The Very Best of the Original Dubliners

A very nice change of pace, Irish folk. Though I would have liked a general Dubliners comp rather than just the hit-making quintet of the late 60s. The songs are pretty sparse and under-produced and there are no drums for all the songs, though you don't really notice that due to the lilting rhythms and uplifting voice of Ronnie Drew. I really liked the folk version of Whiskey in the Jar even more than the hard rock (Thin Lizzy) or metal (Metallica) updates. Most of the songs here are traditional songs re-arranged by them - my favourite is the roaming I'm a Rover. The version of Ewan MacColl's Dirty Old Town here is not as good as the more layered version by The Pogues, which is also more melodic than the Dubliners' version. Luk oot yer windey, chappies!

Inception

Wow! The main story is really great, really digs into your subconscious whilst simultaneously exposes the subtext and pretext of dreams.

My only gripe with this is that action scenes aren't really Nolan's thing, with one sequence in particular looking like that old PC game Counterstrike.

And my dreams usually are a lot more bizarre and surreal than the dreamscapes here.

And also Leo's wife's predicament seems a bit similar to the third chapter of Wim Wenders' Until the End of the World.

The Best of the Animals

Oh, never had their version of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood before. As it is, it rips Elvis Costello's and Yusof Islam's versions to confetti. Who could beat that strange time signature, that wailing, that simultaneously elating and depressing organ? I don't think any other cover should be attempted, after hearing the definitive version. The other songs some I have and some I don't.

One sadly missing classic is For Miss Caulker, which is probably the best white blues-soul around. It does have the anthemic I'm Gonna Change the World, without which I think U2 probably wouldn't have had an early career. I also woulda liked some New Animals' songs, especially Sky Pilot. But no, it's all by the "classic" line-up from the 64-66 era. Nothing from the reunion albums as well.

Dylan - Tell Tale Signs (Bootleg Series Vol. 8)

I got the twin CD version. Looked around for the triple CD version but can't find it. Mainly got this on McJohnald's positive review of it. And it doesn't disappoint. The Oh Mercy alternate takes are better without the typical Lanois pea-soup fog layers. And Modern Times mostly comprises pretty banal generic blues-influenced songs, I think, but the out-takes and alternate takes, stripped totally bare, are pretty refreshing and direct.

A couple of the out-takes of Time Out of Mind aren't as good as the official songs, but they'll do. My fave song here is the collab with Ralph Stanley on The Lonesome River, you coulda sworn he was meant to sing bluegrass all his life.

On the down side, Ring Them Bells (the live version) is sung in spurts of machine-gun rap and totally spoils the elegiac beauty of the studio version. A few of the songs done for soundtracks aren't very good, either. All in all, a pretty good continuation where Vol. 1-3 left off.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Greatest Hits

Not much a fan of Southern Rock in general, but this is rather okay. Only has two duds - "What's Your Name?" and "You Got That Right", which are pretty rote blues boogies. And I finally get to listen to the full solo coda to "Free Bird", which is nothing great, compared to "Hotel California"'s solo coda, this is just pointless noodling. And the 3-guitar set-up is hardly utilised to full effect, I can pretty much play everything here on a single guitar, except maybe for the riff to "Sweet Home Alabama", which I never could play properly.

The Very Best of Marvin Gaye

Mainly got this because I have a soft spot for "Wherever I Lay my Hat (That's my Home)". Pretty disappointed it's not done in the slow soul manner like Paul Young's version, but pretty much a routine Motown number. This comp has a lot of Tammi Terell and Diana Ross duets which I don't have. All the songs here are pretty great, except for that number from "Here My Dear", which I hear is a pretty dire album anyway. Great!

AC/DC - Iron Man 2

Not so much a greatest hits but more of a highlights album from their warmest received albums. The songs that work the best are those riffs with some space between the powerchords, like "Highway to Hell" and "Back in Black". Otherwise, it sounds pretty close to Free, exception being "Thunderstruck" which sounds a lot like Iron Maiden but is fantastic, anyway. I also dislike "Let There Be Rock" cos the drums aren't miked properly and the bassline sucks. Should have just used a single-note bassline like in "War Machine" (off "Black Ice"), which is awesome. This is the only other AC/DC album I have, besides "Back in Black". Anti-Christ/Devil's Children, indeed.

The Hollies - Midas Touch : The Very Best of the Hollies

Mostly got this due to sTeVe's fascination with them. The classic songs (64-67) are really good, very sharp hooks and the lyrics being idiosyncratic enough to distinguish them from the other British Invasion groups out there. I also really like the psychedelic-era songs like "King Midas in Reverse" and "Dear Eloise". After that, it's pretty hit or miss, although "Air That I Breathe" is awesome, and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" a pretty nice CCR pastiche. Never really liked "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and still don't. The post-1979 songs are horrendous as are the Peter Howarth-sung ones. The latest song "Then Now and Always" is pretty ok, though. Nice!

The Very Best of Rainbow

Continuing my dalliance with Dio after his death. The Dio songs here aren't really that good, I only liked the power ballad "Catch the Rainbow". "Gates of Babylon" pioneered the synth-metal template he would later expand in his solo band. Problem is, less than half the songs here are from the Dio era. When I got to the Graham Bonnett songs, that was still okay - nice cock-rock in a KISS-style cocksure swagger. But when I got to Joe Lynn Turner - it was ARGGGGHHHHH!!!! I'd rather eat Brian Burks' knob-cheese than listen to this shite - only one song is bearable -"Jealous Lover" which has a cool riff. The rest are somewhere between Europe and Foreigner, both I really hate. Worst comp I ever bought.

The Undertones - Positive Touch/The Sin of Pride (2 CD twofer for the price of one)

Got this mainly because some people said "Positive Touch" is good. For me, I find it a tad over-produced and the psychedelic leanings not really that interesting, would have been better if they made it a straight jangle-pop album. Also, I find the stripped-down demos (bonus tracks) of songs like "Julie Ocean" to be much better than their "official" versions. I have to concede to the fact that, however, the hooks aren't immediately accessible, unlike their debut album, and repeated listenings will probaly make this album a grower.

"The Sin of Pride" - now this is more up my alley. An affectionate tribute to 60's Motown soul and organ-based pop-rock such as from 60s Traffic, they went back to writing sharp hooks and very catchy melodies. Sorry, but I like this more than "Positive Touch".

Daniel Johnston - Continued Story/Hi How Are You

"Continued Story" is not really that interesting - it has a lot of spit and polish, which is what I don't need from Daniel Johnston. Best song here is the acappella "Dem Blues". Otherwise, there's just too much tinkering from other competent musicians that spoil Johnston's magical brew. Though I do like that song with the Texas Instruments computer drumbeat (name escapes my mind at the mo').

"Hi How Are You" - now this is more like it - best songs here, though, are the accordion-based songs - "Big Monkey Business" and "Walking The Cow" - which have good melodies and interesting song structures. Another noteworthy song is "Despair Came Knocking", the two-note chords sent shivers up my spine. Otherwise, some songs sound worse than me dicking around when high or mad.