Great post. I hope brighter days await you. What you said about kindness is spot on. You have a lot of wisdom. And, if I may say this, I am pretty sure that with your strength and determination, you will be able to get through whatever it is that life throws at you.
Thanks for reminding me of Keane and KT Tunstall, two artists I haven’t really followed much in recent years, but whose hits in the early noughties were inescapable.
Thanks Andres, always glad to reacquaint others with music that may have fallen off their radar. This playlist series is reintroducing me to music that I used to love (clearly, because it used to be in my physical collection) and I’m finding that I haven’t listened to some of this music for decades.
It’s been a good year keeping up with new music while making room in my life for older music. That’s one thing I look forward to when I start building out a vinyl connection is that it will anchor me to music, particularly older music, that I really enjoy and remind me to play it more often.
From an emotional standpoint things are definitely improving for me. Everything that life brings is a passing phenomenon, be it fair weather days or darker days. There’s a comfort that comes with knowing that.
I feel extremely blessed to have had some incredible mentors and others in my life that have shared their wisdom with me. 99% of the wisdom I pass on was transmitted to me by others. The trick has been learning to incorporate it into my life. That does take a consistent effort but the resulting peace, serenity and joy are more than worth the effort.
Yes, listening to some of these tracks feels like opening up the vault! Thanks for that.
The anchor element of vinyl you mention is definitely a big pull. Another wonderful aspect of vinyl is the immersiveness of the activity. I bet you must be looking forward to reconnecting with all of that.
I'm glad to hear things are improving and I hope they continue this way. As you say, there are always ups and downs, and we just have to learn to ride the waves.
Incorporating new lessons is always tough, but by putting pen to paper (albeit metaphorically), you're already one step ahead!
I highly recommend k.d. Lang's complete Ingenue album. It's a very solid and consistent work. Constant Craving is the most uptempo track but the other songs are quite beautiful.
As for Keane, check out Nothing in My Way from their 2006 album Under the Iron Sea, Clear Skies from 2010's Night Train, and Silenced By the Night from 2012's Strangeland. They're my three favorites.
Thanks for reading Dan, and for your recommendations. I’ve never listened to Ingenue in its entirety but will do so this weekend. I’m also excited to give those Keane tracks a listen, thanks!
First off, congrats on finishing your final project! It makes perfect sense that your depression/anxiety would reappear after that entered the rearview mirror. That's how it works for me at least. When I'm working on a big project, my body doesn't let my mental struggles take hold, but once it's done? It can come flooding back. But awareness is half the battle (or so they say), so I feel good that yours will be short-lived. Also, the project of your big move/downsizing will hopefully distract your brain from fixating on depression.
Regarding your K playlist, so much to say! Starting with one of the all-time greats in K.D. Lang, whose voice is so gorgeous and Constant Craving is song-writing perfection. I will correct you and say that Ingenue is her 5th album, though!:) I love the production and arrangements by her collaborator Ben Mink.
The Khaleel song was merely okay to me, but I loved the backstory! I totally remember Trulio Disgracias! Being from L.A., seeing RHCP and Fishbone were regular events for me back in the 80s. You would never guess by this song that Bob Khaleel had such a funky punky musical pedigree!
King's "Love and Pride" is fantastic. I hadn't heard it in a while and my new-wave dance teenager self came flooding back. This song sounds like what you'd get if you combined Dead or Alive and Thompson Twins. Maybe a little bit of Thomas Dolby. It's so good.
Ditto Killing Joke's "Love Like Blood." What a great song. It doesn't sound dated at all. They always had such memorable bass lines. So memorable that Nirvana stole the one from "Eighties."
I also love Karen Elson, so was happy to see her here. Her torchy tunes really set the smoky bar scene so well.
Okay, that's enough for now. Excellent playlist. I wasn't able to play The Killjoys or King Cobb Steelie in my U.S. Spotify account. They were greyed out.
Thanks for reading and listening Steve, I appreciate it! I didn’t realize kd lang had the three prior albums with The Reclines. I guess it was her second solo album. Have you listened to much of her earlier work?
The Khaleel song was very much a place and time in our lives where it just grabbed us and it still pulls both of us in. As I was researching and writing I figured you might know of Trulio Disgracias as I know of your love for Fishbone.
Both King and Nik Kershaw (we’ll be hearing from him soon in Alphabet Soup) eventually graduated from cassette or vinyl to CD in my collection. Both albums were fantastic. And that Killing Joke album really does still sound fresh doesn’t it?
I’ll have to check out some more of Karen Elson’s work because I enjoyed that first album.
I’m on a UK Spotify account. Didn’t realize that anything would be blocked out for US Spotify accounts. That’s weird and interesting. I’d be interested in your take on King Cobb Steelie if you have a chance to watch the video.
Lastly, thanks so much for your observations about my depression relative to this busy work period ending. I’d never made that connection before, but it makes a lot of sense. Like you said, the awareness is important. I’ve been here before and I have enough experience to know that this too shall pass.
Great post. I hope brighter days await you. What you said about kindness is spot on. You have a lot of wisdom. And, if I may say this, I am pretty sure that with your strength and determination, you will be able to get through whatever it is that life throws at you.
Thanks for reminding me of Keane and KT Tunstall, two artists I haven’t really followed much in recent years, but whose hits in the early noughties were inescapable.
Have a good weekend!
Thanks Andres, always glad to reacquaint others with music that may have fallen off their radar. This playlist series is reintroducing me to music that I used to love (clearly, because it used to be in my physical collection) and I’m finding that I haven’t listened to some of this music for decades.
It’s been a good year keeping up with new music while making room in my life for older music. That’s one thing I look forward to when I start building out a vinyl connection is that it will anchor me to music, particularly older music, that I really enjoy and remind me to play it more often.
From an emotional standpoint things are definitely improving for me. Everything that life brings is a passing phenomenon, be it fair weather days or darker days. There’s a comfort that comes with knowing that.
I feel extremely blessed to have had some incredible mentors and others in my life that have shared their wisdom with me. 99% of the wisdom I pass on was transmitted to me by others. The trick has been learning to incorporate it into my life. That does take a consistent effort but the resulting peace, serenity and joy are more than worth the effort.
Enjoy the bank holiday weekend!
Yes, listening to some of these tracks feels like opening up the vault! Thanks for that.
The anchor element of vinyl you mention is definitely a big pull. Another wonderful aspect of vinyl is the immersiveness of the activity. I bet you must be looking forward to reconnecting with all of that.
I'm glad to hear things are improving and I hope they continue this way. As you say, there are always ups and downs, and we just have to learn to ride the waves.
Incorporating new lessons is always tough, but by putting pen to paper (albeit metaphorically), you're already one step ahead!
Hope you enjoyed your bank holiday last Friday!
I highly recommend k.d. Lang's complete Ingenue album. It's a very solid and consistent work. Constant Craving is the most uptempo track but the other songs are quite beautiful.
As for Keane, check out Nothing in My Way from their 2006 album Under the Iron Sea, Clear Skies from 2010's Night Train, and Silenced By the Night from 2012's Strangeland. They're my three favorites.
Thanks for reading Dan, and for your recommendations. I’ve never listened to Ingenue in its entirety but will do so this weekend. I’m also excited to give those Keane tracks a listen, thanks!
First off, congrats on finishing your final project! It makes perfect sense that your depression/anxiety would reappear after that entered the rearview mirror. That's how it works for me at least. When I'm working on a big project, my body doesn't let my mental struggles take hold, but once it's done? It can come flooding back. But awareness is half the battle (or so they say), so I feel good that yours will be short-lived. Also, the project of your big move/downsizing will hopefully distract your brain from fixating on depression.
Regarding your K playlist, so much to say! Starting with one of the all-time greats in K.D. Lang, whose voice is so gorgeous and Constant Craving is song-writing perfection. I will correct you and say that Ingenue is her 5th album, though!:) I love the production and arrangements by her collaborator Ben Mink.
The Khaleel song was merely okay to me, but I loved the backstory! I totally remember Trulio Disgracias! Being from L.A., seeing RHCP and Fishbone were regular events for me back in the 80s. You would never guess by this song that Bob Khaleel had such a funky punky musical pedigree!
King's "Love and Pride" is fantastic. I hadn't heard it in a while and my new-wave dance teenager self came flooding back. This song sounds like what you'd get if you combined Dead or Alive and Thompson Twins. Maybe a little bit of Thomas Dolby. It's so good.
Ditto Killing Joke's "Love Like Blood." What a great song. It doesn't sound dated at all. They always had such memorable bass lines. So memorable that Nirvana stole the one from "Eighties."
I also love Karen Elson, so was happy to see her here. Her torchy tunes really set the smoky bar scene so well.
Okay, that's enough for now. Excellent playlist. I wasn't able to play The Killjoys or King Cobb Steelie in my U.S. Spotify account. They were greyed out.
Thanks for reading and listening Steve, I appreciate it! I didn’t realize kd lang had the three prior albums with The Reclines. I guess it was her second solo album. Have you listened to much of her earlier work?
The Khaleel song was very much a place and time in our lives where it just grabbed us and it still pulls both of us in. As I was researching and writing I figured you might know of Trulio Disgracias as I know of your love for Fishbone.
Both King and Nik Kershaw (we’ll be hearing from him soon in Alphabet Soup) eventually graduated from cassette or vinyl to CD in my collection. Both albums were fantastic. And that Killing Joke album really does still sound fresh doesn’t it?
I’ll have to check out some more of Karen Elson’s work because I enjoyed that first album.
I’m on a UK Spotify account. Didn’t realize that anything would be blocked out for US Spotify accounts. That’s weird and interesting. I’d be interested in your take on King Cobb Steelie if you have a chance to watch the video.
Lastly, thanks so much for your observations about my depression relative to this busy work period ending. I’d never made that connection before, but it makes a lot of sense. Like you said, the awareness is important. I’ve been here before and I have enough experience to know that this too shall pass.
Enjoy the holiday weekend!