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
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s ‘Deja Vu’: A Volatile Chemistry
By any standard, it was an enormous success. But when CSN added a new member for their second album, it was an alliance that would both define and bedevil them
Read More
‘Who’s Next’: Plan B Yields a Career Blockbuster
Born from the ashes of an abandoned project Pete Townshend called ‘Lifehouse,’ the band’s 1971 masterwork triumphed through songcraft and performance.
Read More
Beach Boys Party! – Fun Time and Lots (and Lots) of Covers
Capitol Records wanted a new LP for the ’65 holiday shopping season. Brian was busy with Pet Sounds. So they recorded plenty of their contemporaries’ songs
Read More
Talking Heads’ ‘Fear of Music’: A Transitional Gem
“The first step in David Byrne’s assumption of power, moving Talking Heads from a band to his band… It was dance music that reflected the time.”
Read More
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.
Read More
Van Halen’s 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.
Read More
On the Menu: Supertramp’s ‘Breakfast in America’
The band had enjoyed steady growth with their first 5 albums. That all changed in 1979 with this blockbuster release which became one of the year’s top sellers
Read More
Black Sabbath’s Debut LP: Where Metal Began
Every defining characteristic of the British band’s self-titled debut would become a hallmark of the oft-maligned heavy metal genre.
Read More
Rod Stewart’s Unequaled Masterpiece
Gasoline Alley, his second solo album, showcased an artist who excelled at both rollicking rock ‘n’ roll and tender, emotive ballads
Read More
‘Running on Empty’: Jackson Browne’s Romance of the Road
The 1977 LP was Browne’s most surprising, least typical album, a game-changer that updated his identity from folk-rock troubadour to rock headliner.
Read More