Recordings
Best Classic Bands offers smart, informed and unbiased assessments of the latest rock album releases and reissues to offer readers guidance on what sounds they might enjoy.
Zappa’s ‘200 Motels’ Soundtrack 50th Anniv. Box Set: Review
if you’re a serious fan, you’ll be glad to hear that ‘200 Motels’ has been dramatically expanded. But prepare to wade through a lot of silliness.
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The Band’s ‘Cahoots’ Deluxe Edition: Review
‘Cahoots’ was not a step down from its predecessors, but those records set a high standard. The new expanded edition adds plenty of value.
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The Doors’ ‘L.A. Woman’ 50th Anniversary Edition: Review
On their final LP with the original quartet, the band returned to the blues, delivering such classic hits as “Love Her Madly” and “Riders on the Storm”
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The Pretenders’ 1st 2 LPs Reissued: Review
If, you own only the original 1980 and 1981 albums—or for some crazy reason don’t even have those—the decision to buy these new editions should be easy
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Eric Clapton’s ‘The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions’: Still Superlative, But…
If you ignore the controversy that has landed Clapton in the news during the pandemic, and just listen to the music, it’s clear that he hasn’t lost a thing.
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Bruce Springsteen’s ‘No Nukes’ Concert: The Boss Proves It All Night
If anyone has doubts that this is one of the greatest live bands in the history of rock, ‘The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts’ should decimate them
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Joni Mitchell’s ‘Archives Vol. 2’ Review: Artistic Growth at a Rapid Pace
This 122-track set showcases one of Mitchell’s most creative periods, including early versions of such classics as “Both Sides Now” and “The Circle Game.”
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The Rolling Stones’ ‘Tattoo You’ Expanded Edition: Review
Though not as focused or satisfying as their 1960s-’70s classics, the recording is often cited as the group’s last great album.
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David Crosby’s Contemplative, Guest-Filled Debut LP Reconsidered: Review
‘If I Could Only…’ is a contemplative, folk- and jazz-tinged record, characterized by subtle, melancholy music and understated, layered vocals.
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‘Next Stop is Vietnam’: A Colossal Box Set Collects the Music of a Controversial Era
The box is loaded with memorable music and food for thought about the war. No other collection on the subject comes anywhere near it.
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