#621 - Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes, Jimmy Buffett

"'If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane' -- these lyrics, from the title cut, sum up the philosophy of Buffett's music, and this album is the definition of his craft. Wistfully funny, with calypso beats next to touches of country, the much-loved singer-songwriter can even make the downward spiral of alcoholism sound appealing, as he does on the hit 'Margaritaville.'" (real music guide)

#620 - Shakedown Street, The Grateful Dead

"Using Little Feat leader Lowell George as producer should have been a great idea, but somehow it didn't work out. The Grateful Dead have salvaged "Fire on the Mountain" and "I Need a Miracle" from live work from this collection, but it's one of their least satisfactory studio ventures." (allmusic guide)

#619 - Nighthawks At The Diner, Tom Waits

"For his third album, Nighthawks at the Diner, Tom Waits set up a nightclub in the studio, invited an audience, and cut a 70-minute, two-LP set of new songs. It's an appropriate format for compositions that deal even more graphically and, for the first time, humorously with Waits' late-night world of bars and diners." (allmusic guide)

#618 - Laid, James

"After having become superstars in the U.K. with songs like "Sit Down" and then undergone an acoustic American tour opening for Neil Young, James took a consciously quieter, subtler turn with its follow-up to Seven, Laid. This turned out not merely to be a nice way to undercut expectations, but a creative benchmark for the group, arguably its artistic peak." (allmusic guide)

#617 - Toys In The Attic, Aerosmith

"The title cut is the closest Aerosmith ever got to sounding as safe and smart as Cheap Trick, but they're still the types of dudes you don't want smoking pot with your little sister. "No More No More" rules and there's nothing in rock music like the first couple minutes of "Sweet Emotion." That and "Walk This Way" show the band becoming increasingly interested in funk." (real music guide)

#616 - American Recordings, Johnny Cash

"There are few artists who possess the seemingly unlimited crossover appeal of Johnny Cash. With American Recordings, the country legend somehow introduced himself to a modern rock audience by releasing a folk record. Of course, the Man in Black isn't your typical country musician, and American Recordings encompasses several different genres, but the folk label was applied chiefly because the songs feature Cash's vocals, acoustic guitar, and nothing else." (allmusic guide)