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’s Hard-Boiled Asylum Debut: Rock Noir

With production by Jackson Browne and great songs like “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” and “Hasten Down the Wind,” the 1976 LP is an unsung classic.

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Todd Rundgren ‘Something/Anything?’: An Extravagant Opus

As its title suggests, the ambitious, far-reaching 1972 double album provided early proof that the possibilities were endless.

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The David Crosby Solo Debut—Well Worth Remembering

For the 1971 release, Croz gathered a superb supporting cast, one that featured the communal contributions of friends and fellow travelers.

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Black Sabbath’s Debut LP: Where Metal Began

Every defining characteristic of the British band’s self-titled debut would become a hallmark of the oft-maligned heavy metal genre.

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Elvis Costello & The Attractions ‘Trust’: A Dark Masterwork

The album, Costello’s fifth overall, captures the quartet at a potent but troubled peak, its title a loaded, ironic signifier

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The Guess Who’s ‘American Woman’ Album: Distant Roads Are Calling

The Canadian band had been scoring with ballads like “These Eyes” and “Laughing.” Now they wanted to rock. American Woman introduced a new Guess Who

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‘Pearl’–Janis Joplin’s Last Hurrah

‘Pearl’ remains Janis Joplin’s most fully realized record, fronting the best band she would ever lead on her strongest set of material.

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The Sprawling ‘London Calling’ From The Clash

The 2-LP set was one of the best albums of its time, and marked the evolution of the UK quartet from punk heroes to great rock band

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Steely Dan’s ‘Gaucho’: Perfection and Chaos

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s quest for the perfect groove proved a key denominator across the 1980 album.

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Cheap Trick’s ‘Heaven Tonight’: They Just Seemed a Little Weird

Nearly every song on ‘Heaven Tonight’ might have been a single—even if the overall sound was still a little left-of-center.

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