Uncut

Set fire to anything. Set fire to the air," urged John Cale at the beginning of Music For A New Society. That 1982 masterpiece was the evisceration of a man whose fractured psyche was mirrored perfectly by songs arranged in jagged, improvisatory style; a knife held at the throat of sweetness. Now he reappears with his first album of songs for seven years, and his finest album in any genre for over two decades.

Remastered and elaborately repackaged reissues of nearly everything Sylvian and Co did in the '80s

It's been a long crawl back to credibility for prog titans Yes, but things seem to be shifting in their favour of late. There's a new wave of young bands emerging, unafraid to wear their prog influences on their sleeves (The Mars Volta, Cave In, Beecher) and the old sods themselves are attracting 'celebrity' plaudits (The Flaming Lips, PiL's Keith Levene, Vincent Gallo). This is as it should be—contrary to post-punk dogma, Yes were never a joyless listen.

Patchy selection from the man Quentin Tarantino called "a musical journalist, a chronicler of his time"

Re-release of NY punk-funk debut, with bonus disc

Latest instalments in sister"I-bet-you-didn't-expect-me-to-like-that" series

Fine compilation from influential soul legend who wrote "It's All Over Now"

Re-release of albums by legendary '80s Factory band featuring 808 State's Graham Massey

Lost '70s soul classic from Marvin Gaye songwriter and acolyte

Lee Perry-produced reggae diva's 1977 classic