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
When ELO Delivered Magic With ‘Face the Music’
Other triumphs would follow, but clearly this 1975 best-seller marked a turning point in both their tapestry and trajectory.
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King Crimson’s Debut: Laying the Groundwork for the Prog Revolution
The 1969 debut album set a standard for all prog-rock that followed and raised the bar in terms of expectation and achievement.
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The Who’s ‘Odds & Sods’: Beat the Boots
Fed up with the volume of unauthorized Who LPs on the market, the band put together this mixed bag of leftover tracks.
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When Donald Fagen Lightened Up With ‘The Nightfly’
On his debut solo album, cut during Steely Dan’s ’80s hiatus, he trades cynicism for nostalgia in a song cycle.
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Good ‘Sports’: How Huey Lewis and the News Hit a Home Run
The album remains one of the band’s most memorable efforts, and confirmation that they were decidedly in the game.
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Supertramp: ‘Crime of the Century’—Success at Last
Even before they set foot in the studio to begin recording, the band “knew we had a hit,” said Roger Hodgson.
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‘Late for the Sky’—The Jackson Browne Confessional Masterpiece
He achieved a poetic force with the eight songs comprising the album, their lyrics demanding a closer listen.
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‘Wrecking Ball’—Emmylou Harris, Rewired
The 1995 album was a gamble both forward-looking but also connected to her early career as a folk singer.
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Frey & Souther’s ‘Longbranch Pennywhistle’: Not Ready for Prime Time Players
The sparks of genius are here and there in the songwriting, and especially in the deft singing and instrumental arrangements.
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Elvis Costello’s ‘Taking Liberties’: Spare Parts
The compilation album proved early in his career that his so-called “leftovers” are better than many other artists’ main meals.
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