Chicago Transit Authority cover

Chicago Transit Authority

Released

The initial subway map from these future MOR superstars was way weirder than you’d expect from the band that gave us “If You Leave Me Now.” Proggy jazz rock jams (“Introduction”), skronky Hendrix/Sharrock free guitar noise (“Free Form Guitar”), funk blasts (“I’m A Man”) — it’s a wild two-LP ride. Even one of the more traditional singles, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” kicks off with discordant piano banging before kicking into some sweet light rock swing. “Questions 67 and 68” and “Someday (August 29, 1968)” use their horns to pull the listener into their train cars.

Jeff Treppel

Recommended by

Suggestions
Rubber Soul cover

Rubber Soul

The Beatles
Blues for Allah cover

Blues for Allah

Grateful Dead
Mirage cover

Mirage

Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation
Graceland cover

Graceland

Paul Simon
JET CD cover

JET CD

Puffy AmiYumi
Purple Rain cover

Purple Rain

Prince and the Revolution
Revolver cover

Revolver

The Beatles