Various Artists: "Legacy: a tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours" (Atlantic/Lava)
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Fleetwood Mac's soft-rock classic, Mick Fleetwood has produced this even softer slice of nebulous nostalgia. The original songs have been reworked by modern rock's equivalent of the office bore; Matchstick 20 and Goo Goo Dolls relish their chance to sound even more outdated than usual, Elton John does an efficient - and completely soul-less - rendition of Don't Stop, while country-folk types like Jewel and Shawn Colvin can do this kind of stuff in their - and everybody else's - sleep. The Cranberries get a crack at Go Your Own Way, adding nothing new save Dolores O'Riordan's quirky vocals; at least The Corrs try to sound contemporary on their version of Dreams, but they spoil the reverie by weaving in their trademark diddley-aye hook.
By Kevin Courtney
David Bowie: "The Best Of David Bowie 1974-1979" (EMI)
Bowie rocked out during the first half of the Seventies, but this second collection covers the period when the Dame abandoned his Ziggy Stardust persona and explored the outer reaches of his psychological universe. You've got the white-powder soul of Young Americans, with its still-pristine street sheen, the avantgarde decadence of Station To Station, the Berlin culture shock of Low and Heroes, and the cracked atmosphere of Lodger. This was Bowie's experimental period, a time of drugged-out dislocation; it yielded some of the most superb music of the era, and definitely set the tone for the New Wave and New Romantic acts which followed in his tracks. Highlights include the all-too-short Sound And Vision, the staccato-funk of Fame, the richly-woven Secret Life Of Arabia, and the neo-nihilist anthem, Heroes.
By Kevin Courtney
George Martin: "In My Life"
Repeating Rumours might seem a little self-indulgent, but at least there's always the hope of improving on the original. Reworking Beatles songs, however, is just plain pointless, since 99 per cent of all bands are infinitely inferior to the Fab Four. This is George Martin's farewell project as a producer, and he has landed big fish like Celine Dion and Phil Collins to interpret some of the greatest songs in the universe. You can trust Celine's voice to soar on Here There and Everywhere, and Phil's your man for those tricky bits at the end of Abbey Road, but listening to Hollywood types like Robin Williams and Jim Carrey taking diabolical liberties with Come Together and I Am The Walrus is enough to bring Oscar-winning tears of exasperation to any Beatlelover's eyes.
By Kevin Courtney
