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 Byrds’ ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo’: Cornerstone of Country-Rock
Their most consequential stylistic stroke since their pioneering folk-rock debut three years earlier, it ushered in country-rock and Americana
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Warren Zevon’s Recovery Through ‘Sentimental Hygiene’
The 1987 album signaled more than a bid for a career reset. Now sober and focused, and with help from R.E.M., he was clearly back on track.
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Kinks’ Masterful ‘Everybody’s in Show-Biz’
The Kinks returned to America in 1972 after a ban to become the arena rock band they deserved to be.
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Boston’s Multi-Platinum Debut Album: More Than a Feeling
With 17 million sales, it still ranks not only as one of the best-selling debut albums in music history, but also one of the fastest-selling as well.
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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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Nilsson’s ‘Pussy Cats’: With a Little Help From a Bad Boy Beatle
By 1974, his once-promising career had hit a wall and it would clearly take something significant to get him back on track. Enter John Lennon
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‘The Great Lost Kinks Album’: Revisiting an Overlooked 1973 Delight
Although compiled to satisfy a contractual obligation, the collection of stray tracks is “a corner of the room worth spending some time in.”
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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 ‘Lifehouse,’ the band’s 1971 masterwork triumphed through songcraft and performance.
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Linda Ronstadt’s ‘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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