Reviews

Gorillaz Phase One—Celebrity Take Down

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.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Live—1975-85

The Boss' "Rambo" period on three CDs

Jethro Tull

Remastered CD reissues of Lancastrian rockers

Thelonious Monk

Piano eccentricities from jazz maverick

Tom Paxton – Looking For The Moon

Surprisingly enjoyable album from Greenwich Village folk veteran

Venetian Snares – Winter In The Belly Of A Snake

Vaguely upsetting Toronto electronica

Missy Elliott – Under Construction

Business as usual for newly slimmed-down genius

Die Another Day – Warners

Another day, another Bond movie. Forgive me if I can't get worked up about the McConcept, although David Arnold is, by any standards, a slick operator who does as much as anyone could to keep the formula fresh. Paul Oakenfold has a stab at remixing the James Bond theme, and, of course, Madonna and Mirwais concoct that title song. Here Madge contrives to sound like a tracheotomy victim rattling through an outtake from the Music album. "Sigmund Freud," she croaks. We wonder why. Then we realise she's simply trying to tell us she read a book once.

Justin Timberlake – Justified

Solo debut by 'NSync frontman with production by Timbaland and the Neptunes

Blood Work

Convincing thriller from ageing legend
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