9 11 2002

If you ignore Sorted! 40 Madchester Baggy Anthems' rather misleading title, then Ministry of Sound's two-disc set functions as a fun trip back to the late-'80s/early-'90s British music scene that includes a nice selection of Madchester, Brit-pop, trip-hop, dream pop, dance, and indie singles from the era. Though there's no way that the Cocteau Twins' "Iceblink Luck," Suede's "Animal Nitrate," or the Sugarcubes' "Hit" could be considered baggy – indeed, Suede's darkly glamorous version of Brit-pop was in some ways a direct response to some of Madchester's dippier, more excessive tendencies – these songs do add some contrast to baggy classics like Happy Mondays' "Step On," the Charlatans' "The Only One I Know," the Farm's "All Together Now," and Inspiral Carpets' "Dragging Me Down."

The Acoustic Folk Box presents a masterful overview of folk music from the British Isles, encompassing some 40 years of history and dozens of artists. Each of the four discs covers an era, the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s, and carries over an hour of music. Basically, The Acoustic Folk Box begins with the British folk revival of the 1960s and follows echoes that reverberate into the present. Many of the artists are well-known to general audiences (Martin Simpson, Richard Thompson, and June Tabor), while others (Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs, and John Renbourn) are perhaps less known than one might hope, especially in the United States. Where to begin? First of all, there's Alexis Korner and Davy Graham's lovely duet "3/4 AD," perhaps the mother of all fine British fingerpicking, and fellow picker Bert Jansch's definitive version of "Angi." Briggs offers a chilling version of "She Moves Through the Fair," leaving little doubt where Sandy Denny drew her inspiration several years later.

The Andrews Sisters came on the scene in 1938 with Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen, and closed out their era (early fifties) with the dreamy balled, I Can Dream Can't I? and the monster smashes in between with Rum and Coca-Cola and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy to name just a few. Their blissful passion shines on through in this 4 disc collection of some of their most popular tunes. Disc One and Two are all their Top Ten hits in chronological order. Disc three and four are full of rare tunes that are also quite enjoyable. You can't listen to these tracks and not tap your feet and sing along.

"The First Perfect Years 51-56" is a compilation album that includes Miles Davis' most important recordings from 1951 to 1956. This album covers the period when Davis began to establish a strong presence in the jazz world. It brings together his musical evolution and significant performances throughout the 1950s, offering listeners a glimpse into his best works from that era. This compilation focuses on the years when Davis solidified his influence on the history of jazz.

Charango is the fourth studio album by English electronic music group Morcheeba, released in the first week of July 2002 through Warner Bros. Records. It also appeared as a limited edition 2-CD version with a second CD containing instrumental versions of all the tracks. The album became one of the most successful ones for the band, reaching the top ten in the UK charts.

2002 compilation featuring the British Invasion act's entire recorded output during their tenure at Decca 1964-66, outtakes & all, presented in fresh, crisp stereo mixes, all mastered to 24-bit with only one overdub from the original mono (out of necessity Zombies' drummer Hugh Grundy rerecorded his part on 'She's Not There' to match his original). 48 tracks. Big Beat.

Les Rois de la Soul. 2-disc collection split between Billy Paul with 15 tracks & Bill Withers with 18. Highlights include 'Mrs. Robinson', 'You Just Can't Smile It Way', 'Soul Shadows', 'Me And Mrs. Jones' and 'Just the Two of Us' (With Grover Washington Jr.). Sony Music Media.

Alternative 60s: From Woodstock to Vietnam, a Various Artists Compilation. Released 1 July 2002 on Sony Music.