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
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ @40
The LP was the band’s long-awaited breakthrough, the Heartbreakers now matching the caliber of their front man’s writing with their focused musicianship.
Read More
Pat Benatar’s ‘Crimes of Passion’: Her Best Shot
She has remained the thing she set out to be, an artist who made her own seat at the table and turned it into a remarkable rock music legacy.
Read More
Ramones’ ‘It’s Alive’ Deluxe Reviewed: Back to Basics
Nobody took rock back to basics more than the Ramones, whose concise, beat-driven tunes hit you over the head with elemental bursts of sound.
Read More
Eric Clapton’s Lifesaving ‘Rainbow Concert’ Revisited
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 More
Steppenwolf’s Debut Album: Heavy Metal Thunder
If the album had given us nothing more than “Born to Be Wild,” it would still be a classic. But there was a lot more to the mostly Canadian band’s first LP.
Read More
‘Disraeli Gears’: When Cream Rose to the Top
On their second album, the trio honed their virtuosic interplay to a sharper edge and added a more modern sensibility spiked with psychedelia.
Read More
Dave Mason’s ‘Alone Together’: Colorful Throughout
It’s often remembered for its multi-colored marble vinyl, but the former Traffic member’s solo debut also contained some of his finest songs
Read More
The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ Reissue Reviewed: The Anniversary It Deserves
Our reviewer: this latest anthology offers 3 compelling reasons to buy it. The excellent sound quality, the demos + outtakes and the 100-page hardcover book
Read More
The Doors Strange Days: We Want the World…
On their second album, Jim Morrison and the band moved into uncharted territory lyrically and instrumentally. When the music’s over, turn out the lights…
Read More
J. Geils Band’s ‘Live—Blow Your Face Out’ Revisited
It wasn’t their first live album, but ‘Blow Your Face Out’ took the band’s manic rock ‘n’ soul energy to another level entirely.
Read More