Reviews

Austere Slovenians' BBC recordings between 1986 and 1987

Romantic tunes played a big part in British reggae charts in the late '70s and early '80s as a new generation of aspirational, British-born black kids abandoned roots reggae in favour of our first indigenous black pop style—lover's rock. Many of the tunes were nothing more than insipid cover versions of UK pop or US soul hits, but the movement yielded a clutch of genuinely moving songs such as Sharon Forrester's "Silly, Wasn't It?" (incidentally, Melody Maker's reggae single of 1974) and Janet Kay's 1979 Top 3 hit "Silly Games", both featured here. More recent

Accompanied by bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath the 24-year-old Simone works her way confidently through a program of 11 numbers, every aspect of her highly personal style already in place at the very start of her career. The album includes her hit version of "I Loves You Porgy", the track that drew Colpix to sign her up for the early-'60s.

Spurious but amusing documentary about Britpop

A document of their 1994 Dog Man Star tour, this captures Suede just about surviving the notorious crisis of losing that album's principal architect, Bernard Butler. Still, Brett Anderson bumps and minces with considerable verve and new boy Richard Oakes oozes confidence nevertheless. More interesting are the accompanying tour films, dedicated to Derek Jarman and visibly influenced by said director's Smiths promos. DVD EXTRAS: Lyrics menu, rare NFT video footage, teaser for accompanying Lost in TV DVD.

Sellers heads for the White House in perhaps his finest screen performance

Jean Renoir's 1932 blueprint for Paul Mazursky's heavy-handed 1986 remake Down And Out In Beverly Hills stars Michel Simon as a Parisian tramp rescued from suicidal despair by kindly bookseller Charles Granval. Simon's ungrateful Boudu takes over Granval's house, wife and life, exposing his bourgeois complacency. Enduring, Chaplin-esque social satire. DVD EXTRAS: Introduction by Renoir, essay on the film, trailer for the Mazursky remake.

Compilation of 12-inchers by London producers

Cultured NZ pop from Boy George's label

Rarities from sometime St Etienne crew