Concluding a countdown of my favorite albums of 1976…
#1 – Desire – Bob Dylan
Desire might be my eighth or ninth favorite Bob Dylan album, but that’s enough to make it my favorite release of 1976.
This album is a showcase of Dylan as a collaborator. He co-wrote most of the songs’ lyrics with psychologist Jacques Levy; Emmylou Harris’ backing vocals add grace and texture; and most important, Scarlet Rivera’s violin gives the record a rich air of mystery. Desire sounds like nothing else he ever recorded.
It’s also a showcase for some great songs. It kicks off with the protest classic ‘Hurricane’ and ends with the achingly personal ‘Sara,’ with seven essential tracks in between, including ‘Isis,’ ‘One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)’ and ‘Black Diamond Bay.’
Many of these songs were a part of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, and those live performances are often even better than the ones captured here. But this remains a unique and special album among his iconic catalog.
Oh, sister, when I come to lie in your arms
You should not treat me like a stranger
Our Father would not like the way that you act
And you must realize the danger
[Verse 2]
Oh, sister, am I not a brother to you
And one deserving of affection?
And is our purpose not the same on this earth
To love and follow His direction?
[Verse 3]
We grew up together
From the cradle to the grave
We died and were reborn
And then mysteriously saved
[Verse 4]
Oh, sister, when I come to knock on your door
Don’t turn away, you’ll create sorrow
Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore
You may not see me tomorrow
Meet Me In Montauk 
Ah, this album transports me right back to my sister’s bedroom where I played it, both with and without her around, on her green cased record player. One song you didn’t mention is “Joey,” which was one of my favorites, but the whole album is great.