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 Doobie Brothers—‘The Captain and Me’: Polishing a Diamond
By the time they started recording their third album, the San Jose band had transformed itself into an eclectic and progressive group.
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Steely Dan Delivers Bite-Sized Gems on ‘Pretzel Logic’
On their 1974 LP, Fagen and Becker honed their humorous lyrics and perfected their luscious arrangements that straddled multiple genres.
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Parton, Ronstadt and Harris’ ‘Trio’: Soaring Sisterhood
Their partnership is among the purest, boasting a celestial vocal blend, rooted in mutual admiration and the sheer joy of making music
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Todd Rundgren ‘A Wizard, A True Star’: Brilliant & Baffling
Was Todd’s against-the-grain psychedelic album a masterpiece or a slab of unintelligible self-indulgence? We look back at a ’70s classic
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Van Morrison and ‘Moondance’: A Brand New Day
Always singing as if his life depends on a good take, the 1970 album is a lesson in musical brilliance, flexibility and hard work.
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Rickie Lee Jones’ Debut: Hipster Chic, Beyond Laurel Canyon
She reached beyond folk, rock and blues influences then dominant among Los Angeles’ singer-songwriters, looking to earlier generations of songsmiths.
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Genesis’ ‘A Trick of the Tail’: A New Beginning
The album proved that Genesis was set to achieve commercial and artistic successes beyond what they’d accomplished during the Peter Gabriel years.
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Alice Cooper #1 Breakthrough: Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper was still a band, not just one guy, and this was the album that started their transition from novelty act to classic rock legends.
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John Prine ‘The Missing Years’: With the Heartbreakers
The album, with its great lineup won him the first of his four Grammys.
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Yes’ ‘The Yes Album’: Brilliance Under Pressure
Their record label was looking for commercial progress in order to justify keeping them under contract. This 1971 classic put the band on the prog map
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