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 REO Speedwagon Debut LP: A Hint of Things to Come
Their only album with frontman Terry Luttrell, it paved the way for future success.
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The Sprawling ‘London Calling’ From The Clash
The 2-LP set was one of the best albums of its time, and marked the evolution of the UK quartet from punk heroes to great rock band.
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Finding a ‘Pearl’–Janis Joplin’s Last Hurrah
It remains her most fully realized record, fronting the best band she would ever lead on her strongest set of material.
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Roy Orbison ‘Mystery Girl’: Exit Music
“The Big O” aka “The Caruso of Rock” still thrills whenever the microphone captures his one-of-a-kind voice.
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The Masterful, Underrated Debut Album From Argent: From Z to A
Out of the ashes of the Zombies came their keyboardist’s new band. Their debut LP is one of rock’s most underrated of all time.
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Elvis Costello ‘Armed Forces’: What’s So Funny?
The band’s third album was a leap forward in songcraft and sonic ambition, a song cycle weaving the personal and political.
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Yes’ ‘Fragile’: A British Prog-Rock Classic
Timeless tracks like “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround,” premiered here and defined the prog genre.
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The Band ‘Rock of Ages’: Their Live Pinnacle?
It belongs on any short list of the best live albums ever, while serving as a coda to the group’s groundbreaking influence.
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Joan Baez ‘Any Day Now’: A Loving Tribute to Bob Dylan
In 1968, the singer decamped to Nashville and cut a double album’s worth of songs written by her good friend and collaborator. The results were mostly glorious.
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Neil 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.
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