Reviews

New Jersey trio's fifth album

It's easy to be cynical about a windy old narcissistic diva but less so to heckle one who's come back from a horrible brain disease: 18 months ago Minnelli was told she'd never walk or talk again. That she battled back to do these live shows at New York's Beacon Theater is the kind of courage that wins you a whole new audience, possibly even including some heterosexuals. On the other hand, if she's really unlucky, she might just get saddled with further Pet Shop Boys collaborations.

Ninth LP from veteran Canadian rockers

'Frisco hippies who survived the '60s and still go back there for a living

Jamaican superstar DJ and his UK peers

Costa-Gavras-inspired directorial debut for John Malkovich

Part of Columbia's new and improved Superbit series, this immaculate version of Robert Rodriguez's chopsocky western arrives with no extras, no bonus features and a hefty price tag. Instead, with all available disc space used to provide the clearest pixel-free transfer to date, you get an average hyper-violent pop-Leone revenge movie with great depth of field and a sharp crystalline surface.

John Travolta begins his '80s career slide as Bud Davis, a hick who migrates to Houston, falls for the honky-tonk bar scene, marries city girl Sissy (Debra Winger), loses her to recidivist Wes (Scott Glenn), and enters a mechanical bull-riding rodeo. Compelling supporting performances (especially Winger) and authentic bar footage from-director James Bridges (The Paper Chase) compensate for Travolta's squeaky, misjudged central turn.

"Don't watch that—watch THIS!". The Nutty Boys' promos were always integral to their position as one of the greatest English singles bands of the 1980s. What's "Baggy Trousers" without a flying saxophonist? What's "It Must Be Love" without the sight of Suggs and chums risking electrocution in a swimming pool? They're all here, from '79's "The Prince" to '99's Ian Dury-assisted "Drip Fed Fred". Priceless.

Three-CD, 64-track compilation of unsung '70s soul visionaries