Queen: Greatest Hits III (Parlophone)
Since most of Queen's hits are already available on volumes I and II, you wonder if there's anything left; however, the remaining three members of Queen have found some interesting ways of recycling the band's back catalogue and ensuring that the legacy of the late Freddie Mercury is well and truly milked. Greatest Hits III opens with a live version of The Show Must Go On, featuring Elton John on lead vocals, and the show does indeed go on, with a stuttering, clumsy remix of Under Pressure featuring David Bowie, a karaoke version of Another One Bites The Dust - Wyclef Jean singing along - and a really quite good live version of Somebody To Love, George Michael doing a superb Freddie impression. Mercury himself is in there too, but he seems relegated to a mere supporting role in his own tribute.
Kevin Courtney
Various Artists: Blow Up A Go-Go (V2/Blow Up)
London's Blow Up club has been going strong for six years, and this compilation gives a flavour of the club's music style, a mix of rare grooves, r&b classics, Latin jazz and 1960s psychedelia. The 20-track groove-athon opens with the funky Bert's Apple Crumble, and continues with Georgie Fame's Somebody Stole My Thunder, The Coasters' Love Potion No. 9, Spencer Davis Group's I'm A Man, and Buddy Rich's The Beat Goes On. Other nuggets include Exploration by The Karminsky Experience Inc., Psychedelic Sally by Eddie Jefferson, Bongolia by the Incredible Bongo Band and - hey, is that Austin Powers I see grooving on the dance floor?
Kevin Courtney
Barry White: Staying Power (Private Music)
You want phallocentric pop music? Egocentric lyrics? Song titles that are about as subtle as, well, a Barry White song? You got it all here on Staying Power, White's come-back album. Complete with "seductive" liner notes by Marc Eliot plugging songs, again, oh-so-subtly. "`Don't Play Games around here because it is unnecessary. BW is dealing the real thing. That's why The Longer We Make Love will lead you to understand I Get Off On You so good until you don't know Which Way Is Up. Baby! As for the songs themselves, White still sings as if he is lying on his back, operating a sex phone line and taking this kind of nonsense way too seriously. If you "get off" on this, get off.
Joe Jackson
