Homegrown soul produced by Trevor Horn and including the pop hit "Look of Love", The Lexicon of Love is bursting with hooks, clever lyrics and synthetic funk-inspired grooves that hold up better than most others from the early 1980s. ABC leader Martin Frey sings with a histrionic despair, at once naive and cynical, and all dressed up by horn and string sections that feel positively overwhelming. Such larger-than-life arrangements may seem over-the-top to some listeners, but as the soundtrack to a lexicon of love-how else would you expect it to sound? -David Cantwell.

At a time when the majority of those his age are drifting into retirement, 65-year-old Bob Dylan has released an album that ranks with the best in his storied, 44-album career. Like Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft before it, Modern Times is a rootsy, blues-soaked pool of the purest form of Americana-skipping the progressive bells or whistles for an understated backing by his touring band. Dylan's voice, which cracks, rasps and moans from the pop singer's pulpit, hasn't been this rich and emotive since 1976's Desire. And while his lyrics prolong his steadfast allusions to a higher power and his own immortality, they are not without the Dylan mirth, as when he sings of tracking pop queen Alicia Keys from Hell's Kitchen to Tennessee in "Thunder on the Mountain". This track, along with with "Someday Baby" and "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (for which Dylan misguidedly claims writing credit), is one of the record's fieriest numbers. Still, it's the Dylan that tells of a slave-loving owner ("Nettie Moore"), who brings New Orleans to the front burner ("The Levee's Gonna Break") and plays the part of an eloquent lounge singer ("Spirit on the Water," "When the Deal Goes Down" and "Beyond the Horizon") that makes Modern Times sound just like old times. -Scott Holter.

The orchestral-pop hit "Iris" (from the soundtrack to City of Angels) proved the Goo Goo Dolls were no one-hit wonder with 1995's "Name". One listen to "Slide", the crafty, yearning second track off their sixth release, suggests the streak continues for Buffalo's finest. Not surprisingly, aspects that make the aforementioned songs memorable-warm, acoustic stylings; strings; heartrending hooks-also make Dizzy come alive elsewhere. Ultimately, the effort documents the band's continued migration from indie rock toward the mainstream. Thus, while "Slide" and the reprise of the wondrous "Iris" might shine for weeks (or even years) of repeated listens, attempts to keep alive the group's power-trio past often have a been-there/done-that feel. -Neal Weiss.

Sometimes overlooked by public and critics alike (though never American radio), this best-of confirms Thin Lizzy as one of rock's greats. Their string of hits, including the wonderful "Dancing in the Moonlight", "The Boys Are Back in Town" and "Jailbreak" remain classic music. The band deserve a place in the pantheon of Irish greats alongside U2, Van Morrison and the Cranberries. Thin Lizzy were very firmly a good-time group, perhaps strange for a bunch that emerged from both sides of Ireland in a troubled time. But with Phil Lynott's excellent vocals over heavy guitar riffs they never failed to give value for money. This is raucous hell-raising music that straddles, in leather star-spangled pants, 70s monster rock and 80s punk. The live versions are a testament to the band's fantastic live power. On stage they were in their element, spitting, fighting, shouting and singing. There's also a tinge of sadness under Thin Lizzy's feelgood, ready-for-a-rumble stomp. This was confirmed when Lynott died from a drugs overdose two years after the band folded. [+]

The buzz for Nelly Furtado's Loose began before the music was even recorded, with the announcement that legendary hip-hop knob-twirler Timbaland (Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake) would act as co-producer. The question on fans' minds: what would it sound like when a hip-hop kingpin collaborated with an artist who culls inspiration not just from pop music, but also her own Portuguese roots? As it turns out, Loose incorporates a number of different styles along its journey, but is-surprisingly-primarily divided between '80s-influenced electronica and latin-infused pop. This disc is very different from Furtado's previous CDs, a fact immediately evident from track one, the new wave-affected "Afraid. " A strong opener, the song is the beginning of a 1-2-3 punch of uptempo, infectious dance floor beats. The second cut, "Maneater," also proves to be incredibly catchy, but the verses and keyboard sound too much like they were plucked from electroclash artist Peaches' tree, and originality is lost. The perfect summer pop song follows, the massive hit "Promiscuous," which features clever interplay between Furtado and Timbaland on their sassy duet. From that point, Loose oscillates between the Miami-affected sounds of R&B, Latino pop, and reggaeton ("Showtime," "Te Busque," and "No Hay Igual" respectively) and the aforementioned '80s vibe ("Glow," "Do It"). Fans will hear Furtado at her vocal best on "Say It Right" and "In God's Hands"-two of the most lyrically compelling tracks on the disc. -Denise Sheppard.

George Orwell's classic tale of totalitarianism, 1984, was the inspiration for a project that David Bowie hoped would further solidify his standing as a rock visionary. Bowie was a natural artist to helm a musical companion to Orwell's allegory, since his own music exhibits an innate alienation. The concept ultimately broke down, but the music didn't. "Rebel Rebel" has become a rock staple, while "Sweet Thing," "Candidate," and the forthright yet experimental title track (Bowie as puppet master) offer additional highlights. Still, despite such benchmarks and its conceptual flaws, Diamond Dogs is best listened to as a thematic collection. -Rob O'Connor.

As its foreboding name might suggest, Under The Iron Sea finds Sussex balladeers Keane setting sail for somewhat darker waters. Prompted by their involvement in Live8 and Make Poverty History, continuing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, and personal strife that saw the band's friendship stretched to breaking point, tracks like "Is It Any Wonder?" and "A Bad Dream" find choirboy-voiced vocalist Tom Chaplin giving voice to a generation distrustful of its leaders, upset by war and discord, but unsure of all the answers. Songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley matches this bleaker spirit with a darker sound, swapping his trademarked piano for synthesiser that, on mid-album instrumental interlude "The Iron Sea", achieves a cold experimentalism reminiscent of Brian Eno. Fans of the inclusive balladry showcased on Keane's debut album, 2004's Hopes And Fears, will not be disappointed, however. "Crystal Ball" is the band's finest moment to date, a soaring number with an optimistic hook ("Crystal ball/Save us all/Tell me life is beautiful") that's a immediately catchy and characteristically unshakable, while the closing "The Frog Prince" revives fairytale's ability to satirize, amid a backdrop of flourishing piano and glittering effects. -Louis Pattison.

It's that old story: unknown British band gets an American hit single, gets huge off the back of that one song, and the success ends up destroying them. Fortunately, Oxford quintet Radiohead were the exception that proves the rule. Radiohead's albatross was "Creep"-a titanic anthem to paranoia, self-hatred and self-obsession, utterly huge in every way. Pablo Honey, though, is much more than filler. "Anyone Can Play Guitar" is certainly as good as "Creep"; swathed in walls of feedback, it races blindly into a apocalyptic chorus, frontman Thom Yorke singing "As the world turns and as London burns, I'll be standing on the beach with my guitar. " Certainly, indie-rock seldom got better than this, and elsewhere "Vegetable" and "Prove Yourself" pulled similar pyrotechnical tricks. Pablo Honey was later superseded by first The Bends, and later OK Computer, but it's certainly much more than a curious debut. -Louis Pattison.

"You sound like you're having a good old time," a purist Dylan fan is spotted telling the artist in the documentary Don't Look Back just after the release of this, his first (half-) electric album. He certainly does. Updating Chicago blues forms with hilarious, tough lyrics-in fact, all but stealing the meter of Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business" for "Subterranean Homesick Blues"-on one side, dropping some of his most devastating solo acoustic science ("It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Mr Tambourine Man") on the other, the first of Dylan's two 1965 long-players broke it right down with style, substance and elegance. -Rickey Wright.

Radiohead's Hail to the Thief bridges the gulf between OK Computer's epic progressive rock and Kid A's skittering electronic theatrics, borrowing equally from each. Its title implies that this is a collection filled with songs of anger and dissent, but Radiohead no longer howl at the moon like they did on 1995's The Bends. Instead, they use eloquent metaphors and complicated arrangements to express the uncertainty, fear and anger arising from the 2000 US presidential election and a post-9-11 world. There's no doubt about where Thom Yorke and company stand; the prog-rock break on "2 + 2 = 5" and Yorke's terror at the thought of being "put in a box" make that immediately clear. But there's a prevailing sense of powerlessness here. The tinkling piano behind the cold sonic surface of "Backdrifts" and the brief, swooping melody in the middle of "Sail to the Moon" are islands in a sea of confusion. Like the band's best work, Hail to the Thief requires more than a few listens to fully appreciate, but those who stick around will be richly rewarded. -Matthew Cooke.

Britain's favourite singleton, Bridget Jones, has finally made it to the big screen (and onto the cover of this 19-track soundtrack), bringing hope to lonely souls all over the country and a word of warning to smug marrieds everywhere. For what should be called "the best chick flick in the world. ever!" the soundtrack compilers have come up with a dream tracklist-from classics such as Aretha Franklin's "Respect", Jamie O'Neal's tearjerker "All By Myself" and Andy Williams' "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", to more contemporary gems from the likes of Gabrielle ("Out of Reach"), The Pretenders ("Don't Get Me Wrong") and Artful Dodger ("Woman Trouble"). Plus you get the added bonus of two unreleased Robbie Williams tracks-the big-band stylings of "Have You Met Miss Jones?" and the tender "Not of this Earth"-and, of course, the much-hyped karaoke-by-numbers of "It's Raining Men" by Geri Halliwell and her pants. There are a couple of fillers from Rosey and Alisha's Attic, but they don't distract too much from the generally choice tracks on offer. As Bridget would say, "v. good". -Helen Marquis.

When flipping through the annals of new-wave history, one can easily enough overlook the entry marked "Human League". But the truth of the matter is, this Phil Oakey-helmed synth-pop outfit was crucial to the movement, and Dare!, its third release, is an absolute linchpin. Thanks to its breakthrough single "Don't You Want Me", the record almost single-handedly made it safe to like new wave, and an MTV video gave it a fashionable face that was impossible to ignore. The sound was theatrical and awash with kitschy keyboards, but felt new and refreshing back in 1982. The League would never climb to such hooky aesthetic heights again; Dare! ranks as its greatest achievement-and it still sounds new and refreshing today. -Tom Lanham.

Obviously, "Summer Of 69" is here-the blue-collar rock anthem that made Bryan Adams' name as Springsteen's main contender and stoked the fires of many a young man's rock & roll dreams. But The Best Of Me demonstrates that Adams has had a chequered career and for every jukebox classic, there have been a clutch of forgettable, or regrettable moments; check here the greasy sleaze of "The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You", the botched dalliance with dance-rhythms on "Cloud Number Nine" or that slick makeover that sees Bryan showing off his buttocks in soft-focus on the sleeve. Still, there's no denying that The Best Of Me features some justifiably massive hits: "All For Love"-with Bryan, Rod Stewart and Sting pulling their Three Musketeers impressions and the wonderful "When You're Gone", which features Melanie C as the particularly vociferous love interest. -Louis Pattison.

For those who know Bryan Ferry solely as the frontman of '70s art-rockers Roxy Music, the news this foppish, handsome Englishman is a Bob Dylan acolyte might come as something of a surprise. However, the appearance of Dylanesque - eleven covers of songs by the Freewheelin' one - is not totally unprecedented; Ferry recorded a cover of 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall' way back in 1973 on his debut solo album, so really, this is just the latest manifestation of a long-held admiration. Recorded in just a week, backed by his touring band, it's the sound of Ferry happy to get some dirt under his fingernails. All the same, this is sumptuous, richly-orchestrated stuff. 'The Times They Are A-Changin'' is perhaps the highlight, Dylan's bare-bones protest classic reworked as a velvety art-rock anthem, Ferry carrying off the lyric with just enough velvety command; while 'If Not For You' is notable for its strings and "sonic augmentation", courtesy of old Roxy Music friend Brian Eno. Some moments may please neither Dylan nor Ferry fans - the rock-out on 'All Along The Watchtower' feels contrived and unsatisfying. But whether it's a gutsy, impulsive experiment, or just a handy way of avoiding writer's block, Dylanesque works more often than not. -Louis Pattison.

This is the only Dire Straits album not to feature a rhythm guitarist; instead, an added dimension is given to the sound by the addition of Roy Bittan, Bruce Springsteen's pianist. In fact, there were several Springsteen connections to this album: Jimmy Iovine, the producer, was the engineer on Born To Run and the famous riff of "Romeo And Juliet" is a slowed-down version of the piano intro to that album's "Jungleland". A more general connection is the torrent of imagery centred around the romance of the city, most notably on "Skateaway", but also present in the perfectly-rendered teenage angst of hit single "Romeo and Juliet", and the celebratory tale of tawdriness and passion that is "Tunnel Of Love". Mark Knopfler and drummer Pick Withers were fresh from the honour of recording an album with Bob Dylan after he had seen and been impressed by the band playing in LA earlier in the year; but sadly this was to be Withers' last album with Dire Straits, as he left for a career in jazz shortly after. A fine album, the most truly outstanding song is the devastating lovers' lament of "Hand In Hand". Unfortunately it closes on a low note with "Les Boys", Knopfler's faintly embarrassing and uninventive song about the gay scene in Berlin. -James Swift.

Considering that Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the English duo known as Tears for Fears, were avid followers of Arthur Janov, father of the Primal Scream form of mental therapy, it wasn't surprising that one of their biggest hits was titled "Shout". What was surprising was how the two managed to take all their deep- rooted inner turmoil and make such positively buoyant music. Case in point: their other Songs From the Big Chair-spawned, No. 1 hit, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", was a meditative contemplation of the struggle for power within interpersonal relationships as a metaphor for global supremacy-which, thank god, had a good beat so you could at least dance to it. -Billy Altman.