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
Nilsson ‘Pussy Cats’: With a Little Help From a Bad Boy Beatle
By 1974, his once-promising career had hit a wall and it would clearly take something significant to get him back on track. Enter John Lennon
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Stevie Wonder and ‘Innervisions’: Reaching Higher Ground
On his 16th album in a decade Wonder needed a strong album. He nailed it. Like its predecessor, this one earned a wide audience and generated 3 hit singles
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Emmylou Harris’ ‘Luxury Liner’: Outside The Lines
Influenced by Gram Parsons and using some of the best musicians and songwriters in the business, the singer created a country-rock smash with the 1976 album.
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AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’: You Want Blood?
The 1979 release by the Australian mega-band is not an album you come to for variety; it’s a monument to single-minded rock.
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When the Moody Blues Found Their ‘Lost Chord’
If you’ve been listening to this music on a scratchy vinyl LP for the last 50 years, you’re bound to find the surround-sound version to be a real trip.
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When John Mayall’s ‘Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton’ Broke Down Boundaries
The 1966 album featuring a 21-year-old Clapton helped establish a blues-rock template that would linger long after in the popular music firmament
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The Doors’ ‘Soft Parade’: Still Rockin’
The album’s pop leanings notwithstanding, the Doors were still very much a rock and roll band at the time of its release.
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Dave Edmunds’ ‘Repeat When Necessary’: Where the New Wave Met the Old
The Welsh rocker’s fifth solo album, made with the great Rockpile, captures him at the pinnacle of his influence as an architect of late ’70s new wave.
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Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ Exceptional ‘Imperial Bedroom’
The 1982 album is generally considered one of his best, with 15 exceptional songs and some of the best work by the band.
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Dave Mason: ‘Alone Together’—Colorful Throughout
It’s often remembered for its multi-colored marble vinyl, but the former Traffic member’s solo debut also contained some of his finest songs
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