On the record

7:00am Saturday 22nd November 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

You can tell we're getting closer to Christmas, the compilations are mounting up, and it seems every one of them has to feature a number in the title. Elsewhere, there are new albums from Enrique Iglesias and Wales' finest Tom Jones.

Various - Now 71: Excellent. After years of compilations Now are still going strong! If you're not interested in pop music, then give this a wide berth. If, however, you are after a reminder of chart hits from 2008, it could be well worth the investment. Pure pop is provided by Girls Aloud, Sugababes, The Saturdays, Will Young and Pink, while there's R&B from Taio Cruz and Rihanna, a smidgen of dance by Basshunter and Eric Prydz, and indie tunes from Keane, Kings Of Leon and The Verve. There are a few downsides to this album but with 46 songs you'd expect there to be a couple. Why they need to include two Katy Perry songs or Paddy's Revenge by Steve Mac is anyone's guess. Generally speaking, this Now compilation continues where the other 70 left off.

Rating 7/10 (Review by Polly Weeks)

Simply Red - 25: The Greatest Hits: Say what you like about Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall, and most people do, but there's nothing wrong with the band's early output. The decade between their 1985 debut Picture Book and the release of Life in 1995 was particularly fruitful, and unsurprisingly, music from that purple patch makes up most of this collection.

Their covers of Money's Too Tight To Mention and If You Don't Know Me By Now are obvious standouts, but it's Hucknall's finest achievement, the perfect blue-eyed soul of Holding Back The Years, that comes off best here. The song went to No 1 in America when it was released in 1986, and became a worldwide hit, propelling the band into international stardom. It sounds every bit as fresh today.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for some of the other tracks featured - the slap bass of It's Only Love and Something Got Me Started, in particular.

Rating 7/10 (Review by Andy Welch)

Jonathan Ansell - Forever: As X Factor gets interesting, it's no surprise that ex 'stars' of the programme are dishing out their winter offerings to cash in on the programme. Jonathan Ansell was part of the operatic group G4 which finished in second place in the show in 2004. While the group called it a day, Ansell decided to go it alone. It was no great surprise - he's a grannies' favourite.

There's a sense, however, that Ansell is cheapening his act by continuously releasing third rate albums full of covers when there are a lot more talented operatic singers out there. This album includes a cover of If You're Not The One, which pretty much says it all!

Rating 4/10 (Review By Polly Weeks)

Status Quo - Pictures: 40 Years Of Hits: You may mock them, but any band who has managed to produce music for 40 years is obviously doing something right. This double-album includes Rockin' All Over The World, Whatever You Want, In The Army Now and Red Sky.

These tracks aside, this release does run into one major problem: a lot of the songs will only be known to hardcore fans of The Quo, who will most likely already have copies of them.

Essentially this compilation is preaching to the converted. At the same time, it's unlikely the people who only know the big hits will take the time to listen to the album in full. The final track, It's Christmas Time, does offer the listener something new. How convenient that it's been released just before festive season!

Rating 5/10 (Review By Polly Weeks)

Various - 101 Power Ballads: Reminiscent of every Father's Day compilation, EMI TV have chosen to release this six-disc compilation just in time for Christmas. There are some classics here, including Tina Turner - The Best and Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is. However, EMI have fallen victim to concentrating on quantity over quality.

Did they really need to include Home by Daughtry or Cheap Trick's The Flame? If they'd downsized the album by half and stuck with the quality songs, this collection would hold a lot more appeal.

When listening with friends, the question that will be raised is - what exactly makes a power ballad? According to EMI it's Jeff Buckley singing Hallelujah, David Bowie's Life On Mars and Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed - all good quality songs but are they power ballads? The jury's out on that one.

Rating 6/10 (Review By Polly Weeks)

Enrique Iglesias - Greatest Hits: Just in time for the festive period comes this comprehensive collection of the Latin heart-throb's chart smashes, from the flamenco-tinged Bailamos to the ping-pong percussion of Do You Know? via a potent mix of power-pop, disco beats and heart-wrenching ballads.

There are a surprising amount of catchy choruses to be rediscovered here - it's easy to forget Enrique has been making music for over a decade - while Takin' Back My Love, an up-tempo, R&B-influenced duet with Ciara and one of two new songs packaged with this compilation, indicates the incredibly successful singer has no intention of taking his foot off the pedal.

Rating 8/10 (Review by Simon Harker)

Joan Osbourne - Little Wild One: Known to most for her catchy mid '90's hit One Of Us, Joan returns with an album full of pop-country tunes. In the past she's toured with the Dixie Chicks - something which becomes an obvious pairing the longer you listen to the album. While individually the songs - including Cathedrals, To The One I Love and Light Of The World - serve their purpose, the album sounds dated in it's entirety - around the early 90s and doesn't seem to progress.

It'll probably sell well in America's bible belt but whether it'll have the same appeal in the UK is questionable.

Rating 5/10 (Review By Polly Weeks)

Tom Jones - 24 Hours: One of Wales' best known exports, returns with another album of hits. The first couple of songs on the album, I'm Alive and If He Should Leave You, set the tempo - think of big power numbers with a tinge of lounge music about it.

Feels Like Music is the 2008 version of Sex Bomb. The album is, of course, cheesy in places, but not so much that you find yourself cringing on Tom's behalf (although you get pretty close to it on In Style And Rhythm). Halfway through, the album starts to suffer from musical indifference but Tom brings it back by finishing with slower, but high quality, songs including title track 24 Hours.

Rating 7/10 (Review By Polly Weeks)

Jane Birkin - Enfants D'Hiver: Jane Birkin is known to most as the English-born actress who moved to France in the '60's and went on to marry her mentor Serge Gainsbourg, who together had daughter Charlotte.

Now in her 60's this album is just what you'd expect. At it's worst it's too relaxing and at it's best beautifully produced. Simple and intricate, 14 Fevrier is a prime example of the style - simple strings section, percussion, guitars and soft tapping of drums combined with her gentle vocals, which at times are often whispered.

Looks-wise, a young Jane Birkin posed more than a passing resemblance to France's first lady Ms Bruni. If the latter continues to release music, perhaps Ms Birkin would provide a fitting role model.

Rating 8/10 (Review By Polly Weeks)

Nickelback - Dark Horse: It is 12 years since the Canadian post-grunge quartet first rocked fans with Curb. Their third album, Silver Side Up, propelled them into the mainstream in 2001, spawning hits such as How You Remind Me. Riding high on the success of last year's UK No 1 Rockstar, and putting two fingers up to their critics, the group are back with Dark Horse.

It's definitely a grower - on first listen the tracks are pretty indistinguishable, but stand-out numbers include the power ballads Gotta Be Somebody (the album's first single) and Never Gonna Be Alone, which they do well, and rock-out tracks like the cheeky opener Something In Your Mouth. Yes, the lyrics are cliched, and the softer rock sounds a little dated, but it's catchy driving music and one for hardcore Nickelback fans.

Rating 6/10 (Review by Kate Whiting)

SINGLES by Andy Welch

:: Take That - Greatest Day First listen: "This is boring, they're finished." Second listen: "This is growing on me, you know." Third listen and thereafter: "Amazing. Take That are the best band in Britain, if not the world and Gary Barlow is a genius." Well, maybe not the world, but Greatest Day is really, really good.

:: Katy Perry - Hot N Cold Controversy has followed American singer Katy Perry since she released Ur So Gay earlier this year, followed by her ode to lady-love, I Kissed A Girl. But it's unlikely any headlines are going to be written about this lacklustre ditty.

:: Britney Spears - Womanizer We all know about Britney's … shall we say, 'episode' over the last year or so, so it's nice to be able to write about her music again. Even more pleasing when the music is as good as this. Can she regain her crown as Queen of Pop? Let's hope so.

ON THE ROAD UPCOMING TOURS

:: With a UK tour about to kick off, Kings Of Leon have announced two dates for the summer of 2009. They'll play London O2 Arena on June 15, and the Manchester Evening News Arena on June 22. Expect more dates to follow. For details, go to www.gigsandtours.com :: Il Divo are going on tour next year. They begin in Manchester on February 21 playing two other dates that month, four in March and three more in April, finishing in Glasgow SECC on April 13.

For details, go to www.ticketmaster.co.uk Undated Handout Photo of Status Quo's new album, Pictures: 40 Years Of Hits. See PA Feature MUSIC Reviews. PA Photo/Universal.