Reviews

Various Artists – When The Sun Goes Down Vols 1-4

An exploration of rock'n'roll's roots, spanning 1926 to 1955

Lo Fidelity Allstars – Abstract Funk Theory

Tenth in the series exploring influences on modern dance music

Personal Velocity

Three vignettes from the Miller dynasty's diamond

Peter Cook—A Post-Humorous Tribute

Screened on TV last Christmas, this celebrity fundraiser for the Peter Cook Foundation features a host of comedians including Michael Palin, Rik Mayall, Angus Deayton and Dom Joly (reprising the one-legged Tarzan sketch) and, unfortunately, Josie Lawrence and Griff Rhys-Jones. A fitfully amusing parade of the old and new, worth purchasing if only for the excellent, pithily epigrammatic Jimmy Carr.

Carry On Doctor

Two strands of British comedy collide with utterly predictable results (all together now: "Oooh, Matron!") as the usual crew is augmented by the sublime Frankie Howerd and a positively quirky supporting cast (Anita Harris, Peter Jones, Julian Orchard). Post-irony, I think we should admit the Carry Ons are dreadful, but Sid James' laugh remains an imported national treasure.

Deep Purple—Heavy Metal Pioneers

Heavy metal pioneers certainly, but as this appealing history shows, Deep Purple also had the knack of turning a great riff into a decent pop song. There's a dated feel to the lengthy interviews with the likes of Jon Lord, Ian Paice and Ritchie Blackmore, all conducted in the early '90s. But as all but two of the live performances in the archival footage come from 1968-74, it hardly matters.

Susumu Yokota – Overhead

Missing link between Yokota's soulful ambient and upbeat house projects

Adrian Sherwood – Never Trust A Hippy

On-U Sound master and former Clash DJ makes debut solo foray

Robin Gibb – Magnet

The avant-garde Bee Gee goes boldly into the realms of R&B

Jimi Tenor – Higher Planes

Accomplished seventh album from Finnish multi-instrumentalist
Advertisement

Editor's Picks

Advertisement