‘Mingus Ah Um’ takes those darker recesses of the world and wraps them up in a joyously exuberant roll call of tunes that take their cues not just from jazz, but from gospel and the blues as well.
Read moreThe Go! Team’s Debut Album ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’ Turns 15 | Anniversary Retrospective
Designed for shenanigans, in the best of ways, the songs on ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’ are participatory, demanding you get up and “shake your derriere” and “rock this place.”
Read moreTina Turner’s ‘Foreign Affair’ Turns 30 | Anniversary Retrospective
For many, Turner’s seventh studio album is likely one of those albums that you’ve heard of, but just why you’ve heard of it remains somewhat of a musical mystery.
Read moreAerosmith’s ‘Pump’ Turns 30 | Anniversary Retrospective
As the ‘80s drew to a close, Aerosmith recognized that their long-term survival required a musical edge and they brought it to ‘Pump.’
Read moreRaekwon’s ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II’ Turns 10 | Anniversary Retrospective
With his fourth studio affair, Raekwon put together an album that’s cohesive in theme and recaptured what made him beloved as a solo artist in the ’90s.
Read moreRobert Palmer’s Debut Solo Album ‘Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley’ Turns 45 | Anniversary Retrospective
Despite being recorded in three different studios in three different locations (New York, New Orleans, and Nassau), Palmer’s solo debut is a cohesive album that is solid all the way through.
Read moreUGK’s ‘Super Tight…’ Turns 25 | Anniversary Retrospective
If UGK’s third album ‘Ridin’ Dirty’ found the duo on the cusp of national stardom, ‘Super Tight’ feels and sounds like it comes from a more honest and down-to-earth place.
Read moreFried’s Eponymous Debut Album ‘Fried’ Turns 15 | Anniversary Retrospective
Despite its slight concessions to modernity, ‘Fried’ resolutely refuses to be dragged away from a distinctly unfashionable, yet always stylish soul sound.
Read moreManic Street Preachers’ ‘The Holy Bible’ Turns 25 | Anniversary Retrospective
Despite its dour worldview, antagonistic posture, and, at the time of its release in the summer of 1994, quite poor sales, ‘The Holy Bible’ has been recast as a triumph of extreme art.
Read moreAdeva’s Eponymous Debut Album ‘Adeva!’ Turns 30 | Anniversary Retrospective
Although ‘Adeva!’ was deemed “deep house” by many, it would be unjust to deny what this style of music truly is at its core: soul music.
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