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 Doors’ ‘L.A. Woman’: Last Call
The Doors’ sixth and final studio LP re-energized the band through a return to their roots in American blues, and served as a tribute to their hometown.
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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s ‘Deja Vu’: A Volatile Chemistry
By any standard, it was an enormous success. But when CSN added a new member for their second album, it was an alliance that would both define and bedevil them
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The Paul McCartney Solo Debut: His Declaration of Independence
The 1970 album, his first outside of the Beatles, is a picture of Paul in transition, a historical document of quiet beauty.
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Willie Nelson ‘Stardust’: Reimagining the American Songbook
His record label was reluctant to issue it, but the album defied expectations and revived interest in the classic songwriting of the mid-20th century.
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Manassas: Stephen Stills’ Finest (Solo) Hour
Stills’ third full-length as leader showcased a collaborative ensemble flexible enough to cover a broad stylistic palette.
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Bob Seger ‘Live Bullet’: Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll
Although he was a star locally, the Detroit rocker had been struggling for years to break out nationally—until he formed the Silver Bullet Band.
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Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass’ ‘Whipped Cream & Other Delights’: Sweet & Swinging
The faux mariachi-style LP spent three years on the charts and appealed to seemingly every category of record buyer.
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Ray Charles’ Soulful Country Music’: ‘It’s Got to Move Me’
Charles: “The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues, very down.”
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Jim Croce ‘You Don’t Mess Around With Jim’: An Everyman Arrives
With more time, he might have taken his place as an equal of James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, etc.
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Loggins and Messina ‘On Stage’ @50: The Peak of a Formidable Partnership
The album marked a successful coda in terms of a catalog that’s forever inscribed in the annals of radio-ready music and mainstream Americana.
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