Pick Of The Issue
WALTER YETNIKOFF
howling at the moon: confessions of a music mogul in an age of excess [abacus book]
Peter Murphy isn’t telling porkies: Howling At The Moon really is the most decadent rock ‘n’ roll read since Motley Crue The Dirt and almost manages to out-gross the classic Led Zep tell-all, Hammer Of The Gods.
No reputation is left untarnished as Yetnikoff details the excesses, chemical or otherwise, that he was privy to during his 27-year reign as the head of CBS Records in America.
You wouldn’t expect anything other than bad behaviour from the likes of Keith Richard and Sly Stone, but Barbra Streisand? Never mind the rock ‘n’ dirty funk brigade, it’s these MOR divas you’ve gotta watch!

LOU REED
animal serenade [sire cd]
The coloured girls aren’t going do-de-do-de-do anymore, but there is room on this double live album for such treasures as ‘Venus In Furs’, ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’, ‘Candy Says’ and ‘Heroin’. Recorded last year in LA during his 60-date world tour, the Frumpfather of Punk sounds more energised than he has done in years and – knock us down with the proverbial – even has a few bon mots for the crowd. Add in new material from The Raven, and tracks like ‘Set The Twilight Reeling’, ‘Ecstasy’ and ‘Vanishing Act’ which have never appeared on a Reed concert album before, and it’s a well tasty package.

PLACEBO
soulmates never die: live in paris 2003 [hut dvd]
I’m not sure if they left behind the same “trail of blood and spunk” that they did on previous tours, but Placebo certainly look well up for it as they play to 18,000 adoring Froggy fans. While diehards will mourn the absence of old faves likes ‘Nancy Boy’ and ‘Bruise Pristine’, the newer likes of ‘Taste In Men’ and ‘Slave To The Wage’ demonstrate that, when you scrape away the lippy ‘n’ mascara, there’s a shit hot rock ‘n’ roll band underneath. The accompanying Sleeping With Ghosts, if you will, tourumentary also suggests that Brian Molko isn’t the egotistical little prick certain British magazines have made him out to be.

BARRY MANILOW
ultimate mannilow [bmg cd]
I know what you’re thinking – there’s Clark being all kitsch and playing the so bad it’s good card. While the former may indeed be the case, it’s my contention that Bazza is a MOR colossus who’s infinitely better at his job than the Coldheads and Starplays of this world. Take ‘Mandy’ for instance, an emotional rollercoaster ride of a song that shows Westlife up as the rickety Xerox machine that they are. Cheese of the superior organic Stilton kind.

THE COCTEAU TWINS
albums [4ad cd]
Robin Guthrie takes care of the remastering duties as 4AD dust down the Cocteau’s back catalogue. The difference on later albums like Heaven Or Las Vegas is negligible but Blue Bell Knoll, once all shy and timid, now lunges out of the speakers at you. In case you’re wondering, Mr. Guthrie is currently scoring a movie soundtrack with old mucker Harold Budd.