Monday, July 12, 2010

The Right Music for the Job



Today I was doing a small bit of manual labor. As I began my work I thought, "We need some appropriate music to accompany the laborious labour that is about to go down." For some reason manual labor sparks a sense of good ol'fashion Americana for me, so I though some Creedence Clearwater Revival would be the best bet for work that may result in a callus.

Working and rocking to Proud Mary just felt right. It was the appropriate music with the appropriate work to the max. Don't get me wrong, like CCR a lot, but I would not say they are my favorite band or even style of music, but at this exact moment, they sounded better than they had in a long time. This made me think about how the appropriate thing at the appropriate time is a perfect thing.

People always ask "What is your favorite wine?" and I give some answer like, "It depends." Even to me that sounds like a copout and dodging the question, but it is true. Sometimes a big Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and a steak the size of mailbox is the best thing mankind has created. Just 24 hours later, a plate of fried chicken and a sparkling wine from New Zealand - make me think all other wine and food combinations are fools gold. And it may not even be a great wine and food pairing that makes for a great food and wine experience. One of the best food and wine times I have ever had involved Ben's Chili Bowl and an '85 Lynch Bages standing around in an old friend's kitchen. While the chili and the wine went together like long walks and the beach, it was the company and mutual appreciation for the wine that made such an occasion memorable.

So the moral of this tale is - do not limit yourself to one favorite. Listen to CCR while changing your oil and Motown while you clean the house on Sunday. Drink a rose with a piece of grilled fish and a merlot with a french dip sandwich with lots of horseradish. Laugh about long ago high-school hijinks with a cold bottle of Gruner Veltliner.... and whiskey chasers.

Or... how about the best idea, drink pull-tab Coors (The Banquet Beer) with some friends on a flight to somewhere.

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