What music do you use to cheer yourself up?

sharkboy · Post by **sharkboy** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:11 pm

One of my favorite CD's ever is this one by my friend, luthier and guitar tech, Rick McKee from Santa Cruz. By night he turns into his alter ego, Ukulele Dick. I couldn't find my copy for about a year and just found it again and had to put it right on. It's a bunch of old classics that he's crooning with some orchestration and ukulele, of course. His version of "Singing in the Bathtub" is about the happiest thing I've ever liked.

http://www.kokomomusic.com/cart/media/ud_ukedick.html

Here's a write-up:
http://www.kokomomusic.com/pages/artists/ud_bio.html

I contributed some of 1.5 tracks to the Ukulele Dick Story CD a few years after the other one came out:
http://www.kokomomusic.com/cart/media/ud_story.html

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:32 pm

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

It's my favorite album of all time. No matter what's going on, it always acts as a good catalyst to pick up my mood...on the rare occasion that I'm not in a good one.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:00 pm

They Might Be Giants

kenposurf · Post by **kenposurf** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:16 pm

motown/atlantic/stax

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:17 pm

Beatles HDN Parlophone LP or Something New Capitol LP

byu · Post by **byu** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:31 pm

Cat Stevens

jimk · Post by **jimk** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:43 pm

I usually don't put on a CD, but pick up my guitar or banjo and sing for myself. And what I end up singing is whatever comes to mind first; blues, Hank Williams, maybe a cowboy song ("Spanish Is the Lovin' Tongue" is good), or maybe one of my own songs. Sometimes just improvising around a ragtime chord progression will do, too.

JimK

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:55 pm

Some really heavy King Crimson or Stravinsky makes me proud to be a human, with the potential, at least, for coping with life in this world...I guess that's not really "cheering up", though...

I guess it's gotta be Beefheart...

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:37 am

Something like this. Or like this.
EDIT: or, of course, this

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:43 am

Pink Floyd! A Rachmaninov symphony or piano concerto tends to have the same effect.

A bit like Dane, though...... more 'lifting up' than 'cheering up'.

wj350 · Post by **wj350** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:43 am

Ipod, Artists, The Beatles, Shuffle.

668 of my all time favs in random order.

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:49 am

Pixies, Clash, Specials.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:11 am

Beach Boys or the Rascals for cheering up.

qwezirider · Post by **qwezirider** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:25 am

Eric Johnson.

Or Pink Floyd's "Division Bell" from track #6 to the end. The first time I ever heard that was waaayyy back in school days at a recording studio, late at night (or was it early morning), at 1000 friggin' watts per crystal clear channel. Ear candy there.

vito · Post by **vito** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:40 am

+1, JDog. TMBG works for me, too.

Cajun music and ska music often pick me up as well.