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

From: Ha!-Ha!-Ha! ; Year: 1977; Genre: Punk/New Wave The sophomore album from Ultravox!, who still had the exclamation in their name and John Foxx with lead vocals for the band. Much more raw and punky sound than their better known material, but still one I like a lot. I just love the in-your-face attitude they had with this one, (which was the first single released from the record), not only musically, but with all the raunchy and bawdy lyrics with enough sneer and distortion that they blew right past the censors; how punk is that?   Hear ROckWrok on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Foreigner - Headknocker     My song pick 2 years ago today: Badfinger - Timeless   My song pick 3 years ago today: Toad The Wet Sprocket - Come Back Down   My song pick 4 years ago today: Ambrosia - Holdin' On To Yesterday   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash   My song pick 6 years ago today: Billy Joel ...

From: Quartet ; Year: 1982; Genre: New Wave Whilst taking a couple of minutes to really "get going," I actually love that long build and how it comes back down; it adds a lot to the song's dynamics.   Hear Visions in Blue on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Miami Sound Machine - Bad Boy   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Northern Pikes - She Ain't Pretty   My song pick 3 years ago today: Parliament - Wizard of Finance   My song pick 4 years ago today: ABBA - Super Trouper   My song pick 5 years ago today: Pallas - Ghost My song pick 6 years ago today: UB40 - Here I Am (Come and Take Me) My song pick 7 years ago today: The Charlie Daniels Band - Long Haired Country Boy My song pick 8 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Lodi My song pick 9 years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - All I Can Do Is Write About It My song pick 10 years ago today: Frank Zappa - Montana My song pick 11 years ago today: Boston - Don...

From: Systems of Romance ; Year: 1978; Genre: New Wave Listening to some earlier material from Ultravox today; it is very interesting to hear the band at this point, especially without Midge Ure's vocals that I am quite a bit more used to. Not to taking anything away from John Foxx's work, it's just different; there is more of a raw energy about this track and record as well that I like.   Hear Someone Else's Clothes on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)   My song pick 2 years ago today: Asia - True Colors   My song pick 3 years ago today: Elton John - Ego My song pick 4 years ago today: George Duke - Funny Funk   My song pick 5 years ago today: Steeleye Span - We Shall Wear Midnight My song pick 6 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away My song pick 7 years ago today: Queen - Another One Bites the Dust My song pick 8 years ago today: U.K. - In the Dead of...

From: Vienna ; Year: 1980; Genre: New Wave/Synthpop Time for some more Ultravox; this one's very much in the synthy/new wave style. Very much a danceable and listenable for those who just want to sit back and enjoy the music. Hear All Stood Still on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Nightwish - Sleepwalker My song pick 2 years ago today: Carmen - Tales of Spain My song pick 3 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Dragon Lady My song pick 4 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction My song pick 5 years ago today: The Sword - Apocryphon My song pick 6 years ago today: The Doors - Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) My song pick 7 years ago today: Slade - Slam the Hammer Down My song pick 8 years ago today: Stahlhammer - Mensch My song pick 9 years ago today: Rush - Afterimage My song pick 10 years ago today: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - The Last Supper (From Jesus Christ Superstar ) My song pick 11 years ago today: Meg...

From: Lament ; Year: 1984; Genre: New Wave I love how they mix both English and Gaelic lyrics through this song; makes it very unique. Add that to the new wave sound of the band and it stands out all that more. Hear Man of Two Worlds on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Steppenwolf - Rock Me My song pick 2 years ago today: ABBA - One of Us My song pick 3 years ago today: Rick James - Below the Funk (Pass the J) My song pick 4 years ago today: Black Sabbath - Symptom of the Universe My song pick 5 years ago today: Pallas - Just a Memory My song pick 6 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Orfeo/Nathan's Reel My song pick 7 years ago today: Alestorm - Flower of Scotland My song pick 8 years ago today: Cybotron - Colossus My song pick 9 years ago today: AC/DC - Let There Be Rock My song pick 10 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Black Jack Davy My song pick 11 years ago today: Heart - These Dreams My song pick 12 years ago today: The Police - Messa...

From: Quartet ; Year: 1982; Genre: Synthpop/New Wave Very synth-driven this one is, it has that stereotypical early 80s sound to some degree. I, personally, love the big sound that comes from this one; it's a great track. Hear Serenade on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Over My Head My song pick 2 years ago today: Devo - Whip It My song pick 3 years ago today: Black Sabbath - After Forever My song pick 4 years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - Sing a Song My song pick 5 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Ancient Eyes My song pick 6 years ago today: Banchee - Childern of the Universe My song pick 7 years ago today: Muse - Unnatural Selection My song pick 8 years ago today: The Drifters - Under the Boardwalk My song pick 9 years ago today: Yoko Takahashi - Zankoku na Tenshi no These ( A Cruel Angel's Thesis ) My song pick 10 years ago today: Aphrodite's Child - Hic et Nunc My song pick 11 years ago today: Elton John - A...

From: Vienna ; Year: 1980; Genre: New Wave Been listening to a lot of Ultravox lately; with no other songs really on my mind I thought I'd just go ahead and pick another one. From what I understand this song is their biggest hit, but for me there are other ones that I like quite a bit more. This is still a good song and a great one to listen to. Hear Vienna on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Aldo Nova - Under the Gun My song pick 2 years ago today: Peter Gabriel - Red Rain My song pick 3 years ago today: Foreigner - Break it Up My song pick 4 years ago today: Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger My song pick 5 years ago today: The Chakachas - Stories My song pick 6 years ago today: Savatage - Scream Murder My song pick 7 years ago today: Sweet - Fox on the Run My song pick 8 years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Whatever Would Robert Have Said? My song pick 9 years ago today: Steve Vai - Kill the Guy with the Ball/The God Eaters My song pick 10 y...

From: Vienna ; Year: 1980; Genre: New Wave/Synthpop Last night I was once again listening to a bunch of songs from Ultravox. This is one of the major singles off of their Vienna album. Hear Mr. X on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Charley Pride - Daydreams About Night Things My song pick 2 years ago today: Supertramp - Cannonball My song pick 3 years ago today: Bruce Hornsby & the Range - The Red Plains My song pick 4 years ago today: Manfred Mann's Earth Band - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue My song pick 5 years ago today: Brave Belt - Too Far Away My song pick 6 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Protect and Survive My song pick 7 years ago today: The Flying Burrito Brothers - Wild Horses My song pick 8 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - My Dark Hour My song pick 9 years ago today: Fear Factory - Fear Campaign My song pick 10 years ago today: Gunnar Madsen - Surprise! My song pick 11 years ago today: Charles Mingus - Tonight At Noon...

From: Quartet ; Year: 1982; Genre: New Wave Way past busy weekend gives way to a continuing busy workweek day and not really having a song in mind I went with one that's been playing in my head for the last couple days. Ultravox is always one I like a lot and a great one to choose in such a day anyway. This one is very beautifully written and composed, a testament to the band. Hear Reap the Wild Wind on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another My song pick 2 years ago today: Kansas - Miracles Out Of Nowhere My song pick 3 years ago today: Wilson Pickett - I'm a Midnight Mover My song pick 4 years ago today: Beat Crusaders - Slip Out My song pick 5 years ago today: Boston - The Launch/Cool the Engines My song pick 6 years ago today: Stratovarius - Dreamspace My song pick 7 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Promised Land My song pick 8 years ago today: Ed Bogas & Merl Saunders - The Riot My song pick 9 years ago t...

From: Ha! Ha! Ha! ; Year: 1977; Genre: New Wave/Punk I have to say, Ha! Ha! Ha! is among the best album titles I've seen; puts a smile on my face every time I see it. Anyway, this is an interesting one, it's kind of got a punk-meets-New Wave-with a splash of hard rock thrown it for good measure. Hear Frozen Ones on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Savatage - Stay With Me a While My song pick 2 years ago today: Japan - Quiet Life My song pick 3 years ago today: Maddy Prior - Rosettes My song pick 4 years ago today: Funkadelic - Funky Dollar Bill My song pick 5 years ago today: Sky - Westway My song pick 6 years ago today: Asia - Wildest Dreams My song pick 7 years ago today: Don Henley - Dirty Laundry My song pick 8 years ago today: The Scorpions - Big City Nights My song pick 9 years ago today: Graham Central Station - Earthquake My song pick 10 years ago today: John Denver - Season Suite - Fall My song pick 11 years ago today: Kyu Sak...

From: Lament ; Year: 1984; Genre: New Wave I just felt like picking another song from Ultravox today. This song, which is obviously the title-track to their '84 album, reminds me a lot of Genesis/Phil Collins from the 1980s, but still it's own song. Hear Lament on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Hawkwind - Paradox My song pick 2 years ago today: Brave Belt - Summer Soldier My song pick 3 years ago today: John Denver - Let it Be My song pick 4 years ago today: The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations My song pick 5 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - I Want to Take You Higher My song pick 6 years ago today: Argent - Tragedy My song pick 7 years ago today: Weather Report - Barbary Coast My song pick 8 years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Gator Country My song pick 9 years ago today: The Beatles - I Me Mine My song pick 10 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Up Around The Bend My song pick 11 years ago today: Rammstein - Du R...

From: Quartet ; Year: 1982; Genre: New Wave Heard one of their songs the other day and still had them on my mind, so I thought I would pick another one. Ultravox always amazes me how they can write a danceable and poppy tune, but have it so interesting and intricate musically that it has my complete attention. Hear Hymn on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Screaming Trees - Nearly Lost You My song pick two years ago today: Leonard Nimoy - Highly Illogical My song pick three years ago today: The Headhunters - If You Got It, You'll Get It My song pick four years ago today: Billy Joel - Piano Man My song pick five years ago today: Pallas - Heart Attack My song pick six years ago today: Chet Atkins - Windy and Warm My song pick seven years ago today: David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World My song pick eight years ago today: Dire Straits - Industrial Disease My song pick nine years ago today: Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride Picks for previous Fe...

From: Lament ; Year: 1984; Genre: Synthpop/New Wave Got another '80s tune on my mind, as it seems, so whatever. Anyway, while always a song I've liked quite a bit, I thought of it as a brooding "lost love" song with some excellent music that has some broad appeal. It wasn't that long ago I started listening to the lyrics very close and to my surprise discovered how heavy it actually was. One of those songs that tapped into the Cold War feeling of impending doom and living out the last few minutes of your life. Although it doesn't in the song give an actual name as to what the "storm" that's approaching is, but in the video it was depicted as a nuclear meltdown. Though I cannot help but think, as a child who grew up in the 1980s being told by public service announcements about nuclear war to duck under something if you heard the air raid siren, that it was a song about "the button" being pushed and the world as we know it coming to ...