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 Dusty Springfield Pop-Soul Pinnacle: ‘Dusty in Memphis’
Nearing 30, the British vocal great was intimidated by the soul power at Atlantic Records, her new home. She overcame it and turned out a masterpiece.
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Joni Mitchell ‘Court and Spark’: A Significant Pivot
Her 1974 best-seller was adorned by a sophisticated sonic sensibility that would define her career from that moment forward.
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Rush’s ‘Permanent Waves’: Ready for the ’80s
The album marked one of the few times that a veteran rock band managed to remain current without it being a blatant attempt at crass commercialization.
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The Poco Country-Rock Legacy: “Deliverin’,” With a Gallop
With its stellar vocal harmonies and instrumental dexterity, the album established Poco for decades to come and drew a blueprint for country-rock’s future.
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When Johnny Cash Did Time ‘At Folsom Prison’
Performing for prison inmates was nothing new for the legendary singer, but his record label was nervous about making an album at one. Good thing they did.
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Fine Young Cannibals’ ‘The Raw & the Cooked’: For One Year, They Drove Us Crazy
They only gave us two albums and then they were gone, but that hit-packed second one helped to define an era.
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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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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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