Category Archives: Song of the Day

Song of the Day: The Outlaw Torn (by Metallica and S.F. Symphony)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest entry in my “Song of the Day” feature is from one of my favorite bands ever, Metallica, and from one of their live albums: “The Outlaw Torn” feat. the S.F. Symphony Orchestra.

This song was part of their 6th album, Load, and was picked by classical composer Michael Kamen to become part of the set list for the band’s live collaboration with the S.F. Symphony Orchestra. One of these days I’ll review that live album with all its great entries and some so-so ones, but for now it’s all about “The Outlaw Torn” and how the band’s attempt at trying a hard rock sound instead of their original thrash metal beginnings ended up becoming pretty great once paired with a full symphony orchestra adding their own voices to the song.

Unlike some of the other songs picked for the S&M album (as this one was called Symphony & Metallica), this particular track benefited from the added melodies and arrangements that only ranks upon ranks of strings, brass and percussion sections an orchestra could bring to the table. The orchestra didn’t just mimic the very sound and notes the band was playing but added different layers of sounds and with this song one could hear those additions.

This version of “The Outlaw Torn” gets continuous play on my computer and iPhone that I know by memory just when certain sections of the orchestra comes in and just what sort instruments would be coming in. It’s that good.

The Outlaw Torn

And now I wait my whole lifetime
For you
And now I wait my whole lifetime
For you

I ride the dirt I ride the tide
For you
I search the outside search inside
For you

To take back what you left me
I know I’ll always burn to be
The one who seeks so I may find
And now I wait my whole lifetime

My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
And I’m torn

So long I wait my whole lifetime
For you
So long I wait my whole lifetime
For you

The more I search the more my need
For you
The more I bless the more I bleed
For you

You make me smash the clock and feel
I’d rather die behind the wheel
Time was never on my side
So long I wait my whole lifetime

My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
And I’m torn

HEAR ME
And if I close my mind in fear
Please pry it open

SEE ME
And if my face becomes sincere
Beware

HOLD ME
And when I start to come undone
Stitch me together

SEE ME
And when you see me strut
Remind me of what left this outlaw torn

HEAR ME
And if I close my mind in fear
Please pry it open

SEE ME
And if my face becomes sincere
Beware

HOLD ME
And when I start to come undone
Stitch me together

SEE ME
And when you see me strut
Remind me of what left this outlaw torn

Song of the Day: The Avengers (by Alan Silvestri)

Posted on by Arleigh

To say that Marvel Studios’ The Avengers has become a hit sensation since it’s release this weekend would be an understatement of cosmic proportions. I think almost everyone has seen it or, if that’s not the case, then there was a lot of people who saw it multiple times (guilty of seeing it twice over a 24-hour period). People were amazed by the action, spectacle, comedy and everything in-between. One thing that really stuck to me was the theme for the team itself. It’s that theme which I’ve chosen as the latest “Song of the Day”.

“The Avengers” theme was composed by noted and veteran film score composer Alan Silvestri (he was also instrumental in composing the very good film score for 2011′s Captain America). While I thought that Silvestri’s score for the whole film was quite good it was the theme for the group that stood out best. It had hints of the old-school heroic them from Captain America but within an overarching sound that didn’t denote a singular hero but a team coming together as a group of heroes.

One thing that rarely gets used in such heroic themes (at least haven’t been utilized of late) would be the French Horn section. In this theme they’re used to great effect and, to be honest, it’s the best use of French Horns in a film score since Basil Poledouris used it to great effect in his classic soundtrack to Conan the Barbarian. In fact, I’d say that this theme wad primarily all about the French Horns being backed up by the other sections of the orchestra. If one doesn’t know what a French Horn sounds like will hear it at it’s most epic around the 1:10 mark of the video. Now those are epic notes.

Now I go back to listening to this track while I continue to gather my thoughts for a review of this film.

Song of the Day: House of the Rising Sun (by The Animals)

Posted on by Arleigh

The night is growing late and to close it out I’ve chosen a new “Song of the Day” and it’s an all-time blues-rock classic from the 60′s.

Even if one wasn’t a fan of rock from the 1960′s they still would recognize the biggest hit ever released by the British blues-rock band The Animals with their 1964 hit, “House of the Rising Sun”. The weren’t the first band or musicians to have sung the song. No one truly knows the origin of the song, but music luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Joan Baez and Nina Simone were just a few to have covered it. It would be The Animals version which would live on as the one best remembered.

The song doesn’t just have the soulful cadence of classic blues, but has lyrics that show’s the band’s folk rock influences. It became part of the British Invasion of the United States during the 60′s when rock bands from them to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones right up to The Yardbirds would dominate American airwaves. The Animals would cement their place amongst these giants with this single. One thing which really powered this song through the juggernaut that was The Beatles would be the powerful vocals by frontman Eric Burdon matched with the keyboard playing of Alan Price.

“House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals continues to entertain fans old and new and still one of the best songs to come out during the 1960′s.

House of the Rising Sun

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I’m one

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new bluejeans
My father was a gamblin’ man
Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and trunk
And the only time he’s satisfied
Is when he’s on a drunk

[Organ Solo]

Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I’m goin’ back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain

Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I’m one

 

Song of the Day: Abracadabra (by Brown Eyed Girls)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “Song of the Day” comes way out from left field. I’ve posted many metal of different types, hard rock, blues, classical, film scores and even some video game scores, but I still haven’t moved into the realm of pop music from Asia. To start things off I decided on a very catchy tune from a Korean all-girl K-Pop group: Brown Eyed Girls.

Their song “Abracadabra” is a megahit with the otaku crowd and those who follow Asian pop music. I came across the song through a video that was recommended by Youtube to me. I have no idea how that happened but after watching the video I was quite thankful that it did.

I have no idea what the ladies are singing about other than what I’ve read on-line. The song is about blind love and the danger that comes with it. Sounds like a song tailor made for those of the yandere stripe. What I do know is that the group (comprised of Ga-In, Narsha, JeA and Miryo) and this song with its unique brand of hip dancing actually one of the more popular videos on-line. I guarantee that listening, or watching this video, will get it hooks into people and get them to subconsciously do the very hip dance even while sitting down.

Song of the Day: The Trooper (by Iron Maiden)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest choice for “Song of the Day” came to me while I was reading the last third of Max Brooks’ very awesome novel World War Z. In a later chapter in the novel when the survivors of the United States during an ongoing zombie apocalypse finally go on the offensive and leave the relative safety of the West Coast and the Rockies which provide a natural barrier from the hundreds of millions of zombies to the east. During this offensive the forces uses a particular song to lure zombies into an ambush zone where they could be destroyed en masse. The song the soldiers and their superiors used to help lure the undead and to also pump up the men was Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper”.

The song is another one of those Iron Maiden songs which takes its inspiration from a moment in military history and from a classic English poem. This time around the moment in military history is the Charge of the Light Brigade during the the Battle of Balaclava of the Crimean War (1854). The English poem which inspired the song was Lord Tennyson’s poem of the same name. This is classic heavy metal at its best. We have the galloping bass rhythm which sounds like the Light Brigade mentioned above making their courageous, but ill-fated charge into the muskets and cannons of the Russian forces.

I could continue to try and describe all the other musical details about this song, but I feel I’m ill-equipped to do so. I’m sure the site’s own music and metal expert necromoonyeti could better describe the awesome guitar work by Dave Murray and Adrian Smith during this song.

One thing that I am sure of is that if there ever was a zombie apocalypse and I found myself one of the survivors looking to take back the country then this would be part of my playlist when I’m destroying zed heads.

The Trooper

You’ll take my life but I’ll take yours too
You’ll fire your musket but I’ll run you through
So when you’re waiting for the next attack
You’d better stand there’s no turning back

The bugle sounds as the charge begins
But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As you plunge into a certain death

Ooooohhhhhhh

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run
The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground
And as the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won’t live to fight another day

Solo

Ooooooooohhhhhhh

We get so close near enough to fight
When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds takes my horse below

And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body’s numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan

Song of the Day: Hammerheart (by Bathory)

Posted on by Arleigh

Resident site writer and music-editor necromoonyeti knows more about the history of the Swedish metal band Bathory who helped pioneer not just black metal but an even more awesome subgenre we now know as Viking metal. I’m still educating myself in the sounds of Bathory, but one particular song from their epic discography which has caught my attention would be the 7th song from their 6th album, Twilight of the Gods. This song makes the latest “Song of the Day” and it’s simply called “Hammerheart”.

“Hammerheart” was the only song from Bathory’s sixth album which wasn’t written by it’s founder Quorthon but adapted from English composer Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite The Planets. To be more concise this Bathory adaptation uses an excerpt from The Planets’ fourth movement called “Jupiter”. The Holst song must’ve made quite an impression on Quorthon for it remains one of the more memorable Bathory songs once he switched the band from it’s 80′s black metal days to the slower, heavier style which would become Viking metal.

This song, every time I listen to it, makes me think of the cold, icy fjords being plied by dragonships full of Viking raiders as they move in and out of the rivers and tributaries of mainland Europe to bring their unique brand of culture to mainland Europe. It also makes me think of Viking funerals with this song being played as an accompaniment. I may not have Norse blood in my veins but this song lets me imagine that I do.

Hammerheart

Now that the wind called my name
And my star had faded now hardly a glimpse
up in the empty space
And the wise one-eyed great father
in the sky stilled my flame

For the ones who stood me near
And you few who were me dear
I ask of thee to have no doubts and no fears

For when the great clouds fills the air
And the thunder roars from o, so
far away up in the sky
Then for sure you will know that I have
reached the joyous hall up high

With my bloodbrothers at side
All sons of father with one eye
We were all born in the land of the blood on ice

And now you all who might hear my song
Brought to you by the northern wind have no fear
Though the night may seem so everlasting
and forever dark

There will come a golden dawn
At ends of nights for all yee on whom
Upon the northstar always shines

The vast gates to hall up high
Shall stand open wide and welcome you
with all its within
And Oden shall hail us bearers of a pounding
Hammerheart

Song of the Day: One Day More (by Claude-Michel Schönberg & Alain Boublil)

Posted on by Arleigh

This coming December 2012 will see another stage musical make it onto the big screen. It was in 2004 that Joel Schumacher first brought The Phantom of the Opera to the big-screen as a musical. For 2012, it will be Academy Award-winner Tom Hooper who will be bringing the musical Les Misérables to the big-screen with a star-studded cast that includes Hugh Jackman in the role of Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as his arch-nemesis Inspector Javert. It’s also from this musical that I chose the latest “Song of the Day” with the ensemble piece that ends Act 1: “One Day More”.

It was Les Misérables the musical that first introduced me to the world of musicals. Prior to having seen the touring production which stopped over in San Francisco during the late 80′s and early 90′s I always thought of musicals as just not my thing even though I never truly witnessed one. All that changed when I saw Les Misérables and I have been hooked since.

One of my favorite songs from the musical was the ensemble piece that ends Act 1 and brings together all the players introduced in the first act. It wasn’t just the whole cast singing but how they sang as each character were given voice and as the song reaches an epic crescendo to curtains closing everyone joins in a rousing chorus with overlapping lyrics from different main players that at first sounded confusing to follow, but was still understandable.

Most musical nowadays rarely go for such grand closing before intermissions. Listening to “One Day More” shows me that its a lost art but when done well it comes off as amazing.

One Day More

VALJEAN
One day more!
Another day, another destiny.
This never-ending road to Calvary;
These men who seem to know my crime
Will surely come a second time.
One day more!

MARIUS
I did not live until today.
How can I live when we are parted?

VALJEAN
One day more.

MARIUS & COSETTE
Tomorrow you’ll be worlds away
And yet with you, my world has started!

EPONINE
One more day all on my own.

MARIUS & COSETTE
Will we ever meet again?

EPONINE
One more day with him not caring.

MARIUS & COSETTE
I was born to be with you.

EPONINE
What a life I might have known.

MARIUS & COSETTE
And I swear I will be true!

EPONINE
But he never saw me there!

ENJOLRAS
One more day before the storm!

MARIUS
Do I follow where she goes?

ENJOLRAS
At the barricades of freedom.

MARIUS
Shall I join my brothers there?

ENJOLRAS
When our ranks begin to form

MARIUS
Do I stay; and do I dare?

ENJOLRAS
Will you take your place with me?

ALL
The time is now, the day is here!

VALJEAN
One day more!

JAVERT
One more day to revolution,
We will nip it in the bud!
We’ll be ready for these schoolboys
They will wet themselves with blood!

VALJEAN
One day more!

M. & MME. THENARDIER
Watch ‘em run amuck,
Catch ‘em as they fall,
Never know your luck
When there’s a free for all,
Here a little `dip’
There a little `touch’
Most of them are goners
So they won’t miss much!

Students (2 Groups)
1: One day to a new beginning

2: Raise the flag of freedom high!

1: Every man will be a king

2: Every man will be a king

1: There’s a new world for the winning

2: There’s a new world to be won

ALL
Do you hear the people sing?

MARIUS
My place is here, I fight with you!

VALJEAN
One day more!

MARIUS & COSETTE
I did not live until today.

EPONINE
One more day all on my own!

MARIUS & COSETTE
How can I live when we are parted?

JAVERT(overlapping)
I will join these people’s heros
I will follow where they go
I will learn their little Secrets,
I will know the things they know.

VALJEAN
One day more!

MARIUS & COSETTE
Tomorrow you’ll be worlds away

EPONINE
What a life I might have known!

MARIUS & COSETTE
And yet with you my world has started

JAVERT (overlapping)
One more day to revolution
We will nip it in the bud
We’ll be ready for these

Schoolboys

THENARDIERS (overlapping)
Watch ‘em run amok
Catch ‘em as they fall
Never know your luck
When there’s a free-for-all!

VALJEAN
Tomorrow we’ll be far away,
Tomorrow is the judgement day

ALL
Tomorrow we’ll discover
What our God in Heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more!

Song of the Day: Seven Devils (by Florence + The Machine)

Posted on by Arleigh

April 1st is just right around the corner and that means the return of 2010′s breakout cable hit, Game of Thrones with a new season. The last couple weeks have seen numerous marketing and ad trailers hyping up this upcoming new season. Their latest trailer used a song that was quite memorable for how it sounded and how it fit in well with the mythology built during the first season.

The latest “Song of the Day” comes courtesy of the band Florence + The Machine and the song picked was from their latest album and is called “Seven Devils.”

I consider this song quite appropriate when it came to Game of Thrones since the song’s title takes a look at the opposite side of the show’s religion called The Seven. The song’s titles doesn’t just intimate that The Seven the people of Westeros worshipped may not be gods after all, but devils who have tempted many who pay lipservice to the faith and instead fall to temptation.

I wasn’t a major fan of Florence + The Machine when I was first introduced to them a couple years ago but time has since shown me the error of my ways.

Song of the Day: Protectors of the Earth (by Two Steps From Hell)

Posted on by Arleigh

With Mass Effect 3 having been released to the masses earlier today it also means another official launch trailer which also happened to use a piece of music from the band Two Steps From Hell. BioWare used a song from this band to score their launch trailer for Mass Effect 2 two years ago. That song was “Heart of Courage” and it was a perfect choice made by the folks from BioWare.

This time around their latest pick from Two Steps From Hell to score their launch trailer for Mass Effect 3 would also come from the band and is also the latest choice for “Song of the Day”.

The song is “Protectors of the Earth” and if that is not an apt and perfect choice for a game whose tagline is “Take Earth Back” then I don’t know what is. For one thing it adds a level of epic grandiosity to the trailer and the visuals chosen to help highlight the strengths of the game. What better way to usher in the installment to the Mass Effect trilogy than with music will help inspire gamers to, as the game’s tagline has been pushing, “Take back Earth”.

Song of the Day: Irresistible You (by Taj Mahal)

Posted on by Arleigh

I’m surprised that this is the very first post I’ve made for “Song of the Day” that’s unfiltered blues. I’ve posted songs which have blues influence in them from blues-rock to rhythm & blues, but never just pure blues. To rectify that slight mistake I’ve picked one of my favorite blues songs from one of my favorite bluesman with Taj Mahal’s dixieland blues jazz track, “Irresistible You“.

Right from the start this song just hooks it’s upbeat blues tempo with jazz trumpets and percussion plus Taj Mahal’s raspy, lived-in vocals. Most people equate blues to dour, downbeat songs, but just one listen to “Irresistible You” should disabuse that sort of musical stereotyping. This song may sound like dixieland jazz, but it’s a blues song true and true even when the piano section show’s up later to be followed by some solo horns before it leads to the final chorus.

I’ve listened to this song for an uncounted number of times and it always reminds me of my time when I visited and vacationed in New Orleans. When down and out this song always does it’s job in picking me up and telling me everything will be alright.

Irresistible You

Your magic hands … your lovin’ eyes
Kissable lips …
Baby, mine oh mine
I’m in love … I’m in love
And I know it’s true
Tell me… who-o-o wouldn’t fall for irresistible you.

I don’t know what you got
But it’s got me and I’m hooked
Like a fish in the sea
You make eagles call from above
Make the Devil fall in love
An-a … who-o-o … irresistible you.

Ohhh, come on …
Lets walk awhile … I wanna talk …
Talk talk talk to you honey child …
You’ve been blessed …
And you’re much … too much …
There’s a wonder of a love in your touch.

Don’t ever fret …
Don’t you worry about me I’ll never regret …
How much you mean to me
I love you … I love you
My whole life through
Tell me … who-o-o w=couldn’t fall for irresistible you.

Lets twist awhile …

Don’t ever fret …
Don’t you worry about me I’ll never regret …
How much you mean to me
I love you … I love you
My whole life through
But tell me … who-o-o wouldn’t fall for irresistible you.