2002

David Bowie - Heathen
Cornelius - Point
Angelique Kidjo - Black Ivory Soul
Sleater Kinney - One Beat
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man - Out of Season

I tried to get a non blog writing, David Bowie obsessed friend to compose a review of this album, but she declined, so you're stuck with my lowly observations. Though she did want me to point out that the best song is 'Cactus'. A strange choice, I feel, despite its greatness, as it's a Pixies cover and thus not penned by the veteran chameleon himself. This is a stunning return to form, not that his 90s albums were shabby by any means, but not on a par with his extraordinary run of 70s ones. It's an edgy, atmospheric listening experience, and he's wearing a snazzy suit on the cover, bonus.

More Japanese weirdness, courtesy of Cornelius, complete with the sound of dripping taps, coughs & splutters and named after a Planet of the Apes ape. I was privy to the Cornelius live experience at the Shepherd's Bush Empire (home of Wogan) in 2002. Mind bending images flashed across the back of the stage as strobing lights induced a kind of hypnotic trance and feet shuffled along to the jittery beat.

See, I told you we'd come back to Ms Kidjo, so here we are. The live performance of some of these tracks was my highlight of last year's Live8, from the Africa Calling concert, relegated to out-in-the-sticks Cornwall. The Eden Project was a much better setting than dingy old Hyde Park. A mixture of rhythms from Benin & Brazil, with lyrics in a combination of Fon (Fɔngbe) & French. It has a much more varied pallet of sounds than her previous records, with some excellent stomping music & tender ballads (not that I have a clue what she's on about without consulting the translations in the booklet).

Sleater-Kinney is the best band named after a road that my mate Hockey has driven down. Sadly now kaput, I managed to see them live last year on their 'The Woods' tour at Koko (formerly the Camden Palace) and was most impressed by their t-shirts. Even though their last album acquired rave reviews from a music press that largely ignored them in the past, I still prefer the upbeat shoutiness & catchy choruses of this one, oh oh oh!

Beth Gibbons, the lead vocalist of the not very prolific Portishead gets a chance to shine on this collection of dreamy, country-tinged ditties. Along with collaborator Rustin' Man (Paul Webb) she conjures a dark & brooding landscape of longing & regret. As autumn kicks down the door to give summer a damn good throttling, this is a perfect companion to have during those long, lonely winter nights.