Review, buy Pop Rock: Asleep in the Back, H.A.A.R.P + DVD, All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO, In Rainbows, Lessons To Be Learned, Overloaded: The Singles Collection, Greatest Hits, Consolers of the Lonely, Crossroad: The Best of Bon Jovi, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Undiscovered, Greatest Hits, Jordin Sparks, Cast Of Thousands, Tapestry: Remastered, All the Lost Souls: Deluxe Edition/+DVD, Monkey: Journey to the West, Grace (New Version), The Complete Greatest Hits, 1

While it's tempting to position Elbow next to the sardonic likes of Badly Drawn Boy-mainly because of their proximity to the city of Manchester and their way with an acoustic guitar-Asleep In The Back, their frighteningly competent debut album, bears not the joker's smile. Instead, it comes straight from Manchester's simmering, ugly dark side-eleven tracks of rain-sodden misery, blown up into the breed of gracefully elegiac fatalism that once formed the essence of the likes of Joy Division. The foggy psychedelic swirl and sewer-deep dub basslines might recall the prog-rock indulgences of Radiohead, but Elbow's grievances are unmistakably aired from the far end of a dole queue; "Any Day Now" veritably fidgets with small town frustration, lead singer Guy Garvey-a man with the voice of an angel and the face of a brickie-hissing "Any day now/ How's about getting out of this place/ Anyways?" over and over, a mantra of desperation. Should we take it as a given that Elbow will break out of this rut of depression and despair? Asleep In The Back is good enough to suggest so. But then, Asleep In The Back also knows that fate can be awfully cruel. -Louis Pattison.

Tracks H.A.A.R.P + DVD

Map of the Problematique
Invincible
Starlight
Blackout
Time is running out
Apocalypse
Soldiers Poem
Unintended
Map of the Problematique
Invincible
Plug In Baby
New born
Knights of Cydonia
Hysteria
Hoodoo
Feeling good
Supermassive Black Hole
Stockholm Syndrome
Hysteria
Knights of Cydonia
Time is running out
Microcuts
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Take A Bow
Improv
Starlight
Intro
Intro
Unintended
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Stockholm Syndrome
Supermassive Black Hole
New born
Take A Bow

It takes a certain sort of band to fill Wembley stadium, one unafraid to embrace scale, flirt with pomposity, and perform the odd grand gesture. Watching Muse's live CD/DVD H. A. A. R. P-recorded over two nights in June 2007-you're left wondering if Wembley is quite big enough to hold them. From the grand opening, when Muse ascend from an underground chamber and walk down a central ramp flanked by men in yellow chemical splash suits to Matt Bellamy's lengthy, florid turns at the grand piano, no opportunity is missed to make H. A. A. R. [+]

P seem anything less than a spectacle. Shot in high definition, the camera-work is as snappy and dynamic as any movie blockbuster, with special attention to the crowd, who are picked out with sometimes breathtaking detail. Fans may gripe over the tracklisting-the DVD has been edited down, meaning four tracks, including "Bliss" have been left on the cutting floor-but casuals should be satisfied with the selection: there's the hits ("Supermassive Black Hole", "Knights of Cydonia") and on the DVD, a noble rendition of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good". -Louis Pattison.

Tracks All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO

Wild West Hero
Xanadu
Evil Woman
The Diary Of Horace Wimp
Showdown
Hold On Tight
Rock and Roll Is King
Telephone Line
Alright
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Ma-Ma-Ma Belle
Don't Bring Me Down
Turn To Stone
Confusion
All Over The World
Rockaria!
Mr Blue Sky
Shine
Livin' Thing
Strange Magic

The Electric Light Orchestra were one of the biggest and most successful bands of the late 1970s, producing a massive string of hit singles and albums that almost any other band would envy. Their works have been cited as influences by such hip acts as Grandaddy and Super Furry Animals. Their frontman and leader Jeff Lynne has been the producer of choice for people like Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and George Harrison. From "Evil Woman", "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Mr Blue Sky" to "Livin' Thing" and "Hold On Tight", there are few duds amongst these 20 remastered tracks. ELO produced some of the biggest and best singles in rock & roll's history, and All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO is an excellent reintroduction to this great band. Hopefully, this also signals the beginning of a long-overdue revival and re-evaluation. -Robert Burrow.

It's very likely that even if you haven't heard the contents of Radiohead's seventh album, you'll be aware of its existence. Released as a digital download by the band themselves before a CD release was even considered, In Rainbows was lauded for innovation before a note of music was heard. Luckily, the music matches the hype-it takes the best part of Radiohead's previous works and advances the formula even further. While the opener "15 Step"-all skittering drum patterns and dub-style bass-may hark back to the electronica of Kid A, the sound soon gives way to a more guitar-based sound. Whilst not as musically heavy as previous albums, the tunes are far more focused and passionate-"Bodysnatchers" is based around a hypnotic, distorted bass riff, while the beautiful string-drenched "Nude" is a true Radiohead classic. Lyrically, like Thom Yorke's solo album The Eraser, the lyrics are sketches of suburban paranoia, and the eerie sense of things no! t being quite right. This is especially true on the piano-based closer "Videotape", which poignantly details a man watching his life's achievements in his final moments. In short, In Rainbows is another masterpiece from the Oxford quintet. -Thomas Allott.

Tracks Lessons To Be Learned

Sweet About Me
Warm This Winter
Echo Beach
Sanctuary
Terrifying
Einstein
Safer
Messy
Cry Me A River
Cigarettes And Lies
Awkward Game
Don't Wanna Go To Bed Now
Got No Place To Go
Save The Lies
Sweet About Me
Sit In The Blues
Round and Round

It's hard to imagine someone even younger than 19-year-old Laura Marling making a splash on the music scene, but 16-year-old Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi is doing a pretty good job. Having smashed apart stereotypes of innocence with her killer single "(There's Nothing) Sweet About Me", Cilmi (pronounced "Chill Me") now offers a debut that's not only lyrically and emotionally mature, but boasts the kind of potent musical content guaranteed to propel you towards the dancefloor. Lessons To Be Learned is a diverse bag. Produced by Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Sugababes) it's seemingly influenced by everyone from Stevie Wonder and the Kings of Leon, though it'll inevitably draw the most comparisons to Amy Winehouse, thanks to Cilmi's soaring vocals, the record's modern-Motown feel and Xenomania's bright, punchy production. Opener "Save The Lies", though, is nothing like Winehouse-a big, in-your-face disco-stomper with a massive irrefutable chorus. The record drops from there into sultry soul territory with tracks like "Sanctuary", "Einstein", and "Safer", and more upbeat fare such as the electronic "Don't Wanna Go To Bed Now", rocky tracks like "Messy" and the bluesy "Cigarettes And Lies". These stylistic diversions set Cilmi apart from the rest of the 'new soul' brigade, and help give her a voice of her own. -Danny McKenna.

It's been a slightly tumultuous but hugely successful ride to the top for UK superstars The Sugababes. They've lost not one, but two band members since forming in 1998, but have nonetheless achieved three Brit Awards, an ESKA, a slew of chart hits (including four number ones), four well-received LPs and - more recently - an inclusion in the Guinness Book Of Records for 'Best Female Act Of The Century'. Overloaded, their fifth official album, is a Greatest Hits package, bringing together most of their main singles so far. Beginning with their Richard X produced hit "Freak Like Me" (their first number one), the album profiles most of their hits, including all their most addictive moments - such as "Hole In The Head", "Round, Round" and "Push The Button" - but excluding more lukewarm releases like "New Year", "Soul Sound", "Angels With Dirty Faces" and "Follow Me Home". There's some new material too, notably "Easy", the band's lascivious collaboration with Californian rock band Orson, and the catchy "Good To Be Gone", which is slated to be the second single from the album. -Danny McKenna.

Tracks Greatest Hits

Don't Stop Me Now
Save Me
Somebody To Love
Fat Bottomed Girls
Now I'm Here
You're Best Friend
Killer Queen
Flash
Bicycle Race
Seven Seas Of Ryhe
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
We Will Rock You
Another One Bites The Dust
We Are The Champions
Bohemian Rhapsody
Play The Game
Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Queen brought a whole new meaning to the phrase over the top. While rock & roll flamboyance stretched back at least as far as Little Richard, Freddie Mercury continued to camp it up, taking little seriously and smirking at the music's growing pretensions while partaking in them no small bit. Many of the band's singles hold up extremely well, such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Killer Queen" and "You're My Best Friend". The quartet's canny sense of melody and sophisticated vocal harmonies-not to mention Mercury's raised eyebrow-have travelled well through the years. -Rickey Wright.

Tracks Consolers of the Lonely

Old Enough
Top Yourself
Salute Your Solution
Rich Kid Blues
Attention
These Stones Will Shout
Carolina Drama
You Don'T Understand Me
The Switch And The Spur
Pull This Blanket Off
Consoler Of The Lonely
Hold Up
Many Shades Of Black
Five On The Five

Rush-released in secrecy, the story goes that The Raconteurs wanted their album to appear in shops without any fanfare, as if it had always been there. It didn't work that way, but Consolers of the Lonely can certainly lay claim to being an album that is at once familiar and accessible-indeed, it won't be long before it'll seem like an indispensable part of your collection. The two opening songs lay out the sonic blueprint with a loose, rocking feel exemplified by overloaded lead guitar lines, fuzz bass and huge drums, with plenty of dynamic interplay between the vocals. Like Lennon & McCartney at their best, it's often hard to tell who is singing until one or the other takes the lead, while their dual guitar playing approach is similarly twinned, all ably supported by a rhythm section that's both nimble and powerful. Despite the strong offerings throughout, the best is saved until last with "Carolina Drama", a Jack White-led murder story-song that threatens to collapse under its own weight until the singalong ending breaks the tension. In short then, a huge improvement over the slightly underwhelming debut, and as good as anything else produced by the band's individual components. -Thom Allot.

Tracks Crossroad: The Best of Bon Jovi

In and out of love
In these arms
Wanted dead or alive
Livin' on a prayer
Lay your hands on me
Someday I'll be Saturday night
You give love a bad name
Blaze of glory
Keep the faith
Bad medicine
I'll be there for you
Bed of roses
Never say goodbye
Always
Runaway

This best-of is loaded with the usual smash suspects plus three new cuts-the sub-Mellancamp "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", the Bed of Roses-style ballad single "Always", and a low-key remake of "Living On A Prayer" titled "Prayer '94". Love 'em or not, there's no denying the loyalty of the fans. -Jeff Bateman.

Tracks Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Good Morning Good Morning
With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite
Within You Without You
She's Leaving Home
Fixing A Hole
Getting Better
Lovely Rita
Day In The Life
When I'm Sixty Four
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Before Sgt. Pepper's, no one seriously thought of rock music as actual art. That all changed in 1967, though, when John, Paul, George and Ringo (with "A Little Help" from their friend, producer George Martin) created an undeniable work of art which remains, after 3-plus decades, one of the most influential albums of all time. From Lennon's evocative word/sound pictures (the trippy "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", the carnival-like "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite") and McCartney's music hall-styled "When I'm 64", to Harrison's Eastern-leaning "Within You Without You", and the avant-garde mini-suite, "A Day in the Life", Sgt. Pepper's was a milestone for both 1960s music and popular culture in general. -Billy Altman.

Young James Morrison has "success story" written all over him. Drawing influence from soul greats like Cat Stevens, Otis Redding, and Van Morrison, debut album Undiscovered reveals this Rugby-born vocalist has the sort of world-weary voice and songwriting chops to take the Later…With Jools Holland path to mainstream success that's formerly made stars of Damien Rice, James Blunt, and former tour-mate Corinne Bailey Rae. In keeping with his soul influences, much of Undiscovered has a full, warm multi-instrumental sound neatly rendered by Martin Terefe, producer for the likes of KT Tunstall and Ron Sexsmith. "Under The Influence", a passionate upfront love song, is borne along on florid piano and Beatles-esque string arrangements, while the tear-stained "Wonderful World" matches its emotional message ("I know that it's a wonderful world/ But I can't feel it right now") with optimistic brass and cascading percussion. Album stand-outs come with "You Give Me Something" and the closing "Better Man", a solo acoustic number that really showcases the range of Morrison's voice. Purists may still baulk at the prospect of a white lad from the North of England singing soul, but the sure success of Undiscovered ought to prove that a strong voice will always be the bottom line. -Louis Pattison.

An astonishingly intense and ambitious album, Elbow's Cast of Thousands is relentlessly experimental. Having toiled for 10 years over their spellbinding Mercury-nominated debut Asleep in the Back, the maverick Bury five-piece-who were initially hailed as the new Radiohead-have produced a worthy sequel in a comparatively short two years. While mirroring their debut's melancholy tone, this album's romantic lyricism and uplifting harmonies inject a fresh dynamic. From the first bar, Cast of Thousands is enthralling. "Ribcage", an exquisite rousing treasure, builds on a languorous and fragmented melody into a cohesive climax while Garvey listlessly intones (with a flat mic taped to his larynx) the charming mantra, "When the sunshine/ throwing me a lifeline/ finds its way in to my room/ all I need is you". Meanwhile, the London Community Gospel choir's spiralling harmonies echo Blur's "Tender" in its lo-fi, mellifluous majesty. But the majority of the album is far less grandiose with the haunting "Snooks (Progress Report)" and "I've Got Your Number" bristling with an unnerving intimacy and brooding dialogue. It's an enchanting return that finds Elbow stretching from despair to lovelorn tenderness. -Christopher Barrett.

Tracks Tapestry: Remastered

So Far Away
Smackwater Jack
I Feel The Earth Move
It's Too Late
Home Again
You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman
Out In The Cold
Way Over Yonder
Tapestry
Smackwater Jack
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Where You Lead
You've Got A Friend
Beautiful

Carole King was famous as a writer of girl group hits in the 1960s. In 1971, she became more famous. That's the year Tapestry became one of the biggest selling LPs of all time. It's easy to hear why-the music is loose, earthy, L. A. session-pop. King is casual, intimate, and tough; she covers all the emotional ground of the post-liberated woman with ease. She brings adult nuance to "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" and comes up with hits ("It's Too Late", "I Feel the Earth Move") whose white soul realism and maturity put pop hits to shame. -Steve Tignor.

Tracks All the Lost Souls: Deluxe Edition/+DVD

Love Love Love
Same Mistake
I'll Take Everything
Same Mistake
Same Mistake
I'll Take Everything
Carry You Home
I Really Want You
1973
I Really Want You
You're Beautiful
1973
Goodbye My Lover
Give Me Some Love
Carry You Home
Shine On
Same Mistake
Young Folks
Je Realise - Sinik & James Blunt
Cuz I Love You
Return To Kosovo
I Really Want You
Carry You Home
T5M.com Profile
Annie
One Of The Brightest Stars
1973
Wisemen
Carry You Home
One Of The Brightest Stars
1973
I Can't Hear The Music
Breakfast In America

Tracks Monkey: Journey to the West

Monkey Travels
Monkey's World
Tripitaka's Curse
Living Sea
Monkey Bee
Heavenly Peach Banquet
Disappearing Volcano
White Skeleton Demon
March Of The Iron Army
Battle In Heaven
Into The Eastern Sea
Confessions Of A Pig
Monk's Song
O Mi To Fu
Out Of The Eastern Sea
I Love Buddha
Whisper
Sandy The River Demon
Pigsy In Space
Dragon King
March Of The Volunteers
Iron Rod

You could never accuse Damon Albarn of resting on his laurels. Whether it's forming supergroups (The Good, The Bad & The Queen), working with cult animators (The Gorillaz) or making music with musicians from Mali, the former Blur frontman has nurtured a restless, questing spirit not normally encountered in Britop stars. As if to underline his diverse interests, he now turns his attention to Chinese theatre. Monkey: Journey to the West is a theatrical collaboration between Albarn (music), Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz fame (designs, costumes) and Chinese opera specialist Chen Shi-Zheng. The show itself is an explosive 90-minute circus featuring Chinese acrobats, martial arts experts and contortionists, though the album condenses the experience into 22 songs lasting an hour or so. Recorded in London and Beijing with a mix of European and Chinese musicians, Monkey. is a genuine attempt at East-West fusion. Featuring a dizzying array of instrumentation-rock guitars, electronics, harps, mandolins, drum machines, strings, plinky-plonk keyboards, giggling girls, chants, even pigs-it's the sort of project that could so easily have gone awry. [+]

Yet Albarn, who allegedly mastered the Chinese pentatonic scale, seems to have made it work. Songs like the fluttery "Heavenly Peach Banquet" and the wistful "The Living Sea" are utterly beguiling, and stand in stark contrast to guitar-heavy behemoths like "Battle in Heaven" and the climactic "Monkey Bee. " These longer songs are punctuated with incidental pieces such as "Iron Rod", "Into the Eastern Sea" and "Out of the Eastern Sea". While such interludes may distract from a 'normal' album experience, there's enough melodious charm and imaginative whimsy scattered throughout to satisfy even ardent skeptics. -Paul Sullivan.

Here's what they say about Jeff Buckley: "He died too young". Here's why they say it: Grace is simply one of the most amazing things you can do with your ears and a little digitally-encoded disc. He inherited the voice of his father, the legendary Tim Buckley-seven octaves, each of them only just enough to cram his big feverish dreams into-but his music was all his own. Think Van Morrison's Astral Weeks on drugs-but then drugs could give some kind of comfort, and there's no comfort in Grace; just constant flux between crippling despair and an almost violent joy. When "Last Goodbye" unfolds it's third different middle-eight of Bollywood strings and Buckley's ecstatic scatting, it's hard to believe an ordinary human could have had a hand in something so extraordinary. -Caitlin Moran.

Tracks The Complete Greatest Hits

Take It to the Limit
Doolin Dalton
Peaceful Easy Feeling
On the Border
Victim of Love
Lyin' Eyes
Get Over It
Heartache Tonight
Please Come Home for Christmas
The Long Run
Seven Bridges Road
After the Thrill Is Gone
One of These Nights
James Dean
Witchy Woman
Ol' '55
I Can't Tell You Why
The Sad Café
Hotel California
Already Gone
Take It Easy
The Best of My Love
Desperado
Midnight Flyer
New Kid in Town
Hole in the World
Life in the Fast Lane
Wasted Time
The Last Resort
Love Will Keep Us Alive
Tequila Sunrise
Those Shoes
In the City

Tracks 1

Day tripper
Eight days a week
From me to you
Something
Penny Lane
Help!
We can work it out
I want to hold your hand
Hello, goodbye
Let it be
I feel fine
Lady Madonna
Love me do
Get back
Hey Jude
Yesterday
Ticket to ride
Can't buy me love
A hard day's night
The long and winding road
Eleanor Rigby
All you need is love
Yellow submarine
She loves you
Come together
Paperback writer
The ballad of John and Yoko

Proving yet again their willingness to dice 'n' slice their burgeoning legacy into new-if not exactly fresh-product, the Fab Four Minus One released this single disc compendium of their No. 1 hits. Though obviously superfluous to long-time Fabs faithful (who may also find themselves quibbling over the precise definition of "No. 1 hit" and the exclusion of seeming contenders like "Please Please Me" and "Strawberry Fields"), newly arrived visitors from the Pleiades star cluster and other neophytes will find it a concise and generous (nearly 80 minutes) single-disc introduction to the band's career-spanning, unparalleled dominance of pop music in the 1960s and beyond. But more than merely a trophy case of commercial success (and it won't be hard to find people to argue that these singles aren't even the band's best work), 1 is also a quick sketch of a remarkable seven-year musical evolution, one that stretches from the neo-skiffle of "Love Me Do" through a remarkable synthesis of R&B, rockabilly, Tin Pan Alley, gospel, country and classical that still defies efforts to effectively deconstruct it. -Jerry McCulley.

Review Asleep in the Back / Elbow:

Review H.A.A.R.P + DVD / Muse:

Review All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO / Electric Light Orchestra:

Review In Rainbows / Radiohead:

Review Lessons To Be Learned / Gabriella Cilmi:

Review Overloaded: The Singles Collection / Sugababes:

Review Greatest Hits / Queen:

Review Consolers of the Lonely / The Raconteurs:

Review Crossroad: The Best of Bon Jovi / Bon Jovi:

Review Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / The Beatles:

Review Undiscovered / James Morrison:

Review Greatest Hits / McFly:

Review Jordin Sparks / Jordin Sparks:

Review Cast Of Thousands / Elbow:

Review Tapestry: Remastered / Carole King:

Review All the Lost Souls: Deluxe Edition/+DVD / James Blunt:

Review Monkey: Journey to the West / Damon Albarn:

Review Grace (New Version) / Jeff Buckley:

Review The Complete Greatest Hits / The Eagles:

Review 1 / The Beatles: