Music for "Tough Times"

Joy Division, particularly Unknown Pleasures. When I'm in a pissy mood, I don't want to listen to happy feel-good music -- it's like nails on a chalk board. Definitely not for everyone though, nor for the better days.

I decided to chime in because I saw a few of my favorites listed here (namely Daniel Lanois Acadie, and various by the Cowboy Junkies). Jadem6, your 3 picks from Sheryl Crow are my moody favorites as well.

I think it would be fair to add U2's the Unforgettable Fire, especially side B (the album was produced by Lanois) and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (which I consider an American masterpiece). I can honestly say that I've listened to Acadie more times than any CD in my collection.

Another "tough times" album of more recent creation might be The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin. If you really want to put a cherry on top of a bad day, read an early novel by Charles Bukowski. You'll end up laughing and will feel better in the end.

Some very moving posts up there, for me, a newcomer, many of the names slowly get a human face. I'll give you something classical: Schubert's Quintet in C minor, he wrote it in the month of his early and untimely death and to me its all about despair, anguish and then a serenity slowly building up and a letting go. It helped me enormously after my wife died five years ago, I listened to it practically every night and afterwards I could sleep.
The second movement always brings up tears, but in a good way and then "Ella Fitzgerald sings the Blues", she brings all those classical oldies to a new and passionate life, the blues are close to your own pain, but the driving force is vital and envigourating. Highly recommended, if you can find it.

Oh and I forgot, Bach's "Magnificat": It is so full of a glowing, rejoicing, positive energy, it will get you back into "flow" anytime and soothe the "savage beast of depression". Its like stepping out of a dark room into the sun. Honestly.

Dwight Yoakum's "Hillbilly Deluxe" is always a good start for me. I can then either move on up and out to some more honky tonk, or just get down and wallow in it with the likes of Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, etc.

If I'm really out of sorts, I just start out with Billie Holiday and blues it out.

And finally, if it's one of those "I hate my job, my boss is a blithering idiot, the company sucks, the drive home was a screamer before I even left the parking lot AND the cat ripped the grills on the speakers" kinda days, well - Aerosmith, Led Zepplin, Everclear, and the Sex Pistols usually get me right. There's no hope for the cat, though!

chas