Kevin Bryan’s record reviews

“She’s So Fine-The Rise of the Girl Groups” (Fantastic Voyage FVTD 160)- This 3 CD set revives a string of timeless pop classics from the golden era of the female vocal group in the late fifties and early sixties, including offerings from The Crystals, The Chantels and the Marvelettes, whose infectious 1961 hit, “Please Mr. Postman” gave Tamla Motown its first US chart-topper. 
Their much more illustrious stable-mates The Supremes also make an appearance with two minor hits from the following year in the shape of “Your Heart Belongs To Me” and “Let Me Go The Right Way,” but the real stars of the show are New Jersey’s Shirelles, whose sizeable contribution to the proceedings includes “Dedicated To The One I Love” and Goffin-King’s sublime “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Jun 2013, 16:43 BST
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Electric Guest, “Mondo” (Warner Bros.) - The debut album from highly regarded Los Angeles duo Electric Guest finds them working with veteran producer Danger Mouse as they mine a rich vein of skilfully crafted electronic pop, revelling in a love of melody that could almost be viewed as an eccentricity in these troubled times.Some doubts have been expressed as to whether or not British audiences will share their American cousins’ enthusiasm for Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton’s ironically detached brand of music-making .but there’s surely no denying the appeal of stand-out tracks such as “Waves” and “This Head I Hold.”

Karl Engel,”Mozart:Piano Concertos” (Teldec 2564 65139 2)- This inexpensive 10 CD box set brings together the complete cycle of Mozart Piano Concertos,drawing on the series of recordings made by Karl Engel and Salzburg’s Mozaretum Orchestra during the latter half of the seventies. Engel was very much a “musician’s musican,” and although the Swiss musician may never have enjoyed the popular acclaim that was showered on many of his contemporaries his interpretations of Mozart’s keyboard masterworks never stray too far from the composer’s original intentions and are certainly well worth eleven hours or so of anyone’s time.