It was so much more than a Jackson Browne album. So much more, I imagine, than a Derek and the Dominoes album. Undoubtedly, it was those albums: to hold the sleeves in our hands, to spy upon the vinyl before placing them upon the turntable, was to unveil the history behind every LP sitting in his collection.

The framed picture of Chuck Mangione in the background is telling. I remember sitting outside the door of my older brother’s room listening as he spun Mangione records: in awe of the artistry but also of my brother’s appreciation for such beautiful music. I relived that experience as I sat with my younger brother, sharing history through song, drowning in the perfection of two sides of an album. Was it Browne or Clapton? The nostalgia of a needle on vinyl? The lyrics which seemed to speak to the hardships we were both facing? More likely, it was the uncanny ability of artists to express the love and appreciation I have for my brother, for the man he is, for the father and husband he is, for the lover of music and the keeper of LP’s that he is.