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

Paul McCartney’s Solo Debut: Declaration of Independence

The 1970 album, his first outside of the Beatles, is a picture of Paul in transition, a historical document of quiet beauty.

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Manassas: Stephen Stills’ Finest (Solo) Hour

Stills’ third full-length as leader showcased a collaborative ensemble flexible enough to cover a broad stylistic palette.

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Bob Seger’s ‘Live Bullet’: Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll

Although he was a star locally, the Detroit rocker had been struggling for years to break out nationally–until he formed the Silver Bullet Band.

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The Blasters’ Eponymous 1981 LP: Roots Music Finds Its Place in the Punk Revolution

They came out of Downey, California, mashing together blues, country, rockabilly, jazz and good ol’ rock & roll into something all their own.

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Jim Croce’s ‘You Don’t Mess Around With Jim’: An Everyman Arrives

With more time, he might have taken his place as an equal of James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, etc.

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Deep Purple’s ‘Machine Head’: Rockin’ in Montreux

The 1972 album, cut by their classic lineup, made them big stars, and they soon toured the world. And there was much more to it than “Smoke on the Water.”

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Talking Heads’ ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’: Artful Music

“We don’t fit into anyone else’s category, so we’re going to have to create our own,” said David Byrne about the band’s second album.

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On the Menu: Supertramp’s ‘Breakfast in America’

The band had enjoyed steady growth with their first 5 albums. That all changed in 1979 with this blockbuster release which became one of the year’s top sellers

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Leonard Cohen: His “Gloomy” ‘Songs of Love and Hate’

His third studio album cemented his reputation as “the grocer of despair”

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10cc’s ‘The Original Soundtrack’: A Widescreen Masterpiece

The talented quartet was committed to using satire, parody, jokes and sonic guffaws in their eclectic mix.

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