Music Album Reviews

We all love Ennio Morricone
Various Artistes
To celebrate composer Ennio Morricone who has made a monumental contribution to more than 500 film and television scores, 16 guest artistes join in all-star tribute of Morricone's most memorable music.

The album opens on a mediocre note with Celine Dion doing her version of I Knew I Loved You, the haunting theme from Once upon a Time in America. Following that not-so-great opening, however, is a slew of brilliant tracks.

We especially loved Quincy Jones and Herby Hancock's The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Roger Waters' Lost Boys Calling, Morricone himself on Cinema Paradiso, Bruce Springsteen's Once Upon a Time in the West and Chris Botti's Love Affair. The one that swept us off our feet was Metallica's Ecstasy of Gold, a track they've used as a concert intro for years.

This is a brilliant tribute album to a brilliant man and with so many artistes from so many eras and genres featured here, we'd say it's well worth a buy.

Out of the woods
Tracy Thorn
Remember Everything But The Girl's Missing? Well Tracy Thorn is the voice behind that famous song. This is her first solo album in 25 years, and we're impressed. A lot of the tracks here are cosmic disco, with the occasional clubbing tune, interspersed with a bunch of ballads about motherhood and finding peace. But in most part, it's danceable stuff with a little bit of jazz, a little bit of folk-rock and a little bit of soul.

All the stars and boulevards
Augustana
It's hard to talk about Augustana without mentioning their brilliant second single Boston. It's a dramatic rock ballad with soft lyrics and a strong piano. Along those lines is the equally impressive Sunday Best, which mixes gentle lyrics with melodic music. We're not really sure why this band isn't a lot bigger than they are. They've got the talent, all they need now is the publicity.

Jean Mouawad presents Shah Lounge: Music for your soul
Various Artistes
The Shah Lounge in Beirut is the rendezvous of the jet set and the regular pit stop for tourists. This album features some of the regular favourites played there such as Ain't No Sunshine, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Akazeb Aalik. For fusion fans, this is perfect as it's a brilliant mix of Eastern and Western melodies.