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

Traffic ‘The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys’: Rock on the Fusion Frontier

What had begun as post-‘Sgt. Pepper’ psychedelia turned toward a darker, more idiosyncratic synthesis of jazz, blues, world music and English folk elements.

Read More

‘Slowhand’: Eric Clapton’s 1977 Platinum Balancing Act

‘Slowhand’ offers a lucid balance of technical mastery and artistic modesty. It became his best-selling studio album to date upon its release.

Read More

‘Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful’ & The Evolution of Their Good-Time Music

For their third studio album, the band knew that it wanted no two songs to sound alike. The result: no two songs sounded alike.

Read More

The Beatles’ White Album: Facts and Trivia

At the same time they were maturing, they were leaving behind the Beatles. Here are some fascinating details on all 30 tracks on their ’68 masterpiece.

Read More

Queen ‘A Night at the Opera’: A Fancy Blockbuster

Their fourth album was “a showy spectacle that revels in its bombastic production” and gave us “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s also an indisputable classic.

Read More

Humble Pie ‘Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore’: What the Doctor Ordered

It took several attempts for the British quartet to catch on, but these NYC gigs did the trick. Our Album Rewind of a great live rock LP.

Read More

Don Henley ‘Building The Perfect Beast’: Don’t Look Back

The 1984 album, recorded with ace musicians, yielded four hit singles, making the Eagles’ drummer/singer even more ubiquitous on the AM and FM radio dials

Read More

Genesis ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’: Peter Gabriel’s Theatrical Exit

For their 1974 prog opus, Gabriel and the band came up with a complicated and somewhat opaque ‘urban odyssey’ tale set in New York City.

Read More

The Moody Blues’ ‘Seventh Sojourn’: A Journey All Its Own

Whereas their earlier albums were bathed in day-glo tones, imagery, Mellotrons and mystique, their eighth release was decidedly down-to-earth in comparison.

Read More

Stephen Stills’ A-List Solo Debut Revisited

A balance of DIY proficiency and top-tier talent gave the 1970 release an early head start in the race for most popular solo album by a member of CSN&Y.

Read More