Reviews

Robert Altman's wry comedy tackles the origins of modern showbiz and media manipulation in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Paul Newman plays the legendary 'star' as a bundle of neuroses who more than meets his match when the show is joined by Sitting Bull (Frank Kaquitts)—a man of principles, unimpressed by the razzamatazz. An enjoyable indictment of Hollywood.

Exhaustive triple-disc anthology of '70s Philadelphian troubadour

Reprised fun and frolics from Fee, Prairie and the girls

Legendary debut album plus stripped-back demos from female pop pioneers that time nearly forgot

Adventurous successor to garage star's Mercury-winning debut

Second album of dark Americana from Illinois trio

Two-CD, 26-track memento of Cali punk-funkers' London summer shows

Stunning all-star tribute to country music's first dynasty, produced by John Carter Cash As musical legacies go, the Carter Family takes some topping. From an obscure 100,000-watt Mexican radio station, the truly seminal recordings of Alvin Pleasant Carter, wife Sara and cousin Maybelle took country to a whole new coast-to-coast American audience in the '30s. As vocal-harmony innovators, they were as vital to the development of bluegrass as Bill Monroe.

Epic Scots find fresh focus for fifth LP

Fourth album from leading UK Americana exponents