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
Badfinger Straight Up: A Power Pop Masterpiece
They began as proteges of the Beatles, then became power pop heroes. The story behind one of the classic Apple Records albums.
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Band on the Run: The LP That Saved McCartney
The recording sessions were plagued with problems, but Paul McCartney and Wings made the best of it. The result: one of his most beloved LPs.
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Ritchie Valens: More Than Just ‘La Bamba’
It’s not hyperbole to say that “there can be few artists in the history of popular music who died so young but left such a significant legacy and legend.”
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Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ @40
The LP was the band’s long-awaited breakthrough, the Heartbreakers now matching the caliber of their front man’s writing with their focused musicianship.
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The Rolling Stones’ ‘Honk’ Collection: Review
If you have to whittle the hundreds of songs in the post-ABKCO catalog down to three dozen, you could do worse than to wind up with the track list here.
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Beginnings: Chicago’s Eclectic Debut Album @50
Chicago’s speedy ascent was fueled by a landmark debut that made an immediate splash with critics and listeners, but it was more than a hit record.
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Pretenders’ Debut: Chrissie Hynde Takes No Prisoners
Released at the edge of the ’70s punk and new wave assaults, ‘Pretenders’ traded on Chrissie Hynde’s substantial punk bona fides–but there was more to it.
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Van Morrison ‘The Healing Game’ Deluxe: Review
This deluxe edition of ‘The Healing Game’ may lead fans to re-examine what Morrison was up to in the late ’90s. They’re bound to like what they hear.
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Love’s Brilliant Landmark ‘Forever Changes’
The deeper complexity and nuance that had lurked under the surface came to the forefront in the L.A. band’s classic 1967 third album.
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Alice Cooper’s #1 Breakthrough: Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper was still a band, not just one guy, and this was the album that took started their transition from novelty act to classic rock legends.
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