Bob Dylan has always been incredibly prolific, only releasing a fraction of what he records. Such a policy has made him a prime target for bootleggers over the years, finally prompting this sanctioned 1991 triple-disc dive into the Dylan vaults. It consists of rare tracks, unreleased outtakes, early versions of classics ("Times They Are a-Changin'", "Like a Rolling Stone", "I Shall Be Released"), and alternate versions that sometimes cut the originals ("Idiot Wind"). A measure of Dylan's depth is his list of discarded songs ("She's Your Lover Now", "Blind Willie McTell", "Series of Dreams") that would be the crown jewels of most catalogues. These 58 tracks serve as a shadow history of one of our most important artists. -Ben Edmonds.

Around the time of Cupid & Psyche 85's release, Scritti Politti mastermind Green Gartside was fond of citing deconstructionist theory as an influence on his subversion of boy-meets-girl lyrics. He might just as well have named Elvis Costello, given the trenchant nature of bubbly-on-the-surface pop tunes such as the single "Perfect Way" ("You want a margin of error for two") and "The Word Girl" ("The girl was never real / She stands for your abuse"). With veteran Aretha/Dusty/Bee Gees cohort Arif Mardin on board for several cuts, and contributions by pop subversives such as Fred Maher and Robert Quine, Cupid remains a classic of hyperintelligent post-new-wave pop funk. -Rickey Wright.

This album, with which the singer reached his commercial peak, reflects Chris Rea's love/hate relationship with the car. The title track is famously inspired by Rea's experiences of the M25, but this is not a simple tract on the evils of the automobile-in 1988, he bought himself a racing car. His vision of hell is the traffic jam that stops you from using all that expensive acceleration. In this sense Chris Rea-the epitome of maturity compared to most in his business-shows himself still very much a rock star. The Road To Hell, despite the melancholy piano riff of the song itself and its Leonard Cohen-ish lyrics, is an optimistic album with a warm, embracing sound. This album is graced with some of Rea's finest creations: the spacey "Daytona", the topicality of "You Must Be Evil" and the catchy "That's What They Always Say". "Texas" is another witty commentary on the need for speed, and like many of the tracks on this disc it has the mellow groove that Rea has made his own. On The Road To Hell, Rea successfully marries the philosophy of the family man with the ethos of a rock star, in a way that many other forty-something crooners can only envy. He also marries a measure of self- expression with real commercial success: his first number one album, The Road To Hell went triple-platinum. -James Swift.

"Acid casualty with a repossessed car," croaks Beck Hansen. "Vietnam vet playin' air guitar. " Odelay would later herald Beck as pre-Millennial jester without compare, but 1993's Mellow Gold finds Beck slumming in The City of Angels, working in a video store for four dollars an hour. Quite rightly, he's got the blues, but there's plenty more besides. Mellow Gold is a grimy Polaroid of fried white-trash invention. Reconciling the painfully fashionable grunge aesthetic with the drunken verbiage of the Beat Generation, Mellow Gold founded the slacker generation, and "Loser"-the opening track-became its unofficial anthem. A concept album of sorts, Mellow Gold narrated the backdrop of Los Angeles as seen from the bottom of the dustbin, framed with the impoverished strains of fractured, missing-stringed folk and ramshackle white-boy hip-hop. Time would prove, though, that Beck was no slacker; Mellow Gold provided the scrawled blueprint for Beck's next major label album, Odelay which would prove one of the defining albums of the 1990s. [+]

One of the earliest things that we learned about Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart was that the duo had style. In their first few videos, including "Sweet Dreams" and "Love Is a Stranger," they were just as notable for their androgynous suits and rubber utility coverall, as they were for their ice box synthetic dance beats. But as Eurythmics continued to churn out one hit after another, something else became refreshingly apparent: In the midst of all of the impersonal drum machines and frozen electronics, Lennox displayed both rhythm and soul. With a voice powerful enough to hold its own against genre queen Aretha Franklin ("Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves"), Lennox added another dimension to the haunting moodiness of "Who's That Girl" and "Here Comes the Rain Again". Changing personas and musical stylings with every release, Eurythmics blasted out horn-infused rockers ("Would I Lie to You"), country-fied twangers ("Thorn in My Side"), and melodic brilliance ("When Tomorrow Comes"). Greatest Hits captures the band's most inspired moments and justifies all of the original fuss. -Steve Gdula.

This album, with which the singer reached his commercial peak, reflects Chris Rea's love/hate relationship with the car. The title track is famously inspired by Rea's experiences of the M25, but this is not a simple tract on the evils of the automobile-in 1988, he bought himself a racing car. His vision of hell is the traffic jam that stops you from using all that expensive acceleration. In this sense Chris Rea-the epitome of maturity compared to most in his business-shows himself still very much a rock star. The Road To Hell, despite the melancholy piano riff of the song itself and its Leonard Cohen-ish lyrics, is an optimistic album with a warm, embracing sound. This album is graced with some of Rea's finest creations: the spacey "Daytona", the topicality of "You Must Be Evil" and the catchy "That's What They Always Say". "Texas" is another witty commentary on the need for speed, and like many of the tracks on this disc it has the mellow groove that Rea has made his own. On The Road To Hell, Rea successfully marries the philosophy of the family man with the ethos of a rock star, in a way that many other forty-something crooners can only envy. He also marries a measure of self- expression with real commercial success: his first number one album, The Road To Hell went triple-platinum. -James Swift.

This is about as treacly as pop can get, yet something about it endears and endures. Forget the Neil Youngish banality of "Horse with No Name". The best America songs feature a delicate yet intricate interplay of acoustic guitars that creates a tableau for sweeter-than-sweet vocalese. Just try not to sing along to "Ventura Highway" or "Sister Golden Hair". Try not to be suckered into sentimental reminiscence when listening to "I Need You" or the superb "Daisy Jane". And if your heart hardens when listening to the low-key lope of the "Muskrat Love", you must be cold-blooded. -Tod Nelson.

This is about as treacly as pop can get, yet something about it endears and endures. Forget the Neil Youngish banality of "Horse with No Name". The best America songs feature a delicate yet intricate interplay of acoustic guitars that creates a tableau for sweeter-than-sweet vocalese. Just try not to sing along to "Ventura Highway" or "Sister Golden Hair". Try not to be suckered into sentimental reminiscence when listening to "I Need You" or the superb "Daisy Jane". And if your heart hardens when listening to the low-key lope of the "Muskrat Love", you must be cold-blooded. -Tod Nelson.

Around the time of Cupid & Psyche 85's release, Scritti Politti mastermind Green Gartside was fond of citing deconstructionist theory as an influence on his subversion of boy-meets-girl lyrics. He might just as well have named Elvis Costello, given the trenchant nature of bubbly-on-the-surface pop tunes such as the single "Perfect Way" ("You want a margin of error for two") and "The Word Girl" ("The girl was never real / She stands for your abuse"). With veteran Aretha/Dusty/Bee Gees cohort Arif Mardin on board for several cuts, and contributions by pop subversives such as Fred Maher and Robert Quine, Cupid remains a classic of hyperintelligent post-new-wave pop funk. -Rickey Wright.

Just two years before the release of Paul Weller the former frontman of The Jam and the Style Council had been written off as a has-been. However, his self-titled solo debut stifled the critics and once again highlighted his importance-and relevance-to the contemporary music scene, especially as this album partly inspired the emerging Britpop sound. Weller's life-long musical influences are overtly obvious, as the album ranges from the psychedelic ("Into Tomorrow", "Clues" and "Bull-Rush") to the blue-eyed soul influences of his Style Council days ("Amongst Butterflies"). The album's material revels in its own simplicity, free from the prosthetic sounds of synthesisers and drum machines, but at the same time highlights Weller's extraordinary musical and songwriting talents. -John Galilee.

Bob Dylan has always been incredibly prolific, only releasing a fraction of what he records. Such a policy has made him a prime target for bootleggers over the years, finally prompting this sanctioned 1991 triple-disc dive into the Dylan vaults. It consists of rare tracks, unreleased outtakes, early versions of classics ("Times They Are a-Changin'", "Like a Rolling Stone", "I Shall Be Released"), and alternate versions that sometimes cut the originals ("Idiot Wind"). A measure of Dylan's depth is his list of discarded songs ("She's Your Lover Now", "Blind Willie McTell", "Series of Dreams") that would be the crown jewels of most catalogues. These 58 tracks serve as a shadow history of one of our most important artists. -Ben Edmonds.