Posts From Sam Sutherland
‘Late for the Sky’—The Jackson Browne Confessional Masterpiece
Browne achieved a poetic force with the eight songs comprising the album, their lyrics demanding a closer listen.
Read More
The Byrds’ ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo’: Cornerstone of Country-Rock
Their most consequential stylistic stroke since their pioneering folk-rock debut three years earlier, it ushered in country-rock and Americana
Read More
Warren Zevon’s Recovery Through ‘Sentimental Hygiene’
The 1987 album signaled more than a bid for a career reset. Now sober and focused, and with help from R.E.M., he was clearly back on track.
Read More
Dave Edmunds’ ‘Repeat When Necessary’: Where the New Wave Met the Old
The Welsh rocker’s fifth solo album, made with the great Rockpile, captures him at the pinnacle of his influence as an architect of late ’70s new wave.
Read More
Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’: Mark Knopfler Completes the Transition to Stadium-Friendly Band
One of the first all-digital albums recorded with the compact disc in mind, it vaulted the British band into the rock stratosphere.
Read More
The Byrds’ ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ LP—A Folk Rock Manifesto
With worthwhile covers, solid originals and no filler, the LP sustained a level of quality that invited favorable comparison with their heroes, the Beatles.
Read More
Squeeze ‘East Side Story’: A Wily New Wave Classic
The album’s success underscores how Squeeze’s elan as a lively, kinetic pop-rock outfit was elevated by Difford and Tilbrook’s artistry as storytellers.
Read More
The Hard-Boiled Asylum Debut of Warren Zevon: Rock Noir
With production by Jackson Browne and great songs like “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” and “Hasten Down the Wind,” the 1976 LP is an unsung classic.
Read More
Elvis Costello & The Attractions ‘Trust’: A Dark Masterwork
The album, Costello’s fifth overall, captures the quartet at a potent but troubled peak, its title a loaded, ironic signifier
Read More
‘Pearl’–Janis Joplin’s Last Hurrah
‘Pearl’ remains Janis Joplin’s most fully realized record, fronting the best band she would ever lead on her strongest set of material.
Read More