DOLLY’S MIXTURE IS SPOT ON FOR XMAS
TWEENIES
STILL searching for that perfect Christmas pressie?
ADRIAN THRILLS picks the best albums for everyone in the family . . .
Dolly Parton’s first children’s album, I Believe In you (rCa nashville), is a good starting point for pre-teens. as well as revamping Coat of Many Colours, the queen of country has written a buoyant batch of new songs, including the anti-bullying Makin’ Fun ain’t Funny.
another option for younger fans is olaf’s Frozen adventure (Walt Disney), a soundtrack to the Frozen spinoff that hit cinemas this year. In addition to orchestrations by Christophe Beck, there are two new songs featuring soprano Idina Menzel. POP KIDS (OF ALL AGES) teenage tastes are maturing, making lorde’s Melodrama (Virgin eMI) a deliciously dark possibility here. the new Zealander was dubbed ‘the future of music’ by David Bowie and she lives up to the billing, with producer Jack antonoff adding a radiofriendly sheen to her unusual voice.
another option for girls is Zara larsson’s so good (Black Butter), a lively blend of pop and euro beats. For older fans, Pink’s Beautiful trauma (rCa) mixes reflective lyrics with strong tunes, while former one Directioner Harry styles strives for rock credibility on his self-titled debut (Columbia).
For boys, the guitars of Wolf alice’s Visions of a life (Dirty Hit) are a good bet. Paramore’s after laughter (atlantic) should appeal to anyone with an ear for good pop. PARTY PEOPLE For an ideal dance record, DJ Pete tong’s Ibiza Classics (Universal) puts a string-driven spin on club favourites. among the tracks given a makeover by tong and the Heritage orchestra are Massive attack’s Unfinished sympathy and Candi staton’s you got the love, with Craig David and staton among the guest vocalists.
For mellower tastes, Calvin Harris’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1 (sony) is an under-rated gem, with Katy Perry and ariana grande guesting on the DJ’s old-school house and funk. ROMANTICS anyone feeling lovesick might find solace in soul man sam smith’s melancholy the thrill of It all (Capitol), while torch singer Imelda May is more dispassionate on the bittersweet life love Flesh Blood (Decca).
For love songs of a more optimistic hue, elton John’s Diamonds (UMC) is a hits collection out as a single CD (£11), double CD (£14), triple CD (£40) and two-part vinyl lP (£42). It contains your song, tiny Dancer and Don’t let the sun go Down on Me.
the latter also features george Michael, whose listen Without Prejudice (sony) has been repackaged with additional live material. ROCKERS DesPIte a singles chart dominated by digital streams of pop and r&B, 2017 has been a good year for rock, too. liam gallagher won the battle of the oasis siblings — his brother noel also returned — with as you Were (Warner Bros), a solo album of tuneful rock ’n’ roll sung with conviction.
another at the top of his game this year was Josh Homme, the vocalist of Queens of the stone age, whose Villains (Matador) combined crunching guitars with Mark ronson’s beats.
there are some outstanding re-issues on offer, too. the Beatles’ sgt Pepper’s lonely Hearts Club Band (apple) marked the album’s 50th anniversary. remixed by giles Martin, it is out as a single CD (£11), double CD (£15), vinyl (£28) and box set (£95).
Bowie’s a new Career In a new town (Parlophone) examines his fertile Berlin period between 1977 and 1979. Based on albums Heroes, low and lodger, it is brilliant but also pricey, with a CD box at £100 and vinyl £199. WEST-END GIRLS (AND BOYS) For those who prefer show tunes, Barbra streisand’s the Music…the Mem’ries…the Magic! (Columbia) is a classy live album from her 2016 tour. Complete with scripted one-liners and