BEST OF THE NEW RELEASES...

STEVE HACKETT: The Circus And The Nightwhale (InsideOut)

HAVING been a key member of Genesis in their 1970s heyday, Steve Hackett knows his way around a prog-rock album, and that pedigree shines through on a concept LP that’s ambitious but never indulgent. The record’s central character (Travla) is based on Hackett himself, and there’s one track about the guitarist joining Genesis (Enter The Ring) and another inspired by his 1977 departure (Get Me Out!). The songs are short and sharp, with Hackett’s musicianship energetic and tenacious. The brilliantly played classical instrumental White Dove adds a beautiful finale. ))))*

ACE FREHLEY: 10,000 Volts (MNRK Heavy)

ACE FREHLEY was a founding member of Kiss, but he’s carved out a respectable solo career, too, with the Foo Fighters covering his solo song Ozone; and Springsteen sidekick Tom Morello calling him ‘my first guitar hero’. New album 10,000 Volts makes the most of his punchy but unconventional playing. Ace’s corny lyrics aren’t a strong point, as he sounds off about the surveillance society (‘we’re blinded by science’) and extraterrestrials (‘girl, I know what I saw!’), but he still plays with zest and aplomb on a set of big, goofy tunes lying on the cusp of punk and hard rock. )))**

CAST: Love Is The Call (Cast)

LAST year saw the return of Britpop’s marquee names, as Blur and Pulp hit the road. Now it’s the turn of the second-stringers, with the latest album from Cast arriving hot on the heels of Shed Seven’s first chart-topping LP in January. Cast frontman John Power was a member of fabled Liverpool band The La’s, and the legacy of his old group looms large. With acoustic ballad Bluebird leaning heavily on Paul McCartney, this comeback springs few surprises, but Power’s ebullient melodies place it firmly in Merseyside’s proud pop tradition. )))** A.T.

BEETHOVEN: Waldstein & Appassionata Sonatas (Deutsche Grammophon)

THIS CD, headlined The Lost Tapes, is amazing: we hear the great pianist Rudolf Serkin at the ages of 83 and 86. Playing two of Beethoven’s most virtuosic sonatas, he does not quite recreate the days when he was Adolf Busch’s violin sonata partner but he puts over the music with brio. The Waldstein from 1986 hardly needs daughter Judith Serkin’s apology that it’s not ‘perfect’; the outer movements go with a swing. The slow movement is beautiful and so is the Appassionata from 1989, where every note is meaningful. ))))* TULLY POTTER