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
Billy Joel ‘Live at Yankee Stadium’ Hits Some Homers
Performing in the city of his birth to more than 50,000 admirers, Joel exudes a sense of triumph and validation—and understandably so.
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Bob Dylan’s ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’ Book: Like a Complete Unknown
Whether he’s on a tangent or not, Dylan is virtually always colorful. He wonders if one song was recorded through a “tomato can telephone.”
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Beach Boys Party! – Fun Time and Lots (and Lots) of Covers
Capitol Records wanted a new LP for the ’65 holiday shopping season. Brian was busy with Pet Sounds. So they recorded plenty of their contemporaries’ songs
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The Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ Box Set: Was It Their Most Ambitious Adventure?
The music sounds noticeably brighter and sharper than before, and the vocals and instruments can be distinguished more clearly.
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The Who Hits Back in Portland, October 2022—Replacing Chaos with Dignity
Pete Townshend’s cascading windmills and Roger Daltrey’s cathartic primal scream are still a thrill more than half a century later.
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Mark Knopfler’s ‘Studio Albums 2009–2018’: Review
The subject matter and musical approaches are all over the place, but the albums feel cohesive and the performances are first-rate.
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Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ Deluxe Edition: Review
The LP feels almost like a Waters solo project, but owes a debt to Gilmour’s dynamic guitar work, and to Wright and Mason.
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Moody Blues’ Justin Hayward: 2018 Concert Review
The group’s lead singer, guitarist and writer of many of their favorites offered songs and stories from throughout his career
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Paul McCartney Plays 2016 Desert Trip Set: Review
Following Neil Young on night two of the much-heralded three-day classic rock festival in California, the former Beatle mixed the hits and a few surprises.
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Bob Dylan in Total Command in 2016 Desert Trip Set
The bard let his music do the talking with a career-spanning set – including a tweaked version of “Tangled Up in Blue” – at the eagerly anticipated festival’s opening night
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