Sunflower
Artist: The Beach Boys
Community Score: 5.90

After Reprise rejected what was to be their debut album for the label, the Beach Boys re-entered the studio to begin work on what would become a largely different set of songs. The results signaled a creative rebirth for the band, a return to the beautiful harmonies and orchestral productions of their classic mid-'60s material. Though the... Read More

That's the Way It Is
Artist: Elvis Presley
Community Score: 10.00

Possibly due to the retro, irony-filled vogue for easy listening giants like Burt Bacharach and -- to a lesser extent -- roots pop figures like Glen Campbell and Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley's Vegas-era recordings have been given new life after a cruel stretch of put downs by kitsch-wary critics. The praise is not just so much posing, though,... Read More

Peaceful World
Artist: The Rascals

Peaceful World is a wonderful blend of soul, jazz, and funk that never found an audience. Perhaps it was because the positive sentiments expressed in the lyrics were unfortunately becoming passé; perhaps it was the diversity of the two-record set itself. Despite its lack of commercial success, this was an artistic triumph for Felix Cavaliere.... Read More

Portrait
Artist: The 5th Dimension

Along with Stoned Soul Picnic, this may very well be the 5th Dimension's finest album. Home to one of their finest singles ever -- the Bacharach/David "One Less Bell to Answer," on which Marilyn McCoo gives the vocal performance of her career -- the record also contains the surprisingly funky and rocking "Puppet Man." Some great covers also... Read More

The Age of Aquarius
Artist: The 5th Dimension

The Age of Aquarius, the 5th Dimension's fourth album, was the group's commercial peak. They had already topped the charts with their medley of two songs from the Broadway musical Hair, "The Age of Aquarius" and "Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)," a platinum single that would earn them Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best... Read More

At Home With Their Greatest Hits
Artist: The Partridge Family

Although out of print, At Home With Their Greatest Hits (1972) was the first Partridge Family compilation and includes sides from their long-players: The Partridge Family Album (1970), Partridge Family Sound Magazine (1971), Up to Date (1971), and Partridge Family Shopping Bag (1972). This collection was issued at the height of the multimedia... Read More

McCartney
Artist: Paul McCartney
Community Score: 7.50
Mama's Big Ones: The Best of Mama Cass
Artist: Cass Elliot

A good compilation of Cass Elliott's hits, including "It's Getting Better" (#30), "Make Your Own Kind of Music" (#36), and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (#12). ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

Their Greatest Hits
Artist: Herman's Hermits

When it first appeared on CD around 1987, this 16-song compilation was easy to justify, as there are no other domestic compilations of the group's work and imported CDs were difficult to come by. And it isn't bad, as far as it goes -- encompassing all of the significant American chart singles and their most recognizable songs. This disc is... Read More

Abandoned Luncheonette
Artist: Hall & Oates
Community Score: 10.00

Abandoned Luncheonette, Hall & Oates' second album, was the first indication of the duo's talent for sleek, soul-inflected pop/rock. It featured the single "She's Gone," which would become a big hit in 1975 when it was re-released following the success of "Sara Smile." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

Surf's Up
Artist: The Beach Boys
Community Score: 6.22

The Beach Boys' catalog is littered with forgotten 1970s LPs that barely scraped the charts upon release but matured into solid fan favorites despite -- and occasionally, because of -- their many and varied eccentricities. Surf's Up could well be the most definitive, beginning with the cloying "Don't Go Near the Water" and ending a bare... Read More

In the Summertime - REPETOIRE
Artist: Mungo Jerry

The title-track is still one of the most beguiling (if casually sexist) hits of its era, but the other 14 songs are even more interesting: Jesse Fuller-influenced jug band ("San Francisco Bay Blues," "See Me") and Tampa Red-style kazoo blues ("Maggie"), as well as the influence of Piano Red ("Mighty Man") and credible instrumental blues-rock... Read More