"Centering" Music

[JazzManJim]

Do you have some musical group or artist or style that, no matter how frazzled or irritated you may be, always seems to help you find your center and balance again?

I do. It's either Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald.

I've been listening to a lot of Frank lately and it always amazes me just how solidly his music brings me back to myself when I don't always know how to get back there on my own. It's kind of an interesting phenomenon.

No matter how many times I hear the same songs, they're always fresh and new to me. There's always something delightful in his lyrics, or how he handles the notes, or how the accompanying orchestra (be it Tommy Dorsey, or Duke Ellington, Or Basie, or Nelson Riddle) matches him so perfectly. Most of it is beyond words for me.

 

[KillerMuffin]

The mournful male voice.

Fade to Black
Lightning Crashes
6th Avenue Heartbreak
I'm a Loser

That kind of thing. I'm more peaceful, depressed yes, but calm and peaceful.

 

[Black_Bird]

Tool.

 

[WhiteRose]

Loreena McKennitt's "The Book of Secrets"
Imua's "Endangered Species"
Keali'i Reichel's "E O Mai"
Joanna Shenandoah's "Once in A Red Moon"

 

[april-wine]

Aretha Live In Paris........
Lenny Kravitz Let Love Rule.......
Billie Holiday The Greatest Hits.....
AC/DC Back in Black............


If any of these don't work....there is trouble brewing lol........

 

[Guest]

Frank Sinatra - yes. Also Tony Bennett, depending on my mood. Other genre work well for me, such as:

Barber's Adagio for Strings - total calm, yet wrenching emotion
Holst - Jupiter - close my eyes in bliss
Tchaikovsky - Andante Cantabile from String Quartet #1, so romantic

or

Van Halen - anything with David Lee Roth, esp. Women and Children First
Rolling Stones - need I say more?
Bob Seger, the Eagles, Styx, Journey - things from my high school days, and of course, Jimmy Buffett - You had to be there!

Eclectic, thy name is woman!!




My Stories

 

[Kitte]

Loreena Mckennit
Dead Can Dance

 

[JennyOmanHill]

James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot.

Their melodies seem to wrap around my heart, and the overall soothness of their voices helps get me centered again, sometimes after a few tears.

 

[Smooth_Operator]

"Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars" by Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians

Not really my favorite artist, or my favorite genre of music, but something about the whole album just reminds me that life is a precious thing, and to enjoy every day.

 

[binkley]

the classics

Beethoven is good for this, especially the late String Quartets. No wonder the man died early (late 50s): if his final works make you ache for another world, any more from him and we'd all be trying to get there.

 

[Aphrodisiac]

Mana

Shakira

Alejandro Fernandez

Sade

India Aire


Seem to soothe me.

 

[Wiggles]

Jimmy Eat World

~The Middle

That song has made me feel good about the world at a few critical times in the past two weeks.

 

[Tantanah]

Enya's voice wraps around me and soothes me. Especially "Flora's Secret".

 

[MorgaineLaFay]

Jimmy it seem slike I am always frazzled these days.

So I listen to a lot of Frank. Van Morrison. David Gray. Norah Jones, ( I just got that, I dig it).

 

[LukkyKnight]

Depends which way from center I've drifted. Sometimes it's Steve Winwood or Peter Gabriel, sometimes I need 70s R&B, sometimes Bocelli, but when all else fails:

Jethro Tull at full concert volume. It usually keeps the neighbors from bothering me, too.

 

[Latinababe]

I have a few

Iron Maiden

Queenscryche

Alice Cooper

I find metal helps me relax and calm me down.

 

[John Roberts]

Salsa in general picks me up as I love to dance mambo.
My favorite song that always lifts me due to its dynamic rythmic qualities, it's liveliness and brightness is....

Eddie Palmieri's - El Dueno Monte

It is a phenomenal song. The various elements are tight, Horns, Congas, vocal arrangements and Eddie's excellent piano playing.
I have heard this song countless times and it still affects me everytime and centers me better than anything else.

For quieter moments it is Brazilia by Putumayo Artists and The Heart of Cuba(an acoustical compilation of cuban artists)

JR

 

[La Principessa]

this will amaze some I know....

with all the classical that I've posted.....

But when 'frazzled' I need music from my youth...

Moody Blues and Doobie Bros. primarily

"Black Water"
"Nights in White Satin"
"China Grove"
"Tuesday Afternoon"

and for some reason.....
Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F....maybe it's the memory of Oscar Levant performing it in "American in Paris"....but it always brings a smile to my face!

 

[brisbon]

ah....Im and old rock and roller from way back, but when I need to reflect or truly take the edge off of something ....Im addicted to Fur Elise. can listen to it over ...and over ...and......

 

[Dirk Gently]

Not all music by an artist usually, but specific songs...

A Perfect Circle - 3 Libras
Blue Oyster Cult - Astronomy
Bad Religion - most of their post-85 stuff, but especially Broken, Cease, The Defense, I Want To Conquer The World, Into The Night, Infected, and The Answer
Motorhead - Stone Dead Forever
NiN - I Do Not Want This, Last, Ringfinger, Sin, Terrible Lie, Wish
Ozzy Osbourne - Momma, I'm Coming Home
Papa Roach - Between Angels and Insects
Pink Floyd - Breathe In The Air, Hey You, High Hopes
Stabbing Westward - Save Yourself, So Far Away
System of a Down - Toxicity
Tool - ...a lot of different songs, especially Forty-Six & 2, Opiate, Parabola, and Sober

Whoops, that was much longer than I meant it to be. Ah well.

 

[Dirk Gently]

Oh, and just about anything by Bach. Especially the 3rd Brandenburg Concerto.

 

[Aphrodisiac]

Salsa in general picks me up as I love to dance mambo.


JR

So do I ....