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

Rolling Stones Ya-Ya’s Still Unrivaled

The late Lester Bangs had “no doubt that it’s the best rock concert ever put on record.” Decades later, our writer feels that’s still true

Read More

Faces ‘A Nod Is As Good As a Wink…’ Album: Party Time

“It was an air of merriment. Under all the camaraderie and joviality, we took the music extremely seriously,” said Rod Stewart.

Read More

When Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen Were ‘Lost in the Ozone’

There was much more to this genre-defying band than “Hot Rod Lincoln.” Here is the back story of a truly versatile and unique group.

Read More

Traffic ‘The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys’: Rock on the Fusion Frontier

What had begun as post-‘Sgt. Pepper’ psychedelia turned toward a darker, more idiosyncratic synthesis of jazz, blues, world music and English folk elements.

Read More

‘Slowhand’: Eric Clapton’s 1977 Platinum Balancing Act

‘Slowhand’ offers a lucid balance of technical mastery and artistic modesty. It became his best-selling studio album to date upon its release.

Read More

‘Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful’ & The Evolution of Their Good-Time Music

For their third studio album, the band knew that it wanted no two songs to sound alike. The result: no two songs sounded alike.

Read More

The Beatles’ White Album: Facts and Trivia

At the same time they were maturing, they were leaving behind the Beatles. Here are some fascinating details on all 30 tracks on their ’68 masterpiece.

Read More

Queen ‘A Night at the Opera’: A Fancy Blockbuster

Their fourth album was “a showy spectacle that revels in its bombastic production” and gave us “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s also an indisputable classic.

Read More

Humble Pie ‘Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore’: What the Doctor Ordered

It took several attempts for the British quartet to catch on, but these NYC gigs did the trick. Our Album Rewind of a great live rock LP.

Read More

Don Henley ‘Building The Perfect Beast’: Don’t Look Back

The 1984 album, recorded with ace musicians, yielded four hit singles, making the Eagles’ drummer/singer even more ubiquitous on the AM and FM radio dials

Read More