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
Free: ‘Fire and Water’—More Than Just All Right
The album featured one of rock’s all-time classics in “All Right Now,” but there was much more to the band’s ferocious-yet-controlled ethic.
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1974’s Bad Company Debut Album: When Rock Fans Couldn’t Get Enough
Arising from the ashes of Free, the band pursued a more stripped-down hard-rock vision. By the end of 1974, they had a #1 LP and were headlining arenas.
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The Rascals’ ‘Time Peace’: A Greatest Hits LP That Foretold the Future
While the collection could be considered a document detailing the end of an era, it also marked a makeover: Time was marching on for the band.
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The Byrds’ ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ LP—A Folk Rock Manifesto
With worthwhile covers, solid originals and no filler, the LP sustained a level of quality that invited favorable comparison with their heroes, the Beatles.
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The Go-Go’s’ ‘Beauty and the Beat’: A Scene of Their Own
No matter the level of personal and professional drama, the musical legacy remains, with their first LP as an early peak.
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David Bowie’s ‘Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’: Glam-Rock Goes Global
The album didn’t only elevate his career. It influenced many artists and kickstarted the entire punk movement.
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The Bee Gees’ ‘Main Course’: The Turning Point
Just when it seemed as if their career might be over, the brothers Gibb drastically altered their style. They would soon find out what success really was!
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Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’: Mark Knopfler Completes the Transition to Stadium-Friendly Band
One of the first all-digital albums recorded with the compact disc in mind, it vaulted the British band into the rock stratosphere.
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‘Broken English’: The Return of Marianne Faithfull
The 1979 album shows the influence of punk, reggae and jazz, and the lyrics often flowed from her still-in-process romantic and artistic collaborations.
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Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s ‘Texas Flood’: Out of the Gate
Recorded as a demo over a long holiday weekend, the album launched the career of the legendary bluesman and gave the genre itself a huge boost.
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