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
‘Dixie Chicken’: Little Feat, Secret Southern Sauce
The group drew on Lowell George’s versatile command of blues, country, folk and R&B for its third—and many feel finest—studio album.
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Pretenders Debut Album: Chrissie Hynde Takes No Prisoners
Released at the edge of the ’70s punk and new wave assaults, ‘Pretenders’ traded on her substantial punk bona fides—but there was more to it.
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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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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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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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