After being busted for drugs in Japan in 1980, Paul McCartney's Wings cancelled the rest of their tour and broke up. Paul was on his own again. So what did he do? He bought a tape machine, got out his synthesizers, let his hair down and by himself recorded his goofiest and sloppiest album to date.

That doesn't neccessarily mean it's bad. "Temporary Secretary" is probably one of of the funniest things anyone's ever made with an analog sequencer. The single "Coming Up" is catchy all the more because of its sped up chorus. "Bogey Music" is danceable features slowed down backup vocals. "Darkroom" is a funky little ditty, with hiccuping percussion and innuendo streaked lyrics.

Though despite all the weirdness, there are a few tracks that are pretty normal, albeit more lo-fi than Pauls proper studio albums. "Nobody Knows" is a straight up piece of gritty rock'n'roll, and "On the Way" is a slow bluesy haze, the sort of thing you'd expect to hear in a smoke-filled club.

When John Lennon heard this album, it's said, he made the comment that Paul sounded sad. It's true there is a melancholy streak on McCartney II. It's a resigned, tired, burnt out sadness. Can't really blame Paul, after all that had happened to him that year. "Waterfalls" is an aching ballad made all the more with it's low electronic backdrop. The plodding mellotron tune "Summer's Day Song" in some ways could be Paul expressing his need to escape the pressures of his life at the time. "Someone's sleeping through a bad dream/tomorrow it will be over". The subdued acoustic "One of These Days" also has a similar feel. "One of these days when the day just takes too long/I'm going to sing my song and see."

The two electronic instrumentals are fascinating, though not the sort of thing you'd expect a former Beatle to do. A very interesting. They sound of their time, and yet sound so set apart from it. The evocative "Front Parlour", even though it only consists of synths, sequencers and drum machines, sounds warm and human. "Frozen Jap", on the other hand is an icy march, driven by cold echoey snares, forced clapping and a monotone synth-bass lane. Even with it's cheery, vaguely Japanese melody on top, it sounds very uneasy and tense. Maybe it had something to do with Paul's arrest in Japan...

You get three bonus tracks with McCartney II, and a nice 10 seconds silence to seperate them from the rest of the album. "Check my Machine" is a goofy, dancable stomp, featuring samples of Loony Tunes cartoons and Paul jokingly singing in a Bee Gees style falsetto. "Secret Friend" is an hypnotic, piece, full of exotic rhythms, synths, sequencers and sudden but subtle changes in tape speeds. It's actually pretty amazing Paul managed to keep the track sounding as tight as it does the whole way through. "Goodnight Tonight" is Wings attempt disco single, and a pretty good one at that. It has a skittery rhythm, speedy Spanish style guitar, and some pretty goofy sound effects. It's good to have it attached to an album (Though the version on Wingspan is remastered a little better).

If you like your music a little retro, and a little quirky, you should like this. (Fans of Beck maybe) If you're into straight up McCartney love songs, you can afford to give this a miss.

When the liner notes of a CD begin with "uh-oh...", you get the feeling that the disc you've bought is going to be a disappointment. That's how the booklet of Drama begins, referring to the departure of Jon Anderson (vocalist) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards) from the band. Both of these men were vital components of the band, and after the messy "Tormato", they cut their losses and left. In their place came the members of the Buggles. Yep, Trevor Horn & Geoff Downes, the new wave band with the hit "Video Killed the Radio Star". They weren't experts of progressive rock, but they were big fans of Yes and were willing to do their best for the group. It has a reputation of being a disappointing album, and the liner notes don't seem that enthused about it. For me, Drama is not a disappointment at all!

The sound? It's not quite progressive rock, and it's not quite new wave. It's unique, somewhere in that odd place between. Fans of either genre will have to give it a few listens before it sinks in, it might not sound right at all at first. Basically, it's a poppier Yes (though nowhere near as poppy as 90125!), one that adds flange boxes and vocoders to their signature sound. Geoff Downes, like Rick Wakeman, has an interesting collection of keyboards, which make for colourful listening. There's even a xylophone in there!

Just because it's different doesn't mean there aren't great songs. "Machine Messiah" is an epic song that's just as good as any of classic Yes's epics. It opens with a chugging, almost heavy metal guitar theme, and like all the best Yes songs it takes us on a journey. It has high moments, low moments, times of intensity, times of quiet and reflection, and even a couple of those spine tingling moments Yes are so good at. The flange-bass fuelled, "Tempus Fugit" is also a classic, an song devoted to the nature of the word "Yes". (At least, I think that's what it is...). Other highlights include "Does it Really Happen", which features great synth work from Geoff Downes, and the very catchy "Into the Lens", a song that builds gently from drifting ballad to driving anthem. I had it stuck in my head for days after I heard it.

Trevor Horn, being a big fan of classic Yes, tries his best to sound like Jon Anderson. He comes as close as he can without straight-out imitating. Chris Squire and Steve Howes backup vocals also help in making Trevor's voice sound so familiar. Mr Horn's most original singing probably comes on "Run Through the Light", in which he uses a high, stilted almost operatic voice in some parts, comparable to the vocals modern day retro rockers The Darkness.

Lyrically, Trevor Horn is more direct than Jon. You can actually guess what most of the songs are about rather than just sit there baffled, staring at the lyrics pages. These Yes songs still use lots of metaphors and imagery, their just not as vague. White Car, though not the best song in the world, has lyrics that are pure poetry.

Elektra Entertainment and Rhino Records are still treating us with these re-releases. The booklet is full of glossy pictures, lyrics and a little essay about the band by Brian Ives, featuring the "Uh-oh" comment. It's not as lavishly packaged as some of the albums they've re-issued, but still very good for a budget release. (Don't know why they chose lavender for the CD-spine colour though)

Out of all the Yes re-releases, this is probably the most "expanded". There 10 bonus tracks, and the original album only had 6. Most of them are pretty good, and along with the liner notes paint a vivid picture of what the band was like at the time.

The single edit of "Into the Lens" is nice to have, as it takes all the really catchy bits and distills them into a 3 minute pop song. The single edit of "Run Through the Light" is pretty pointless, though. The alternate version of "White Car" is quite different lyrically, and explains the odd introduction to the official version. The raw run through of "Tempus Fugit" is the probably the closest you'll get to hearing that song live, as Jon Anderson refuses to sing Trevor Horn-era songs.

"Have We Really Got to Go Through With This" and "Satellite" are songs by a lineup that was, until now, unheard of - Howe/Squire/White, recorded between Jon Anderson's departure and Trevor Horns arrival. They're nothing amazing, just instrumental jams, tunes waiting for a singer. As such, they sound a little incomplete, but they still are a good insight into Yes's songwriting process.

And for all you Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman devotees, 4 tracks featuring the original Yes singer give you a good excuse to buy Drama. These are from a failed recording session with producer Roy Baker. Rather than sound new wave like Drama, they lean towards the "Tormato" and "Going for the One" sound. Although the mixing is a little rough, some of these hold up just as well as the official album tracks. Only wish some of them were louder.

There is "Dancing Through the Light", a quirky, danceable Anderson version of "Run Through the Light". It features a unique effect on Jon's vocals. "Golden Age" is probably one of Yes's happiest sounding songs, with lots of cute polymoog keyboard from Rick Wakeman. It might be too happy for some, not me, I like really happy songs. "In the Tower" is a church organ soaked ballad. "Friend of a Friend" is a busy sounding song, again with more happy synthesizer, and a great chorus.

It's hard to say who to recommend this to, apart from Yes fans. If you're into prog/new wave hybrid music (like King Crimson's Discipline) you should enjoy this. It's not really for newcomers to Yes, as the regular lead singer isn't here. Try the Yes Album if you want the progressive, classic Yes, or 90125, if you want an introduction to the poppier 1980s Yes.

After the "monster" double album, Tales of Topographic Oceans, keyboardist Rick Wakeman quit Yes, dissatisfied with where the band was going. Reacting to this, Yes jazzed up their sound, bringing in Patrick Moraz, the keyboardist from prog rock group Refugee, and recorded the results to produce Relayer.

The best track here is the 22 minute opener "Gates of Delirium", an epic song based on the epic novel "War and Peace". The introduction wanders peacefully through the main themes of the song, then the lyrics kick in. Patrick Moraz's crisp synths swoon and sing around. The song builds and builds, singer John Anderson's voice getting subtly louder, the drumming getting subtly more fierce and the melody becoming more and more loaded with tension.

Then, 8 minutes in, comes an intense piece of music that can only really be described as a sonic war. Drums going wild, each musician takes a turn at playing the lead melody, each sounding desperate to outdo each other. Backwards noises, clanging, applause and howling run across your headphones. It's paranoid, it's furious and it's probably one of the best musical equivalents of war there is. Eventually, the "war" grinds to a halt, leaving nothing but keyboard atmosphere, and out of the nothing emerges one of Yes' most moving ballads, "Soon", melancholy, loss and remorse all put to a weeping guitar.

Yep, the first track is up with classic. It's the last two tracks you've got to worry about.

It's not that their all bad. "Sound Chaser" features jazzy keyboard and rapid fire bass & drum lines, as well as a tribal "cha cha cha" chorus that sounds similar to "happy birthday to you", and the mellow lullaby "To Be Over" features some uplifting harmonies from Jon Anderson. However, all the good moments are scattered between less inspired stuff. In the midst of "Sound Chaser", for example, Steve Howe breaks into a heavy guitar solo for no particular reason. These songs feel like they are stretched long for the sake of filling the album up, they don't feel like they should be long songs. They don't feel like a "Starship Trooper" or "Siberian Khatru", more like a "Long Distance Runaround" or "A Venture". There's a lot of repetition of melody on these tracks, even for Yes, so it ruins the tracks a bit. Some may really enjoy these two tracks in their entirety, and may think that rating 3 stars is a bit harsh, it's just that they're just not my cup of tea.

Out of all the Rhino/Elektra remasters, Relayer is one of the best packaged. The version I purchased came in an LP-esque mini cardboard sleeve, which unlike some other mini-sleeves, actually fits in a standard CD rack. Inside is a great little booklet you can take out, with some nice photos of the Relayer-era lineup and a description of how each track was made, including quotes from the band members.

You get three bonus tracks, two single edits ("Soon" and "Sound Chaser"). It's nice to have "Soon" as a seperate track, rather than wear out your fast forward (or rewind) button on your CD player if you're not in the mood for the sonic war beforehand. The studio run-through of Gates of Delerium is a lot rawer, looser and guitar based than the official studio version. It's a great insight into where Yes were at, at the time. For instance, it seems when this was recorded, Patrick Moraz was yet to find his place in the band, there's nowhere near as much keyboard work on the run-through.

Yes fans should get this for "Gates of Delirium" and the great artwork. Newcomers to Yes might want to start on something a bit more accessible, like the Yes Album, or Close to the Edge, if they want a more prog taste of the band straight up.

Fragile, the fourth Yes record, is one of the most known and most loved not only in their catalog, but in progressive rock. It's the first to feature keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman and his neat little array of keyboards.

Yes music is complex and evocative, yet unlike cynical progressive rock groups like King Crimson and Pink Floyd, Yes are upbeat and optimistic. Jon Anderson's cryptic lyrics often baffle me, but he sings them with such joy and emotion, it doesn't matter.

This album is anchored by three epic songs, epic songs being a bit of a trademark with 'classic Yes' - the poppy "Roundabout", the blustery "South Side of the Sky" and the "Heart of the Sunrise". You can get lost in these tracks, they are so atmospheric and varied. It's never as simple as verse, chorus, verse, chorus with Yes. A piano solo might take over, the tempo may change, the boys might decide to jam, the moods may swing from intense to relaxed. You never quite know what you're going to hear. It's quite exciting in that way.

Sandwiched in between these epic songs we get something pretty unique. Each member of Yes has contributed a little song of their own for the album, showcasing the talents they have with their particular instrument.

We get to hear Rick Wakeman's effort first, "Cans and Brahms" a reinterpretation of a piece of music composed by Brahms, contemporizing the sound by using colourful keyboards. It's all right, not my favourite Yes track. The other members are a bit more creative with their tracks. Lead singer Jon Anderson creates catchy rhythms and harmonies with scraps of vocal lines in "We Have Heaven", Bill Bruford leads the band through 37 seconds of hiccupy jamming on "Five Percent for Nothing", Chris Squire weaves bassline on top of bassline in the funky "Fish", and Steve Howe gives us the beautiful acoustic guitar piece "Mood For a Day" (one of my favourite Yes songs).

There's not too many downsides to this album. For some, a few of the tracks may be a bit long winded and repetitive (particularly Heart of the Sunrise), but it does get a bit better with repeated listens. I personally don't like Long Distance Runaround, as it's a bit of a nothing song. Minor complaints, really. It's a quality CD.

The remaster and repacking is once again brilliant, we are really totally spoilt by the people at Elektra Entertainment. I hope more bands give us this kind of value for money with their re-issues, I really do. The sound is clearer than ever, the liner notes thorough (with lots of great pictures of the band members), and the bonus tracks worthwhile. It's good to see "America" attached to an actual album now, rather than having to get a compilation for it. The alternate version of "Roundabout" is rough, comparing it to the polished, released version shows just what a group of perfectionists the Yesmen are.

It's quality Yes, and would be an reasonable introduction to a newcomer, though Close to The Edge or the Yes Album maybe a slightly better introduction for the curious, as they are a little more accessible. Fragile isn't a difficult album, just might take a few more listens. It's a grower.

Lovers of 1970s popular music and progressive rock will enjoy this a lot. I strongly recommend it.

Morrissey was originally in a band called the Smiths. With guitarist Johnny Marr, he wrote thoughtful, witty songs that dealt with morbid issues and raw emotion. It's such a shame they only lasted a few years.

There are some fans of Morrissey who believe that his solo stuff isn't as good as the work he did with the Smiths. This compilation, by covering the first eight years of his solo career, proves that Morrissey has and still can write songs just as touching and clever as he did back in the 1980s, even without Johnny Marr and the gang.

The first single he released post-Smiths, Suedehead, is evidence to that. It's featured here as the first track, opening this compilation with that great swirling guitar. Drums, guitar and bass fall into place, sounding crisper and clearer, better produced. No more indie sound for Mozzer. Morrissey's voice, that love or hate Manchester croon, is filled with genuine emotion, heart on his sleeve stuff. The lyrics seem to be basic, it's a breakup song with a chorus of "I'm So Sorry", but if you listen to the lyrics, you discover it isn't quite so simple.

Morrissey's still had it.

The singles that followed showed Morrissey could tackle the relevant issues that he had with the Smiths with the same passion, humour and charm. He covers boredom on the classic "Every Day is Like Sunday", depression and self destruction on the echoey "Our Frank" he even an unexpected spin on an unrequited love song in the icy "Ouija Board Ouija Board".

Post-Smiths, Morrissey was still not afraid to dip into controversy. He would sing about the needs of a disabled child (On the disturbing "November Spawned A Monster"), the benefits of drugs to cope through hard times (On the poppy "Interesting Drug"), to the exploits of the notorious criminals, the Craes (On the synth-filled "Last of the International Playboys") without a second thought.

When Morrissey got his backing band together, Th'lads, in 1992, we discovered that Morrissey could rock harder than the Smiths ever could if backed with the right people. The contrast of the blaring guitars against Morrissey soothing voice on "Tomorrow", "You're the One For Me Fatty", and "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful", increase the passion and intensity of the songs.

This band bought Morrissey some success in the US in 1994 with one of his biggest hits "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get", a laid-back song about what appears to be a stalker, and the album "Vauxhall and I". From that album, you get the song "Hold onto Your Friends" a delicate plea to a loner-by-choice.

Fans will appreciate the rare tracks that appear on this album. Some have only ever appeared before on singles, and as time goes on, those singles get harder and harder to get. The rare tracks include "Interlude", a classy duet with Siouxsie Sioux, a cover of the Jam's "That's Entertainment", and the rockabilly stomper "Pregnant for the Last Time". The touching "Sunny" and "Boxers", though not as rare, are non-album singles that have only featured in compilations.

Most of the tracks were good choices for this compilation. It plays like an album rather than a best of, which is a bonus. The only track I personally don't enjoy is My Love Life, it's not really that memorable. Putting a hit like "Sing Your Life" or "Seasick, Yet Still Docked" on instead would have been nice, as they represent Morrissey better. Still, this collection is pretty solid.

I recommend this to newcomers to Morrissey, as together with the album "The Smiths - Singles", you have a pretty comprehensive introduction to the man. Also, those who enjoy adult contemporary music may find this of interest.

In 1967, in Abbey Road studios, the Beatles were recording Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In the studio next to them, an underground psychedelic band was recording an album of their own, full of freaky jams and songs about space and fairy tales. The band was The Pink Floyd Sound, and the album was Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

The album opens with Astronomy Domine. We hear distorted walkie-talkie speak and beeping, before being blasted off into space with crashing cymbals and toms. Guitars drone and whine, and we hear evocative lyrics about leaving the earth. A few verses in and we're dropped into the void, silence followed by single, echo plastered guitar note. The music returns, a guitar solo, sound effects buzzing round everywhere. It's quite an experience. This song sets the tone for one of the best psychedelic albums you'll be able to get your hands on.

When it comes to writing songs that evoke childhood memory, no one writes better than Syd Barrett, original frontman of Pink Floyd. You can tell on every tune, a lot of thought has gone in. "Matilda Mother" is a song about bedtime stories, and like a bedtime story, it is presented in an epic fashion with soaring harmonies. Syd tells us quite a few stories of his own here. "Scarecrow" is a folky tune about a sad scarecrow. "Lucifer Sam" is a tense piece of psychedelic pop about black cats and witches. "Bike" is a jittery carnival sounding ramble about items a kid might own. Just like a proud child listing his favourite things, the words just come tumbling out of Syd. "Gnome" is adorable, everything about this song is cute, from the melody, Syd's lyrics, the percussion, the floating xylophone running through it, even the name of the gnome! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Soon after the release of this album, he lost his mind to acid and the alienation of fame. He'd still record a few more child-minded songs in his solo career, like Effervescing Elephant and Maisie, but nothing as focused as the songs here. Such a shame because he really seemed to know what he was doing here

...unlike Roger Waters.

The man who would become the next and best known singer for Pink Floyd only gets one song "Take up thy Stethoscope and Walk", and it's a bit all over the place. Roger sings stilted lyrics, that don't make much sense, in a fake American drawl. Somwhere in the middle, the song transforms into an uneasy jam, then reprising with a wobbly final verse. It makes you appreciate how much Roger developed with his songwriting later on. I mean, his singing is even a lot better on the next album, A Saucerful of Secrets. At least he has a go here.

There are two instrumentals on this album - "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Pow R Toc H". "Interstellar Overdrive", like the Beatles "Revolution #9" is one of those tracks in the history of music that is so whacked out you wonder how the band convinced the record label to put it on the album. At first it just sounds like a whole lot of drug addled noise at first, blaring guitar followed by blips, blops, spooky organ and all sorts of other sonic mayhem, but on repeated listens you start to notice it actually is more structured than some would have you believe. More like a messed up classical or jazz piece. Genius, really. "Pow R Toc H" is more conventional, though features a lot of silly and often quite creepy vocal sound effects from Syd and his band. Syd even has a go at a bit of human beatboxing -decades before any rapper tried it!

This is Pink Floyd's goofiest album. Where else can you hear sped up tape loops of a goose, or hear Roger Waters sing "Doi! Doi!" in a funny voice? The take on psychedelia you hear on Piper at the Gates of Dawn is more about having fun than anything else. You can almost picture the smiles on all their faces as they make every single noise they can think of putting to tape.

As Pink Floyd went on without Syd, they'd lose this sense of humour bit by bit and become grim and serious. Maybe it just goes to show how much happiness Syd brought into the band, and into the lives of it's members.

If you're into psychedelic or retro music, this album is worth a look. If you're a Pink Floyd fan, one who likes Dark Side of the Moon or the Wall, that's no guarantee you'll like this, as this is completely different to those albums. Syd writes differently, and has a different attitude to Roger Waters and David Gilmour, the two main songwriters of 1970s Floyd. Some Pink Floyd fans really detest Syd, perhaps because their isn't a cynical bone in his body. Syd Barrett's music isn't for everyone, just as 1970s Pink Floyd isn't for everyone. If you are looking to get into Syd though, this album is a good choice to get first, though if you like it, you're going to be heartbroken when you hear what happens to him on The Madcap Laughs, his first solo album.

After the fab four, John Lennon's music is a little more straightforward and a little more personal. Rather than trying to create a pop hit or experiment, he prefered to express whatever was on his mind at the time. It might not work for some other artists if they tried this, but John Lennon was a thinker, and had much in his head and lots to say.

I could be picky and note the absence of great songs like "God" and "Gimme Some Truth", but for a one-CD collection of John Lennon's best, Lennon Legend is the best out there. The CD is filled to the brim (literally) with the finest of John Lennon's post Beatles work.

Imagine's there, of course, first off as well, as well as the heartbreaking "Jealous Guy". The early singles are here too, the anthem "Instant Karma" and the confessions of "Cold Turkey", as are two cuts from the album "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band", an album on which he fought his personal demons. On the painfully honest "Mother" and "Love", you can hear the hurt and longing in his voice. His raw emotions can also be felt on the bitter folk tune "Working Class Hero".

John's political ideals feature a lot on this compilation, put catchily to music in "Happy Xmas", "Give Peace a Chance" and "Power to the People". "Mind Games" reveals Johns thoughts about the broken hippie ideals, while on the upbeat "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" he teams up with Elton John to cheer us up. He may have even been trying to cheer himself up.

The surreal "#9 Dream" is also here, where you can hear John's confusion in the absence of Yoko during his "lost weekend" period. You get all four singles from the tragic Double Fantasy comeback, the optimistic "Starting Over", the romantic "Woman", the affectionate "Beautiful Boy" and the bemused "Watching the Wheels". You also get two songs from the posthumously released album, Milk and Honey, the catchy "Nobody Told Me", and the laid back musings of "Borrowed Time".

Hardcore Beatles fans will probably want to pick up every single Lennon disc, just because they can, but this is a pretty good overview if you don't have the time, money or patience. I'd also recommend this to fans of 1970s popular music, and to lovers of singer songwriters. Whether he wanted to be or not, John Lennon was quite good at being one.

Oh, and if you want to go for the total Lennon experience, see if you can get your hands on the John Lennon Encyclopedia by Bill Harry.

The Smiths did a couple of things for music. They showed that it was still cool to have guitar in the synth filled 80s popscene, and they showed that music could still make you think and feel.

The sound of the Smiths? Jangly guitar pop, thanks to Johnny Marr and morbid crooning, thanks to Morrissey. As they were on an independent label at the time, rather than a big record company, the sound isn't as manufactured as a lot of contemporary 1980s recordings. It's more real, more raw. The treble and echo heavy production has dated a little, though.

The performance is great. Morrissey sings with passion, a little rawer than later albums, but just as powerful. Johnny Marr is a wizard on the guitar, to be brief. Andy Rourke's bass is particularly catchy, especially on tracks like "This Charming Man". Mike Joyce, the drummer, keeps a tight time as he should, and often adds a great intensity to the songs, such as on "Miserable Lie" and "Hand in Glove".

Morrissey, even at this early stage has witty and evocative lyrics, a combination of compassion and disgust. Lusty girls and passive guys make up a lot of the lyrical content, like on "Reel Around the Fountain", "Miserable Lie", "Pretty Girls Make Graves". Homosexuality features in "Hand in Glove". Unemployment crops up too, on "Still Ill" and "You've Got Everything Now" , (who else would have the guts to sing "I've never had a job because I'm too shy"). Worth a mention are the haunting lyrics of "Suffer Little Children", about the moors murders.

"Fresh lilaced moorland fields
Cannot hide the stolid stench of death"

The sampled child's laughter in that song makes things all the more creepy.

Downsides, the songs are a bit samey musically, in themes, production and style. The tracks "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" and "I Don't Owe You Anything" aren't that great, just moody and repetitive. Still, us Smiths fans don't mind. You either love them or you hate them. Morrissey's voice, lyrics and attitude are pretty polarizing.

Personally, I like this album better than Queen is Dead, so I'd recommend this to newcomers, though a compilation may be better, as you'd get a taste of everything. For fans, The Smiths self titled is a must, really.

According to the new liner notes on this disc, if Yes didn't make a great, successful album by their third try, apparently their record label was going to drop them.

Aren't we lucky they did release a great album!

This is the first album with the classic Yes sound, as master guitarist Steve Howe arrives, and the band decides the direction it wants to go in. It's very upbeat music, leaning a bit more to the rock'n'roll rather than progessive rock, compared to their later albums like Close to the Edge and Relayer.

The remaster is fantastic. It's like sonic sunshine, a bit of a silly comparison, but it fits. It's warmer and brighter, every instrument shines through. Probably the best they're going to get it.

The first track "Yours is No Disgrace" showcases everything the band can do. Jon Anderson's vocals are emotional and optimisic, Steve Howe's guitar work is often complex, Chris Squires bass rich and satisfying, Tony Kaye's keyboards varied and beautiful and as always Bill Bruford's drumming is complex, energetic and exciting.

The live track Clap follows, a instrumental solo by Steve Howe which has a real rockabilly feel. Guitar enthusiasts will appreciate this.

Starship Trooper is a sci-fi song that evokes spacey imagery in it's words, it's harmonies and it's phaser guitar. Probably one of the most romantic things about aliens ever written. The Disillusion segment of the song brings you down to earth with it's folky feel, then your sent back into the void with "Wurm", a droning jam that not many bands could pull off with as much energy and passion as Yes.

"I've Seen All Good People" is an acoustic led song about chess. The world needed a song about chess, so now we have one, again with really romantic and evocative lyrics, including a line from John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance. It's a surprisngly moving song. When the organ comes in I get a shiver up my spine every time. It then breaks into a rocking jam, once again great guitar by Steve Howe.

My least favourite track is "A Venture", as it's not very memorable or catchy or exciting, but as it's only a very small part of the album, I'm still giving this five stars. The other tracks are that good!

Perpetual Change is a emotion charged song that starts off with a guitar that sounds like news bulletin music, then melts away into a ballad dispersed by jams along the way. Great closer.

The bonus tracks comprise alternate versions of songs that are already on the album. The single versions of "Your Move" and "Life Seeker" are in mono and aren't as well remastered as the proper tracks, if at all. Good for nostalgia, I guess, remembering how the songs were on the radio back then.

The alternate version of Clap is insightful. It's played a tad clumsier than the live version, which explains why it was used instead, and features a melody that would later become Fragile's Mood For A Day. They were the same song at one point! Wow, what a guitar solo that would have made if Steve Howe had left it like that!

Newcomers to Yes might like to start here, the songs are very accessible, some of their best actually. Worth a listen for fans of progressive rock and 1970s rock. If you like music with an optimistic outlook and quality playing, you'll like this too.

The Golden D is the second of Graham Coxon's solo albums, recorded in 2000, a year after the spaced out album "13" by Blur, on which he played guitar and even sang (on Coffee and TV).

This album is VERY different to 13.

Graham's textural adventures with Blur on the album 13 have not gone forgotten. The moody instrumental "Lake" begins similar to the Blur song "No Distance Left to Run", a jam that ever so slowly builds up into a sonic tantrum, buzzing, humming and squealing through your speakers. Very cool.

For the most part though, the textural effects Graham has mastered are used to make the album sound raw and live. Graham plays everything on this album, though you wouldn't know, it sounds like a band playing in the same room.

The music for the most part is angry, energetic and loud. From the crunchy skater-punk of "Jamie Thomas", to the Sex Pistols feel of "The Fear", to the venomous "Fags and Failure", this is a heavy disc. Makes Blur's "Song 2" look quite light in comparison. In short, it rocks.

A highlight is the angsty "Leave Me Alone". Starting off a lot like an early Korn song, Graham mumbles his way through a tense verse before screaming the chorus ("LEAVE ME ALONE!") in a way that only an angry Brit could do sincerely. The middle of this song features an exciting, squiggly guitar solo that fans of Sonic Youth will like, followed by a sickeningy catchy chant "you're nothing, you're nothing, we're nothing", before blasting back into the chorus with stacks of white noise.

Distortion is everywhere, many lyrics are fuzzed over and electric guitar is used nearly all the way through with the amps set to 11. "Don't Think About Always" is the murder of an amplifier, no question about it. No one could blast and loud, shredding tone like that from an amp and not leave it blown out. You can almost hear the poor thing dying. Oh well, Graham's had a lot of success with Blur, he can afford a new one.

For an album that is live sounding and plastered with distortion, there is a surprising amount of variety here. "Oochy Woochy" is a jazzy, hip-hop kind of piece which features a squawking brass section and a chorus of "Oochy Woochy, YEAH BABY!". "Satan I Gatan" is an odd industrial song which has samples of an opera singer thrown in. "Fame and Fortune" & "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" are songs originally sung by an old school American punk band called Mission of Burma. They are performed really well here, Graham's voice suits them perfectly. The best singing he does on this album are on these songs.

It's too ragged to be a perfect album. Some of the songs are a bit repetitive at points (like The Fear, Satan I Gatan, and My Idea of Hell) and a lot of the time, you can't hear Graham very well, quiet and shy guy that he is. On Keep Hope Alive, his voice cracks off key and he fumbles on his guitar, but it doesn't matter, the emotion and the personality shines though, a lot like the way it comes through in an musician like Syd Barrett's work.

Some people don't like Graham's cover art, I do. The booklet, rather than lyrics, comes with a picture for each song. They're all very child-like, but they each suit the songs perfectly. The way the cardboard cover looks like its really been drawn on in pencil and crayon is pretty cool too.

I recommend this for people who want heavy, angry music, but don't want to go as far as metal. Blur fans may find this of interest, those it's not very similar to the work of Graham's (former) band (similar to Song 2 maybe, but that doesn't really represent Blur very well).

Oh, and look out for Graham's new album Happiness in Magazines!