English Music Reviews - October 26, 2006

CASSIE
CASSIE
One thing's for sure. Cassie sure has guts. In a month when Beyonce and Janet Jackson have released their albums comes this debut CD from a previously unheard of singer. What's shocking is that many have chosen Cassie's CD over the rest. We're guessing at the moment she's riding high on the Me & U wave, but listening to the entire album makes you realise that this 20-year former model is more than just a pillow-lipped beauty. Listen to her on Long Way To Go, a fun track with hints of R&B, rap, jazz and even trance. Similarly, the track Do What You Want looks set to be heading the club circuit way with its bouncy beat and infectious rhythm.

Despite this being a very short album (only 35 minutes), it's packed with tracks powerful enough to guarantee Cassie at least a few more radio hits.

KUSCHEL ROCK
VARIOUS ARTISTES
This double-disc collection is a slightly strange mix of old and new radio hits, which although, slightly mismatched, work perfectly for long drives, or to relax to at home.

Our favourite inclusions on the disc include Katie Melua's It's Only Pain, John Lennon's Woman, Nickelback's Far Away, Train's Drops Of Jupiter, Sarah McLachlan's Angel, Macy Gray's I Try and INXS' Afterglow.

A MATTER OF
LIFE AND DEATH IRON MAIDEN
People say don't judge a book by its cover for a reason. Although the cover of Iron Maiden's CD is still as hard as ever, the music is more mellow than their death-metal days. That's not to say it's bad. A Matter Of Life And Death, which is pretty much a concept album about war, features anthemic tracks such as These Colours Don't Run, an anti-war song and For The Greater Good Of God, a true Maiden-epic.

RESPECT M.E.
MISSY ELLIOTT
If you pick up just one Missy Elliott album, it might as well be Respect M.E., her best-of compliation featuring her favourite singles and hits from her six studio albums.

Naturally, the album kickstarts with the hugely popular Get Your Freak On. As you go through the playlist, the other hits featured include Work It, Pass That Dutch, Beep Me 911, One Minute Man and Lose Control.