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09-04-09 Footnotes
Show 197: Songs about Work, Reviews of Phish & The Vivian Girls
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1 Despite the fact that most musicians spend their lives avoiding a “real job,” there are a number of great songs about the drudgery and the glory of hard work. For this Labor Day episode Jim and Greg play their Favorite Songs About Work.
Greg
The Animals, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”
Van Morrison, “Cleaning Windows”
Bob Marley, “Night Shift"
The Jam, “Smithers-Jones”
Jim
John Lennon, “Working Class Hero”
The Clash, “Career Opportunities”
Lou Reed, “Don’t Talk to Me About Work"
The Flaming Lips, “Bad Days”
2 For two decades the jam band Phish has held a massive fan base. But, as Jim and Greg explain, most of these “Phish Heads” aren’t all that interested in the band’s studio records; it’s all about the live experience. Now, after a five year hiatus during which lead singer Trey Anastasio battled drug addiction, the band is back with a new record called Joy. As always, the goal is to create songs that are successful on record and stage. With the exception of a couple of tracks, Greg doesn’t think the songwriting holds up. He can only give Joy a Burn It. Jim wishes the band would abandon its efforts at jazz and funk fusion and go back to its progressive roots. He loves the 13-minute suite “Time Turns Elastic,” but gives the rest of the album a Burn It.
3 The Vivian Girls also have a new release called Everything Goes Wrong. The title might be referring to the year the band had following their successful self-titled debut. Not only did they lose their drummer, but guitarist/songwriter Cassie Ramone also went through a bad breakup. As Greg states, their pain is our pleasure. He loves this follow-up and hears a lot of musical growth. Jim agrees, adding that the Vivians’ take on female sexuality is much needed in our culture. Everything Goes Wrong gets a double Buy It.
Songs Featured in Show #197
The Animals, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," Animal Tracks, 1965
John Lennon, "Working Class Hero," John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, 1970
Van Morrison, "Cleaning Windows," Beautiful Vision, 1982
The Clash, "Career Opportunities," The Clash, 1977
The Clipse, "Grindin'," Lord Willin', 2002
R.E.M., “Finest Worksong,” Document, 1987
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Night Shift,” Rastaman Vibration, 1976
The Jam, “Smithers-Jones” (Single Version), 1979
Lou Reed, “Don’t Talk to Me About Work, Legendary Hearts, 1983
The Flaming Lips, “Bad Days” Clouds Taste Metallic, 1995
Phish, “Ocelot,” Joy, 2009
Phish, “Backwards Down the Number Line,” Joy, 2009
Phish, “Time Turns Elastic,” Joy, 2009
The Vivian Girls, “Tension,” Everything Goes Wrong, 2009
The Vivian Girls, “The End,” Everything Goes Wrong, 2009
The Isley Brothers, “Work to Do,” Brother, Brother, Brother, 1972
The Pretenders, “The Phone Call,” Pretenders, 1980
Jackson 5, “It’s Your Thing,” Soulsation!, 1995
Led Zeppelin, “When the Levee Breaks,” Led Zeppelin IV, 1971
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