Reviews

Extraordinary existential investigations yield mixed-up results

Lavish nine-CD box of unreleased scream-up by visionary saxophonist

Career-spanning survey of Americana masters, including demos and rarities

The lover's discourse of disco, expanded, remastered and repackaged for the 21st century

Mini compilation from obscure Glaswegian trio, featuring now not-so-obscure drummer

First outing in four years from polished indie-rock enigmas

Pennsylvanian trio get under the covers

Underrated Seattle singer's trippy solo debut

New York imprint's bumper pack of freestyle punk-funk

SPIDER-MAN 2 IS THE best movie adaptation of a superhero comic since Superman 2—one each to Marvel and DC, then. Like that 1980 Christopher Reeve (R.I.P.) super-vehicle, here the eponymous character, played by Tobey Maguire with muscular sensitivity, is torn between saving the world and giving it all up for The Girl (Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane). This sets things up quite nicely for Peter Parker's biblical abdication of responsibility when the prospect of losing MJ becomes too great and inevitable return when he realises his true calling.