Bud Plays Bird - Bud Powell

Advantages: Classic British rock music
Disadvantages: -

...with steady controlled drumming as the twin guitars take turns alternating between solo and rythym. A brilliant record, you can almost picture the band nodding at each other as they go through the key changes together. ERRORS OF MY WAYS (6.58) Based on a folk melody, Powell and Martin Turner sing joint vocals, this medium-paced number shows the band's more thoughtful side, alternating between slower passages, singing and blistering axe work from Ted Turner. A lovely finish to this one too. Ted just slows everything down. QUEEN OF TORTURE (3:26) Another fairly simple standard rocker, taken at breakneck pace on a high G string. Well that's what my dad plays it on, and he's the guitar player, I'm the bassist! The only track on here where the vocals take centre stage. HANDY (11.36) Yes, eleven minutes and thirty six... Read review

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Advantages: Easily accessible, light, beautiful voice
Disadvantages: Less quirky than her earlier work, too melancholy for some

...Bic (pronounced Bec) Runga is a teeny tiny singer from New Zealand and Birds is her third studio album. You may have heard her song "Sway" (from her first album Drive) on the American Pie soundtrack. The album I have is imported from New Zealand; the UK release is slightly different. This album cover isn't much to look at. You can see from the picture that it doesn't exactly reach out and grab your attention. The booklet itself, though, has some really beautiful black and white pictures of endemic New Zealand birds as well as another portrait of Bic, also in black and white. Other than that it simply has the thanks, contributors and details of booklet production - no lyrics (in case you're a singer-alonger). On the back cover is the track listing: 1) Winning Arrow 2) Say After Me 3) Listen 4) Birds 5) Ruby Nights 6) No Crying... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing, haunting, beautifully written songs
Disadvantages: You'll either love it, or hate it

...I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this record! My boyfriend bought it last week after we watched Antony perform live at the Mercury music awards - which he won!!! From the very second that I heard him start singing I knew that I had fallen in love, and I had to have this record. Even though it was my boyfriend that bought I have hijacked it since it arrived at our house. The album has a beautiful mix of tracks (which I'll go into more detail on in a second). Antony himself is the key vocalist, although there are a few (fairly famous...) guest singers on various tracks. Antony also plays the piano on each track, and vocalist and piano form the basis of all of the songs on the album. However there is also an almost orchestral feel to the album, with strings and woodwind featuring in the background of the songs; this is not... Read review

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