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 Kinks’ ‘One for the Road’: That’s Entertainment!
Ray Davies had found a new, commercial groove that appealed to American audiences that barely remembered the Kinks of the ’60s.
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The Beach Boys’ Sweet ‘Wild Honey’ Beat: A Masterpiece of the Fading Year
The 1967 album emphasizes the collective and its vision, rather than that of an auteur with attendants helping to carry out his grand design.
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ELP ‘Brain Salad Surgery’: A Brainstorm of the Highest Order
The combination of high concept, grandiose execution and the trio’s usual artistic ambition made the 1973 album a mind-blowing effort.
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Traffic Plays Us a Tune On Debut Album, ‘Mr. Fantasy’
In the hands of a lesser group, the various musical styles represented here may well have been a mishmash.
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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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Bob Marley and the Wailers’ ‘Live!’ Album: Reggae Rocks Babylon
The 1975 London concert provided validation that they had breached the rock market with their potent strain of reggae.
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A Look Back at the Final—And Most Successful—Police LP, ‘Synchronicity’
The band’s 1983 release, that came after a recording hiatus while touring the world, is much more than the mega-hit single, “Every Breath You Take.”
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Faces ‘A Nod Is As Good As a Wink…’ Album: Party Time
“It was an air of merriment. Under all the camaraderie and joviality, we took the music extremely seriously,” said Rod Stewart.
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Rolling Stones Ya-Ya’s Still Unrivaled
The late Lester Bangs had “no doubt that it’s the best rock concert ever put on record.” Decades later, our writer feels that’s still true
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‘Sheer Heart Attack’: Queen Breaks Through
Wildly theatrical, straddling the worlds of hard rock, pop, prog and Broadway, the album was an eclectic triumph. Now, Queen sounded like a true band.
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