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 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
Read MoreSteely 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.
Read MoreCheap 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.
Read MoreJoan Baez ‘Any Day Now’: A Loving Tribute to Bob Dylan
In 1968, the singer decamped to Nashville and cut a double album’s worth of songs written by her good friend and collaborator. The results were mostly glorious
Read MoreBob Marley and the Wailers’ ‘Live!’ Album: Reggae Rocks Babylon
The London concert providedvalidation that Marley and his band, the Wailers, had breached the rock market with their potent strain of reggae.
Read More‘All Things Must Pass’–George Harrison’s Crowning Solo Set
Released in 1970 as the Beatles officially split and all four dropped solo albums, Harrison’s mammoth boxed set was a dark horse.
Read MoreThe Grateful Dead’s ‘American Beauty’: The Cream of the Crop
At least half of its songs are recognized as Dead classics: “Box of Rain,” “Friend of the Devil,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Truckin’” and “Ripple.”
Read More‘Buffalo Springfield Again’: An Embattled Creation
A volatile mix of talent and dysfunction percolates beneath the surface of the California band’s second and best album, cobbled together amidst rivalries
Read MoreThe Sex Pistols’ Era-Defining ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’
They only released one album but it sparked a musical revolution. We look back at a punk-rock game-changer 4+ decades after its release
Read MoreBeach Boys Party! – Fun Time and Lots (and Lots) of Covers
Capitol Records wanted a new LP for the ’65 holiday shopping season. Brian was busy with Pet Sounds. So they recorded plenty of their contemporaries’ songs
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