Post-work relaxation easy with the right album

Hard days at work require a special kind of relaxation. A come-down that, to someone like myself, can only come through sitting comfortably in the driver's seat of a car, putting a terrific album in the CD player and driving like a bat out of hell to a place as far away from your employer as you can get. \nThere are some albums that are better than others for taking your mind off the frustrations of the real world. Here, I have listed my top five albums to listen to after work; however, these are just suggestions. Your day might require something a little more or less potent, but these can help take your mind off of your boss's non-stop bitching and your co-workers incessant whining about the coffee you made. \nSam Cooke -- Nightbeat (1963)\nNightbeat is virtually perfect for relieving stress and frustration. Sam Cooke has one of the most beautiful singing voices ever, and the songs on this album are seemingly designed to help with a person's troubles. The album has a theme of pain and heartbreak that can give perspective to your hard job as opposed to other people who perhaps don't understand the meaning of the word "work." However, the last track is perfect for an after-work album. "Shake, Rattle and Roll," is one of the oldest rock 'n' roll songs, and it's excellent for putting you right in the mood to call up some friends and party until the sun comes up. All in all, this is a great record. \nBruce Springsteen -- Born to Run (1975)\nThis record starts off with "Thunder Road," which states my case beautifully when Springsteen sings, "Hey what else can we do now / except roll down the windows / and let the wind blow / back your hair." That's exactly what you should do when you listen to this album. Sit back, relax, and let Springsteen take you to a place that few other songwriters can make so appealing. \nEven the title track of this album is perfect because it says exactly what you might feel after work in just three words. Have you ever walked out of your place of employment and thought, "What am I doing here? I'm born to run!" If so, you're a dork. Welcome to the club!\nBob Dylan -- Blood on the Tracks (1974)\nOne of the greatest albums ever by one of the greatest artists ever. "Tangled Up in Blue," the first track on this album, is full of brilliant storytelling and remains one of Dylan's best songs. "Simple Twist of Fate," "Idiot Wind," "If You See Her Say Hello" and "Shelter From the Storm" also stand out on this album. This album has so many stories on this album that it's easy to get lost in the yarns Dylan spins, and the problems that you face at work will most likely pale in comparison to the stories and insights of this album.\nStevie Ray Vaughan -- In the Beginning (1992)\nGuitar slinging, hard-rocking dynamite. Doubtlessly, Vaughan was one of the best guitarists in the history of rock, and this album, a recording of a live concert from 1980, showcases his abilities at a time before most people had ever heard of him. If you like blues or just Stevie, buy this record. It'll rock the working blues away, and pays tribute to some of the greatest blues players of the past like Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon and Freddie King.\nThe Replacements -- Pleased to Meet Me (1987)\nThis is an awesome disc from one of the best bands that most people have never heard. But if you like dirty, gritty, raucous rock 'n' roll, then this is a great album to hear on the way home from work. This album is just raw emotion shoved through an amplifier. The lyrics are angry, powerful and creative: "If you were a pill / I'd take a handful at my will / and I'd knock you back / with something sweet and strong." The music is driven, jaded and rocking. Impossible to ignore, this is a great album to chase away the drag of work.\nI hope the next time you leave work feeling like you woke up on the wrong side of the cubicle, you can find some solace in the work of these artists. If not, then my day at work was wasted.