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
ELO’s ‘Xanadu’ Soundtrack With ON-J: Magic, All Over the World
With music from two popular acts, the soundtrack more than survived the 1980 film’s mixed reviews.
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Bob Dylan ‘Blonde on Blonde’: Twice As Good—Review
In many ways, it’s still his defining album, one that helped to affirm his lingering largess. Its iconic standing remains as indelible as ever.
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Joe Walsh ‘The Smoker You Drink…’ Album: Barnstorming
Cut with his new group Barnstorm, his debut solo album became his commercial breakthrough.
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A Look Back at the Final—And Most Successful—Police LP, ‘Synchronicity’
The band’s 1983 release, that came after a recording hiatus while touring the world, is much more than the mega-hit single, “Every Breath You Take.”
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Nick Lowe: ‘Labour of Lust’—The Basher Blossoms
The highly regarded British singer/songwriter/producer and his pals from Rockpile cut this classic album at the height of the new wave era.
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George Harrison’s ‘Living in the Material World’: Is It Underrated?
He said at the time, “I wouldn’t really care if no one ever heard of me again. I just want to play and make records.”
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Graham Nash’s ‘Songs for Beginners’: Taking Center Stage
His stunning solo debut, arriving when CSNY was in flux, exemplified Nash’s ability to navigate the divide between desire and despair.
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The Shining Debut of Quicksilver Messenger Service
Years of playing and professionalism produced one of the era’s best records, whose sheer musicality shines as brightly today.
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Peter Gabriel ‘So’ Album: Into the Mainstream
At the start of sessions, no one could predict that the quirky former Genesis frontman would produce an album that would sell a zillion copies.
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Billy Joel: On 1976’s ‘Turnstiles,’ Classic Songs, Unappreciated
Even with songs like “New York State of Mind” and “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” the album fizzled upon its release.
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