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
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Bayou Country’: Proud & Loud
“I could go anywhere because I was a writer. I was conjuring that place deep in my soul,” said John Fogerty about the songs on the band’s 2nd LP.
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Joe Jackson ‘Look Sharp!’: An Artful Debut
The impressive 11 songs that made the final cut of this new wave-era debut comprise a coherent piece of art with nary a dull moment.
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Elton John’s ‘Tumbleweed Connection’: Raising the Stakes
The musical language that would define his work is all present on this early gem that solidified Elton’s writing partnership with Bernie Taupin
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Elvis Costello ‘Armed Forces’: What’s So Funny?
The band’s third album was a leap forward in songcraft and sonic ambition, a song cycle weaving the personal and political.
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Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson ‘Waylon & Willie’: Two of a Kind
It was actually a strange hybrid, but it proved irresistible to record buyers, including many rock fans who’d never bought a country album before
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Steve Winwood ‘Arc of a Diver’: Leaving the Past Behind
His most successful solo record, it allowed him to stand apart from the earlier work he had spawned with Traffic, Blind Faith and the Spencer Davis Group.
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Badfinger ‘Straight Up’: A Power Pop Masterpiece
They began as proteges of the Beatles, then became power pop heroes. The story behind one of the classic Apple Records albums.
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‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’—The Rolling Stones’ Worst, or An Unfairly Maligned Gem?
Some say it was little more than a ‘Sgt. Pepper’ ripoff. Others consider it one of their most original LPs. We gave a fresh listen.
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Deep Purple ‘Made In Japan’: Onstage Chemistry
The reserved Japanese audience is clearly stunned as the concert ends, and is silent for a moment until exploding into raucous applause.
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‘Running on Empty’: Jackson Browne’s Romance of the Road
The 1977 LP was Browne’s most surprising, least typical album, a game-changer that updated his identity from folk-rock troubadour to rock headliner
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