#The Finest Worksong

[hourback]

recording-20230423-211853, Karaoke, The Finest Work Song

https://hourback.files.wordpress.com/2023/04/recording-20230423-2118532ckaraoke2cthefinestworksong.ogg

[myimaginaryradio]

Finest Worksong - R.E.M. - 1987

[turbulenthandholding]

Unhinged The Bear Season 3 Musical Speculation: R.E.M. Carmy-Specific Edition

See my previous Sydcarmy specific R.E.M. speculation here

See my previous Syd-specific R.E.M. speculation here

Based on the three songs that have been used so far (Strange Currencies, in several forms, plus Oh, My Heart and Half a World Away) - I get the sense we are more likely to see mid-to-late catalog songs vs. earlier ones. So far, the songs chosen for the show sound like R.E.M. songs if that makes sense, which is to say they haven’t used anything that has veered into some of their later-catalog experimentation (Airportman comes to mind) and or even like early jangly mumblecore R.E.M. either (most songs from Murmur through Lifes Rich Pageant or Document).  I have the feeling this pattern will probably continue into Season 3.

World Leader Pretend (Green)

This song is one that will show up again on my general list for songs that could show up in season 3 but I think it’s worth mentioning on the Sydcarmy list as well.  World Leader Pretend is a gorgeous song that has really beautiful wordplay (raise/raze) and contradictions (this is my mistake, let me make it good - could either mean ‘let me right this wrong I made’ or ‘let me continue to fuck something up so I really fuck it up good’).  I think there’s a lot of what’s going on inside Carmy expressed by the song, but it also makes sense in the Sydcarmy context because of the last lines:

Reach out for me, hold me tight

Hold that memory

…

You fill in the mortar

You fill in the harmony

You fill in the mortar

I raised the wall

And I'm the only one

I will be the one to knock it down

Let Me In (Monster)

This is the gorgeous remixed version from the 25th anniversary release; see also the original version .

Michael Stipe wrote the words to this one about Kurt Cobain’s passing.  The original version is such a beautiful, wrenching melody under these really dirty guitar sounds; the grief of the whole song really comes through.  I love the remix version, though, which is more vocal-forward and lovelier.  I could see the show using either version as Carmy continues to process his grief over Michael’s passing.

Bonus:

Finest Worksong (Document) - take your instinct by the reins / better best to rearrange / what we want and what we need / has been confused, been confused / your finest hour

And finally, the song of my unhinged, anti-Claire Bear dreams:

 this one goes out to the one I've left behind / a simple prop to occupy my time / this one goes out to the one I love

The Bear IS a love story - but this is not a love song.

(Bonus anti-Claire Bear suggestion: All the Right Friends - OG version; All the Right Friends - In Time version)

[punk-chicken-radio]

r.e.m. - finest worksong

-ax and TOS

[doyourememberrocknrollradio]

R.E.M. - Finest Worksong

[feelingsrsht]

     I had never been one to listen to “old” music, nor had I ever been one to save trash off the street, but this day was different. I was walking home from school, on a fine fall Wednesday afternoon when I almost crushed a cassette tape under my red high-tops. If I hadn’t crushed the case, which was laying separate, I would have never known. I was quick to snatch it up and take it home. I knew what it was but had no idea how I was going to play it. I tossed the tape around and around in my hand, trying to read the faded writing on it. It was damn near impossible to make out what it said, but I felt like I had to listen to this tape. It was my destiny. I grabbed the tape, my secret money stash, and my phone and hopped onto my bike towards downtown. I pulled up to the record store I remember my Mom talking about when I was younger, and tied up the bike outside. I walked in, the jingle of a door bell greeting me, and I slid the tape over the counter. I asked the old clerk, “I need to listen to this tape.” He just laughed and held up a finger before wandering to the back room to dig around for what felt like forever. He finally emerged, holding a dusty box that read Sony Walkman on it. He slid it across the counter to me and said, “Been a while since anyones bought one of these. Here ya go. Thats $20 even.” He was holding out his hand in an eager manner, annoyed that he didn’t have his cash fast enough. Serves him right though, after taking so long to find the damn thing. I threw the cash in his hand, took the box, and abruptly left the building. I opened up the box and popped in the tape. Feeling too embarrassed to go back in and ask how to work the Walkman, I spent a good while next to my bike trying to work it. I finally put in my headphones and pressed play. The first notes of R.E.M.s Finest Worksong came through loud and clear and blessed my ears. I had no idea what I was listening to, but it was transcendent. Flipping the tape over, The One I Love comes on and takes you on a real musical journey. I had obviously never heard of R.E.M. until today, but I was already in love.  When I arrived home, I asked my dad about the band on the cassette tape. He gave them a good listen before he told me that he and my mom saw them when they used to open at the 40 Watt in Athens back before they got big. They used to love R.E.M. but after she died he sort of stopped listening to them. He just held the tape and smiled a sad smile. The following week, I returned to the record store and purchased every R.E.M. tape they had. I thrifted milk crates, and empty boxes and filled my dark wood-paneled room with stacks and stacks of R.E.M., The Smiths, U2, Talking Heads, 10,000 Maniacs, Bauhaus, and The B-52’s to name a few. I plastered the walls with their posters, and old Christmas lights I found in the basement, and spared no expense in redecorating the once dull space. I had filled every corner of that room with books, posters,and music. I had finally found myself, and all through love at first wind. 

[strivia]

Oooo, this is neat. Thanks for the tag @this-isnt-heathrow My music taste is hella eclectic

Tagging @occasionallygiveadamn @isadora-greenhall @starstruckpurpledragon @belphegor1982 @thatfaerieprincess

Challenging you all!

Put your music library on shuffle, then list the first five songs that come up in a poll to let people vote for which one they like the most!

Then tag Tumblr friends to keep the game going!

[hiyapandanurse]

I spent the last 50 minutes ranking my top 15 R.E.M. songs:

15. Life and How to Live It

14. Sitting Still

13. Radio Free Europe

12. Finest Worksong

11. Harborcoat

10. Me in Honey

9. Fall on Me

8. West of the Fields

7. Wolves Lower

6. Little America

5. Get Up

4. Try Not to Breathe

3. Begin the Begin

2. These Days

1. Pilgrimage

[mixtapet]

Mixtape T: 1987

Listen HERE for the show or the playlist below:

Welcome To The Jungle- Guns N' Roses

Never Tear Us Apart -INXS

Strangelove -Depeche Mode

The Great Commandment -Camouflage

True Faith - ('94)- New Order

I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) -Whitney Houston

I Think We're Alone Now -Tiffany

Luka -Suzanne Vega

Mandinka -Sinead O'Connor

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) -George Michael & Aretha Franklin

April Skies -The Jesus & Mary Chain

Finest Worksong- R.E.M.

Surfin' Cow -The Dead Milkmen

[shoegazingcat]

R.E.M. - Finest Worksong

[brightlotusmoon]

'Finest Worksong': R.E.M. Gets Loud and Political but Stays Weird

"Finest Worksong" showed they weren't shying away from it, either. This riffy, U2-esque statement of populist purpose blended radio-ready, largely improvised sounds with a new lyrical assertiveness. The intent here, Michael Stipe said in Reveal, was to attack "the idea that you can work and work, and get what you want, and then try for even more. It's the American dream, but it's a pipe dream that's been exploited for years." He seethes with anger while singing lines like, "What we want and what we need has been confused."

[manitat]

Michael checks out the video board after sound-check in Belgrade, Serbia on January 21, 2005 at Arena, Hala 1, Beogradski Sajam where the band played a concert with support from Brainstorm. Set (from The R.E.M. Timeline): Finest Worksong / Departure / The Wake-Up Bomb / Animal / Boy In The Well / The Great Beyond / High Speed Train / Everybody Hurts / The Outsiders / Drive / Leaving New York / Orange Crush / I Wanted To Be Wrong / Final Straw / Imitation Of Life / The One I Love / Walk Unafraid / Losing My Religion encore: What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / Electrolite / Nightswimming / Radio Free Europe / I'm Gonna DJ / Man On The Moon Photo: David Belisle

[dellpickle76]

I believe ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ and ‘Document’ would be more cohesive if ‘Begin the Begin’ and ‘King of Birds’ switched places. Time travel isn’t possible so obviously there’s no way of changing this, but they seem a little out of place on their respective albums. ‘Begin the Begin’ and ‘Finest Worksong’ are siblings, and such is the case with ‘The Flowers of Guatemala’ and ‘King of Birds’.

[musicandotherdelights]

Daily Listening, Day #1,171 - March 16th, 2023

Album: Document (IRS, 1987)

Artist: REM

Genre: Alternative Rock, Jangle Pop

Track Listing: 

"Finest Worksong"

"Welcome To The Occupation"

"Exhuming McCarthy"

"Disturbance At The Heron House"

"Strange"

"It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"

"The One I Love"

"Fireplace"

"Lightnin' Hopkins"

"King Of Birds"

"Oddfellows Local 151"

Favorite Song: "Oddfellows Local 151"

[doyourememberrocknrollradio]

R.E.M. - Finest Worksong

[biggreenhouse]

100 Days of Music - Music Challenge

Day 15 (9/4/23)

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope that you have the day off. Whether you do or don't, this day is all about what and how labor has provided for this nation.

With that in mind, our theme today is about labor/work. What's a song that you like that has anything to do with labor/work/jobs?

Here's one of mine

Forty Hour Week - Alabama

@worldleaderpretend1969, @biggreenhouse, @lusnicky, @delightedobserverintraining, @randomperegrination, @prbworld20, @flat-in-life, @oni-with-an-iron-club, @oshea52, @mistymountainway, @imagesandinspirations, @bohicabill, @can-ya-dig-it-777, @mister-chance, @switching-to-glide, @breastfan75, @perry-t

If I haven't tagged you, you are still more than welcome to join us and play along.