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Finest Worksongs is a music commentary and history podcast hosted by Matt Lail and Matt Stevens. The podcast is dedicated to discussing ”great albums” and delving into the music and history of the artists behind them. The hosts often reminisce about their 80s childhoods, providing a nostalgic lens through which they explore the chosen albums. While the podcast covers a wide range of musical genres and artists, their discussions often center around seminal albums, exploring their impact, production, and the context in which they were created. They also have ”Summer Jamz” episodes where they focus on a single song instead of an entire album. ”Finest Worksongs” has been recognized in local media, being named one of Raleigh’s Top Podcasts by Raleigh Magazine and voted ”Best Local Podcast” in Wake Living Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards. The podcast concluded its regular episodes in early 2025 with its 129th episode, a listener’s choice discussion on The Replacements’ ”Let It Be.”
Episodes
Friday Jul 03, 2020
Friday Jul 03, 2020
It’s an album full of rage caused by racial injustice. It’s an album borne out of the voices of the oppressed. It’s a musical masterpiece of dope beats, thumping bass and intellectual rhymes that spotlight police brutality, racial undercurrents and the promise of a pyrrhic breaking point. The album is also 32 years old. The fact that Public Enemy’s seminal “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” is as timely and current today as when it was released is a sad testament to America’s progress in race and socioeconomic progress. However, one reason “It Takes a Nation” still resonates is because musically it still freaking slaps. Spurred by Hall of Fame-caliber hits like “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t Believe the Hype,” this album signaled a brave new world in music. It took courage then to produce it. Unfortunately, even in 2020, it still does.
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