Are there any songs which you'd attribute with where your recovery is at right now?

[Daniel]

I was watching music tv while studying today, as I often do, and from no where comes the original version of 'Clocks' by Coldplay - the one *without* that cursed Cuban quartet in it (that version ruins the song, I reckon). I listened to it, as anyone here can on my list of songs, and when that incredibly catchy piano riff which opens the track up kicks off again about 3/4 of the way through the song, I thought to myself, 'Dan, if your recovery was going to be described right now in terms of a song, there is the point which describes it - a song called 'Clocks' - devoted to time which starts with a unique introduction, like your experience in China did with it seeming new and unusual, then encephalitis struck and your recovery beginning was like the main body of the song, now the end has come full circle to repeat the opening riff once again and it seems like the end of your recovery is close and you can finally begin to ask which song comes next' - that's how I see that song for me, which songs reflect your own recovery, eg :

1 - 'Stairway to Heaven' by Led Zepplin, if you feel somewhat drawn to a prolonged song body with a depressing end (great song, though)? or even (and I hope not) :
2 - 'The song that doesn't end' which is the themesong for the childrens show, 'Lambchops playalong' (for those who're unfamiliar, this is an awful and repetitive song for which I apologize in advance typing out) :

'This is the song that doesn't end,
Yes it goes on and on my friend,
Some people, started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because,
This is the song that doesn't end,'

I hope the perpetual, neverendingness, of that last song which is so utterly addictive in the memory that it could be bottled and marketed as a new anaesthesia, is *not* for you, as it suggests you feel stuck in the same part of life which goes on and on and on and never stops until you go burko, but anyway, which one?

[Daniel]

Hi Jack, it's nice to meet you - apologies for not having tried to do so earlier. I'm only familiar with the Johnny Cash number, as they played that often here in New Zealand after his unfortunate passing - that's a really nice song, and one that's certainly sobering in it's meaning and sound.
I get the sense from the title that the Gary Allen number is also a song with a bluesy undertone, the last I have no idea about - have you found that your tastes have changed post infection? Are these songs which you would have enjoyed before encephalitis?

For me, while I still love all the old bands I used to, I find now that I'm only really drawn to those songs by them which are not solely instrumentally appealing, but also emotionally too in their meaning : obviously, on my page, there are one or two songs which contradict that statement, but I'm getting over about ten years of exclusively liking irresponsible and loud rock, now I like loud, but says something-esque music.

As someone unfamiliar with both the Jamey Johnson song, and the implications of West Nile virus, which I'm unfamiliar with how that differs from bickerstaffs strain (what I'm recovering from) - how would you liken that song to your virus said to someone who's unfamiliar with that song? Does the dynamic of the music inspire you, or the lyrics?

I admire people who choose music special to them to represent aspects of themselves - I think music sums up the way one can feel about anything and do so in generally less than 10 minutes (unless you need a whole cd or are a fan of classic Pink Floyd which has 15 minute long tracks sometimes).

[Daniel]

I watched both tracks, though I felt more drawn to the song 'In colour' more than the second, as the use of imagery in the video I felt better conveyed the songs meaning - which I interpretted as being : 'look at these photos and how bad things were, man you should have actually been there and seen and felt everything as it actually happened' - I like the way that the video is based around a man sitting on a chair in a dark room surrounded by memories which turn to bright colour as the meaning of the song develops like a photograph being developed : it was very effective and reinforced the bluesy undertones of the song : while not a huge fan of country personally, I did feel that the sound of this track actually crossed over to carry less of the country music sound I first think of, and carry a slight blues feel to it, which was an unexpected surprise (well, I thought so anyway).
I don't think I'd have associated it as much, through my own viewing, as being strictly about a financial depression as much as a general bad time in the life of the singer - but then, I'm new to the song so I'd probably see that better on a subsequent viewing.

Nonetheless, I felt it was an effective and emotive track. I'm sorry to read you identify with it in terms of how you interprett your own journey through your health crisis, but then I figure if you have some way to express yourself which is condusive to contemplation and memory, like you say of this song, then you've discovered something pretty useful and all power to you for it.

[Daniel]

Vain, y'reckon? I get the same thing from time to time - I don't know if your label which you get from friends is for similar reasons to my own (a former perpensity to dwell on my own issues sparked it), but I realized after a while that the way I see myself in trying to just improve and be better than before any given moment can come across as being self absorbed, even though all I was, was scared out of my mind at spending the rest of my life feeling that way so by virtue of that, I became obsessed with finding any means possible to improve - it seems to be a fine line between being conceited and being motivated, sometimes I can't tell which side of the coin I'm posted on, but if it's conceitedness, it's always with the desire to improve in some way and, conceitedness aside for a moment, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing sometimes.

You mention Kid Rock above - there are a number of rock artists who have a slight country sound, he's one (I believe) - also, there's a song by my favourite band, Metallica, called 'Mama Said', off the 'Load' album (hard rock otherwise) - I don't know about Kid Rock (though his new one single is very country, the name I forget, but it has elements of the song 'Sweet Home Alabama' in it), but the lead singer of Metallica, James Hetfield, comes from (I believe) a country influenced background, and I've seen him on a video playing bluegrass, which I used to dabble in but sucked badly at - anyway, point is that often country can have elements of rock to it, and vice versa, which can make them complement one another quite nicely if done well.

The impression I have of Kid Rock is that he's an artist who's grown up alot since his earlier days which from what I've heard were much, much heavier sounds and more of an irresponsible theme than his recent stuff - still, I could be wrong as I've only heard a little.

Tell me, in the area of the U.S where you live, would you say that having an appreciation of country music is the default or most common favourite musical genre of people around there? Do you find tastes in desired genre changing there - ie, young adults remain listening to hard rock instead of growing out of it, kids begin listening to that instead of country music and so on - where do you see country music being in, say, 10 years from now? Still alive, or gone the way of Mo-Town (ie - music that's still appreciated but really only those slightly older like it)?

[tobecome]

I think I have shared this another time..but u2 stuck in a moment..was how i felt with initial stages of encephalitis.
Kind of like rip van winkle..
tish

[Daniel]

I think U2 are a fantastic band - on my page is the song 'Beautiful Day' by them, and rather than associating any delusions of grandure with myself, it does remind me of a time I once saw on tv about someone who had been through a personal health crisis - an injury related to sports - and that music in relation to the video sequence I saw telling the story of his recovery and return to what he does was one of the most effective pieces of non speech orientated commentaries on an event which I think I've ever seen - it began showing what happened (thigh muscle blew out during an event), him in hospital learning of the magnitude of what lay ahead (about 1/2 a year of recovery I think it was, but the time is irrelevant in what I'm saying) - then the body of the song was taken up dwelling on his recovery : the day to day ritual of improving in terms of fitness and strengthening, his attitude towards familiar issues like living in solitude - done without his directly saying anything onscreen (I think he might have done a voice over) - when I think back over the past 3.5 years, I'm - despite some memory lapses - reminded of being in China - home and the resulting recovery.
While the two situations between my own and the above mentioned mans are very different, I'm nonetheless drawn to think upon it in the same way : time passes, recovery becomes the sole focus of life, solitude is soon a very predominant theme in life and ones own faith in continuity and seeing something like a recovery is constantly tested as the vision of returning to ones own perceived normality of life hangs in the mind constantly.

That's what 'Beautiful Day' makes me think of *whenever* I hear it - how does 'Stuck in a moment' relate to you personally with regards to the early stages - did you only identify with it then, or does it still remind you now?
When you hear this song now, do you find yourself stuck in that former moment once again, or is it only a reminder of the past for you?

I just think that music being stuck in the mind - in my experience it can be all day, everyday, can be such an emotive thing, would you agree with that?

[tobecome]

I haven't listened to it in awhile..I think it makes me think of the time I was initially sick and sleeping all the time...I felt like part of me was stuck in a bit of time and there were things that happened initially that i was completely unaware of..I'll have to pull it out and listen to it now since it's been awhile..I'll have to listen to beautiful day too it's been awhile since i've heard that one..too..
I have a hard time remeber names of songs..but will try to keep track of what i'm listening to..I know jars of clay cd I've listened to many times since enceph but I can't place a song right now..I will look through and listen and see what comes to mind.. I think music can touch us in many ways deeper than we know. I will often put on some energetic tunes when i'm cleaning..or when I'm feeling isolated.
I'll write more after listening to some music...tish

[tobecome]

i just listened to beautiful day by u2 it's awesome song..
tish

[tobecome]

well daniel,
thanks to your note regarding music...i put some music..the chieftains on and did my dishes..so i can say some of my cleaning is done...with music..

[tobecome]

daniel,
i just listened to some music..and found that it's hard to follow the story in the song.
I think I'm tired I will try again tomorrow.
I sent you an email earlier.
tish

[Daniel]

It's refreshing to meet someone who approaches a response about music with such an open mind to rediscovering old favourites - my old friends, when I associated with them, were all so stuck in their musical ways and had at any one point in time a group of 5 or 6 musicians who were in vogue to them, but who would soon be discarded when someone new came along - one week the new Guns n Roses is cool, and the next it's BuckCherry or whoever else - those guys are great musicians, but the attitude of something being good only until something better comes along is something I always got annoyed by them about as they played the modern fashionable music to death, then switched on the radio and heard a song they used to like until they sold the disc to buy something new, then scorn themselves for having done that : I think it's real shame and I always hold onto stuff which I lose interest in because music is so cyclic in the way you tire of something then go back to it again.

When you said that the U2 song reminds you of when you were very unwell, it reminds me of when I also was in my initial stages of the illness and it was mid winter in New Zealand - no snow, just ice and a bitterly cold southerly wind outside as I sat in my bed in the hospital and listened to Metallica on my mp3 player while watching the horrid, red brick wall of the building opposite the hospital cover an otherwise picturesque view of the city while a precession of birds landed on it and deficated all down the side of the building - Metallica and other bands in my collection remind me of moments like this one - music, to me, is sometimes like an emotional photo album - to chuck out or sell old album is sometimes like throwing away memories : something which you no doubt value as I or anyone else who's had a memory effecting illness can appreciate the ramifications of : when they're gone, they're often hard to get back.

That being said, who are your top ten favourite bands right now - say the 1st five are bands from the present, and the other 5 are your personal all time ones?

[tobecome]

I'd say jars of clay, the chieftains, U2, the associations,eric clapton and paul simon
both present and all time favorites.

[Daniel]

I've never heard of Jars of Clay, the Chieftans or the Associations - what type of music do they play (genre) - any hits I'd know of theirs? Are they pre 90s musicians?