Reckless
Artist: Bryan Adams
Community Score: 7.58

Bryan Adams capitalized on the momentum of Cuts Like a Knife with 1984's Reckless, a virtually flawless collection of melodic hard rock which would dominate radio for years to come. "Run to You" was a brilliant lead-off single which remains one of Adams' best songs ever, but its success still pales in comparison to follow-up smashes such as... Read More

Elvis: A Golden Celebration
Artist: Elvis Presley

When Gregg Geller took over responsibility for posthumous Elvis Presley releases at RCA Records in 1984, he attempted to upgrade the generally mediocre state of the label's efforts to date. Conceiving a half-centenary salute pegged to what would have been Presley's 50th birthday (January 8, 1985), he and his predecessor, Joan Deary, assembled a... Read More

Mad Man Blues
Artist: Dr. Feelgood

Lee Brilleaux and Dr. Feelgood sound positively revitalized on Mad Man Blues, a collection of raw versions of blues standards that is their best album since 1977's Be Seeing You. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

Lights Out
Artist: Peter Wolf
Community Score: 5.00

After Peter Wolf ditched the J. Geils Band in 1983 because co-leader Seth Justman turned down a batch of new songs Wolf had written with Don Covay and Michael Jonzun, he made the most of it and released the great Lights Out album. Boasting a huge hit single, the bouncing, machine funk monster title track, and a raft of catchy, candy coated' '80s... Read More

Learning to Crawl
Artist: The Pretenders
Community Score: 9.10

Chrissie Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers reassembled the Pretenders in 1982, following the death of James Honeyman-Scott and the departure of bassist Pete Farndon. Learning to Crawl, appropriately, is the sound of a band coming to grips with loss and the responsibilities that come with maturity. Even though the subject matter is undeniably... Read More

Reconsider Baby
Artist: Elvis Presley
Community Score: 8.00

A 12-song, budget-priced compilation of Elvis' most notable blues sides for the label. A good place to start digging Elvis' commitment to the music -- always returning to it right up through the '70s like an old friend, whenever he needed a quick fix of the real thing -- as he takes on everything from R&B slices like Tommy Tucker's "High... Read More

Scarecrow
Artist: John Mellencamp
Community Score: 9.45

Uh-Huh found John Mellencamp coming into his own, but he perfected his heartland rock with Scarecrow. A loose concept album about lost innocence and the crumbling of small-town America, Scarecrow says as much with its tough rock and gentle folk-rock as it does with its lyrics, which remain a weak point for Mellencamp. Nevertheless, his writing... Read More

The Kink Kronikles
Artist: The Kinks

Strictly speaking, the double-album compilation The Kink Kronikles isn't a greatest-hits collection. Covering the years 1966 through 1970, The Kink Kronikles may not be packed with hits -- out of the album's 28 tracks, only nine were hits in the U.K. or the U.S. -- yet it's a definitive overview of this era, which was one of Ray Davies' most... Read More

Listen Like Thieves
Artist: INXS
Community Score: 8.36

INXS completes its transition into an excellent rock & roll singles band with this album. Unfortunately, the new configuration only works for three songs: "What You Need," "Listen Like Thieves," and "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)." But these three songs are so strong that the album cannot be dismissed completely. The album is worth... Read More

The Best of the Doors - 1985
Artist: The Doors
Community Score: 8.68

A well-chosen, 19-track compilation balancing the radio hits with the longer, more complex song poems. It's a good sampler (and contains enough of the good tracks from Strange Days that we didn't bother to list that album separately), but this is one group for whom you need to hear the whole story. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide Read More

Brothers in Arms
Artist: Dire Straits
Community Score: 7.83

Brothers in Arms brought the atmospheric, jazz-rock inclinations of Love Over Gold into a pop setting, resulting in a surprise international best-seller. Of course, the success of Brothers in Arms was helped considerably by the clever computer-animated video for "Money for Nothing," a sardonic attack on MTV. But what kept the record selling was... Read More

One Night with You - DVD/VIDEO
Artist: Elvis Presley

The King, in the uncut rock & roll portion of his 1968 comeback special, is shown rocking with his buddies from Memphis. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide Read More