Music for "Tough Times"


When you're feeling lousy, or maybe just had a tough day, what one LP, CD, tape, etc. do you play to make you feel better? In my case it's Cowboy Junkies CD "The Caution Horses". Margo Timmins voice is at once soft and soothing, but also haunting and immediate. This is music that I can get lost in. What music do others use on occasions like this?
garfish
Portishead - Dummy; once aptly described on a "best of the 90's" list as 'the musical sound of one heart breaking'.

Nick Cave - The Boatman's Call; finally picking this album up off of Ebay. I know several songs already, so it's already a favorite. It's arguably Nick's best work and much of it was inspired from his bad break-up with PJ Harvey a few years back.

Waterboys - 'This is the Sea' was a good choice too, as were many others previously mentioned.. now, if we started listing individual songs, this site would need a whole new server!

Somebody with too much time on their hands needs to compile all these suggestions to a printer-friendly list. Any volunteers?? :P
Joni Mitchell--"Both Sides Now"--especially the first version from "Clouds" (1969)and her whole first album "Song to a Seagull."

Bob Dylan--"Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" from Blonde on Blonde and the whole album.

Bach-Goldberg Variations especially by Rosalyn Turek or, secondly, Murray Perahia.

Beethoven--String Quartet in F Major op 135 (he was totally deaf). Ninth Symphony--Roger Norrington--how could you not be moved.

Any Mozart piano sonata by Daniel Barenboim, but Andras
Schiff is very lyrical and Mitsuko Uchida is feminine and precise.

Debussy--String Quartet in G minor--one of the great lesser known quartets, Guarneri or Budapest.

Katie Webster--"Swamp Boogie Queen"--great Delta blues singer and piano player!

Jon

Like the PJ and Nick Cave references... Flaming Lips after midnight on Sundays works for me. The Harder They Come and Jackie Brown. Are soundtracks too lame? Junior Murvin and Desmond Decker always make me feel better. Bob Mould. Jayhawks. Yo La Tengo can also work wonders. Too eclectic?