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
ZZ Top ‘Eliminator’: Hot-Rods, TV Dinners and Sharp-Dressed Men
The music is stellar, and the LP became a massive hit, selling 10 million copies and staying on the Billboard album chart for three years.
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Graham Parker ‘Squeezing Out Sparks’: Simple As a Heartbeat
The 1979 album doesn’t have a weak song or performance, and continues to be cited as the British singer-songwriter’s greatest achievement.
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Bonnie Raitt Rebounds in the ‘Nick of Time’
Just when her career needed a boost, Raitt switched labels and came up with her biggest hit album, which took her all the way to number one
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Neil Young ‘Harvest’: Keep Me Searching
Partnering with a new band he called the Stray Gators, Young recorded one of his most popular albums of all-time, and it gave him his only #1 single
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The Who’s ‘Face Dances’: After Tragedy, Transition
Somehow, after Keith Moon’s death, they were able to direct their energy into a fine studio effort that explored new and varied styles
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Kiss’ ‘Destroyer’: Where the Music Finally Equaled the Image
Everyone knew the makeup, the blood and that tongue, but their records weren’t selling. Then came ‘Destroyer’ and a single that almost didn’t make the cut.
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Joni Mitchell ‘Ladies of the Canyon’: Painting the Canvas
The album sets out clearly the direction Mitchell would take for the rest of her career, leaving behind the constraints of folk music.
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Genesis’ ‘Seconds Out’: From Paris With Love
Released in 1977, ‘Seconds Out’ showcased the band’s great live performances and was a major worldwide hit.
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Pretenders Reborn: ‘Learning to Crawl’ @ 40
With hits like “Back on the Chain Gang” and “My City Was Gone,” the band successfully rebounded from tragedy.
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The Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Eat a Peach’: Farewell to a Brother
Started before the death of Duane Allman, and completed after he was gone, the album served as a poignant, multifaceted farewell to the guitar great.
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