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
Good ‘Sports’: How Huey Lewis and the News Hit a Home Run
The album remains one of the band’s most memorable efforts, and confirmation that they were decidedly in the game.
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Supertramp: ‘Crime of the Century’—Success at Last
Even before they set foot in the studio to begin recording, the band “knew we had a hit,” said Roger Hodgson.
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‘Late for the Sky’—The Jackson Browne Confessional Masterpiece
He achieved a poetic force with the eight songs comprising the album, their lyrics demanding a closer listen.
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‘Wrecking Ball’—Emmylou Harris, Rewired
The 1995 album was a gamble both forward-looking but also connected to her early career as a folk singer.
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Frey & Souther’s ‘Longbranch Pennywhistle’: Not Ready for Prime Time Players
The sparks of genius are here and there in the songwriting, and especially in the deft singing and instrumental arrangements.
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Elvis Costello’s ‘Taking Liberties’: Spare Parts
The compilation album proved early in his career that his so-called “leftovers” are better than many other artists’ main meals.
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Revisiting Paul Simon’s U.S. Solo Debut: World Music
He said at the time, “I am really happy to be by myself now and not have to share decisions. Now I do things almost entirely to my taste.”
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Joe Cocker ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen’: More Than a Little Help
“We can imagine how exhausted Cocker, Russell and Co. must have been when they got off the road, but from the audience’s point of view, it was worth it.”
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When Eric Clapton ‘Unplugged’: Rebirth from Tragedy and ‘Tears’
With six Grammy wins, it remains his most popular album and biggest seller.
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Vanilla Fudge’s 1967 Debut: Maximum Psychedelia
It was rock music pushed to its limits, with a radical use of soft-loud-soft dynamics and the emotional drama of rhythm and blues and soul.
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