Wired 19

Jagger doesn't show any signs of wear on his third – and by far best – solo album. If anything, his voice seems to have developed a deeper bottom end without sacrificing any of the highs. This is not always an advantage – the forced falsetto and rhythmic pulse of "Sweet Thing" causes a nightmarish flashback to the Stones' disco flirtations in the mid-'70s…

The resurgence in popularity of British hard rock during the early and mid eighties had been fuelled predominantly by the emergence of the NWOBHM, a musical genre that mainly embraced rough hewn riff combos. However, a secondary more melodic movement was also in full swing spearheaded by musicians influenced by the enormous success of US based acts such as Journey, Foreigner and Loverboy. Virginia Wolf were, it must be said, very much at the cutting edge of the counter offensive, weighing in as one of the UK's most promising new groups. Their debut album is regarded as a milestone in melodic hard rock, relying heavily on gifted song writing, together with the stunning vocals of Chris Ousey, a man with one of the most identifiable voices in British rock. It is a simply breathtaking offering.

This double album arrives late because it was announced time ago. It´s a collection of tracks from the early years of the band until "Signify" album, when they decided to change their musical path and explore new musical territories…

Excellent introduction to the early days of Steven Wilson and his seminal band Porcupine Tree, with a thoughtful collection of album tracks, b-sides and rarities curated by Wilson himself, with the same attention to detail that we’ve come to expect from his flourishing solo career.