Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Everyone, Everyone Around Here
What a lousy day at work!
I was out of the office for a couple of days, and it's amazing what piled up. Add to that, the boss needed a report today (it didn't get done). Plus, we lost an employee back in August, and she still hasn't been replaced. So, I'm trying to do both her work and mine.
Anyway, when I have a day like this, I use music to change the mood. Today, the song that did the trick was National Anthem by Radiohead.
I've only been into this band for a short time. I tried about five years ago, but I just couldn't get around the music. But then, a couple of years ago, I saw them perform this song on an SNL rerun, although I didn't then know the title. I was totally mesmerized! The singer was jerking and spitting, there was a guy alternating playing some sort of synth where he had a wire attached to his finger and beating on effects boxes on the floor, and the SNL horn section was out of control. All the while, the bassist and drummer held a steady, reliable beat. I think there may have also been a guitar player.
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More recently, I stumbled upon a UMASS drum line recording of Paranoid Android and was intrigued. I downloaded the original recording, liked it, found some more, and copied their album "The Bends" from a co-worker.
I can now listen to National Anthem over and over. The metronome-like playing of the rhythm section holds down the fort while the sound effects fly around, the vocals are amazingly and brilliantly irritating, and the horns are totally chaotic. Listen to it for about 20 times, and you'll be hooked!
(See - I'm already forgetting about work just writing about a song. Amazing!)
I was out of the office for a couple of days, and it's amazing what piled up. Add to that, the boss needed a report today (it didn't get done). Plus, we lost an employee back in August, and she still hasn't been replaced. So, I'm trying to do both her work and mine.
Anyway, when I have a day like this, I use music to change the mood. Today, the song that did the trick was National Anthem by Radiohead.
I've only been into this band for a short time. I tried about five years ago, but I just couldn't get around the music. But then, a couple of years ago, I saw them perform this song on an SNL rerun, although I didn't then know the title. I was totally mesmerized! The singer was jerking and spitting, there was a guy alternating playing some sort of synth where he had a wire attached to his finger and beating on effects boxes on the floor, and the SNL horn section was out of control. All the while, the bassist and drummer held a steady, reliable beat. I think there may have also been a guitar player.
More recently, I stumbled upon a UMASS drum line recording of Paranoid Android and was intrigued. I downloaded the original recording, liked it, found some more, and copied their album "The Bends" from a co-worker.
I can now listen to National Anthem over and over. The metronome-like playing of the rhythm section holds down the fort while the sound effects fly around, the vocals are amazingly and brilliantly irritating, and the horns are totally chaotic. Listen to it for about 20 times, and you'll be hooked!
(See - I'm already forgetting about work just writing about a song. Amazing!)
