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
A Look Back at the Final—And Most Successful—Police LP, ‘Synchronicity’
The band’s 1983 release, that came after a recording hiatus while touring the world, is much more than the mega-hit single, “Every Breath You Take.”
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Faces ‘A Nod Is As Good As a Wink…’ Album: Party Time
“It was an air of merriment. Under all the camaraderie and joviality, we took the music extremely seriously,” said Rod Stewart.
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Rolling Stones Ya-Ya’s Still Unrivaled
The late Lester Bangs had “no doubt that it’s the best rock concert ever put on record.” Decades later, our writer feels that’s still true
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‘Sheer Heart Attack’: Queen Breaks Through
Wildly theatrical, straddling the worlds of hard rock, pop, prog and Broadway, the album was an eclectic triumph. Now, Queen sounded like a true band.
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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’: Closing the Gaps
As the 1972 triple album broke all the rules it revitalized the country-rock scene and made some very old music cool again
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‘A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector’: When Holiday Classics Met the Wall of Sound
Sixty years ago, an album redefined the Christmas song. Few heard it at the time, but today it is considered a true holiday classic.
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Quincy Jones’ ‘Back on the Block’: A Movie for the Ears
Recognized as one of the most unusual and kaleidoscopic albums ever produced, the 7x Grammy-winner featured an all-star cast.
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Steely Dan ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’: All Systems Go
Their debut is tuneful and literate, and the musicianship can be exuberantly loose or scarily precise, perched midway between jazz, rock, and rhythm and blues.
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Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Heart Like a Wheel’ Breakthrough
After her first four albums, followers of country-rock knew there was something special about her. On her fifth, they found out what it was
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‘Buffalo Springfield Again’: An Embattled Creation
A volatile mix of talent and dysfunction percolates beneath the surface of the California band’s second and best album, cobbled together amidst rivalries
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