KEY RELEASES - 02.05.09: CATALOGUE REVIEWS.

LOVE

The Forever Changes Concert (Snapper SMACD 950)

Love's Forever Changes album was released in 1967, and it has become widely regarded as a classic - despite achieving little success at the time - thanks to its heady mix of psychedelia and folk rock. While the original album on Elektra is an essential purchase, this 2003 live version - recorded by main man Arthur Lee and his cohorts at London's Royal Festival Hall - runs it a close second. The band is on dazzling form, with excellent recreations of their masterpieces, including A House Is Not A Motel and the haunting beauty of Alone Again Or. Comprising CD and DVD recordings of the gig, housed in a sturdy cardboard case, this set also includes a plethora of bonus tracks, a tour documentary and an Arthur Lee interview. Excellent.

VARIOUS

100 Hits: 50s/100 Hits: Wartime Memories/100 Hits: Musicals (DMG 100031/032/033)

The 30 previous releases on DMG's 100 Hits label have amassed sales of 1.47m since the series was launched 18 months ago, with 24 titles making the Top 50 of the compilation chart, and top title 100 Hits: 80s selling more than 186,000 copies. The latest releases, though more specialised, follow the familiar pattern, with each set including 100 iconic recordings spread across five CDs. The musicals set is likely to be the big attraction here, with an array of talent including Elaine Paige, Tommy Steele, John Barrowman, Michael Ball, Petula Clark and even Hugh Jackman tackling hits of stage and screen. There's even a current hit single, in the form of Patti LuPone's ...