www.musicweek.com PRODUCTREISSUES PAUL SIMON • BRITPOP ANTHEMS • THE CRITTERS • DISCO DISCHARGE


PAUL SIMON • Graceland (Sony Music 88691914712)


The 25th anniversary of Paul Simon’s groundbreaking Graceland is


marked by a plethora of special editions – a two-CD/one-DVD box set, a CD/DVD edition, a 180-gram vinyl edition and an ‘ultra-deluxe’ box set, which includes the two- CD/one-DVD release plus the 12- inch vinyl with a numbered, autographed commemorative poster. Ending a 14-year absence from the UK album chart summit for Simon when first released in 1986, Graceland remains one of his most powerful works. Recorded in South Africa, when the country was still under apartheid, it is a seemingly effortless fusion of his American folk/rock style with native African styles and influences, with local assistance from Ladysmith Black Mambazo rendering Homeless mournful and


memorable, and reinforcing the iron horse that is Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. Linda Ronstadt blends in well too, guesting on Under African Skies, while the slightly less Afrocentric Boy In The Bubble and You Can Call Me Al are among the finest recordings of Simon’s solo career. The only caveat here is that a remastered and expanded edition of Graceland was issued as recently as last October and has sold 34,000 copies since to punters who may not be so quick to spend again. The DVD, incidentally, contains Under African Skies, an excellent new documentary about the making of the album by filmmaker Joe Berlinger.


VARIOUS • Britpop Anthems (Virgin VTDCD 1043)


An impressive salute to the Britpop era features 40 choice cuts from prime


movers and fellow travellers in the indie/pop phenomenon that refreshed and revitalised the music scene. Sadly lacking a contribution from top dogs Oasis, it is otherwise faultless, as it winds its way through from EMF’s energetic 1990 outburst Unbelievable to Doves’ 2002 gem Pounding. In between, there’s the melodic pop of The Lightning Seeds (The Life Of Riley), Underworld’s big beat anthem Born Slippy, The Mock Turtles’ blissed-out Can You Dig It and James’ anthemic Sit Down.


THE CRITTERS • Younger Girl: The Complete Kapp & Musicor Recordings (Now Sounds CRNOW 33)


A superior sunshine pop group that prospered briefly in the mid 1960s,


The Critters served up immaculate pop/rock confections with soft harmonies. Their sublime cover of


John Sebastian’s Younger Girl was a hit for them on both sides of the Atlantic, and provided the title track for their 1966 album, of which this is a much-expanded version. It also includes their other American hits Bad Misunderstanding, Don’t Let The Rain Fall Down On Me and the superb Mr Dieingly Sad, a mellow, tuneful and thoughtful composition by band member Don Ciccone. Much of the rest is in the same style, and a generous 13 bonus tracks includes pre-fame sides and a pair of previously unreleased tracks sourced from the master tapes.


VARIOUS • Disco Discharge: American Hot / Disco Exotica / Europa / Midnight Shift (Harmless HURTCD 114 / HURTCD 115 / HURTCD 116 / HURTCD 117)


Bringing to 16 the number of releases in the Disco Discharge


range in less than three years, the latest quartet can build on the growing popularity of the series to become its biggest successes yet. All double CDs, they include sets devoted to US disco (American Hot), harder to find but familiar fare (Disco Exotica), European disco (Europa) and uncompromising hi- NRG (Midnight Shift). The latter set contains a few names known to the mainstream – Patrick Juvet, Bette Midler, Kim Carnes and Boys Town Gang spring to mind – and cult classics like Quartlock, with their re-invention of The Walker Brothers’ No Regrets. It seems likely to emerge as one of the bigger sellers, alongside the excellent Disco Exotica, which includes Liquid Gold’s rarely compiled Substitute, Voggue’s classic Dancin’ The Night Away, Boney M’s spirited attempt at My Cherie Amour and Toni Basil’s frenetic remake of Devo’s You Gotta Problem.


01.06.12 MusicWeek 41


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