It seems lot of people are doing it hard making all the ends meet in these strange days. Whether it’s the quarterly shock of the power bill, scraping together the rent, desperately trying to find somewhere to rent, facing your workload, struggling to just get groceries for the week, wondering where the good old days of your mortgage have gone / your love has gone / your health has gone… or just the daily pressures of being a person.

In trying times, I turn to soul. Stevie Wonder has been on my mind and has been quietly soothing my heart. During my highschool days I bought a double gatefold album of Stevie Wonder’s music. Musicquarium contains new and shining gems, sounds and words that became part of the fabric of my understanding of the world. ‘Living Just Enough for the City’ has been in my head all week, and has become today’s theme.

There’s the changing face of cities, changing hearts far away, rain and firesides, crime and rush hours, life on the road – heading out or heading home… aching shoulders and and the long dark shadow thrown by the flag of progress,
what we desire, what we miss, where we are and where we think we are going… Let’s try to find a direction home together, friends.

Huge thank you to everyone who offered recommendations for this theme. I had enough gold for a solid 2 HOURS, I reckon.  I really appreciated suggestions from Peter D, Chritine, Jeff, Lloyd, Kerry, Paris, Paul, Darrell, Dannie, Seb, Jen, Jo and Joe, James, Hamish, Siobhan and Jason.
Gems that missed out on this final 60 minute cut include :

– Bellydance – City Livin’ (Is such a bad habit) – (Babylon Mixed Mixed Business)
– Peace Beneath the City – Iron & Wine (The Shepherds Dog)
– Dreams Come True : King Curly
– In This Town : A.R.D. featuring Clara
– Canvas Town : RiverDreams (Small Paintings)
– Every Fxxxin’ City Feels the Same : Paul Kelly
– Neil Young : Don’t Let It Bring You Down
– Lindesfarne – All Come Down
– Rodrigez : Establishment Blues / Inner City Blues
– What’s a Town Like You Doing with a Man Like Me? – Matthew Colin
– Victoria : Liz Stringer (First Time Really Feeling)
– Vince Jones – Big City
– Soul Coughing (Ruby Vroom)
– The Go-Betweens : Here Comes a City
– and thanks to Peter D for suggesting ‘Baltimore’ and pointing me to Nina Simone‘s incredible version.

Photo : Eugene Atget (1907)