Album Rewinds
Given the test of time and the wisdom of hindsight, how do significant albums from the past sound and play today? Our critics take a second look from a fresh perspective
‘Broken English’: The Return of Marianne Faithfull
The 1979 album shows the influence of punk, reggae and jazz, and the lyrics often flowed from her still-in-process romantic and artistic collaborations.
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Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s ‘Texas Flood’: Out of the Gate
Recorded as a demo over a long holiday weekend, the album launched the career of the legendary bluesman and gave the genre itself a huge boost.
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Rod Stewart: ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’—Don’t It?
The man who once said, “I’m a rock star because I couldn’t be a soccer star,” broke through with his solo third album, which included the smash “Maggie May.”
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Wings’ ‘Venus and Mars’ @50: What the Man Said
Following the breakup of the Beatles, McCartney just wanted to be another band member. He finally got his chance (sort of) with this 1975 LP.
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Elton John’s ‘Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only the Piano Player’: A High-Water Mark
The album marked a burgeoning ascent to superstardom and continued a solid streak of hits that are, to the present day, certified as classics.
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Willie Nelson: ‘Red Headed Stranger’ & the Birth of Outlaw Country
The album defined him as an iconoclast comfortable on his own path, which he would follow in singular fashion for decades to come.
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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s ‘Deja Vu’: A Volatile Chemistry
By any standard, it was an enormous success. But when CSN added a new member for their second album, it was an alliance that would both define and bedevil them.
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Paul & Linda McCartney: ‘Ram’—Macca Magic
For all the criticism tossed his way, McCartney and his hired hands did an admirable job of conveying the mirth and merriment inherent in these songs.
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Squeeze ‘East Side Story’: A Wily New Wave Classic
The album’s success underscores how the lively, kinetic pop-rock outfit was elevated by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook’s artistry as storytellers.
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Pete Townshend ‘Empty Glass’: The Who Album That Wasn’t
Although it’s fully satisfying on its own, the 1980 album, the most successful of his solo releases, has been called a Who record that never was.
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