REVIEWS:
What’s the read on the latest reissue releases and live performances by classic rock artists? What biopics, movies or documentaries are worth seeing in theaters and at home? What books about rock music and the people who make and work with it are worth reading. Our team also takes a fresh look at notable works in our Album Rewind series
‘Desperado’—Eagles’ Sagebrush Country-Rock Opera
With its sophomore effort, the band tethered its polished country-rock to a concept album driven by a Wild West narrative.
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Gregg Allman Solo Debut ‘Laid Back’: Trauma and Survival
The LP was intended to go in a different direction than the ABB: softer, more contemplative, acoustic-based, a statement of gratitude in the face of loss.
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Elton John’s ‘Madman Across the Water’: A Blue Jean Baby
He was everywhere in 1971 but still hadn’t quite found his way. Then he released the first album that defined his singular gifts.
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‘Fyfty’ Years of Lynyrd Skynyrd: Review
The new collection may be their best yet, as it embraces all their hits, numerous standout LP cuts and eight potent live performances.
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‘Disraeli Gears’: When Cream Rose to the Top
On their second album, the trio honed their virtuosic interplay to a sharper edge and added a more modern sensibility spiked with psychedelia.
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Lulu Rocks New York City—With Love: 2017 Concert Review
50 years ago a teenaged girl from Scotland had a #1 hit that is still loved today. At a NYC concert, she sounded better than ever.
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‘Wildflowers’: Tom Petty’s Heartbroken Solo Masterpiece
Petty called it his favorite album. Its generous song list only hinted at the virtual torrent of material he was creating during this period.
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‘Forever Changes’: A Brilliant Landmark From Love
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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Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson’s ‘Pancho & Lefty’: Masters at Work
Austin met Bakersfield on this meeting of consummate country stars in the early ’80s, produced with Chips Moman, designed to look backward and forward at the same time.
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Neil Young’s ‘Comes a Time’: Direct From The Heart
He became mostly restrained and melancholy for this 1978 release, drawing on folk and country idioms. It includes recordings made over several years.
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