Reviews

Whimsical but thought-provoking take on the Middle East conflict

More personal than Knowing Me, Knowing You and sharper than the series just broadcast, this masterfully observed, grotesquely populated comedy is to the '90s what Fawlty Towers was to the '70s—but you know all that. Buy this, then, for the meaty extras and as a handy reminder that UK comedy can still be the best in the world.

With director Eastwood Oscar-hot from Unforgiven and star Costner hit-hot from The Bodyguard and JFK, 1993's A Perfect World should've been a smash. Yet there's a darkness to the story of possibly psychotic boy-befriending recidivist Costner that simply killed the movie at the box office. On re-examination, it's a fascinating film, a blatant conflict of arch American sentimentality and subversive menace. And Costner's great in it, too.

Mosaic of hitherto unreleased Faust sounds, spanning their 31-year career

Brought up on the same south London estate as the rampaging So Solid Crew, you might have expected Baz to have become a soul diva or a rap artist, like her sister Monie Love. Instead, under the direction of uber-producer Guy Sigsworth, she's chosen an unashamedly pop path. It would be unfair to call her a black Dido, even if several of the melodies would not have sounded out of place on No Angel. But a female version of Seal wouldn't be far wide of the mark.

Garage rock with an arty twist

Multi-ethnic mixture of religious, film and dance music by post-punks

Pumped and vacuous fourth album from rap's No 1 pin-up

The Blades Of Grass ARE NOT FOR SMOKING REV-OLA West Coast ex-folksters The Sunshine Company just missed stardom when their version of newcomer Jimmy Webb's "Up, Up And Away" was beaten into the charts by the Fifth Dimension's in 1967.

Remastered 24-CD box set of live performances by establishment-baiting avant-noise terrorists