Aerosmith

Air

All Saints, The

Apollo 440 Fatboy Slim digs deep in the vaults, finds an obscure surf-guitar classic, and with a wave of his big beat wand, "Sliced Tomatoes" by the Just Brothers undergoes a phoenix-like rebirth, emerging as the all-conquering "Rockafeller Skank". Meanwhile, Apollo Four Forty nip down the local Oxfam, and pick out Status Quo's "Caroline". It's the main sample on their Top Ten smash "Don't Stop The Rock". Will this do? Actually, yes. Big beat has a way with making the cheesiest of rock moves seem like God-given dancefloor charm, and much of Gettin' High is a pretty competent, self proclaimed festival of the dumb. No, "Crazee Horse"'s refrain of "I got no remorse / Like a crazee horse" doesn't quite have the same idiot savant ring as "check it out now/ the funk soul brother", but "Lost In Space" has no doubt filled more dancefloors than the rest of the Skint roster put together, which makes Gettin' High pretty hard to knock. —Louis Pattison

Art of Noise, The Seminal mid-1980s electro-pop players (their hit "Close to the Edit" recently provided sample fodder for Prodigy's "Firestarter"), Trevor Horn, Paul Morley, Anne Dudley, and new addition Lol Creme (of 10cc), have regrouped as Art of Noise just in time to introduce classical-jungle fusion to the world. Using revered composer Debussy's melodic blueprint to build its elaborate, velvety drum & bass compositions, the group manages to make what initially seems like a dodgy idea sound somewhat viable, particularly on dreamy, atmospheric tracks like "Out of This World". Vocal contributions come from Sally Bradshaw, Donna Lewis, Rakim, and even actor John Hurt. —Aidin Vaziri

Belle & Sebastian A cheerful pluck at the heartstrings, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant—Belle And Sebastian's fourth studio album—finds Scotland's finest twee-pop ensemble in playful mood. While previous album The Boy With The Arab Strap was characterised by hushed operatic drama, Fold Your Hands Child... skips and romps like an unruly infant—a far less focused piece, but endearing nonetheless. Stuart Murdoch is, as ever, the heart and soul of Belle & Sebastian, and it's his contributions that really shine—the sprightly "Woman's Realm" effortlessly taking centre stage. On "Beyond The Sunrise", Stevie Jackson hasn't quite grown into his Leonard Cohen baritone, and on "Family Tree", Isobel Campbell's lyrics are cloyingly twee: "I'm stuck in a cage / With a bottle of rage / And a family like the Mafia." But forgive them their follies—on Fold Your Hands Child..., these shy indie waifs make music that speaks volumes. And that's enough. —Louis Pattison

Bennett, Tony

Bush, Kate

Butler, Bernard

C & C Music Factory

Cher She-who-has-only-one-name has been responsible for some of the biggest, world-swallowing hits of the late 20th Century and they're all collected here in one convenient, 19-track package: "Believe", "If I Could Turn Back Time", "Walking In Memphis", even the duet with ex-husband Sonny Bono "I Got You Babe". An excellent career overview of one of pop's premier divas. —Ted Kord

Church, Charlotte

Collins, Phil For better or worse, Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight" was the "Stairway to Heaven" of the 1980s, winning radio stations' listener polls and even lending its designer threat to an episode of Miami Vice. Hits recalls the days when the Collins name on a disc ensured its immediate embrace by programmers and the public. How you feel about these songs will depend on how you felt about them then; despite the undeniable niceness of "Take Me Home" and "One More Night", they're unlikely to win over anyone who didn't adore them to begin with. Those who cared, though, will no doubt be gladdened to find most of Collins's biggest tunes together on one disc. —Rickey Wright

Craven, Beverly

Crowded House

Diamond, Neil It may now be hard to believe but there once was a time when Neil Diamond was considered not only big enough to open a movie but to get Sir Laurence Olivier to co-star in said movie. While the movie itself was less than a rousing success, the soundtrack was a smash—though, contrary to the title, it does not find the Elvis of soft-rock taking up jazz. Playing the part of a young Jewish cantor who follows his heart to play, well, a Neil Diamond-esque blend of R&B and rock, Diamond finds excuses to throw in some soulful singles ("Love on the Rocks" and "Hello Again"), a fluffy, uptempo slice of Stephen Foster-Americana ("On the Robert E Lee") and a topical song ("America"); padding out the soundtrack are the film-specific Jewish hymns "Adon Olam" and "Kol Nidre". Eternally consigned to a limbo between being remembered for his better moments (Live at the Greek, writing some of the Monkees' biggest hits) and for the tawdry ones ("Turn on Your Heartlight", inspired by E.T.), The Jazz Singer remains one of Diamond's best albums. —Randy Silver

Dion, Celine

Dion, Celine

Dion, Celine

Dion, Celine Queen of the power ballad, throughout the 1990s the Canadian diva Celine Dion bestrode the international pop charts like a colossus. But if her songs sailed into view with all the pomp and bombast of the Titanic, they would never be wrecked on the icebergs of critical scorn, kept buoyant by an audience's passion for tales of fidelity and true love. A Decade Of Song collects Celine's most memorable moments; check, for example, "Power Of Love", Celine belting out "Cause ahm your lady/ And you are mah maaaaaaayn" with such zeal that even the most inept wedding DJ should be able to fill any post-reception dancefloor. "Think Twice" and "My Heart Will Go On" pull ruthlessly efficient feats of epic grandeur, although it's evident that "I'm Your Angel"—a duet with R Kelly—is far from her finest moment. That niggle aside, A Decade Of Song proves Celine is one of our generation's most enduringly successful popular singers. —Louis Pattison

Dion, Celine

Fugees, The

Fun Lovin' Criminals, The

Gray, Macy Macy Gray's debut is the kind of album that lends itself to comparisons: Bill Withers (he of "Lovely Day" fame), for the rapturous, laid-back funk vibe; Lauryn Hill, as a fellow nouveau-soul-diva who's not willing to let something as silly as genre-lines let her stop from appropriating a great sound; Liz Phair, from her Exile in Guyville days, for the stark, honest, everyday take on relationship politics; Lenny Kravitz, for pure iconoclastic self-confidence; and, yes, Billie Holiday for the sheer sound of her voice (youngish, raw, slightly otherworldly, but strangely powerful). One album into her career, it's unfair to ask Lady Gray to live up to most of the above—no matter what the diva in question might have to say about it—so accept On How Life Is on its own terms. Eminently danceable and groovy without a single clunker and though some songs ("Why Didn't You Call Me", "I've Committed Murder" and "Do Something", on which Gray sings "..and I'm the latest craze") are more equal than others, the album is well worth its share of hype. —Randy Silver

Halliwell, Geri While hardly a masterpiece on the order of "Say You'll Be There", the former Ginger Spice's step into the solo arena does an acceptable job of refashioning her into a "grownup" diva. Generally underdeveloped material doesn't help but the thin-voiced Halliwell acquits herself well enough on some pop-funk numbers and when tweaking the sort of 60s high camp of which Robbie Williams is so fond—especially on saucy single "Look At Me". —Rickey Wright

Hill, Lauryn After the massive success of the Fugees' The Score, the popularity of any Refugee Camp solo project was guaranteed. No one, however, was prepared for the massive response to Lauryn Hill's debut album. Apart from the chart-topping singles "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and "Everything Is Everything", the album includes collaborations with D'Angelo, Carlos Santana and soul diva Mary J Blige. Her unique blend of Motown vocals and hip hop proved remarkably addictive, and the tracks are sweetly interspersed with classroom conversations on love. From the autobiographical and emotional lyrics of her own tracks to the stunning reinterpretations of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and "Tell Him I Love Him" (a secret bonus track), Lauryn points to a new melodic direction in hip hop. An album reminiscent of the classic soul records of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill deserved every one of its Grammies. —Ed Potton

Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai In the liner notes to Jamiroquai's debut album, lead singer and mastermind Jason Kay delivers a sincere, if oversimplified, screed about distributing the wealth and saving the rainforests. The lyrics follow suit: except for a single love tune ("Blow Your Mind"), Kay bemoans war, greed, racism, and conformity, or extols the power of music as a drug ("Hooked Up") or as a catalyst for social revolution. This is not Jamiroquai's most eloquent album, nor their strongest musically, what with most songs structured as long-form, open-ended jams weighing in at six minutes or more. Though interesting as a chronicle of Kay's musical vision taking shape, overall it's a document that will appeal most to Deadheads and jam-band fans. —Suzanne McElfresh

Lightning Seeds, The

Manic Street Preachers, The

Manic Street Preachers, The

Marlin, Lene

Marsalis, Wynton

Meatloaf

Michael, George Since the break-up of teen duo Wham! in 1986, George Michael has constantly had to reinvent himself as a credible master of various musical styles. Ladies And Gentlemen charts this journey, from his duets with pop elite such as Aretha Franklin ("I Knew You Waiting (For Me)") and Elton John ("Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"), to dance floor classics such as "Too Funky" and "Fastlove" and bleak, evocative numbers such as "Jesus To A Child" and "A Different Corner". The songs are arranged on two complementing discs: the slower, ballady productions are on the first disc ("for the heart"), and the more dancey, poppy numbers are on the second ("for the feet"). The compilation also includes three tracks specially recorded for the album, most notably his duet with Mary J Blige on the Stevie Wonder classic "As". —John Galilee

Moby The great iconoclast of techno returns with a smooth, sacred and exhilarating record. Play's concoction of breakbeat rhythms, ambient mixology and inspired blues and gospel samples cry out across musical genres and histories, imparting a time-tested wisdom to beat-driven ears. Moby's devout faith—in both God and his own musical whims—give this approach a sort of legitimacy that another, less sincere artist would never have. That sincerity reverberates through the beats and instrumental eclecticism like a pulse. The soulful refrains and proclamations in "Find My Baby" and "Natural Blues" somehow nestle between straight-up dance-floor rave-ups ("Bodyrock") and melt-in-your-mouth ambience ("Inside") with an effortless grace. Moby reaches across his turntables and finds something pure—almost organic. In fact, the album feels more natural than techno is ever supposed to feel, more spiritual than DJs are supposed to be able to muster and more alive than it has any right to be. Check out the spellbinding compilation Natural Blues to hear the original source material from blues and spiritual singers such as Etta James, Vera Hall and BB King. —Matthew Cooke

Morissette, Alanis

Morricone, Ennio Ennio Morricone anthologies come and go, and there are always several to choose from. But as so many recycle the same tracks, one might be forgiven for thinking Morricone had only scored a dozen or so movies rather than something over 300. This makes picking a collection difficult, but this disc can be recommended for particularly polished remastered sound and, with 20 tracks, a lengthy 75 minutes' playing time. Nine cues come from the Sergio Leone movies with which Morricone is indelibly associated, including the Clint Eastwood "dollars" trilogy and Once Upon a Time in the West. With their eclectic orchestrations and infectious melodies these landmark scores set film music in an entirely new direction. The more recent music concentrates on the hauntingly romantic side of Morricone's talent, ranging from the fatalistic "Chi Mai" to two cues from the lushly exotic The Mission and the lovely theme from Cinema Paradiso. Leone's final film, Once Upon a Time in America enabled Morricone to pen some of the most heartbreakingly nostalgic music in all cinema, while a selection from Mission to Mars reveals that after four decades the Italian master is still writing some of Hollywood's most imaginative and heartfelt music. —Gary S Dalkin

N'Dour, Youssou

Oasis With Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, Oasis—the self-professed "biggest rock & roll band in the world"—continue exploring their fascination with Great British Bands of the late 1960s. Paying homage to your heroes is one thing, but many of Standing On The Shoulder's best moments sound like their icons' worst. However, this is Oasis, and they do manage to pull some stunners out of their hats: "Gas Panic" and "Where Did It All Go Wrong?" demonstrate the command of catchy hooks and epic anthems that made their first two albums—Definitely Maybe and (What's The Story) Morning Glory?—such classics. Elsewhere, their influences are more obvious. The psychedelic "Who Feels Love?" is a perfect example of George Harrison in full Eastern Mystic mode, complete with sitars, tablas and tape-loops. Outright rocker "Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is" has the strut and stomp of vintage Doors or Rolling Stones, but is ultimately let down by its weak songwriting ("Ready or not, come what may/The bets are going down for judgement day"). The most dubious lyrics are saved for the Liam Gallagher-penned "Little James", his paean to paternal love which—perhaps unintentionally—contains some of rock's most laughable couplets ("You live for your toys, even though they make noise"). Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants doesn't represent a major step forward for Oasis, but it is a definite improvement on the band's previous album, Be Here Now. For stronger evidence as to why Oasis is credited with resurrecting Britpop in the late 20th century, newcomers to the band would do well to investigate Definitely Maybe or (What's The Story) Morning Glory?. —Rob Burrow

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam

Pet Shop Boys, The The reason dance-pop sustains greater longevity than wordless dance music is because dance-pop is about something. Albums released by the great ones—New Order, Depéche Mode, Erasure and, of course, the Pet Shop Boys—maintain their appeal throughout the years because the lyrical content is intelligent, clearly narrative and forever relevant. With Nightlife, the Pet Shop Boys continue to write startlingly honest and lyrically pointed songs, despite 13 years of cultivating an image of vacant boredom and smug indifference. Likewise, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe need not follow trends to keep current. Nightlife is uniquely a Pet Shop Boys album and arguably the zenith of their career. Mid-tempo techno tracks build out from a disco sensibility. Body-rocking rhythms are softened with sorrowful swells of strings, synthesised vocal choruses and Tennant's sandy, monotone recite-singing. Conversely, the Boys augment the album's ballads with fat blips of bass line and elusive back beats. Lyrics are as innuendo-laden as ever, although this time out (ahem) the veil is thinner than ever. Think the Pet Shop Boys' records will ever get stale? Oh, please. —Beth Massa

Quaye, Finley

Savage Garden

Shepard, Vonda

Simon, Garfunkel

Skunk Anansie

Smith, Will Will Smith is the future of hip-hop—in the sense that Willennium, his follow-up to 1997's Big Willie Style, is sure to dominate pop-rap airwaves and sales. Proud of his kid appeal but also self-mocking (he carries the title concept with the single "Will2K," a party jam built on a sample of the Clash's "Rock the Casbah"), Smith carries forward the early-rap values of good-natured boasting and fun-fun-fun. His desire to remain part of the community is reflected in his savvy choice of guests, who number everyone from K-Ci (some convincing vocal licks on "Will2K") to rappers new-school (Lil' Kim, Eve) and old (Slick Rick, Biz Markie); past and future partner DJ Jazzy Jeff even gets his own four minutes of funk on the scratch-happy "Pump Me Up". Smith also attempts cinematic storytelling on "Afro Angel" and "The Rain", which are admirably solemn, if far from the best things here. Smith may not be the hippest hip-hopper around, but as Chuck D once said of another, very different figure, "Don't tell me that you understand until you hear the man." —Rickey Wright

Smith, Will

Springsteen, Bruce About as complete a selection of fan and artist favourites as any single-disc Bruce collection could be, this is a surprisingly coherent listen given the many stylistic and attitudinal shifts it charts. The inclusion of only four of Born in the U.S.A.'s obvious hits leaves space for less obvious choices like "Atlantic City" and four new cuts, among them songs recorded by a briefly reunited E Street Band. The pace lags a bit near the end—"Secret Garden" is turgid enough to take its place on a Sting album—but Greatest Hits earns its place in the CD player with stuff like "Born to Run," "The River" and "Dancing in the Dark." —Rickey Wright

Steps

Stewart, Rod

Supergrass

Thunderbugs, The

Travis The ultimate slow-burner, Travis's second album infused its way into the psyche of post-Radiohead Britain with an endearingly humble grace. It's not quite certain how Travis went from being the happy-clappy Britpop also-rans of their debut Good Feeling to becoming the gifted pop craftsmen that moulded the gentle emotional trough of the chart-topping The Man Who, but it would seem that the tired, lonely lovelorn niche is one that suits Travis rather well. So, "Writing To Reach You", "Driftwood" and "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" are the meekest songs to ever eat daytime radio alive. Elsewhere, "As You Are" sounds like Thom Yorke swaddled in blankets, and the closing "Slide Show" punctures rock mythology with an impossibly beautiful lyric: "There is no design for life/ There's no devil's haircut in my mind/ There is not a wonderwall to climb, or step around". —Louis Pattison

Various Artists

Verve, The

Wakeman, Rick

Warbeck