Patti Smith

 I've been asked what my favorite album is. The answer is "Horses" by Patti Smith. This record was released November 10, 1975 -- exactly fifty years ago today.

The songs on "Horses" speak to me, both musically and lyrically. They just do. Every time I hear the album (and it's been hundreds of times by now) my mind and body respond viscerally. Critics say the album is a blend of poetry and punk rock but the sound is deeper than that: "Horses" captures something sublime.

I was fortunate to see Patti Smith perform when she visited Hamilton College during my undergraduate years there (1975-1979). She sang in the Chapel which was ironic since the first song on the album ("Gloria") opens with Patti chanting "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine...".