How did Blondie, defunct for 15 years, re-establish themselves in the hearts of today's young pop-pickers? Their singer looks like your mum, and their comeback album, No Exit, sounds like your dad, yet the world has embraced the old glam-punks with stadium-filling gusto. What gives? The answer can be found on this live album, as Debbie Harry and the old boys tear through their back catalogue with the vigour of teenagers. Harry's voice still has that vampish, seductive snarl, and the band are solid and mature. Listen to the audience, though, as they sing and clap along to Hanging On The Telephone, Atomic, Shayla, Sunday Girl, Maria, Call Me and Heart Of Glass.
Livid may be milking it a little, but that crowd sounds like the cat that got the cream.
Stevie Wonder: The Ballad Collection
By Joe Jackson
A collection of ballads from Stevie Wonder? A wonderful idea? Well, yes and no. Stevie did create some truly romantic Motown soul ballads in the 1960s. Sadly, only one features on this collection: My Cherie Amour. No For Once In My Life, I Was Made To Love Her or Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday. That said, equally beautiful tracks like Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer and All In Love Is Fair remind us how the man redefined soul music in the 1970s. As for the rest? The best tracks from a series of albums which were relative flops: making The Ballad Collection one of his best releases since Stevie Wonder was at his peak.
Rory Gallagher: Catalogue
By Colm Banville
Blues boy Rory is back, folks, and if you're missing some of his albums, there's no better way to catch up than these CDs at just over a fiver apiece. Don't be put off by the raw production: if you haven't heard him before, this is Gallagher playing the music he's best remembered for; hard-grittin', fast-moving guitar riffs with a few vocals thrown in. Songs such as Big Guns, from the Jinx album, have that great rock'n'blues feel that lets you know he's really enjoying himself.
Tattoo, Blueprint, Stage Struck and the more recent BBC Sessions are all great to have, the extra songs are a bonus from a blues genius - and watch out for more material, such as an acoustic volume, on the way.
