July 20, 2001

Rock 'n' Roll Moosic

By DAVID COHEN

"Everybody hurts," croons the vocalist of R.E.M. in the group's sweet and anxious pop ballad of the same name. Even dairy cows in England, it turns out, feel the pain of the song's hushed vocals and soothing backbeat, say two British researchers.

A nine-week study by Adrian B. North and Liam MacKenzie, both lecturers in psychology at the University of Leicester, found that cows tend to produce more milk when they are exposed to such soothing gems as Lou Reed's "Perfect Day," Simon and