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

From: Western Union/Sound of Love ; Year: 1967; Genre: Rock/Pop It still fascinates me just how songs enter my conscious mind that I've not heard in ages or have been on my mind for just about as long. This one from a band that I might at some point in the past heard about just started playing in my mind whilst feeding the animals and I decided I should look it up and make it today's pick. Kind of a straight-up pop rocker, but with a subject of a lover sending a Telegram of all things to break up the relationship. Heck, even by the late '60s it was kind of obsolete form of communication, but perhaps in using a Telegram, it shows just how cold and impersonal the person breaking up is being. I suppose you could liken it to breaking up over a text message or something similar today.Apparently they went with the whole Western Union Telegram theme because they thought the riff and sound their guitarist Mike Rabon had discovered reminded them of an old telegraph key sound and we...

From: Savage Imperial Death March ; Year: 2026; Genre: Sludge Metal/Grindcore Whilst going over the Melvins' catalogue and discovered that they had a neat collaboration with Napalm Death last year, which was 100% beyond awesome! For me the Melvins never cease to be satisfying in both quality and quantity of music; it is rare, even to this day, for them to not release something every year. Anyway, apparently two members of the Melvins and three from Napam Death came together and put together some unique metal music; this track was one of the first to really stand out to me. Such a great song and record!   Hear Some Kind of Antichrist on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: David Bowie - Fascination     My song pick 2 years ago today: Lionel Richie - Stuck on You     My song pick 3 years ago today: The Rascals - A Beautiful Mornin g   My song pick 4 years ago today: Herbie Hancock - Rockit   My song pick 5 years ago today...

From: Street Player ; Year: 1978; Genre: Funk/Soul Wanted to choose another funky track from Rufus and Chaka Khan. Decided on the title track of this record; definitely a song that will get your blood pumping with that bumping rhythm.   Hear Street Player on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Stacy Q - The River     My song pick 2 years ago today: Mott the Hoople - One of the Boys     My song pick 3 years ago today: Parliament - Unfunky UFO   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bread - Let Your Love Go   My song pick 5 years ago today: Simple Minds - Love Song   My song pick 6 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Hard Liner   My song pick 7 years ago today: Traffic - Glad My song pick 8 years ago today: Megadeth - Rattlehead My song pick 9 years ago today: Parliament - Everything Is on the One My song pick 10 years ago today: Symphony X - Iconoclast My song pick 11 years ago today: John Fogerty - The Old Man D...

From: Watts in a Tank ; Year: 1980; Genre: Rock I remember hearing Diesel a lot back in the day, but they eventually faded only to come back into the pop culture conscience every now and then. I did not look much into the band, but with their mega hit Sausalito Summernight and its California car adventure theme, I assumed they were a U.S. band, but were actually Dutch. From wot I understand, between band member defections and not fully being able to recapture the magic they only lasted a handful of years and a total of three records, but had reunions and one other studio album since their first breakup. This track was one of the four singles from their debut, and, depending on which market you focus on, the second or third highest charting of their songs.   Hear Going Back to China on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Camel - Rain Dances     My song pick 2 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Bi-Polar Bear     My song pick 3...

From: Vivid ; Year: 1989; Genre: Hard Rock/Alternative Metal Seems like every time I put one of the discs on I'm blown away at just how hard they rock. I really need to have them more in my rotation; at that there's no doubt!   Hear Open Letter (To a Landlord) on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Lalo Schifrin - Mission: Impossible     My song pick 2 years ago today: War - This Funky Music Makes You Feel Good     My song pick 3 years ago today: Blancmange - Blind Vision   My song pick 4 years ago today: Brenton Wood - Gimme Little Sign   My song pick 5 years ago today: Duran Duran - Too Much Information   My song pick 6 years ago today: Billy Joel - We Didn't Start the Fire   My song pick 7 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Sex Machine My song pick 8 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Crossword My song pick 9 years ago today: Blood, Sweat & Tears - You've Made Me So Very Happy My song pick 1...

From: Edge of Excess ; Year: 1992; Genre: Hard Rock This one comes from the, sadly, most recent studio album from the band. On the record they were minus original vocalist/guitarists Rik Emmett and instead featured  Phil X on guitar whilst drummer Gil Moore performed lead vocals. I've always liked most of Triumph's material, but have never been huge into the band, or anything past the mid 1980s-ish that they put out. However, never really looked into wot they were up to since, and as it turns out, not too much. Recently though, I learned of their most recent reunion and North American tour, which got me curious.  Anyway, this was one of the lead singles from Edge of Excess, and while not close to the band's best, it's still more than good enough to quench ones' thirst for their brand of arena-rock.   Hear Child of the City on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Aretha Franklin - Rock Steady     My song pick 2 years ago today: D...