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 New Set Offers a Magical Mystery Tour of Trippy Beatles Covers: Review
The program begins with a big built-in advantage: because these are Beatles covers, it delivers one great number after another.
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When Johnny Cash Did Time ‘At Folsom Prison’
Performing for prison inmates was nothing new for the legendary singer, but his record label was nervous about making an album at one. Good thing they did.
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Warren Zevon’s ‘Excitable Boy’ LP: Werewolves and Lawyers, Oh My
With songs like “Werewolves of London,” “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and the title track, it was not only his greatest work but a singer-songwriter classic.
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‘Workingman’s Dead’ @50: A 3-CD Celebration of the Grateful Dead’s Commercial Breakthrough
The Grateful Dead’s stripped-down, roots- and country-based music gave the San Francisco band their biggest commercial success to date.
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Little Richard’s ’70s Comeback Albums: Review
Though not on a par with his best work, these records leave no doubt that Richard’s flamboyant personality and high energy level remained intact.
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Rush’s ‘Permanent Waves’: Ready for the ’80s
The album marked one of the few times that a veteran rock band managed to remain current without it being a blatant attempt at crass commercialization.
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The Supremes at Their Peak With A’ Go-Go: Review
The expanded edition of the Motown trio’s first–and only–studio album to hit #1 includes mono and stereo mixes plus loads and loads of covers
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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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Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ Album: Crazy Man, Crazy
The 1984 album yielded 5 hit singles and became the fourth-best-selling soundtrack album of all time. It was his first LP to hit #1
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Talking Heads’ ‘Fear of Music’: A Transitional Gem
“The first step in David Byrne’s assumption of power, moving Talking Heads from a band to his band… It was dance music that reflected the time.”
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