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

1015 The Grateful Dead - Ripple Continuing my yearly tradition, if you will, of picking a Grateful Dead song on Memorial Day. I had another 'Dead song in mind for this pick, however, when I sat down to make the post this rather simple and beautiful song came to mind. It's actually a perfect song for my mood this morning. Here is the studio version on YouTube . Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Eddie Rabbitt - Step By Step My song pick two years ago today: Rush - Between the Wheels +

1014 Louis Armstrong - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen For the last few days I have been listening to a lot of Louis Armstrong's music; this is one that I have replayed quite a bit. This song has such a powerful and deep narrative, combine that with the musical legend that is Louis Armstrong and you have one of the most beautiful and amazing songs in existence. Here is a studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance circa '62 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: R.E.O. Speedwagon - Take It On The Run My song pick two years ago today: The Grass Roots - Temptation Eyes +

1013 David Bowie - All The Madmen Been meaning to pick this track for quite some time now; an excellent pick for a very busy Saturday. The album which this song comes from, The Man Who Sold the World , has steadily become one of my favourite Bowie albums. This one is a beautifully written and arranged song; I love the way it builds from an acoustic track into a full-blown rocker. I really like the swells and retreats; it helps to build the song's atmosphere. Supposedly the song was written for David Bowie's brother who was institutionalized with schizophrenia. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance circa '87 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Rush - Finding My Way My song pick two years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival - Long As I Can See The Light +

1012 Return To Forever - The Magician I am sort of making a "Funky Friday" pick with this Stanley Clarke composition that comes from their '76 album: Romantic Warrior . The song has a funk base to it with layered lines over the top. At times it will have a Funk/Jazz Fusion meets Renaissance fair sound/feel; at other times the song will feature all four members soloing at once playing MNPM (Maximum Notes Per Measure), but still listenable and exquisite all the same. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is an excellent live performance circa '76 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Gipsy Kings - Hotel California My song pick two years ago today: The Fifth Dimension - Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In +

1011 Savatage - 24 Hours Ago I like to play this song along with The Dungeons Are Calling back to back when I normally listen to them, so with picking it yesterday I figured that I should put them back to back here as well. This one is amazing all the way around, there is so much I love about this song; the whole band is just mindblowing. Here is the music video on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The (Detroit) Spinners - The Rubberband Man My song pick two years ago today: Boston - Something About You +

1010 Savatage - The Dungeons Are Calling I'm in a mood for some of Savatage's early work this morning. The sound of most of their earlier work, (prior to the Gutter Ballet album), differs quite a bit from their later Trans-Siberian Orchestra esque Symphonic Metal sound most would associate them with; some even refer to The Dungeons Are Calling as one of the first Death Metal albums. This song is, of course, the title track and takes its subject matter from drug addiction and the horrors associated. The song actually starts out rather calm with Jon Oliva's singing with a guitar playing, but it builds rather fast. I love their use and placement of minor and major chords in this one keep an awesome atmosphere throughout. As always, Jon Oliva's "Shrieks of Terror" are mindblowing as well as Criss Oliva's "Metalaxe" work. For me this is one of their best songs to hear Steve "Doc Killdrum" Wacholz's drumming on the "Barbaric...

1009 Nightwish - Amaranth Amaranth is probably my favourite song off of Nightwish's Dark Passion Play album; it was actually their first album I purchased other than a Greatest Hits compilation prior. The song and album did take a little bit to grow on me; after putting it on shuffle a few times I came to like it. The music video to the song is one of their better ones in my opinion; from what I understand it was inspired by a painting called The Wounded Angel by artist Hugo Simberg. Here is the music video on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Grateful Dead - Alabama Getway My song pick two years ago today: Bob Seger - Night Moves +