A little inspiration would be nice right about now

A gazillion years ago, when I was in the beginning of the cycle that led to my Current Curious State, I decided: why not get a little boost, just ramp up the fertility mix, by going to an acupuncturist? And even though it was only the third cycle 'trying,' I figured I didn't have a lot to lose (except a few hundred dollars--piffle!), so I found someone--a very nice Chinese lady named Yubi. We had a long chat and started treatment that very day.

Howie had had acupuncture a few months ago when he injured his shoulder while shoveling snow, and he was surprised by my lukewarm response to the acupuncture. Apparently, when you're in agonizing pain, then the acupuncture experience is Sudden Disappearance of Pain! Which is Great! But when you are saying, "I wonder if you can take this perfectly comfortable body and prime it for reproduction," then the needles experience is less one of relief and more along the lines of "By God I'm Gonna Get Pregnant Even If I Have To Get Stuck With Dozens Of Needles Bi-Weekly And Drink Something That Tastes Like A Freakish Combination of Smoked Sen-Sen And Potting Soil Twice A Day, Every Day."

But really this is all leading somewhere, which is: at that first acupuncture session, Yubi popped a CD into the player as she set about her work, and it was bloody awful. I kid you not, it included Celine Dion. I cannot listen to Celine Dion in a quiet, darkened room, even with the added environmentally pleasing decorative elements of acupuncture charts and acoustic ceiling tiles held in place with packing tape. From that day on, I brought my own music. Although the music I chose was aesthetically satisfying, I have to point out to all you women of childbearing age--listen to it at your own risk: these tunes may have an adhesive effect on your fallopian tubes. Stay away from Astral Weeks and Trance Planet vol. 1! Don't say I didn't warn you! Ha! ha! I kid because I loathe.

This got me thinking about music for (not to sound sticky or New-Agey) healing and inspiration. Up to this point, I've been relying upon the power of baseball to more or less anaesthesize myself, but maybe I'm ready for something more. What have you all been listening to, that you find so beautiful or moving or just astonishing that it really lifted you up?

It may not be what you'd ordinarily think of as 'spiritual' or 'serious.' For a while there, Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" was something I needed to hear on a daily basis. More recently, I was really hung up on a song from Damien Rice's album, O, called "Cold Water." Whatever it is--stick it in comments, will you? And if there is some strong memory that the music evokes, I'd be very interested in hearing about that, too.

Thanks to all of you who have shown up to bolster me in my hour of sag.

Comments

[Suzy]

My summer listening list:
The Wondermints, Mind if We Make Love to You
Kaskade, In the Moment
Groove Armada, Lovebox
The Dining Rooms, Numero Deux
!!!, !!!
Patty Griffin, anything
Beth Orton, anything

You can find much of it on iTunes, but I subscribe to eMusic, which is really fun and funky and I always find odd but fabulous stuff. I also have a blackbox on Epitonic in which I have some really cool stuff, but you can't download it.

[Sciencechick]

I am currently mesmerized on a daily basis by Diana Krall's newest CD "The Girl in the Other Room". The track "Stop this World" is to die for, among many others (the Tom Waits cover -Temptation-, the Elvis cover - Almost Blue-)

[Mir]

Do you listen to Dar Williams? I love "Out There Live" or even "Cry Cry Cry" (with Lucy Kaplansky and Richard--I think, blanking on his first name--Shindell) when I need some melancholy-but-uplifting stuff. REM is good for that, as well.

If you can tolerate a little bluegrass, a current fave around here is Alison Krauss Live w/ Union Station (I think that's the album name; did you know that without hormones your brain turns to mush??), which gets bonus points for being a double-disc set.

And ya know, it's impossible to self-pity to "Youth Culture Killed My Dog" or "Particle Man." They Might Be Giants is healing stuff. ;)

Suzanne Vega's first album (self-titled) has some awesome tracks.

Tell me what sounds good and I'll send ya something. :)

[Jo]

I found that Galaxie 500's "This is Our Music" helped with the aftereffects of methotrexate. Will provide, if you wish.

[AnneWhtney]

I think you are on the right track, and I'll tell you about my experience. I suppose the whole world (or at least that part of it that reads your blog) will think I'm totally nuts now but here goes: my first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage (eight years ago this summer) and afterwards I felt crummy (to put it succintly). That's when I got really into Oasis. My husband was away during every workweek and I scoured NYC for every Oasis CD that I could track down. I really became quite obsessed with their first two albums and all the singles they had at that point and their music really cheered me up. One night listening in the dark to Champagne Supernova I felt better. Different than before the whole badness, but I knew I would survive the horribleness. I probably stayed up that whole night by myself listening to that one song. Anyway, I've always been strongly psychologically and emotionally affected by music and I totally believe in the power of music to make you feel better. To put a happy ending on this story - at the end of that summer in September I went to three of their concerts in the northeast and spent the week and a half that they were staying at the Rhiga Royal doing concerts in the area and the MTV Video Music Awards chasing them about the city, getting autographs, chatting with them in their various altered states, and just generally stalking them. During that 2-week period I got pregnant again which I totally attributed to the good vibes of the music. Yes, I know I was completely nuts. (And I had a very indulgent husband who thought it was cute that his wife had basicaly run off to be a groupie.) And now I have a 7-year-old Beast boy who tells me that Aaron Carter is his favorite singer (Egads!) - and so I make him listen to the entire Rolling Stones Hot Rocks double CD. Every. Single. Day. I hope that some music will find you in the same way. I'm not especially inspired by anything at the moment, but if something strikes me I'll send it your way. And I'll be sending you good thoughts all the same. Take care :)

[aurora]

i repeated a gorky's zygotic mynci song 11 times on my way to and from work today. my husband used to dj ambient music back in the day - so we have lotsa really good trancy stuff that won't cause adhesions! like woob - i love woob.

[Summer]

I can tell you with complete certainty that this is the time to avoid Radiohead's recent offerings like 4-day old sushi. When my husband drove me home from the hospital after the induced labor/stillbirth of our first child, he had Amnesiac in the CD player of the car. It was utterly unhelpful. Black-eyed angels under the water... [shudder].

I later found comfort in a CD by Primeaux & Mike, a recording of peyote chants from the Native American Church. I'll admit, it is a bit on the new age-y side, but it helped.

"Sorry" doesn't begin to describe how I feel that you have to deal with this shit. I wish there were something I could do to make it better.

[Lee]

I usually try to find something uplifting and inspirational to cheer me up. Something with lyrics that move me beyond words. Usually, Danny Kaye's song, "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" fits the bill.

[Shiz]

Celine Dion? Ulphgh.

I recently discovered Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer's Drum Hat Buddha (album), which has the song "Gentle Arms of Eden," which is fun, lively, and made me want to dance. It's a bit folky, but good folky, and I like Marvin Gaye, too.

Then I found out that Dave Carter had died in 2002 and I was really sad because he was so good and his songs made me dance with glee.

[QC]

Alanis Morrisette has been appealing to me greatly. Not sure that's a good thing.

Also, Norah Jones. But only her first album. And mostly when it's raining.

[heather]

Celine Dion? That would be EXCRUITATING.

I second the Nora Jones and Beth Orton suggestions as well as recommend anything by Neko Case, Sarah Harmer, and Liz Phair (except the last one).

[zeno]

Putting aside the magnificence that is Mahler's 2nd I would like to recommend two discs for your aural pleasure. They are as follows:

Ben Folds - Rockin the Suburbs (anything this young man does reeks of brilliance and this is his first solo album);

Asleep at the Wheel - Ride with Bob (simply wonderful collection of western swing music)'.

[red clay]

there you go, heather, there you go.

i can't speak to the pregnancy.
but, "let's get it on", i can talk about all night, and twice on sunday.
"head" by kirsty maccoll,
"i know" by shawn mullins and shelby lynne,
"drive" melissa ferrick,
"action is action" eleni mandell,
"joan jett of arc" clem snide,
"foolin around" toni price,
"love gets in the way" dayna kurtz (or fred astaire. long as they are the good versions.
she does the slow burn for about 3 or 4 minutes, and then the whole house goes up)
"i can't keep my eyes off you" melanie doanne
"i love you more than you will ever know" blood sweat AND tears.

like i said, i could go on all night.