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

From: Van Halen ; Year: 1978; Genre: Hard Rock Here is another one that I am surprised I have not picked yet, especially since I like both Van Halen and The Kinks. Probably one of the most famous guitar solos in popular culture, Eruption speaks for itself, but it just does not feel right to only play it and not go into their famous cover of The Kinks' classic. They sure did make it their own, taking the rock/proto-punk sensibilities further that the original, and that's saying something.   Hear Eruption/You Really Got Me on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Fear Factory featuring Gary Numan - Cars   My song pick 2 years ago today: UB40 - (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rush - High Water   My song pick 4 years ago today: Amnesty - Can I Help You?   My song pick 5 years ago today: Bad Company - Shake It Up My song pick 6 years ago today: Rush - Turn the Page My song pick 7 years ago today:...

From: 5150 ; Year: 1986; Genre: Hard Rock About this time most years I start listening to 5150 a lot, which seems to fit my moods for midsummer. While all the songs on the record are of notoriety in different magnitude, Dreams really stands out for me; it's always one to crank up the volume and try [and mostly fail] to keep up with Sammy Hagar's vocals. There's a lot of fond memories with this album, as well as some in the future to come.   Hear Dreams on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - The Great Sun Jester   My song pick 2 years ago today: King Crimson - Lady of the Dancing Water   My song pick 3 years ago today: Klaatu - Dog Star   My song pick 4 years ago today: Steely Dan - Only a Fool Would Say That My song pick 5 years ago today: Primus - The Storm My song pick 6 years ago today: Return to Forever - Earth Juice My song pick 7 years ago today: Psychotic Waltz - Strange My song pick 8 years ago today: Qu...

From: 5150 ; Year: 1986; Genre: Hard Rock I don't think I could let this pick number go without choosing this song; a perfect and aptly titled track for today.   Hear 5150 on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Funkadelic - If You Got Funk, You Got Style   My song pick 2 years ago today: Billy Squier - Lonely Is The Night My song pick 3 years ago today: Hawkwind - The Secret Agent My song pick 4 years ago today: The Motels - Suddenly Last Summer My song pick 5 years ago today: Faith No More - Last Cup of Sorrow My song pick 6 years ago today: Stanley Clarke - The Dancer My song pick 7 years ago today: Bread - Down on my Knees My song pick 8 years ago today: Dream Theater - Learning to Live My song pick 9 years ago today: Franz Schubert - D 911, Op. 89 - Die Winterreise My song pick 10 years ago today: Bon Jovi - Runaway My song pick 11 years ago today: Missing Link - Spoiled Love My song pick 12 years ago today: Grace Slick - An...

From: 5150 ; Year: 1986; Genre: Rock As most know, the other day we all heard of the death of guitarist extraordinaire Eddie Van Halen. It's quite sad and shocking to hear about such a talent and rock mainstay passing away. Anyway, I had this song playing in my mind most of today, so I'm making it today's pick.   Hear Love Walks In on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Cream - Four Until Late   My song pick 2 years ago today: Blondie - Heart of Glass My song pick 3 years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Angel My song pick 4 years ago today: Billy Joel - My Life My song pick 5 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard it Through the Grapevine My song pick 6 years ago today: The Four Tops - Standing in the Shadows of Love My song pick 7 years ago today: Asia - Here Comes the Feeling My song pick 8 years ago today: Sol Ho'opi'i - St. Louis Blues My song pick 9 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Les Brers in A Minor My ...

From: Women and Children First ; Year: 1980; Genre: Hard Rock/Metal Had Van Halen on the brain this morning and finally settled on this early '80s classic. Hear And the Cradle Will Rock... on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) - Tears My song pick two years ago today: Dave Edmunds - Slipping Away My song pick three years ago today: Mountain - Mississippi Queen My song pick four years ago today: Rod Stewart - You Wear it Well My song pick five years ago today: Steeleye Span - The Twelve Witches My song pick six years ago today: Georg Philipp Telemann - TWV 55:C3 - Wassermusik - Hamburger Ebbe und Flut My song pick seven years ago today: Steve Winwood - The Finer Things My song pick eight years ago today: Tarja Turunen - I Walk Alone My song pick nine years ago today: Link Wray - Rumble My song pick ten years ago today: The Carter Family - Wildwood Flower

From: 5150 ; Year: 1986; Genre: Hard Rock I know it's considered blasphemy to most Van Halen fans, (or at least the hard core ones), or so it would seem. But I prefer Sammy Hagar's vocals with the band as well as a lot of the material during his tenure. To me 5150 has never felt dated, even 40 years on. Best of Both Worlds is one of my favourites and definitely a classic. Hear Best of Both Worlds on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Santo & Johnny - Deep Purple My song pick two years ago today: Dire Straits - Expresso Love My song pick three years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - Power My song pick four years ago today: Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine My song pick five years ago today: Richard Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries My song pick six years ago today: Joachim Witt - Du Teufel My song pick seven years ago today: Karussell - Nämlich Bin Ich Glücklich My song pick eight years ago today: Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams My s...

From: 5150 ; Year: 1986; Genre: Hard Rock I had this song on my mind this morning, so I'm choosing it for today's pick. Whilst I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan on the band when I hear their music I normally turn it up and at least bob my head to the beat, which is the same with this morning. It would've been so easy back in the mid 1980s for them to have made this hit song a dyed-in-the-wool power ballad like a plethora of bands during the time were doing, but they went heavy with it instead, thank goodness. Hear Why Can't This Be Love on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Zapp - More Bounce to the Ounce My song pick two years ago today: Ugly Kid Joe - Milkman's Son My song pick three years ago today: Megadeth - Bite the Hand My song pick four years ago today: Jefferson Starship - Find Your Way Back My song pick five years ago today: Band of Horses - Compliments My song pick six years ago today: Hawkwind - Lord of Light My son...

From: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge ; Year: 1991; Genre: Hard Rock With all the early 1990s nostalgia going around right now, (even drank a Crystal Pepsi again after they revived the brand), which is a reason I had this Van Halen album on my mind lately; I heard it a lot back then. Anyway, this is one of the latter singles off the album and definitely one to bring that nostalgia back. Hear The Dream is Over on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Soundgarden - Been Away Too Long My song pick two years ago today: Tommy James & the Shondells - Crimson & Clover My song pick three years ago today: John Denver - Carolina In My Mind My song pick four years ago today: Asia - Time Again My song pick five years ago today: U2 - The Unforgettable Fire My song pick six years ago today: Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World My song pick seven years ago today: Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now My song pick eight years ago today: Bachman-Turner Ov...

From: 1984 ; Year: 1984; Genre: Hard Rock Like clockwork another Leap Year is today; every four years or so it happens. Other than getting another day of February and having to deal with "Leap Year bugs" in various tech there's nothing special about it. Anyway, for obvious reasons, (the apt title mostly), I had this track on my mind and thought I'd pick it today. Hear Jump on YouTube. Picks for previous February 29ths (Leap Year Picks): My leap year pick on 2.29.12: Cheech & Chong - Cheborneck My leap year pick on 2.29.08: ABBA - The Visitors

From: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge ; Year: 1991; Genre: Hard Rock Yesterday and this morning I had this Van Halen track running through my mind; I was genuinely surprised that I hadn't picked this song yet, so I'm remedying that one today. I've actually been huge fan of both Sammy Hagar and Van Halen and thus when he joined the band I was fine with it and even to this day love the music from that period. Anyway, this is one of the tracks from the last 20 years of the band that gets a lot of radio play, but still not as much as it did in the early 1990s, and it's still one of my favourites from the band. Hear Right Now on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Tell Me What It Is My song pick two years ago today: Rush - Mr. Soul My song pick three years ago today: Megadeth - How the Story Ends My song pick four years ago today: Sethian - Epitaph My song pick five years ago today: Marcus Miller - Frankenst...

From: Van Halen II ; Year: 1979; Genre: Hard Rock I happened to hear this one on the radio the other day; ever since then I kind of had it in mind to pick it. I thought some classic Van Halen would make a wonderful pick for today. Hear Dance the Night Away on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - The Whistler My song pick two years ago today: Maurice Ravel - M.19 - Pavane for a Dead Princess My song pick three years ago today: Black Label Society - Stillborn My song pick four years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - I Never Dreamed My song pick five years ago today: Duran Duran - New Moon On Monday

From: 1984 ; Year: 1984; Genre: Rock While there were many other songs from 1984, (which is also my song pick number today), I couldn't pass up the opportunity to choose Van Halen's synth intro 1984 from their album 1984 for my 1984th pick. Hear 1984 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Savatage - Holocaust My song pick two years ago today: The United States of America - The Garden of Earthly Delights My song pick three years ago today: Buddy Holley & the Crickets - Oh Boy! My song pick four years ago today: Oasis - Champagne Supernova My song pick five years ago today: John Denver - Paradise

1167 Van Halen - Unchained Feeling like listening to some Van Halen today; this is one of my favourites from the David Lee Roth era of the band. I have always loved the straight-up Rock feel of this track; definitely one to get the blood moving. Hear Unchained on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns and Money My song pick two years ago today: Jackson Browne - Doctor My Eyes My song pick three years ago today: Johann Sebastian Bach - BWV 565 - Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor +

After hearing the song today whilst on the road I knew that I had my choice for today. Every time I hear the opening riff of this song it immediately takes me back to simpler times of youth when I first heard it. While I am not the biggest Van Halen aficionado , this is one among many songs that I love from their catalogue. What really is there to say about this great song other than the obvious? It is a superb song from Van Halen at their best. Here is the studio version on YouTube. +