2018 Song Of The Day - Day 195 - Soundtracks - Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone

Band: Nine Inch Nails
Song: 34 Ghosts IV
Release Year: 2008
Why?: Ghosts I-IV was such an intriguing album idea to me, where Trent Reznor just decided after making this almost purely instrumental album that he would just dump it online one day with basically no notice. I picked it up for $5 bucks the day it released thanks to social media going crazy about it dropping suddenly, without any of the mess and fuss of a normal album purchase. Songs on the album were identified only by their track number and what section it was, from I to IV, and still, this track is probably the most widely known/recognized of them all. It is beautiful.

 
Band: Nine Inch Nails
Song: 34 Ghosts IV
Release Year: 2008
Why?: Ghosts I-IV was such an intriguing album idea to me, where Trent Reznor just decided after making this almost purely instrumental album that he would just dump it online one day with basically no notice. I picked it up for $5 bucks the day it released thanks to social media going crazy about it dropping suddenly, without any of the mess and fuss of a normal album purchase. Songs on the album were identified only by their track number and what section it was, from I to IV, and still, this track is probably the most widely known/recognized of them all. It is beautiful.



Reznor has a way with music unlike anyone else.
 
Reznor has a way with music unlike anyone else.
I remember during my days of middle school, when Downward Spiral blew the doors off, I wasn't allowed to listen to them because they made "bad music" that only bad kids listened to. I would always see these two kids wearing Nine Inch Nails shirts with their long hair and was told not to be around them. Cut to many years later, when I once had long hair, a NIN shirt, and all of the above. What have I become?
 
I remember during my days of middle school, when Downward Spiral blew the doors off, I wasn't allowed to listen to them because they made "bad music" that only bad kids listened to. I would always see these two kids wearing Nine Inch Nails shirts with their long hair and was told not to be around them. Cut to many years later, when I once had long hair, a NIN shirt, and all of the above. What have I become?
Same with me.. All of the bad kids listed to the good shit. It took me years to catch up. My parents actually threw some of my CDs away when I was in high school LOL. I never forgave them for that one.
 
I'm having fun doing it. I'm listening to the music already, so why not take it a half step further and think about it some. Why this song, I ask myself.

Excellent mate, im really enjoying it. My friends run a similar website http://www.tuneoftheday.co.uk/
Love the RJD2 and Sneaker Pimps tunes, they are classics. Good to hear some different stuff as well.
 
Band: Queen
Song: Bicycle Race
Release Year: 1978
Why?: A seemingly simple song just chock full of references to movies, politics, and social events of the time. Fun fact: Freddy Mercury didn't like riding bicycles, and he loved Star Wars, so don't take the song at face value.



I would have posted the actual music video, but I had no idea there were a bunch of naked people in it so there's that. It's on youtube, and age-restricted so view at your own discretion.
 
Band: Don Medardo y sus Players
Song: Cumbia Chonera
Release Year: 1971
Why?: Originally, this "song of the day" was going to be reserved for the song that Lyoto Machida walked out to before his fight in Brazil - I expected he would walk out to "Bleed It Out" by Linkin Park like he did nine times before, but he switched it up on us to a song called "Cheguei" by some girl named Ludmilla. That song didn't do it for me, but this one did, utilized by Marlon Vera before his bout against Douglas Silva de Andrade. Vera lost, but this song, an Ecuadorian Latin song, is still enjoyable enough to stick out. It also just barely beat out "Money for Nothing" by the Dire Straits.

 
Band: Sigur Ros
Song: Glosoli
Release Year: 2005
Why?: How do I describe Sigur Ros to those of you who have not listened to them before? Ethereal? Atmospheric? A brief description could perhaps be given as just four dudes in a band, their words, producing music that dreams are made of. You can't think of this band as you would most other bands out there, unless you've listened to some other post-rock, but they're just...special. Seeing Sigur Ros live is among the greatest experiences of my life, and I'm proud to say I've seen them twice.



this song is like all movie background music
 
Band: Chumbawumba
Song: Tubthumping
Release Year: 1997
Why?: Depending on the results of the Superb Owl, I had two songs in mind. This one, or "One Little Victory" by Rush. It was an amazing game, no matter who you're a fan of, and sure the Pats lost, but the game was a blast so it's all good. If you're a Pats fan and someone tries to trash talk you, just ask them how many Super Bowls their favorite NFL team has won in the last 20 years. That'll put an end to it real quick.

 
I'm having a lot of fun doing this, so this week I want to pick a theme. This first theme: Opera. That doesn't mean that classical music will be hurled at you for a week straight, with tenors that shake the foundation and sopranos that shatter your windows. You'll see what I mean as we go through this first full week of February.

Band: Avantasia
Song: Reach Out For The Light
Release Date: 2001
Why?: This album, a metal opera and concept album (meaning one full story the whole way through, with songs that tie into each other) is appropriately titled "The Metal Opera." This band, Avantasia, is a project of a guy named Tobias Sammet, and over the years, he has basically called up his buddies in the music community and had them come play music with him. This track is the first substantive track on the album, and if you like what you hear, there's a lot more where this came from - this album has a sequel.

 
I'm having a lot of fun doing this, so this week I want to pick a theme. This first theme: Opera. That doesn't mean that classical music will be hurled at you for a week straight, with tenors that shake the foundation and sopranos that shatter your windows. You'll see what I mean as we go through this first full week of February.

Band: Avantasia
Song: Reach Out For The Light
Release Date: 2001
Why?: This album, a metal opera and concept album (meaning one full story the whole way through, with songs that tie into each other) is appropriately titled "The Metal Opera." This band, Avantasia, is a project of a guy named Tobias Sammet, and over the years, he has basically called up his buddies in the music community and had them come play music with him. This track is the first substantive track on the album, and if you like what you hear, there's a lot more where this came from - this album has a sequel.


This song turned me into an Avantasia fan.
 
Day two of Opera Week!

Band: The Streets
Song: Fit But You Know It
Release Year: 2004
Why?: This second day of Opera Week brings out another kind of opera - a hip hopera! This British hip hop group called The Streets released an album in 2004 called "A Grand Don't Come for Free" about a British guy who loses 1000 pounds (a grand), finds love, loses it, and other things along the way. In this particular track, we encounter the protagonist out on the town, reeling from a nasty argument with his girlfriend and coping by getting intoxicated and going after another girl.

 
Back again for day three of Opera Week!

Band: The Who
Song: The Real Me
Release Year: 1973
Why?: I thought it would be a cop-out if I threw on something from Tommy, the "first" rock opera (not actually the first, just the first album billed as a rock opera). Instead, here's something from The Who's second rock opera, Quadrophenia. It's a story about a kid who doesn't know what to do with his life, so he begins a journey to find himself, and finds several other personalities along the way. This song, "The Real Me," delves into his struggles with his different personalities.

 
Opera Week, day FOUR! You didn't think you'd get out of this week without some actual opera music, did you?

Artist: Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
Song: Time To Say Goodbye
Release Year: 1996
Why?: How many opera songs ended up being released as singles? I can't think of many, but then again I haven't scoured the charts looking for operatic pop songs. You've probably heard this one before. Yoshihiro Akiyama used it as his walkout song, and this was the song sung by Will Ferrell in the film Step Brothers, translated into Spanish. Shiny Toy Guns did a version of it, and it was just...not good.

 
Every day this week, I've been giving you a different kind of Opera to listen to, from rock operas to metal operas to straight up opera songs themselves. On day 5, it's time for some Space Opera!

Band: Devin Townsend Project
Song: March of the Poozers
Release Year: 2014
Why?: How many more kinds of opera are there? Well, you'll see. I have more in store for you, don't worry. This song is part of a long story spanning two albums, where an alien named Ziltoid invades Earth searching for the ultimate cup of coffee. Through a strange series of events, Ziltoid inadvertently saves the planet and becomes its hero, and while celebrating, he ends up stealing a child from another alien race called Poozers because he was bored. The mother of that alien, appropriately called the War Princess, invades Earth to get her child back with her army of Poozers, and thus, we get the March of the Poozers.

 
Every day this week, I've been giving you a different kind of Opera to listen to, from rock operas to metal operas to straight up opera songs themselves. On day 5, it's time for some Space Opera!

Band: Devin Townsend Project
Song: March of the Poozers
Release Year: 2014
Why?: How many more kinds of opera are there? Well, you'll see. I have more in store for you, don't worry. This song is part of a long story spanning two albums, where an alien named Ziltoid invades Earth searching for the ultimate cup of coffee. Through a strange series of events, Ziltoid inadvertently saves the planet and becomes its hero, and while celebrating, he ends up stealing a child from another alien race called Poozers because he was bored. The mother of that alien, appropriately called the War Princess, invades Earth to get her child back with her army of Poozers, and thus, we get the March of the Poozers.



They need to do more heavy metal rock operas on the major theatre districts like Broadway, Second City in Chicago, and London's West End.
 
Day 6 of Opera Week, it's time for some hybrid opera.

Band: True Symphonic Rockestra
Song: Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici (from La Traviata)
Release Year: 2008
Why?: This project, called True Symphonic Rockestra, was an attempt to combine a rock tenor with some opera tenors, singing famous opera songs. Two opera tenors, Vladimir Grishenko and Thomas Dewald, joined the lead singer of the band Dream Theater and a tenor himself James Labrie, and together with a band and parts of an orchestra, they created this fascinating classical crossover album. The song in particular is from La Traviata, and you probably recognize the melody.

 
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Here we are, at the final day of Opera Week. You've had opera, hip hopera, rock opera, metal opera, space opera, hybrid opera, so there's only one good category I have for you left - music inspired by opera, or as some have called it, mock opera.

Band: Queen
Song: Bohemian Rhapsody
Release Year: 1975
Why?: Does it include an operatic portion, with a choir and high drama? Absolutely. Is it one of the greatest songs of all time? Without a doubt.

 
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