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
The Lifesaving Eric Clapton ‘Rainbow Concert’
It’s widely believed that Pete Townshend’s successful efforts to bring the guitarist out of his self-imposed musical exile marked a turning point.
Read MoreCrosby/Nash ‘Wind On the Water’: And Then There Were Two
In 1975, with CSN&Y in limbo once again, the two banded together to make a followup to their debut as a duo. They landed their 2nd Top 10 LP.
Read MorePink Floyd Shine on ‘Wish You Were Here’
Despite tense recording sessions, the band’s 1975 followup to The Dark Side of the Moon became a landmark of art-rock on its own right.
Read MoreTraffic: ‘Welcome to the Canteen’—Together Again
The front album cover didn’t even call them Traffic; it just listed the names of the musicians. But there was no mistaking who they were.
Read MoreThe 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 MoreThe Multi-Platinum Boston Debut Album: More Than a Feeling
With 17 million sales, it still ranks not only as one of the best-selling debut albums in music history, but also one of the fastest-selling as well.
Read More‘Graceland’—The World Music Reset From Paul Simon
The album that would become Simon’s grandest statement came into view when he was gifted with a tape of South African music.
Read MoreNeil Diamond ‘Hot August Night’: Renowned Hits & Self-Indulgent Gems
So revered was the vibe—and all those hits—that you can’t really tell the 1972 release is a live album.
Read MoreNilsson ‘Pussy Cats’: With a Little Help From a Bad Boy Beatle
By 1974, his once-promising career had hit a wall and it would clearly take something significant to get him back on track. Enter John Lennon
Read MoreThe Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Brothers and Sisters’: A New Family
With both Duane Allman and Berry Oakley now deceased, the ABB had to decide how to move forward. The answer: their biggest album yet.
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