A Brian Playlist about Depression

[Rentatris]

Hey Guys,
              My sister has been asking about my BB/BW obsession for some time now and I want to make her a playlist. My sister is bi-polar and one thing I think about some of BWs music is that he talks (musically and lyrically) beautifully about depression. I want to create a playlist for her of Brian (anything he had influence on so BB/Solo/Collab/Unreleased stuff), I'm sure someone, somewhere has already done this and I'm happy to be linked to another thread.

 I've had a brief stab at this myself, comments, suggestions, glaring errors or omissions gratefully received. I always want the album to have a good 'flow' so thoughts towards that as well. Also, does anyone know of a better (demo?) version of Lay Down Burden? I like the song but hate the production...

You Still Believe In Me - Pet Sounds
Midnight's Another Day - That Lucky Old Sun
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) - Pet Sounds
Surf's Up - Surf's Up
'Til I Die - Surf's Up
It's Over Now - Adult/Child
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times - Pet Sounds
Better Get Back In Bed - Holland
Awake (Demo) - The Bedroom Tapes
It's Not Easy Being Me - Slightly American Music
Still I Dream of It (Original Home Demo '76) - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Everybody Wants To Live - Adult/Child
A Day In The Life Of A Tree - Surf's Up
Wind Chimes - The SMiLE Sessions
Melt Away - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Lay Down Burden - Imagination
Love and Mercy - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Life Is For The Living - Adult/Child

 Cheers Guys....

[Steve Latshaw]

While your thoughts are admirable, clinical depression is not about being sad.  I can't imagine sad music being much of help.  It's more of a feeling of emptiness, of a cold wet blanket that covers you and sucks the energy, feeling and passion for life right out of you.  As much as I dearly love some of these songs (Til I Die, A Day in the Life of a Tree), I wouldn't recommend them as an aid to get out of depression.

It might work as educational insight as to how Brian has dealt with the subject in mood.  However, a song like It's Over Now is more about situational sadness than depression.  It has more to do with Sinatra than anything else. 

[Rentatris]

Thanks for your input  - It's not so much to bring her out of depression (she's been bipolar for over a decade now and is actually doing quite well at the moment) it's more that its a topic she relates to. Her favourite artists are Antony and the Johnsons so I'm not overally worried about bumming her out 
 I'm trying to find an angle for her to appreciate Brian, there is no way she'd entertain 'surf music' and some of his more 'lovey' kind of stuff. I have a chance on the quirky stuff also...

[Steve Latshaw]

Pacific Coast Highway is a pretty impressive song that seems to speak to that sense of feeling separate from everyone else, almost like a ghost, that sometimes comes with depression:

Sometimes I realize my days are getting on.
Sometimes I realize it's time to move along.
And I wanna go home.


Sunlight's fading and there's not much left to say
My life, I'm better off alone
My life, I'm better on my own


Drivin' down Pacific coast, out on highway 1
The setting sun
Goodbye

[shadownoze]

There has actually been some research which indicates that listening to sad music CAN actually lead to beneficial emotional effects:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110490

To your list above, I would add "Happy Days," in which Brian talks about his own years of depression and darkness.

[Nicko1234]

Hey Guys,
              My sister has been asking about my BB/BW obsession for some time now and I want to make her a playlist. My sister is bi-polar and one thing I think about some of BWs music is that he talks (musically and lyrically) beautifully about depression. I want to create a playlist for her of Brian (anything he had influence on so BB/Solo/Collab/Unreleased stuff), I'm sure someone, somewhere has already done this and I'm happy to be linked to another thread.

 I've had a brief stab at this myself, comments, suggestions, glaring errors or omissions gratefully received. I always want the album to have a good 'flow' so thoughts towards that as well. Also, does anyone know of a better (demo?) version of Lay Down Burden? I like the song but hate the production...

You Still Believe In Me - Pet Sounds
Midnight's Another Day - That Lucky Old Sun
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) - Pet Sounds
Surf's Up - Surf's Up
'Til I Die - Surf's Up
It's Over Now - Adult/Child
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times - Pet Sounds
Better Get Back In Bed - Holland
Awake (Demo) - The Bedroom Tapes
It's Not Easy Being Me - Slightly American Music
Still I Dream of It (Original Home Demo '76) - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Everybody Wants To Live - Adult/Child
A Day In The Life Of A Tree - Surf's Up
Wind Chimes - The SMiLE Sessions
Melt Away - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Lay Down Burden - Imagination
Love and Mercy - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Life Is For The Living - Adult/Child

 Cheers Guys....

One comment I would make is that songs don`t have to specifically be about depression in order to help.

About 15 years ago when I had trouble sleeping due to stress, I used to put the LA album on regularly and it worked a treat...until I would be woken up by the disco crap of Here Comes the Night (genuinely). 

This is such a mellow album that it might be worth thinking about burning several songs from there (along with California Feelin perhaps).

Friends is also an album I would recommend. Very relaxing to listen to.

There are obviously lots of great songs that you have picked out but I don`t think that compilation would flow all that well.

[Rentatris]

Thanks for all this guys. Now my question is - is there an Imagination demo boot anywhere!?! (not asking for links just if it exists….)
 The production on the album just grates me massively, love to hear a Brian/Piano type version of it….


 

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Manic Depressive here; I'd recommend most of those! Definitely Pet Sounds and Friends though.

Actually, I would try showing her the "Story of SMiLE" movie. I connect with Brian in terms of his struggle and love him in terms of his music, she totally will too!

Let us know how it goes!