Music for "Tough Times"

I'm glad to see that this thread is still picking up a few comments. Thanks to everyone who's posted, I've enjoyed all. I'll add a couple more: "Blues For The Homeless", various artists, and the real deal-- don't know if it's still available. Loreena McKennitt's ballads on "Whisper the Wild Water", and also Mai're Brennan's ballads on several of her CDs. I sincerely mean "Cheers". Craig.

I find that one of the many times my system and music collection pays for itself is during the "Tough Times". In heavy rotation during such times would be Enya's "Exile", Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and "Blue Spanish Sky", Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and Nirvana's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". Even though these are not upbeat or 'happy' songs their slow, brooding rhythm helps me inch out of the doldrums.

End of relation: either 'Broken hearts are for assholes' by Zappa or Joe Jackson's Nocturne. Just one of those days: Slayer-Reign in blood. Existential crisis: Savatage-Streets. Just plain happy (Yeah! Like that ever happens!): everything from David Lee Roth. So much for culture!

Daniel Lanois and Patricia Barber have helped me too
Also Mahler's third, first t and last movements, I have about 8 different recordings of it and they all work well even if in different ways
Janis Ian Breaking Silence
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Live in Paris
Ghazal's three albums
Lou Reed's Berlin
Laurie Anderson's Strange Angels
Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Mehuhin's West Meets East
Ray Bryant plays the blues
John Handy's Karuna Supreme

This thread reminds me of one of the fundamental axioms of
the human condition: You can't decide / control what you
feel, but you CAN control the environment which you respond to. And for this purpose: The sounds of silence, by Simon and Garfunkle.

Judith