#692: Motivational stuff

After weeks of learning (again) that the Mahavishnu Orchestra & Hatfield and the North & Hawkwind & Clannad & Illusion & Nick Drake & Sandy Denny don't always make for good motivational music at work, I'm now back to relying on homemade tapes of old favorites to keep me moving.
I'd like to stay open-minded, plus I thought Work was a good venue to try-out New To Me music, but clearly there's lots of music out there that just Doesn't Work at work. And when all else fails, I go back to what's worked for me in the past -- all the cassettes I've got at home that are marked "Motivational Stuff." Here's some of that:

The Who -- Relay, Slip Kid, Daily Records, Another Tricky Day.
Elvis Costello -- What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding?
Donna Summer -- State of Independence.
Bubble Puppy -- Hot Smoke and Sassafras.
Carlene Carter -- Little Love Letter #1, Every Little Thing, Sweet Meant to Be, Little Love Letter #2, Heart is Right.
Beach Boys -- There's No Other (Like My Baby).
Traffic -- Glad.
Mark Knopfler -- Going Home (Theme of the Local Hero).
Jeff Lynne -- Lift Me Up, Every Little Thing.
Five Man Electrical Band -- Absolutely Right.
Bob Seger -- Feel Like a Number.
Boz Scaggs -- You've Got Some Imagination.
Queen -- It's Late, Need Your Loving Tonight.
John Fogerty -- Almost Saturday Night, Rockin' All Over the World.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band -- For You, Heart on the Street, Stranded.
B.J. Thomas -- Rock and Roll Lullabye.
Poco -- A Good Feeling to Know, Here We Go Again.
Billy Joel -- Travelin' Prayer.
Dave Clark Five -- Any Way You Want It.
Marvin Gaye -- Ain't That Peculiar?
Nektar -- Astral Man, Fidgety Queen.
Aretha Franklin -- 'Til You Come Back to Me.
Doobie Brothers -- Nobody.
Eagles -- James Dean, Seven Bridges Road.
Mott the Hoople -- All the Young Dudes.
Jane Wiedlin -- Rush Hour.
Bangles -- Let it Go, September Gurls.
Pentangle -- Light Flight.
Roxy Music -- The Thrill of it All.
Steve Tibbetts -- Ur.
Glass Moon -- Solsbury Hill.
REO Speedwagon -- Roll With the Changes, Don't Let Him Go, Blazing Your Own Trail Again.
The Nice -- America.
Holly and the Italians -- I Wanna Go Home, Youth Coup, Miles Away.
Journey -- Feeling That Way/Anytime.
Dave Edmunds -- Information.
ELO -- Twilight, The Way Life's Meant to Be.
Cyndi Lauper -- Money Changes Everything, When You Were Mine.
Brewer and Shipley -- One Toke Over the Line.
Christie -- Yellow River.
Bruce Springsteen -- Rosalita.
Missing Persons -- The Noticeable Ones.
Madonna -- Bad Girl.
Todd Rundgren -- Couldn't I Just Tell You?, Saving Grace.
Pogues -- Lorelei.
Outlaws -- I Can't Stop Loving You.
.38 Special -- Chain Lightning.
Paula Abdul -- Blowing Kisses in the Wind.
Travis Tritt -- T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
Boston -- Used to Bad News.
Pete Townshend -- Slit Skirts.
Blondie -- Angels on the Balcony.
Saga -- Wind Him Up.
Steve Winwood -- Still in the Game.
Procol Harum -- Grand Finale (live).
Cars -- Dangerous Type.
Heart -- Mistral Wind.
Mary-Chapin Carpenter -- Passionate Kisses.
Fleetwood Mac -- Hypnotized.
Icehouse -- Great Southern Land.
Badfinger -- In the Meantime/Some Other Time.
...+ about 20 different Beatles album tracks, & a dozen old Motown hits....

...These are all Good Stuff, of course, but I don't necessarily have much to SAY about them at this late date.
I think The Who's "Relay" has great lyrics that work especially well in our new age of all-seeing, all-knowing, all-surveilling Big Brotherly-ness -- take a listen & see. I think MCA or whoever should reissue the song NOW and call it the "40th Anniversary Remix" or something -- no one would ever know the difference, since the song peaked around #39 back in '73. And Pete's lyrics are especially good on the issue of "control" and how to get around it.... & all that's in addition to the cool synth squiggles & Roger's angry vocal & etc....
The Beach Boys, Jeff Lynne, Brewer and Shipley & Traffic songs all got good responses from unsuspecting members of the public, if that helps.
But at this point, I'm not sure I care much. I can feel it's time for another vacation coming on -- the music's just another way for me to get through an evening of work. As soon as customers become Too Much to handle, the music gets cranked-up. And after that everything's Fine again. As soon as things got Too Crazy on the night of July 4th, I turned the music UP. & the rest of the night was a breeze.
But in this mood I could inflict on the unsuspecting public something like Cromagnon. Or Borbetomagus. Or Pat Metheny's ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SILENCE. And not even care.
I'm still bored. Musical suggestions would be welcomed....