Copper Blue was the fierce masterpiece. [Aug/Sep 2012, p.123]

A work that deserves every bit of praise that it receives. [#15]

Let's hope this superb reissue, replete with loads of essential "7 singles and ephemera remedies that, and introduces this seminal band to a new generation of indie rock fans. [Jul 2011, p.90]

The rawness is a treat for fans to hear what this album might’ve sounded like if she had continued in the raw, guitar-based style of Dry, Rid of Me, and 4-Track Demos.

She delivers an effortless balance between ambition and accessibility, offering a record that is both a deeply layered work of art and full of euphoric escapist joy. Even though it is still early in the year, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is already a strong contender for the best pop album of 2023.

Pageant exists in a rarified echelon of R.E.M. records, alongside Murmur and Automatic for the People as one of their unimpeachable classics.

As cathartic as the creation of A Crow Looked at Me might have been for this artist, we're obviously meeting him early in the soul-testing climb of this story's arc.

Full of bonus features, on Disc Two Lennon's voice is heard on a raw demo: "Oh god saves us from defeat...from the war...from the street." It stops you in your tracks: Lennon was killed on the street. Yet, his vision of utopia is undimmed in the firmament thanks to these songs.

With The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts, Springsteen and the E Street Band offer perhaps the best evidence that their “legendary” mantle was well earned back in the late ’70s.

The Hazlewood duets certainly fluctuate between hot and cold far too much, but as a document and testament to the scope and appeal of Nancy Sinatra, it’s fair to say that this compilation nails it and then some.

It's a treasure trove of Britpop and English musical history, a veritable panoply of musical goodness.

It's hard to be anything but impressed with what a cohesive, intentioned work they’ve created as a result. Taken on their terms, this is easily one of the most richly rewarding projects of 2022 so far.

What is even more remarkable is that through all of these piles of songs there is rarely a sour note, rarely an uneven performance. These are Bowie's most intense years, the transitions and risks he made during this time on full display.

Spanning key years for Mitchell as a recording artist, Archives Vol. 2 richly fleshes out the period, providing a worthy companion to her early albums and a fascinating window into her development as an artist.

What this all amounts to is that All Things Must Pass, the expanded 50th anniversary reissue, is nothing less than essential. It takes one of the greatest works in popular music history (forgive me if you think this is hyperbole but let’s at least admit that if so, it’s only slight), and expounds upon its genius by exposing its creation.

Overall, Turnstile’s GLOW ON is solid proof that the band’s commitment to being consciously aware of how every song’s detail works out in their favor.

Brighten the Corners has held up nicely and reminds us of the special gift Pavement had for hyper-literate songwriting that was humorous and heartfelt all at once. [Year End 2008]

These recordings carry an arresting immediacy that hasn't waned a whit over the past century. [Aug/Sep 2012, p.124]

Sabotage is one of the more unique and interesting albums in the Black Sabbath catalog. ... The live show is interesting in its comprehensiveness and fleshes out the Sabotage experience. And while frontman Ozzy Osbourne is not always in top vocal form, there are standouts that are worth their weight in gold.

It stands tall as the best R&B album in a long while, if not the best album in a long while.

The burning energy of A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle is refreshing, its release a major moment in jazz music. ... Jazz fans may rejoice, as this much-needed revelation is everything we’d hoped it would be.

On Weyes Blood's radiant and beautifully anachronistic fourth studio album, Titanic Rising, Natalie Mering achieves a perfectly balanced synthesis between the old and familiar and the new and unexplored.

Melodrama's swirls of strings and bursts of glimmering synths show a pop star in her prime. Between rage, elation, and all of the mistakes in-between, Lorde is more self-aware than she's ever been.

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately may be indulgent, but it is intoxicating in its sprawling approach. It is openly expressive and emotional, as we follow Hadreas through fantastic highs and dark and dissociative lows.

While this style works well, and is even more suited for some tracks, it diminishes the appeal of others.

Truth is that this is now the definitive version of Red. It may also ensure that the good old boys who casually sold her music, seemingly out of a mixture of greed and spite, won’t get one red cent from Red, and it proves you can take a masterpiece and make it sound even better.

A high-energy quartet of live tracks from the band's 1970 performance at the Isle of Wright Festival is indispensable, all in all making Higher! the ultimate Sly & The Family Stone document. [Aug-Sep 2013, p.103]

Fantastic, four-CD set.