Judy Collins -- Shameless

I don't know much about Judy Collins but presume she was of the Joan Baez, June Tabor singer -songwriter club.

This album is loosely hung around a book she has written (partly autobiographical) which is the story of "one woman's emotional and spiritual odyssey".

Enough already, as Americans are wont to say. It's all pretty anodyne, dreary stuff about people's choices and the like. But written in a really dull way.

In much the same way that we can leave Bob Dylan now, we can also leave all these other boring performers who still trade on past glories.

The lyrics contained in the "12 page songbook" would make Ronan Keating wince to sing. I would like to thank Ms Collins for her time, but tell her it's time to get her coat and leave.

Antony Silson

Johnny Marr and The Healers: Boomslang

It's heartbreaking to see a guitar legend reduced to such bitterness for his past achievements.

Johnny Marr was arguably the 80s' most prolific guitarist, penning a never-ending production line of Smiths classics and adding an innovative touch to Electronic, Pretenders and Billy Bragg numbers.

He has now gone all out to prove himself in another direction, the result being a horrible collection of ill-fitting styles.

Heavily blues influenced, he hides behind vocal distortion and wah wah peddles, walking an uncomfortable journey into territory that simply doesn't suit him.

Boomslang is further evidence that he misses the creative input of a talented vocalist and lyricist to bounce ideas off and build upon.

Needless to say this is all just an awful waste.

James Heward

SourceLabs -- 16 Classiques de 1995 a 2002

Brilliant compilation of the outpourings of this unique French home to electronica.

If you're tempted by the effortless charm of Air and the odd world of Daft Punk, then welcome home.

It's a little bit dance, a little bit ambient (no place here for the word "chill") and a little bit whooah.

The Source label was putting out records by future chart stars before the bands were even signed to major labels.

Stand-out tracks include La Chatte Rouge with their lolloping "ecouter fumer" and Le Tone with their (DJ Shadow) shenanigans about "jean- jaques et les dauphins".

Antony Silson