Whereas the band’s 1993 debut ‘A Storm In Heaven’ is an escapist trip designed for sliding away from life’s many demands, ‘A Northern Soul’ is more deeply personal and introspective.
Read moreEric B. & Rakim’s ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
It’s a shame that as the years have passed ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ’Em’ isn’t as revered as it deserves to be. But for heads who really know, it’s a bona fide classic just like the two LPs that precede it.
Read moreAlanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
A commercial juggernaut of an album, ‘Jagged Little Pill’ is about so much more than just groundbreaking statistics—it’s a powerful album about personal experiences.
Read moreBjörk’s ‘Post’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
Relative to its precursor (1993’s ‘Debut’), ‘Post’ captures the sound of discovery and journey—less looking out as an astute anthropological observer, and more living out, getting in amongst it.
Read moreSlum Village’s ‘Fantastic, Vol. 2’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary
Without question, ‘Fantastic, Vol. 2’ is a bona fide hip-hop treasure, which draws much of its power from J Dilla’s unconventional yet meticulously crafted orchestration.
Read moreQuasimoto’s Debut Album ‘The Unseen’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary
One of the most gratifying things about listening to Madlib as Quasimoto is trying to figure out where the real person ends and the animated character begins.
Read moreMariah Carey’s Eponymous Debut Album ‘Mariah Carey’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
Polished yet deeply emotive, technically virtuosic yet vulnerably human, Carey’s first studio affair was less a standard debut and more a bold articulation of voice, identity, agency, and future legacy.
Read moreBob Marley & The Wailers’ ‘Uprising’ Turns 45 | Album Anniversary
Arguably the most overtly religious album of the group’s canon, most of the songs that form ‘Uprising’ are unequivocally pious hymns that venerate the glory of Jah and the sanctity of Rastafari.
Read moreThe Vapors’ Debut Album ‘New Clear Days’ Turns 45 | Album Anniversary
For all of the album’s power-pop classics, the album’s true strength lies in recognizing that it is David Fenton’s romanticism that makes songs like “News At Ten” and “Cold War” so powerful.
Read moreRy Cooder’s ‘Chávez Ravine’ Turns 20 | Album Anniversary
A history lesson disguised as a Chicano/Tex-Mex/Latin jazz concept album, Cooder’s twelfth studio affair was, at the time, his most ambitious project since 1997’s ‘Buena Vista Social Club.’
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