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

Warren Zevon Copes with Mortality in ‘Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School’

Newly sober after years of alcohol abuse and subsequent bad behavior, the singer and songwriter was forthcoming about his new outlook.

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Electric Light Orchestra: ‘Eldorado’—A Mighty Spark

For their fourth LP, ELO moved past the uncertainties of their early years and took listeners on a journey into the future

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Buddy Guy: ‘Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues’—A Joyous Noise

The album earned him the first of many Grammy Awards and sold way better than any of his previous recordings.

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The Doors’ ‘Strange Days’: We Want the World…

On their second album, Jim Morrison and the band moved into uncharted territory lyrically and instrumentally. When the music’s over, turn out the lights…

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Steely Dan: ‘Aja’—A Dazzling Listen

Previously a collective yet to realize its most effective means of transforming ideas into finished art, Becker and Fagen coalesced on this 1977 classic

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The Band’s 2nd Album: A Rustic Masterpiece

Following up their debut Music From Big Pink, Dylan’s former backup band made a transcendent, self-titled masterpiece in 1969. Here’s the story.

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Oasis’ ‘Definitely Maybe’: The Audacious Debut from the Britpop Behemoths  

The original album has never gone out of style. While the States accepted it with mild trepidation in 1994, the impact was immediate in the U.K.

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The Stills-Young Band One-Off Album: ‘Long May You Run’

The 1976 release is an outlier, a stopgap that is often overlooked. But there are treasures in it.

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Pete Townshend/Ronnie Lane: ‘Rough Mix’—An Overlooked Gem

The collaboration between the Who mastermind and Faces great was sadly overlooked at the time of its release, but is now considered a minor masterpiece.

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