Noise, basically. Catalogue number 666

Original gangsta reforms

Odd hits affair which hardly acknowledges Peter Green

Two-CD garnering of US maverick producer/songwriter's golden years. Includes rare and unreleased gems

Music of unfeasibly large variety of style

Serious overview of black music

US TV soundtracker (3rd Rock From The Sun), producer (Ween) and Alex Chilton collaborator makes sunny Scotpop with Norman Blake and co

Italian lo-fi indie label collates impressive covers album

The producers of 8 Mile expect it to do for hip hop what The Blackboard Jungle did for rock'n'roll and Saturday Night Fever did for disco. As Eminem is already far and away the biggest-selling recording star in America, you kind of wonder where there is left for him to cross over to. Nevertheless, word is the movie's a highly successful Rocky-type dream-fulfilment tale of poor-kid-becomes-rap-star. The soundtrack, however, isn't some nightmare hybrid of "Eye Of The Tiger" and "Stayin' Alive".

First and Third world meetings in music