Date uploaded: 2021-11-12 16:00:03

Let's never forget the reason for “Taylor’s Version” of “Red,”: she’s reclaiming her artistic ownership and holding to her promise of rerecording her first six albums following the acrimonious sale of her original master recordings. And she proves again that she’s won, writes USA TODAY's national music writer Melissa Ruggieri in her review of the rerecorded album. The original 16 tracks from “Red” – and a few more from the album’s “Deluxe Version” – are meticulously reproduced. The drums might be sharper in “I Knew You Were Trouble” and the guitars brush with more prominence and clarity in “22,” but these technical improvements don’t diminish the spirit of the 2012 edition, says Ruggieri. Swift’s voice has also, naturally, gained muscularity and confidence with age, but its evolution is never a distraction. But the bigger occasion to celebrate this version of “Red” is the addition of 10 tracks, including a lyrically rich 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” With a full running time of two hours and 11 minutes, the album is a feast for fans and an intriguing study of Swift’s lyrical deftness, even a decade ago.