music for my friend to get better

Future Sound of London's Lifeforms
Talvin Singh & Amar "Jaan"
any of the Talvin Singh/Bill Laswell ambient albums
Peter Gabriel's Passion

Also, the human voice can be very therapeutic (as it's one of the instruments/tonal colors that our bodies react to with the greatest significance), some recommendations more along those lines:

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Zap Mama
yodeling (either the kind they do in the Alps or the Appalachian kind)
traditional Innuit singing
traditional Pak. qawwali music (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan = pretty much undisputed master of this)
in fact, most regional traditional singing styles that are rooted in faith-based things (such as the Gregorian monk chants or the Tibetan chants or Indian hymns or Native American tribal chants etc.) are very very good for this

There's also Buckethead's super-sublime Colma album, all acoustic guitars and very sparse beats, it's like audio Sunday-morning sunshine. I'd recommend "White Wash" off that album in particular.

these words strike a chord of terror up my spine - if someone were to force me to listen to laswell while ill, i would hate them forever...

On the other hand, listening to some sad sounding Arabic music has helped me get through depressed times, so who knows? (I think in my case not being able to understand the lyrics made the sadness of the music less distressing.)

I personally tend to like droney or otherwise spare sorts of music when I am feeling run down. My own choices would probably be closest to nickalicious's general recommendations (but not necessarily specifics). Some of my favorites for days of sheer exhaustion: the two Fripp & Eno collaborations, Fred Frith's Clearning, (any guitarist whose last name beings "Fri"), Hans Reichel's Bonobo Beach, baroque lute by Weiss (though lately I haven't been reaching for that very often). It looks like I like guitars and guitar-like instruments under those circumstances. Non-guitar: Sun Ra's Monorails and Sattellites (but a lot of other Sun Ra would work for me, as well, under those circumstances, including, particularly, Out There a Minute, although when I first bought that album I found it kind of a downer).

I think it's a really personal thing that's hard to predict.

that is strange music to swim around in

but yes i think i will do a prima/congos tape to go with it, as nice upfulness

Eno: Music for Films or the Shutov Assembly, which is very, very calming and beautiful but no-one ever seems to remark on it.

All of the Landing records I've heard would fit the bill as well.

(also i find eno quite unsettling quite often)

Joyce: Feminina

are two records that have a supernatural calming ability upon me.

How abt ornette coleman: does that person like jazz? anyway, at least 'lonely woman'.

i'd also suggest Herbert's Bodily Functions - like the Talk Talk album it's simultanously soothing and upbeat.

if these suggestions are a bit too abstract what about some Bill Withers or Al Green? Few songs can soothe like Lovely day, Grandma's Hands or Simply Beautiful.

heh. well you could give it another title. there are many of course.

What abt some oceanic electric Miles?