REVIEWS:
What’s the read on the latest reissue releases and live performances by classic rock artists? What biopics, movies or documentaries are worth seeing in theaters and at home? What books about rock music and the people who make and work with it are worth reading. Our team also takes a fresh look at notable works in our Album Rewind series
Boz Scaggs’ ‘Silk Degrees’: Game-Changer
Looking back at the recording of the album, Scaggs said that while listening to the playbacks in 1975 he had the sense that something special had happened.
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Two Blasts from the Blasters’ Past Get Reissues: Review
The punk-influenced roots-rock band showed off the songwriting prowess of brothers Dave and Phil Alvin.
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Andrew Gold’s ‘What’s Wrong with This Picture?’: All In the Family
His singing fit in well with the laid-back L.A. singer-songwriter milieu, but it took him a while to find his first real pop hit.
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Stray Cats’ Debut Album & the Rockabilly Revival
The Long Island trio had to go to England to find success playing American rockabilly. By the time they returned home, they were stars.
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The Van Halen Debut Album: A Turning Point for Rock
It didn’t sound at first listen like something to change the course of rock music, but they opened doors for any number of rock acts.
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Flying Burrito Bros.’ Seminal Country-Rock Debut, ‘Gilded Palace’
Gram Parsons had envisioned the Burritos as “his” band, but The Gilded Palace of Sin underscores the partnership between Parsons and Chris Hillman.
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“What’s Shakin’”: The LP That Featured Pre-Fame Clapton, Winwood, Butterfield & Spoonful
Little known at the time of its release, the album proved to be a significant repository of rare recordings by acts that were still on the rise.
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‘Steppin’ Out’ Collects Early Garage Rock: Review
The 94-track anthology is as likable as it is varied. It features many of the best and best-known acts associated with the genre.
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Strawbs’ ‘Bursting at the Seams’: Poetry and Pop
The band’s fifth album showed Dave Cousins and company turning firmly toward more complex material.
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Warren Zevon ‘Excitable Boy’ LP: Werewolves and Lawyers, Oh My
With songs like “Werewolves of London,” “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and the title track, it was not only his greatest work but a singer-songwriter classic.
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