Over coffee and a banana muffin at Crackskull’s in Newmarket, my brother asked a question that is still with me: what are your ten favorite albums? Not songs or artists, but albums. I’ve spent the last two weeks thinking about it – it’s not a list that will come quickly or easily, but it’s an exploration into how melody and words infuse life with meaning that reaches into the depths of my being.

All genres, all time periods, multiple artists, unique takes on rhythm and tone. Let’s start with a song that has moved me since I first heard it over forty-five years ago: