Sunday, August 5, 2018

Making Hard Labor Sound Better

Song 419: This week on the playlist you can listen to Finest Worksong by R.E.M., written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. I thought R.E.M. sounded pretty good the night my band Victims of Technology opened for them and the Lloyds at The Stone in San Francisco (6/22/83), but when Document came along 4 years later, I thought they have moved up to a whole new level. The album became a regular spinner for me, and it would also find a sweet spot on my iPod not long after that shiny mp3 player arrived, so over the years the record has enlivened many moments, including through ear buds on NYC subway rides and blasting from a portable speaker set while driving along interstate highways. This cut opens the LP with a bang, and sets a very high-energy tone for the ride. Three decades after its release, I would say an even greater share of workers feel that What we want and what we need Has been confused, been confused, but hearing this track can also impart the feeling of being in Your finest hour and believing that Another chance has been engaged.

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