Reviews

Truffaut's genre-defining masterpiece of childhood alienation

Forget CDs, this is how Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's bloodless multimedia project was always meant to be experienced: as a fancy interactive DVD stuffed with videos, storyboards, short animations, a documentary and plenty of hidden gimmicks that only resourceful 11-year-olds can locate. Extensive foraging suggests, however, that Albarn's soul is still nowhere to be found.

The Boss' "Rambo" period on three CDs

Remastered CD reissues of Lancastrian rockers

Piano eccentricities from jazz maverick

Surprisingly enjoyable album from Greenwich Village folk veteran

Life-threatening illness sends Rea back to his roots

Tenth album from veteran rapper sounds as fresh as his first

It's the 20th anniversary—already—of the groundbreaking TV pop show where enigmatic New Order vocalist Barney once furrowed his brow, stared at Paula Yates' arse and said to me: "Cor, I wouldn't half mind shagging that." Ah, melancholy '80s indieland, where the boys were poets and the girls were, if they had any gumption at all, somewhere else having a life. A splendid 37-track compilation this, as much for Wham! and Frankie as for Echo And The Bunnymen, Iggy Pop, U2, The Human League and The Jam.

Godlike genius in "plastic funk" scandal