VAN MORRISON: Back On Top (Virgin/Pointblank) - Music's answer to Father Jack is back with a soulful, doleful look at life, still sounding like he writes songs on a bar stool. Not the upbeat jig that was his last single Precious Time, the lyrics here have a bitter ring despite the relaxing rhythm. A familiar mix of sax, harmonica and keyboards that will probably miss the charts. (6/10) IM

BEASTIE BOYS: Remote Control (Grand Royal) - If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That seems to be the motto where the Beastie Boys and concerned. Sticking to the same winning formula for 15 years, the words might not be up to much but this is still the perfect way to ignite any party. Included here are two versions of the live classic Three MCs And One DJ. (6/10) JS

ALBUMS

REEF: Rides (Sony) - Reef have chilled out and mellowed the tempo of their sound for this, their third long player. Following the hugely successful Glow, Gary Stringer and company have put to one side the gritty gospel style that saw them score a host of chart singles in the past. Instead, Rides fails to capture either their energetic live vibe or deliver any new ideas. Gone are the full-on rock sounds of Come Back Brighter and Place Your Hands, replaced with a selection of ballads which pale alongside their predecessors. Apart from the first single I've Got Something To Say there is no obvious single material. There are a few neat grooves and some of the tracks may mix well into their shows, but on the whole this is a pretty disappointing offering. (5/10) CL

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.