Tracks Made In Heaven
- Let Me Live
- You Don't Fool Me
- Made In Heaven
- It's A Beautiful Day
- Too Much Love Will Kill You
- My Life Has Been Saved
- Heaven For Everyone
- Mother Love
- I Was Born To Love You
- Winter's Tale
Release date: 1995-11-06
RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.07
Review Made In Heaven / Queen:Faintly superfluous, given the magnificent finality of its precedessor, Innuendo, which managed, against all odds, to cap the Queen story with their most accomplished album since 1977's News Of The World. But after the death of Freddie Mercury in November 1991, the band were reportedly left with a number of unreleased demos-among then, a number of Mercury vocal tracks-and resolved to complete them, and make the results available to fans. Was it a case of a band seeking to cash-in one last time? Or trying, instead, to work through their grief, the only way they knew how? Opinions were mixed-but the result ("Dedicated to the immortal spirit of Freddie Mercury") was undeniably an anti-climax. Comprising tracks both old ("I Was Born To Love You," dusted-off from Mercury's 1985 solo album; the rather tactless "Too Much Love Will Kill You" from May's Back To The Light) and new, the sense of barrel-scraping was inescapable. One for completists only. -Andrew McGuire.
Tracks Imagine
- It's So Hard
- Oh My Love
- Jealous Guy
- Oh Yoko
- Crippled Inside
- Imagine
- I Don't Want To Be A Soldier
- Give Me Some Truth
- How Do You Sleep
- How
Release date: 2000-02-14
RRP: £16.99
Price: £5.13
Review Imagine / John Lennon And The Plastic Ono Band:The song "Imagine" is so much a part of our culture, it is impossible not to feel something for the album that shares its title. It's also difficult to remember that there are other great tracks here: "How Do You Sleep" is fascinating in its pure, unadulterated bitchiness towards Lennon's former bandmate Paul McCartney, while "Jealous Guy" is undeniably sweet. It is at times brilliant, but Imagine is hardly the greatest and most important album ever. So why bother re-releasing it? Well, it's been "remastered and remixed", but don't expect reworkings by Orbital or Mint Royale (not a bad idea come to think of it), because this Imagine sounds pretty much the same as it ever has. The thing is, it's now so steeped in history, will anyone really judge the songs on their own merit, or just decide to like them because they've been told they should? -Emma Johnston.
Tracks Wincing The Night Away
- Red Rabbits
- Sealegs
- Girl Sailor
- Turn On Me
- Split Needles
- Black Wave
- Pam Barry
- Sleeping Lessons
- Phantom Limb
- Australia
- Comet Appears
Release date: 2007-01-29
RRP: £11.99
Price: £8.48
Review Wincing The Night Away / The Shins:The Shins had their work cut out for them with the release of the Wincing the Night Away. Their previous album, 2004's Chutes Too Narrow, topped many critics' Best of the Year lists, and was given a lucky dose of both marketing push and indie credibility by featuring heavily in the film Garden State. It's good to know that all that success hasn't gone to their heads. Sure, they've managed to bring in heavyweight producer Joe Chiccarelli, who's worked with both U2 and Beck, but they're still signed to Sub-Pop Records and, crucially, they're still writing great songs. In fact, Wincing the Night Away is, in some ways, a better album than its predecessor. It's certainly bigger and more symphonic than Chutes Too Narrow. Album opener "Sleeping Lessons" starts off relatively low-key, with a simple looped keyboard before building to an explosive finish. First single "Phantom Limb" is their catchiest song yet, packed with reverb-rich vocals and sunny, Beach Boys-inspired harmonies. Throughout, the Shins seem more comfortable and willing to take advantage of their no-doubt bigger recording budget, from the layered, 1960's-style American pop of "Turn On Me" to the sound loops and samples of "Spilt Needles". Wincing the Night Away is the sound of the Shins spreading their wings, and it positively soars. [+]-Ted Kord.
Tracks First Impressions Of Earth
- Red Light
- Juicebox
- Heart in a Cage
- Vision of Division
- Fear of Sleep
- Killing Lies
- Ask Me Anything
- Ize of the World
- You Only Live Once
- 15 Minutes
- Razor Blade
- Evening Sun
- On The Other Side
- Electricityscape
Release date: 2006-01-02
RRP: £16.99
Price: £3.00
Review First Impressions Of Earth / The Strokes:This album comes in luxury packaging for a limited period: a six panel digi-pack, die-cut front with three inserts and a 32 page booklet. The Strokes have taken to fame with a cheer most politely described as grudging, but not even front-cover adulation and celebrity girlfriends can crack these New Yorkers' mojo. On their third album, First Impressions Of Earth, Casablancas and company turn heel on the bristly, familiar feel of 2003's Room On Fire, and concentrate on evolving their sound. The album's lead single-the prowling, Cramps-inspired rock'n'roll number "Juicebox"-is something of a red herring. However, songs like the triumphant "You Only Live Once" or "On The Other Side", are born in the crisp, synthetic spirit of the early `80s new wave. Two particular moments stand out: "Heart In A Cage" is a drifting, melancholy proto-punk number in the spirit of Berlin-era Iggy Pop, while "Ask Me Anything" unfurls as something of a solo piece, frontman Julian Casablancas emoting over a restrained backdrop of synth and strings. The album sags a little towards the end (with the building, passionate "Fear Of Sleep" a definite exception), but as a whole, First Impressions Of Earth finds The Strokes fulfilling all that early promise and displaying a slow-evolving longevity that few would have ascribed to them. -Louis Pattison More of The Strokes Is This It? Room on Fire This Is It.
Tracks Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
- Zorba The Greek - John Murphy & David Hughes
- Eighteen With A Bullet - Pete Wingfield
- The Payback - James Brown
- Fool's Gold - Stone Roses
- I'll Kill Ya - John James Murphy, OST, Vas Blackwood
- Hundred Mile High City - Ocean Colour Scene
- Man Machine - Robbie Williams
- Why Did You Do It - Stretch
- If The Milk Turns Sour - John James Murphy, OST, Vas Blackwood
- Spooky - Dusty Springfield
- I Wanna Be Your Dog - The Stooges
- Oh Girl - Evil Superstars
- If The Milk Turns Sour - John Murphy & David Hughes with Rory
- I'll Kill Ya - John Murphy & David Hughes with Rory
- Truly, Madly, Deeply - Skanga
- The Payback - James Brown
- It's Been Emotional - Vinnie Jones
- Eighteen With A Bullet - Lewis Taylor & Carleen Anderson
- The Boss - James Brown
- Liar Liar - Castaways
- Fool's Gold - The Stone Roses
- Oh Girl - Evil Superstars
- Police and Thieves - Junior Murvin
- Zorba The Greek - John James Murphy, OST
- Eighteen With A Bullet - Pete Wingfield
- Walk This Land - E-Z-Rollers
- The Game - John Myrphy & David Hughes
Release date: 1998-08-01
Run time: 63 min.
RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.71
Review Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels / OST Various Artists:
Tracks Siamese Dream
- Spaceboy
- Mayonaise
- Silverfuck
- Rocket
- Disarm
- Quiet
- Luna
- Sweet Sweet
- Geek U.S.A.
- Soma
- Hummer
- Cherub Rock
- Today
Release date: 1993-07-20
RRP: £13.99
Price: £8.79
Review Siamese Dream / Smashing Pumpkins:An introductory drum roll drops out and is replaced by a single suspended electric guitar, which is then paralleled by a snare, filled in with the bass, and-crash!-"Cherub Rock", the opening track, is enveloped in an explosion of metal guitar. So the journey begins. This album is pre-experimentation vintage Pumpkins. Produced by Butch Vig (Garbage, Sonic Youth, Nirvana's Nevermind), Siamese Dream is first about guitars. Lots and lots of guitars. A very close second is Jimmy Chamberlain's unquestionably excellent power drumming. Throughout each song, Billy Corgan delivers angsty lyrics in his signature breathy whine. "Disarm" is a nice intermission halfway though the album. As the title of the song suggests, it throws the listener into a different mood with its full string arrangements and radiant orchestral chimes. But then it is back to the aural masochism-a pain that rarely sounds so sweet. [+]-Beth Bessmer.
Tracks Hopes and Fears
- Bedshaped
- Sunshine
- Can't Stop Now
- Everybody's Changing
- Untitled I
- Somewhere Only We Know
- Bend and Break
- On A Day Like Today
- We Might As Well Be Strangers
- This is the Last Time
- She Has No Time
- Your Eyes Open
Release date: 2004-05-10
RRP: £16.99
Price: £5.98
Review Hopes and Fears / Keane:It's perhaps inevitable that Keane's debut album, Hopes and Fears, will draw numerous comparisons to Coldplay. Like them, Keane were discovered by indie label Fierce Panda, who released a single ("Everybody's Changing"). And, like Coldplay, Keane also do a fine trade in catchy and heartfelt indie-pop, all bruised verses and soaring choruses. But though their sound is sure to please fans of Coldplay and Travis, the reality is that Keane manage to sound that little bit more delicate. This could be down to the band's relatively unusual make-up: rather than guitars, the trio use a piano. At its best, Hopes and Fears is reminiscent of Bends-era Radiohead and singer Tom Chaplin's voice is closer to Thom Yorke's falsetto then Chris Martin's cracked whine. On tracks such as the hit single "Somewhere Only We Know", they manage to squeeze an epic-sounding poignancy from their stripped-down sound (a lot of this is due to the album's superb production). Across 12 tracks, all this slow-burning melancholy skates a bit close to self-indulgence and you can't help but wish they'd rock out a bit. But Hopes and Fears is still a remarkable and surprisingly mature debut album from a young band with a bright future. -Robert Burrow.
Tracks The Greatest Hits
- I Don't Want A Lover
- Summer Son
- Inner Smile
- Black Eyed Boy
- Say What You Want (All Day Every Day) - Texas, Wu-Tang Clan, Robert F. "Prince Rakeem" Diggs
- In Our Lifetime
- In Demand
- So Called Friend
- Everyday Now
- Guitar Song
- When We Are Together
- Put Your Arms Around Me
- Halo
- Prayer For You
- So In Love With You - Texas, Cecilia Weston, Orchestra
- Tired Of Being Alone
- Insane
- Say What You Want
Release date: 2000-10-20
Run time: 74 min.
RRP: £8.99
Price: £2.52
Review The Greatest Hits / Texas:Scotland's Texas were in danger of becoming one-hit wonders following their failure to capitalise on their Top Ten debut single-1989's "I Don't Want A Lover"-through the early Nineties. Faced with a career crisis, Sharleen Spiteri and writing partner Johnny McElhone began tinkering with their sound and employing modern technology. Cue 1996's massively successful White On Blonde album and a rush of hit songs. "I Don't Want A Lover", with its tired slide riff hasn't worn well, nor have the other pre-watershed songs here like "Everyday Now", "So Called Friend" and "Prayer For You". Nevertheless there are a dozen prime examples of stylised, updated Motown ("Say What You Want", "Black Eyed Boy", "When We Are Together") showcasing the band's song-writing rebirth. Add a pair of fresh numbers co-written with Dallas Austin (the sweet shuffle of "In Demand") and Greg Alexander (the lipglossed "Inner Smile") and The Greatest Hits becomes a weighty pop collection. -Mike Pattenden.
![Review Sony Bmg / The Moody Blues - Lovely To See You [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413Or7jjOWL._SL160_.jpg)
Tracks The Moody Blues - Lovely To See You [2005]
Release date: 2006-03-20
Run time: 105 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £6.86
Review The Moody Blues - Lovely To See You [2005] / Sony Bmg:
Tracks Garden State
- Caring Is Creepy - The Shins
- In The Waiting Line - Zero 7
- Let Go - Frou Frou
- Such Great Heights - Iron And Wine
- Don't Panic - Coldplay
- Fair - Remy Zero
- I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You - Colin Hay
- Winding Road - Bonnie Somerville
- Blue Eyes - Cary Brothers
- Lebanese Blonde - Thievery Corporation
- New Slang - The Shins
- The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel
- One Of These Things First - Nick Drake
Release date: 2004-12-06
RRP: £9.99
Price: £4.00
Review Garden State / Original Soundtrack:Writer and director Zach Braff does a masterful job matching the charming, heartfelt tone of films like The Graduate and Rushmore in his motion picture debut, Garden State, so it only makes sense that the music he personally compiled for the soundtrack plays just as of big a part here as it did in those films. Simon & Garfunkel's languorous "The Only Living Boy in New York" is an obvious thread, but aside from Nick Drake's "One of These Things First," Braff is able to carry the mood without getting tripped up in the past. Frou Frou's "Let Go" and Zero 7's "In the Waiting Line" supply soft techno touches, while Iron & Wine's "Such Great Heights" and former Men at Work singer Colin Hay's "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" offer understated angst. It's the pair of emotionally racked contributions from the Shins ("Caring Is Creepy," "New Slang"), however, that really make this compilation a must-have. -Aidin Vaziri.
Tracks Songs From The Big Chair
- Shout
- Mothers Talk
- Broken Revisited
- Head Over Heels / Broken
- I Believe
- Mothers Talk
- Everybody Wants To Rule The World
- The Working Hour
- Empire Building
- The Marauders
- Broken
- Listen
- The Conflict
- Shout
- The Big Chair
Release date: 1999-06-28
Run time: 73 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £3.05
Review Songs From The Big Chair / Tears For Fears: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.
Tracks Crosby Stills and Nash: Remastered & Expanded
- Lady Of The Island
- Teach Your Children (Previously Unreleased)
- Song With No Words
- Wooden Ships
- Pre-Road Downs
- Helplessly Hoping
- 49 Bye-Byes
- You Dont Have To Cry
- Long Time Gone
- Do For The Others (Previously Unreleased)
- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
- Everybody's Talkin (Previously Unreleased)
- Marrakesh Express
- Guinnevere
Release date: 2006-01-30
RRP: £15.99
Price: £9.42
Review Crosby Stills and Nash: Remastered & Expanded / Crosby Stills and Nash:
Tracks The Works
- Radio Ga Ga
- Tear It Up
- It's A Hard Life
- Is This The World We Created
- Man On The Prowl
- Hammer To Fall
- Machines (Or Back To Humans)
- Keep Passing The Open Windows
- I Want To Break Free
Release date: 1994-02-07
RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.00
Review The Works / Queen:
![Review Seal / Best 1991-2004 [2CD Set: Hits & Acoustic]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31E5P2DM1JL._SL160_.jpg)
Tracks Best 1991-2004 [2CD Set: Hits & Acoustic]
- My Vision featuring Jakatta
- Walk On By
- Crazy
- Future Love Paradise
- Just Like You Said
- Kiss From A Rose
- Touch
- Dont Cry
- Crazy
- Love's Divine
- Prayer For The Dying
- Waiting For You
- Human Beings
- Kiss From A Rose
- Killer
- Colour
- Get It Together
- Walk On By
- Killer
- Bring It On
- Waiting For You
- Get It Together
- Lips Like Sugar
- Prayer For The Dying
- Don't Cry
- Fly Like An Eagle
- Loves Divine
Release date: 2004-11-08
RRP: £17.99
Price: £10.60
Review Best 1991-2004 [2CD Set: Hits & Acoustic] / Seal:
Tracks The Best of Lindisfarne
- All Fall Down
- Meet Me On The Corner
- Alright On The Night
- Clear White Light (Part 2)
- Ghost In Blue Suede Shoes
- Scarecrow Song
- Road To Kingdom Come
- Court In The Act
- Winter Song
- Run For Home
- January Song
- Warm Feeling
- Poor Old Ireland
- Juke Box Gypsy
- Can't Do Right For Doing Wrong
- Lady Eleanor
- Fog On The Tyne
- Call Of The Wild
- Train In G Major
Release date: 2005-08-01
RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.44
Review The Best of Lindisfarne / Lindisfarne:
Tracks Best Kept Secrets 1996 - 2004
- Stronger
- Bonfire
- One
- B Line
- Wonder
- Gabriel
- Heaven
- Please
- God Bless
- Little Things
- Lullaby
- Gorecki
- Gold
- Till The Clouds Clear
- Angelica
- Wonder
- Cottonwool
Release date: 2004-06-07
Run time: 78 min.
RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.39
Review Best Kept Secrets 1996 - 2004 / Lamb:Best Kept Secrets is a collection of the finer points from Lamb's career to date-an even smattering from their four albums-their self-titled debut, Fear of Fours, What Sound and 2003's Between Darkness & Wonder. Although geographically miles away, Lamb were an integral part of the Bristol sound with their music sitting somewhere between Portishead and Roni Size. "Cottonwool" opens the anthology, and rightly so-the brooding double bass, ethereal vocal and broken beats are a perfect intro to what they're all about. Best Kept Secrets is in chronological order and highlights the slight changes in direction that occurred in each period. Tunes such as "B-line" and "Bonfire" are more rhythmic than their fractal predecessors yet dirty in comparison to the smooth, almost soulful "Stronger" and "Please" from their latter years. Although the album gets comfier and more worthy of the "chillout" tag as it progresses, it's clear that two things remain consistent throughout: Rhodes' vocals remain beautiful and Barlow's production always does enough to keep it left of centre. -David Trueman.
Tracks Twenty Five: Deluxe Edition
- Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
- Round Here
- One More Try
- Freedom 90
- Freeek!
- Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me (with Sir Elton John)
- My Baby Just Cares For Me
- Heal The Pain (with Sir Paul McCartney)
- Spinning the Wheel
- Outside
- Praying For Time
- If You Were There
- Through
- This Is Not Real Love (with Mutya)
- Last Christmas
- Precious box
- Fastlove
- Freedom
- Cars and Trains
- Understand
- Careless Whisper
- Everything She Wants
- As (with Mary J. Blige)
- Amazing
- A Different Corner
- Flawless (Radio Edition)
- Too Funky
- Safe
- You Have Been Loved
- Please Send Me Someone (Anselmos Song)
- Faith
- Jesus To A Child
- You Know that I Want To
- Older
- An Easier Affair
- Father Figure
- Shoot The Dog
- My Mother Had a Brother
- Brother Can You Spare Me A Dime? (performed at Pavarotti & Friends)
- Fantasy
- Patience
- American Angel
- John and Elvis Are Dead
- Roxanne
Release date: 2006-11-13
RRP: £15.99
Price: £7.25
Review Twenty Five: Deluxe Edition / George Michael:The last quarter-century has been nothing if not colourful for George Michael. But through all the controversy - the high-profile arrests and audacious videos, the fall-outs and band splits - he has emerged intact as a vital figure on the global pop scene - a fact compounded by his current 25 Live tour and this accompanying Greatest Hits package. Twenty Five is the fourth such collection in Michael's career, though it carries the obvious advantage of being more up to date than 1998's lauded Ladies & Gentlemen and features not only solo material but music from the early Wham! days. As such, it's the most comprehensive anthology yet, featuring upbeat Wham! classics like "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" and "Freedom" amidst sombre solo material like "Praying For Time" and "Jesus To A Child". The collection not only includes a host of evergreen classics, but also recent singles "An Easier Affair" and "This Is Not Real Love" (with former Sugababe Mutya Buena) and two unreleased tracks. There are some notable absences from the collection - "I Want Your Sex" and "Kissing A Fool" are two glaring omissions - but it still remains the most comprehensive survey of the artist's legacy to date. -Danny McKenna.
Tracks You Gotta Go There to Come Back
- Help Me (She's Out of Her Mind)
- Nothing Precious At All
- You Stole My Money Honey
- I'm Alright (You Gotta Go There to Come Back)
- Climbing the Wall
- I Miss You Now
- Since I Told You It's Over
- Rainbows and Pots of Gold
- Jealousy
- Madame Helga
- Getaway
- Moviestar
- Maybe Tomorrow
- High as the Ceiling
Release date: 2004-02-16
RRP: £5.99
Price: £3.24
Review You Gotta Go There to Come Back / Stereophonics:
![Review Goldfrapp / Seventh Tree [CD+DVD Set]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dgpZ7G6jL._SL160_.jpg)
Tracks Seventh Tree [CD+DVD Set]
- Road To Somewhere
- Clowns
- Eat Yourself
- Little Bird (Live At De La Warr Pavilion)
- A&E
- You Never Know (Live At De La Warr Pavilion)
- Clowns (TV Performance)
- Caravan Girl
- VIDEO: A&E
- Some People
- Monster Love (Live At De La Warr Pavilion)
- VIDEO: Happiness
- VIDEO: Caravan Girl
- Little Bird
- Cologne Cerrone Houdini
- Caravan Girl (Live At De La Warr Pavilion)
- Credits (Live At De La Warr Pavilion)
- Road To Somewhere (TV Performance)
- Monster Love
- Happiness (Live At De La Warr Pavilion)
- Happiness
- Clowns (instrumental) - Behind The Scenes (Live At De La Warr Pavilion)
Release date: 2008-11-03
RRP: £17.99
Price: £8.99
Review Seventh Tree [CD+DVD Set] / Goldfrapp:
Tracks Greatest Hits
- Heartbreaker
- We Belong
- Ooh Ooh Song
- Love Is A Battlefield (Edit)
- Invincible (Vocal Edit)
- Le Bel Age (Edit)
- Shadows Of The Night (Edit)
- Hell Is For Children
- We Live For Love
- Promises In The Dark
- Precious Time
- All Fired Up (Single Version)
- Treat Me Right (Single Version)
- Sex As A Weapon
- Fire And Ice
- Little Too Late (Edit)
- One Love (Song Of The Lion) (Edit)
- You Better Run
- Looking For A Stranger
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Release date: 2005-06-06
RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.46
Review Greatest Hits / Pat Benatar:
| Models & Brands:
Made In Heaven, Imagine, Wincing The Night Away, First Impressions Of Earth, Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Siamese Dream, Hopes and Fears, The Greatest Hits, The Moody Blues - Lovely To See You [2005], Garden State, Songs From The Big Chair, Crosby Stills and Nash: Remastered & Expanded, The Works, Best 1991-2004 [2CD Set: Hits & Acoustic], The Best of Lindisfarne, Best Kept Secrets 1996 - 2004, Twenty Five: Deluxe Edition, You Gotta Go There to Come Back, Seventh Tree [CD+DVD Set], Greatest Hits |
