Atlantic Crossing
Artist: Rod Stewart
Community Score: 8.43

Atlantic Crossing wasn't simply the moment when Rod Stewart left Britain for the greener pasture of America, it was the moment when he accepted his role as a full-fledged, jet-setting superstar. Stewart abandoned the formula of his first five solo records, as well as most of his folk-rock and hard rock undercurrents, trading them for a... Read More

Tom Thumb
Artist: Michael Dinner
Night Out
Artist: Ellen Foley
Community Score: 9.67

The grand opener "We Belong to the Night" is breathtaking and bombastic bliss; a creamy confection of debonair dreams that could only come from the late '70s and the glitter-gutter combo of Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter. The princely poppers provide the perfect atmosphere for Foley's powerful theatrics on her inaugural flight. The second single,... Read More

Billy Ocean
Artist: Billy Ocean

Way before hook-smart pop/R&B ditties like "When the Going Gets Tough" and "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" established Billy Ocean as an 80's radio icon worldwide, the singer was belting out 60's-laden soul workouts and ballads that mainly stuck a chord with UK audiences. This youthful debut outing boasts a nice balance of slow and fast... Read More

Ma
Artist: Rare Earth

Rare Earth's most satisfying LP, Norman Whitfield wrote and produced all five songs. "Ma," the title track, had been done by Temptations and Undisputed Truth but nobody rocked the sucker like Rare Earth; they jam for 17:17 on the funkiest mama song ever. "Hum Along and Dance," first appeared on the Temptations' Psychedelic Shack; Rare Earth... Read More

The Smoke from a Distant Fire
Artist: Sanford & Townsend

While the title track would propel Ed Sanford (keyboards/vocals) and John Townsend (keyboards/vocals) into the Top Ten, the pair were concurrently session musicians for notable West Coast pop rockers Loggins & Messina, Brenton Wood, and the Dirt Band, among others. In fact, the duo released the album as Sanford/Townsend Band the previous year,... Read More

The Very Best of Rare Earth
Artist: Rare Earth
Community Score: 10.00

Before the rise of the Average White Band in the mid-1970s, the most successful blue-eyed soul unit was Rare Earth (although the Spencer Davis Group was also quite popular). Influenced by Sly & The Family Stone and the artists of Motown as well as 1960s rockers like the Kinks, Rare Earth had a distinctive sound and offered some of the most... Read More