MUSIC UPFRONT - 06.09.08: Catalogue reviews.

Cliff Richard: ...And They Said It Wouldn't Last! (My 50 Years In Music) (EMI2165922)

Madonna and Michael Jackson recently hit the big 5-0, but even they were babes in arms when Cliff was having his first hit. This golden anniversary set celebrates Richard in fine style. Housed in a deluxe 12"x12" box, a career-spanning eight- CD set comprises 187 recordings, 35 of them previously unreleased. Also included are a 52-page booklet, a gold-plated commemorative coin and a 10-inch 78rpm of his first hit, Move It/Schoolboy Crush.

Blancmange: Happy Families (Edsel EDSS1026)/Mange Tout (EDSD2023)/Believe You Me (EDSS1027)

Blancmange achieved an interesting sound, mixing their English sensibilities with broader-based references and samples. These three albums, released between 1982 and 1985, have been remastered and expanded with 12" mixes and non-album b-sides. Living On The Ceiling, Blind Vision and Don't Tell Me - all Top 10 hits - are among the best synth-pop singles released, and their cover of Abba's The Day Before You Came actually charted 10 places higher than the Swedes' version.

Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior (Columbia/Arista/Legacy 88697102042)

Compiled by Carlos Santana himself, Multi-Dimensional Warrior aims to reveal the more spiritual, soulful side of his career in a career- spanning journey through a soundscape of moods and feelings. The tracks present a satisfying and wholly alternative history of the band, with Santana clearly picking tracks with which he has a major connection, rather than those that were hits. Brave and enjoyable.

Taj Mahal: The Natch'l ...