latest of TSO album uses a lot from Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain , but in a very metal way, which is not too far off from the original I suppose. Modest Mussorgsky's works are very "metal" in the imagery, music, and subject matter.   Hear Mountain Labyrinth on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: David Bowie - Star   My song pick 2 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Standing in the Rain My song pick 3 years ago today: David Bowie - Five Years My song pick 4 years ago today: Queen - Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley My song pick 5 years ago today: Don Henley - Sunset Grill My song pick 6 years ago today: Bad Company - No Smoke Without a Fire My song pick 7 years ago today: Freddy Taylor and His Swing Men from Harlem - Viper's Dream My song pick 8 year...

From: Christmas Eve and Other Stories ; Year: 1996; Genre: Christmas Music/Symphonic Rock For me it wouldn't be Christmas time without some TSO to brighten the Holidays. This is a neat little medley of traditional Christmas tunes for vocals and piano.   Hear Prince of Peace on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Bob Rivers - Flu Ride   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Pretenders - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas My song pick 3 years ago today: Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Didn't I Get This Last Year? My song pick 4 years ago today: Electric Jungle - Funky Funky Christmas My song pick 5 years ago today: Louis Armstrong - Winter Wonderland My song pick 6 years ago today: Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends My song pick 7 years ago today: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - The Little Drummer Boy My song pick 8 years ago today: The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man My song pick 9 years ago today: Trans-Siberian Orc...

From: The Lost Christmas Eve ; Year: 2004; Genre: Christmas Music/Blues Rock For me it wouldn't be Christmas without some Trans-Siberian Orchestra; I decided on something off of their '04 The Lost Christmas Eve album, which I think was a good move. Hear Christmas in Blue on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Waterfall My song pick 2 years ago today: Primus - Candy Man My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Teacher My song pick 4 years ago today: Bootsy's Rubber Band - Psychoticbumpschool My song pick 5 years ago today: Alice Cooper/John 5/Billy Sheehan/Vinny Appice - Santa Claus is Coming to Town My song pick 6 years ago today: The Ventures - Sleigh Ride My song pick 7 years ago today: The Miracles featuring Bill "Smokey" Robinson - Shop Around My song pick 8 years ago today: Louis Armstrong - Christmas in New Orleans My song pick 9 years ago today: Boston - A Man I'll Never Be My son...

From: The Lost Christmas Eve ; Year: 2004; Genre: Progressive Metal/Christmas Music Saturday before Christmas it is. I normally like to visit something from TSO this time of year and thought I'd go with this rendition of the timeless Christmas Carol. Hear What Child is This on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Dropkick Murphys - The Season's Upon Us My song pick 2 years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Nutrocker My song pick 3 years ago today: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night My song pick 4 years ago today: Bob Rivers - Holidaze My song pick 5 years ago today: Bob Rivers - Aquaclaus My song pick 6 years ago today: The Honeycombs - Have I the Right? My song pick 7 years ago today: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Christmas All Over Again My song pick 8 years ago today: Rush - Tears My song pick 9 years ago today: Sylvia - Drifter My song pick 10 years ago today: Cheech & Chong - Santa Claus and His ...

From: Dead Winter Dead ; Year: 1995; Genre: Symphonic Metal/Progressive Metal Ah yes, the powerful closing song to Savatage's epic album Dead Winter Dead ; I absolutely love playing this entire disc around this time of year. Hear Not What You See on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Winger - Without the Night My song pick 2 years ago today: Eurythmics - Winter Wonderland My song pick 3 years ago today: Jackson Browne - Running on Empty My song pick 4 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - This Long Silence My song pick 5 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Stone of Love My song pick 6 years ago today: The Crickets (Buddy Holley) - That'll Be the Day My song pick 7 years ago today: Alestorm - Keelhauled My song pick 8 years ago today: Jethro Tull - My God My song pick 9 years ago today: Wolfsheim - Once in a Lifetime My song pick 10 years ago today: Grand Funk Railroad - I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home) My song pick 11 years ago today: Pet S...

From: Christmas Eve and Other Stories ; Year: 1996; Genre: Progressive Metal/Christmas Music Well, it's here: Merry Christmas all! I thought I should pick at least one serious song for the Christmas season. This apropos original work from Paul O'Neil and Jon Oliva just seemed absolutely perfect for today's pick. Hear This Christmas Eve on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Bob Rivers - Joy to the World My song pick two years ago today: The Jive Turkeys - Get Down Santa My song pick three years ago today: John Lennon & Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band - Happy X-Mas (War Is Over) My song pick four years ago today: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Midnight Clear My song pick five years ago today: Jethro Tull - A Winter Snowscape My song pick six years ago today: Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas My song pick seven years ago today: Steeleye Span - Gaudete My song pick eight years ago today: Ian Anderson - A Birthday Card At Christmas My song pi...

From: Poets and Madmen ; Year: 2001; Genre: Progressive Metal Heard some Savatage on my playlist this morning and it seemed like the perfect day to pick one of their songs. Stay With Me a While is basically the overture for the story that is a loose concept album. Hear Stay With Me a While on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Japan - Quiet Life My song pick two years ago today: Maddy Prior - Rosettes My song pick three years ago today: Funkadelic - Funky Dollar Bill My song pick four years ago today: Sky - Westway My song pick five years ago today: Asia - Wildest Dreams My song pick six years ago today: Don Henley - Dirty Laundry My song pick seven years ago today: The Scorpions - Big City Nights My song pick eight years ago today: Graham Central Station - Earthquake My song pick nine years ago today: John Denver - Season Suite - Fall My song pick ten years ago today: Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki ( Ue o Muite Aruko )

From: Handful of Rain ; Year: 1994; Genre: Progressive Metal/Symphonic Metal This is one of those songs that no matter how many times I've heard it, it brings chills and goosebumps; it's that well composed and put together. In the time of minimalist music Savatage was one of the bands to buck the trend and still release masterpieces like this. I absolutely love the vocal work throughout this one; simply amazing. Hear Chance on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Megadeth - A Secret Place My song pick two years ago today: Wings - Live and Let Die My song pick three years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Are You Happy? My song pick four years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Creep My song pick five years ago today: The Moog Cookbook - Come Out and Play My song pick six years ago today: Hurricane Smith - Oh Babe, What Would You Say? My song pick seven years ago today: John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band - On The Dark Side ...

From: Gutter Ballet ; Year: 1989; Genre: Progressive Metal Yet another song I thought for sure I had picked before; one of my favourites from the Savatage/JOP/TSO family of bands. The music combined with the haunting and deep lyrics make for one awesome, epic track. Hear Summer's Rain on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: John Denver - Everyday My song pick two years ago today: Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker My song pick three years ago today: Carmen - I've Been Crying My song pick four years ago today: Banchee - 38 My song pick five years ago today: Xerath - Unite to Defy My song pick six years ago today: John Fogerty - Centerfield My song pick seven years ago today: The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today My song pick eight years ago today: John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Road My song pick nine years ago today: Nirvana - Lithium

From: Christmas Eve and Other Stories ; Year: 1996; Genre: Progressive Metal Christmas Eve is finally upon us, and it just wouldn't be Christmas for me without some TSO. Kind of surprised that I had now picked this track yet; it's still one of my favourites from the album. It's borrows some from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite as well as having sections that are totally original in this unique arrangement. Hear A Mad Russian's Christmas on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Bing Crosby - White Christmas My song pick two years ago today: B. Bumble and the Stingers - Nut Rocker My song pick three years ago today: Jethro Tull - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen My song pick four years ago today: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards in Winter My song pick five years ago today: "Weird Al" Yankovic - Christmas at Ground Zero My song pick six years ago today: Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) - I Believe in Father Christmas My song pic...

From: Christmas Eve and Other Stories ; Year: 1997; Genre: Metal/Hard Rock/Christmas Music Definitely every year around this time TSO should be on everyone's Christmas music; it always puts me in a better mood. This rendition/medley of two of my favourite and very beautiful Christmas songs is always a standby for me. Hear O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Bob Rivers - Holidaze My song pick two years ago today: Bob Rivers - Aquaclaus My song pick three years ago today: The Honeycombs - Have I the Right? My song pick four years ago today: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Christmas All Over Again My song pick five years ago today: Rush - Tears My song pick six years ago today: Sylvia - Drifter My song pick seven years ago today: Cheech & Chong - Santa Claus and His Old Lady My song pick eight years ago today: Supertramp - The Logical Song

From: Maniacal Renderings ; Year: 2006; Genre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal I had some of Jon Oliva's music going on in my head this morning, so I thought I'd go ahead and pick one. This one, of course, comes from after the demise of Savatage, but is essentially the exact same sound. I love how this one starts with the lighter acoustic sound with the great harmonies backing up and then launches into full-blown metal in the signature JOP/Savatage styling; of course the lyrics and their delivery are incredible and heavy throughout. Hear The Evil Beside You on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Luther Davis Group - To Be Free My song pick two years ago today: Pearls Before Swine - Another Time My song pick three years ago today: Sir Arthur Sullivan - The Lost Chord My song pick four years ago today: Jimi Hendrix - Machine Gun My song pick five years ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) featuring Freddy Taylo...

From: Hall of the Mountain King ; Year: 1987; Genre: Progressive Metal/Power Metal I had a feeling that I should pick another one from Savatage today; this is one of my favourites off of their epic Hall of the Mountain King album. This one's got most of the prog metal goodness you'd need with a huge dose of the epicness that is power metal. Hear Beyond the Doors of the Dark on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Harlequin - Superstitious Feeling My song pick two years ago today: Les Paul - Hip-Billy Boogie My song pick three years ago today: The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season) My song pick four years ago today: Muse - Uprising My song pick five years ago today: Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry My song pick six years ago today: Puhdys, featuring Till Lindemann and Richard Krupse - Wut Will Nicht Sterben My song pick seven years ago today: Nightwish - The Pharaoh Sails To Orion

From: Poets and Madmen ; Year: 2001; Genre: Progressive Metal After listening to a lot of music from Savatage last night and this song in particular really has stuck with me through today. I absolutely adore the keyboards and Jon Oliva's vocals in this one; a pretty and deep song. Hear There in Silence on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Revival My song pick two years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition My song pick three years ago today: Soundgarden - Pretty Noose My song pick four years ago today: S.M.V. - Mongoose Walk My song pick five years ago today: The Delgados - Come Undone My song pick six years ago today: The Doobie Brothers - China Grove My song pick seven years ago today: .38 Special - Fantasy Girl

From: Global Warning ; Year: 2008; Genre: Metal I was in the mood for some Savatage this morning and I thought I would go for something from the current incarnation of the band: Jon Oliva's Pain. This is one of my favourites off of the '08 Global Warning album; excellent theatricality and music throughout this great song. Hear Look at the World on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Foreigner - Blue Morning, Blue Day My song pick two years ago today: Voivod - Mechanical Mind My song pick three years ago today: Quasar - Fanfare/Seeing Stars My song pick four years ago today: Waylander - A Hero's Lament My song pick five years ago today: Queen - Seaside Rendezvous My song pick six years ago today: Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London My song pick seven years ago today: Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost?

From: Festival ; Year: 2010; Genre: Metal I was in the mood for some different kind of metal today and thought of Savatage/Jon Oliva's Pain; it seemed to fit really well. Anyway, this is one of the harder, less progressive tracks on the album and simply a nice track to be heard. Hear I Fear You on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Soundgarden - Blow Up the Outside World My song pick two years ago today: Genesis - For Absent Friends My song pick three years ago today: Santo & Johnny - Teardrop My song pick four years ago today: Rammstein - Bück Dich My song pick five years ago today: Lulu - To Sir With Love My song pick six years ago today: Primus - Nature Boy My song pick seven years ago today: Deep Purple - Space Truckin'

From: Streets: A Rock Opera ; Year: 1991; Genre: Progressive Metal Lately I've been binging on this album again and I thought it would be great to pick another one of their songs. This is the song that kicks off the rock opera and very much acts as an overture and at the same time is a great track. Hear Streets on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Rammstein - Feuer und Wasser My song pick two years ago today: David Bowie - Let's Dance My song pick three years ago today: Rush - Distant Early Warning My song pick four years ago today: David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things My song pick five years ago today: Santana - Every Step of the Way My song pick six years ago today: Megadeth - Washington is Next! My song pick seven years ago today: Rammstein - Stripped