Artist: Jay-Z

Theres a first for everything, 2010-02-23
Perhaps its because of all of the stars that feature in this album, but this album is a piece of genius, there is not one song i dislike, obviously i like more than songs than others but to anyone pondering the purchase of this album I personally suggest that you listen to a few tracks on spotify and make your decision, if you dont want to use spotify then just buy the album, afterall nothing ventured...

Artist: Various Artists

Blast from the past, 2010-03-07
I bought this for my other half, who is a fan of the 80's and she absolutely loves it. She said it contained all the songs she remembered and a few she had forgotten, it is now a permanent fixture in the CD player in the car.

Artist: Snow Patrol

the best of snow patrol up to now, 2010-01-31
With most CDs especially doubles like this one, you play them and only the most popular that have been released as singles are played, the rest are fast forwarded. My introduction to snow patrol as an AOP was when I had a courtesy car and the previous occupier had left a snow patrol cd in the player. I played it every time I drove for 3 days, and loved the sound. When I decided to buy this copy I was surprised how many were familiar. Out of every track I think there is only 2 that dont appeal to me. Each one is different from the rest, music is great and so different from the rubbish being churned out at the moment. no hesitation in giving it 5* and recommending it to all ages who appreciate good music and sensible lyrics.

Artist: Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate

Believe the hype, 2010-03-07
Do you really need another Ali Farka Toure CD?
Do you really need more kora from Toumani?
And you've probably already got their first CD together......
I was unsure whether to bother with this latest release but I'm so glad I got it.
It is simply incredibly. Two musicians completely confident with their cultures and abilities. The result is laid back, seamless fusion of different styles.
The tracks are almost totally just kora, acoustic guitar and a little bit of vocals here and there. There is a smattering of extra bass, percussion and backing vocals on a few tracks.
Outstanding - made me revisit and listen with more care to both artists previous releases. A wonderful tribute to Ali Farka Toure.

Artist: Them Crooked Vultures

Supergroups come and go. A few (A Perfect Circle, Broken Social Scene) remain in the public consciousness but most are quickly - and perhaps justifiably - forgotten (hi Tinted Windows). This eponymous debut from Them Crooked Vultures – a supergroup comprised of Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and Nirvana/Foo Fighters drummer Dave Grohl – is set to land in the former category. But only just. From the low-slung Led Zep-esqe boogie of opener "Nobody Loves Me & Neither Do I" the record thrusts and grinds its way through a series of blues-dominated rock tunes. It’s the very stuff you’d expect in fact, given their respective backgrounds. Fuelled by Jones’ sleazy riffs and Homme’s distinctive, dominating vocals Them Crooked Vultures features the occasional quirky aside: Doors tributes (“First Breath You Take After You Give Up"), psychedelic stoner trips ("Interlude With Ludes"), even some growling funk (“Scumbag Blues”). But it’s the macho material like "Mind Eraser, No Chaser," "Gunman” and "Dead End Friends" that ultimately prove most invigorating. Like Dead Weather’s recent Horehound, this is a ...
Crooked Vultures, 2010-03-08
I bought this as a present for a friend who is a big fan of the Foo Fighters. It has not been out of the stereo yet! Its a great album for any Dave Grohl fan.

Artist: THE XX

A delicate album that really grows on you, 2010-03-11
When I first heard this album, after hearing all the hype surrounding it, I wasn't massively impressed.
Yet the more you listen to it the better it gets, which is more than can be said for a lot of records.
It draws comparisons with lo-fi indie, from Pavement to Slint, to modern urban music such as Burial.
The band apparently recorded it in a garage late at night, which added to the air of silence and muted guitar and vocals that pervades the album, transforming it from standard indie fair into something approaching an arty concept album.
The record has a uniform sound that has led some to dub it boring, but each track develops the sound in a different way and there's always something new to discover. As the Guardian wrote, listening to it on headphones on a bus late at night takes the album into a different sphere...different things seem to stick out and the silences seem much more poignant.

Artist: Various Artists
By BBC Audiobooks Ltd

excellent buy, 2010-03-09
my little boy loves this ! despite other reviews saying that there are only 16 songs and not the stated 25,there is 25.although the cd player will only read 16,there are sometimes 2 or 3 songs under one number.it has old favourites and new ones i didn't know and we happily sing along to them all in the car.i would heartily recommend this for babies and toddlers

Artist: The Courteeners

Big Little Epics, 2010-03-10
The Courteeners' second album is packed full of good
tunes and deliciously refined musical sensibility.

Front-man Liam Fray is a very fine songwriter.
His droll Mancunian vocal delivery is the ideal
instrument to communicate his pithy narratives.

At the beginning of 'Take Over The World' he sings :
"I looked into her eyes and I swore, I've never written a
cliche before and I'll probably never do so; she was
beautiful though". With that one line he made me
believe in his vision. It is a worthy anthem.

In this collection's twelve numbers there is barely
a moment when our attention is allowed to wander.

The band brings energy and imagination to the complex
arrangements. Michael Campbell's drumming deserves a special
mention. He is the vivacious rhythmic glue which holds
the magic all together. Listen to the big back-beat and
splashing cymbals on "You Overdid It Doll" for evidence
of his consummate skill.

'Lullaby' is a beautifully wistful song, packed full of
wonderfully vivid and affecting lyrical imagery.
Mr Fray has a way with words and allows us to see the world
through his eyes with a heady mixture of both humour and pathos.
"That vintage Chanel dress that you wore
Just accentuated the fact that your heart was sore...."
(The album is worth buying just to hear how he
fits the word "accentuated" into the line!!)

'Cameo Brooch' is another piece of sharply-drawn
story-telling. The disturbing imagery drags us into a
very dark place. The ambiguity of the drama unfolding
before us creates an almost suffocating sense of
helplessness in the face of his subject's pain.
(A song every bit as powerful as the gritty
realism of Joni Mitchell's 'Cherokee Louise').

The piano-based 'Last Of The Ladies' is absolutely
enchanting in its stripped-down simplicity. Mr Fray's solo
performance is utterly convincing in its moving intensity.

Final track 'Will It Be This Way Forever?' delivers a
huge epic wave of sound and brings the album to a
memorable and ground-shaking conclusion. Stunning!

Producer Ed Buller understands exactly what must be done
(and not done) to bring this wonderful music to life.

One of the year's finest releases so far.

Essential.

Artist: Lily Allen

It’s always going to be difficult to assess a character like chav-pop mad-mouth Lily Allen, seeing as absolutely everyone has an opinion on her, regardless of whether they know who she is or how they arrived at it. Where does the kicking tabloid caricature end and the artiste begin? For these reasons alone you should be grateful for It’s Not You, It’s Me, as it finally crystallises all the chaos of the last couple of years into a succinct, sparkling and occasionally brilliant album. Of course it isn’t as sweet as her debut, Alright, Still (which did have a candyfloss side and bright eyes in spite of its wordy bravado), but it is just as cheeky if you allow for the glitter, sheen and high production values that are working to elevate her to Proper Pop Star status. This is not an album that sounds like it came from lying on her bed on a Sunday morning putting her world to rights from the night before, but listen to the eloquent javelin-sharp sarcasm of “The Fear”, touching confessions of budding love on “Who’d Have Known”, or revelling in the ordinariness of a relationship on “Chinese” and you recognise the talent that got everyone excited abou...
Brilliant, 2010-01-30
This is incisive, clever and witty and the tunes are also excellent. I just have to skip the occasional track when my daughter (5) listens to the album, but she loves it too.

Artist: Alvin And The Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel

Fun cd album, 2010-03-10
This a fun album, lively music. Great for keeping little ones quiet in the car.