I never got to listen to - and enjoy - any of this sort of music when it was first released and new. I only discovered it much later in life - when I was no longer active. My daughter would want to go to a local second-hand CD store to purchase music she liked - and I would puruse the alternative jazz (or new age) sections. I have this CD in my collection, along with others like Patrick O'Hearn - Indigo, Yanni, Keiko Matsui, Jean-Michel Jarde - Oxygene, Kitaro, and others.
When I was still married to my first wife, who was/is a JW - I was listening to a lot of 'Easy Listening Jazz' locally on the radio, and this helped introduce me to a lot of new artists - like the above-mentioned ones. Another one - Enigma - and their 'Mea Culpa' from their MCMXC album was played a lot on the radio. This gal went out and bought me the CD for an anniversary present. I appreciated it a lot! I jokingly called it my 'demon music', as there are some other cuts on this CD that are very haunting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itkzaT9yk9Y&feature=related
Another Enigma cut - Return to Innocence - may be applied to us ex-JWs...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ALElMLpRA
Lyrics :
That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence
Love, devotion
Feeling, emotion
Love, devotion
Feeling, emotion
Don't be afraid to be weak
Don't be too proud to be strong
Just look into your heart, my friend
That will be the return to yourself
The return to innocence
If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself, don't hide
Just believe in destiny
Don't care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence
That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence
Don't care what people say
Follow just your own way
Don't give up, don't give up
To return, to return to innocence
If you want, then laugh
If you must, then cry
Be yourself, don't hide
Just believe in destiny
Listen to the song - and follow along with the lyrics... it is very haunting music... and very true.
Another artist that I 'discovered' when I was much younger - and worked in radio - was Mike Oldfield - who most people know for his 'Tubular Bells' album. I knew him for his 'Ommadawn' album - which I copied from the 33RPM LP - that was at work - and listened to on my cassette player - until I pretty much wore it out. (Music like that was always great - playing it with someone new around - and seeing their reactions)
Good Luck to everyone on their musical journey.
Regards,
Jim TX