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 Who By Numbers’: Back to Basics
After an eight-year odyssey of releasing concept albums, the original quartet put together a set of unrelated songs that found favor with their fans.
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Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ ‘Damn the Torpedoes’: Full Speed Ahead
The LP was the band’s long-awaited breakthrough, with them now matching the caliber of their front man’s writing with their focused musicianship.
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Pure Prairie League: ‘Bustin’ Out’—Persistence Pays Off
Left for dead by their record label, and with musicians using the group as a revolving door, the band nearly packed it in. Then they got lucky.
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Genesis’ ‘Seconds Out’: From Paris With Love
Released in 1977, the 2-LP set showcased the band’s great live performances and was a major worldwide hit.
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When ELO Delivered Magic With ‘Face the Music’
Other triumphs would follow, but clearly this 1975 best-seller marked a turning point in both their tapestry and trajectory.
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King Crimson’s Debut: Laying the Groundwork for the Prog Revolution
The 1969 debut album set a standard for all prog-rock that followed and raised the bar in terms of expectation and achievement.
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The Who’s ‘Odds & Sods’: Beat the Boots
Fed up with the volume of unauthorized Who LPs on the market, the band put together this mixed bag of leftover tracks.
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When Donald Fagen Lightened Up With ‘The Nightfly’
On his debut solo album, cut during Steely Dan’s ’80s hiatus, he trades cynicism for nostalgia in a song cycle.
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Bob Dylan’s ‘Desire’: Story Time
Songs from the best-selling album continued to be heavily featured in the Rolling Thunder Revue live performances.
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Good ‘Sports’: How Huey Lewis and the News Hit a Home Run
The album remains one of the band’s most memorable efforts, and confirmation that they were decidedly in the game.
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