In the boxing world, it's called an overmatch. This 1973 artefact found Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross plugged into tracks by half a dozen producers (including Gaye/Terrell masterminds Ashford and Simpson, Motown stalwart Hal Davis, and Berry Gordy himself). Gaye would later speak disdainfully of Ross to biographer David Ritz, and while his richly emotive tone sometimes mixes with her piping coos like oil with water, Diana & Marvin still proves hard to resist. Gaye's restraint is a fine thing to hear, and the two get fittingly touching material in two Stylistics covers and the wonderful single "My Mistake (Was to Love You)". (Never mind how unconvincing they sound on "I'm Falling in Love with You"; lie back and enjoy it. ) More than a curio, less than a classic, the original album is augmented by four bonus tracks, three previously unreleased. -Rickey Wright.

Michael Jackson's Thriller is the bestselling album of all time, with 45 million worldwide sales powered by eight Grammy Awards. The 1982 album was also a success from which the pop superstar never really recovered-subsequent albums seemed to have no other goal than to beat the records set by Thriller. The highly- polished sound of Quincy Jones's production sounds almost organic compared to Jackson's more recent work, and in the same regard, Thriller was significantly slicker than its predecessor, Off the Wall. Both albums established a Jackson style that aimed for the dance floor with songs built on a state-of-the-art bed of percussion and keyboards. Elements of milestone Thriller tracks like "Billie Jean" (arguably Jackson's best-ever performance) and "Beat It" (with its hard- rock solo by guitarist Eddie Van Halen) influenced not just Jackson's records, but those of the entire dance-pop world. On the song "Thriller", Jackson indulged his taste for the juvenile and invited Vincent Price to rap in a really scary voice. With Thriller the album, Jackson created a different kind of monster-a hit album of such magnitude that it would have an irrevocable impact not just on the singer's art, but on his altogether kooky life. -John Milward.

All Saints' second album, Saints and Sinners finds them on the run from the melancholic soul-pop of their eponymous debut. Defiantly more direct and sophisticated than its predecessor, this is a resolutely upbeat affair. Fortunately rather than re-invent themselves as men-bashing R&B divas, they have chosen to stick to their usual formula: song-writer, Shaznay's helium-high voice takes centre stage, Melanie Blatt and the Appleton sisters provide fluffy and light harmonies and a string of producers including William Orbit (Madonna) deliver euphoric, technicolour grooves. The UK version includes two rather pleasant bonus tracks, "I Don't Wanna Be Alone" and "One More Tequila", but the best material appears on the first half of the album. There's nothing quite as sublime as the undeniably feel-good opener, "Pure Shores" (also featured on The Beach soundtrack), but "Distance" a bewitching combination of flamenco guitar, piano and dance-floor friendly beats comes close. Saints and Sinners doesn't exert its power in subtle ways and there are occasions when they don't quite pull off their attempts to be quirky ("Whoopin' Over You"). However there is plenty of weight and breath here, a mood and groove for every occasion, just as long as that occasion is life-affirming. In fact, Saints and Sinners sounds like someone turned the "dark" off!-Maxine Kabuubi.