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

Joni Mitchell ‘Ladies of the Canyon’: Painting the Canvas

The album sets out clearly the direction Mitchell would take for the rest of her career, leaving behind the constraints of folk music.

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Genesis’ ‘Seconds Out’: From Paris With Love

Released in 1977, ‘Seconds Out’ showcased the band’s great live performances and was a major worldwide hit.

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Pretenders Reborn: ‘Learning to Crawl’ @ 40

With hits like “Back on the Chain Gang” and “My City Was Gone,” the band successfully rebounded from tragedy.

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The Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Eat a Peach’: Farewell to a Brother

Started before the death of Duane Allman, and completed after he was gone, the album served as a poignant, multifaceted farewell to the guitar great.

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Yes’ ‘Fragile’: A British Prog-Rock Classic

Timeless tracks like “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround,” premiered here, defined the prog genre.

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When Zappa Was ‘Only In It for the Money’

The third album from the genius and his motley band lampooned society and the hippies escaping it. We look back at a ’60s masterpiece

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Jethro Tull ‘Thick As a Brick’: Don’t Sit This One Out

Equal parts ambitious and meticulous, the band’s 1972 best-seller is a smartly produced collage whose appeals remain undimmed

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The Doobie Brothers—‘The Captain and Me’: Polishing a Diamond

By the time they started recording their third album, the San Jose band had transformed itself into an eclectic and progressive group.

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Steely Dan Delivers Bite-Sized Gems on ‘Pretzel Logic’

On their 1974 LP, Fagen and Becker honed their humorous lyrics and perfected their luscious arrangements that straddled multiple genres.

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Parton, Ronstadt and Harris’ ‘Trio’: Soaring Sisterhood

Their partnership is among the purest, boasting a celestial vocal blend, rooted in mutual admiration and the sheer joy of making music

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