Five Essential Albums

This Musical Life - An Intro. Such music is holy.

For those of us who have a potent and magical relationship with the art of music, narrowing down one’s most treasured pieces is a humbling and emotional task.  While it may come quickly to name five of the top songs, or albums, it is quite another job to articulate why these pieces are so important. This is because such music is holy. Its effects are ineffable, sacred—almost asking not to be dissected. Such art deeply impacts the soul, and hearing it is an embodied experience, defying logic and rationale and explanation.

Yet, writing itself is also an art, and in this short series I shall attempt to convey some of the whys and wherefores that make these five albums some of my all-time favorites. These works span the Western genres of folk, psychedelic and progressive rock, pop, and rock and roll; the artists are a blend of American, Canadian and British—women and men.

In this series, I share why each album is one of my all-time treasures. It is by no means an exhaustive examination; rather, it is my hope to conjure a hint of the flavor and magic in these masterful creations.

In short, all five albums emanate a constant quality—that of soul. There is no substitute for soul; it is something you just know when it’s present. Soul is what moves you in heart and mind and body; to me, these deliver a slam dunk in all three.

These works have been hailed by music critics in NPR, Billboard, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and other publications as some of the best albums of all time. I feel lucky these compositions and productions found their way into my life via fate; they weren’t introduced to me by a magazine, a critic, or an advertisement. They snuck their way in through synchronicity and Divine right timing. These masterpieces were always meant to be part of the soundtrack of my life, and I am ever grateful.

Next up: Essential Album Number One

Put the needle on the record. Can you guess what’s coming?