EMINEM Curtain Call Interscope ****

Of this greatest hits record, Eminem commented: "I have some songs that a lot of people like. I have some songs that only I like. This album is obviously for the 'lot' of people." Between the lines, then, this is the collection he thinks will sell the most, not the collection he would have preferred. Or maybe it's just a reference to the fact that somebody has decided to needlessly tack on his piss-poor duet with Elton John on Stan here. That aside, this collection is a reminder of how the man who was once memorably described by George W Bush as "the biggest threat to American youth since polio" invested hip-hop with an all too rare sense of poetic lyricism - and also managed to create a moral panic along the way for good measure. Sadly, it also chronicles a steady descent in quality over the years. But when you start from such an elevated base-level, that's not such a disaster as it sounds.

What still really impresses, apart from Eminem's lyrical dexterity, is how his unique vocal delivery teases out all forms of nuances from the songs. Listen again to the last few verses of Stan and marvel at his phrasing. You get it, too, on arguably his best ever song, The Way I Am, a declamatory statement of intent which bristles with righteous anger and carries the same sort of punch that Lennon's Working Class Hero did years earlier. While My Name Is and Lose Yourself have him pushing, pulling and pummelling, later tracks such as Like Toy Soldiers find him floundering somewhat; and too often on his later stuff he sounds like he's just settling scores with either real, or imaginary, opposition.

The new single here, When I'm Gone, suggests that Eminem still has a huge amount to offer and leaves open the possibility of a return to the filth and fury of the earlier material. In total, this collection demonstrates his massive import and influence, and remains conclusive proof that yes, white boys can rap. Brian Boyd