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
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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Traffic: ‘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.
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The Graham Parker Solo Debut ‘Another Grey Area’: Leaving the Anger Behind
GP was consciously breaking away from his perceived ‘angry’ persona, looking to send out his message in a style he saw fit.
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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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‘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.
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Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ ‘Going to a Go-Go’: Life of the Party
Their 1965 release was their only studio album to make the Billboard top 10 during the ’60s
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The 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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‘Who’s Next’: Plan B Yields a Career Blockbuster
Born from the ashes of an abandoned project Pete Townshend called ‘Life House,’ the band’s 1971 masterwork triumphed through songcraft and performance.
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Linda Ronstadt ‘Hasten Down The Wind’: Right Songs, Right Singer
The 1976 release became Ronstadt’s third platinum album in a row, and earned her the second of her eventual 13 Grammy awards.
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Big Brother’s ‘Cheap Thrills’: Behind R. Crumb’s LP Cover
It would be the only rock album for which the cartoonist would do the art. It continues to serve as a psychedelic timestamp of one crazy summer.
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