Paul McCartney’s guileless, but oft-criticized ‘Ram’ was a handmade gem
Released this week in May 1971, Paul McCartney’s ‘Ram’ was initially knocked for everything that makes it sound unexpectedly bold today.
Post Tagged with: "On Second Thought"
Why ‘Brothers’ Was the Best Showcase of Black Keys’ Genre-Jumping Genius
‘Brothers,’ released on May 18, 2010, stands as the Black Keys’ best-ever attempt at hybridizing black music into modern rock.
Paul McCartney’s clunky ‘McCartney II’ couldn’t tap into new-wave zeitgeist
Paul McCartney’s synthy solo effort ‘McCartney II,’ released on May 16, 1980, didn’t pass for innovation back then – and it doesn’t today, either.
Danny Seraphine and Bill Champlin Defend ‘Chicago 17’: ‘Biggest Album We Ever Had’
‘Chicago 17,’ released on May 14, 1984, was a multi-million-selling smash. And Danny Seraphine and Bill Champlin aren’t about to apologize for it.
Past the Big Hits, Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ Offered Moving Examination of War
Released on May 13, 1985, Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ likely surprises return visitors with its depth of intellect and emotion.
Agree with it or not, we need political records like Neil Young’s Living With War
‘Living with War,’ released on May 8, 2006, once more found Neil Young sandblasting away at the problems he saw with America.
Yes’ patched-together homecoming project Union never lived up to its promise
Jon Anderson and Billy Sherwood look back on Yes’ Frankenstein-like collaborative album ‘Union,’ released on April 30, 1991.
Adrian Belew’s Mr. Music Head was more than ‘Oh Daddy’ : ‘Don’t think I’ve played it again’
“Oh Daddy” got Adrian Belew a solo deal with Atlantic, who released ‘Mr. Music Head’ on April 28, 1989. The worry was that he’d be forever saddled with it.
How I learned to love (or at least tolerate) Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
A confession: I never fully appreciated the overpraised ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,’ released by Wilco this week in 2002. Not until much later, anyway.
Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers boasts an underrated complexity
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Sticky Fingers,’ released on April 23, 1971, might just be better – shhhhh! – than the far-more-heralded album that followed it.
