Music of the heart

Toketee Falls, North Umpqua RiverWe can all name our favorite albums, but some are more favorite than others. Even among your top ten, I bet you could name albums that you played over and over during some period of your life. Maybe it speaks to who you are or where you've been, but it feels like this music was made just for you. When people talk about healing or spirituality in music, this is what I think of. I made a list of some of these albums from my life, and it got me wondering. 

What was it that grabbed us about this music? Here are some ideas. Novelty, maybe you never heard anything like that before and you liked it. Familiarity, it took you to a known and comforting place. Vulnerability, it made you feel better in a hard time. A perfect fit, this was exactly what you needed to hear at this moment. Maybe it was some combination of all these things. 

Would it have made as deep an impression at some different time? I think maybe not. Life is a road we travel once and this is the terrain we crossed. Some experiences have a permanent effect on us and music has great power. 

Did we even realize the influence the music was having on us at the time? I can think of one album that dove deeper than I would've guessed. Hearing it all the way through, I was surprised how I remembered every song and how each one felt like an old friend. 

Do your albums share anything in common? Yes, in my case, they were all dense and intense. I guess that’s what I like. I was surprised and not surprised. Seeing my list makes we wanna make a long road trip so I can listen to them one after another. 

How do you like them now? I still love these albums. I still get a time and place but less urgent, it’s more about the music now. Even so, there are emotions and memories forever linked to this music. For anyone and everyone, it is the music of the heart. 

I’m including my list. The ones with asterisks are the top of tree. 

Hot Rats: Frank Zappa 

Hero and Heroine: Strawbs 

*Silent Feet: Eberhard Weber 

Hounds of Love: Kate Bush 

Lyle Mays: Lyle Mays 

*Shleep: Robert Wyatt 

Division Bell: Pink Floyd 

Iki: Vaartina 

*Undun: The Roots

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