Latest releases reviewed

YO LA TENGO
Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs 1985-2003
Matador
*****

It's a brave compiler who attempts to narrow this New Jersey trio's prolific and varied output down to a two-CD retrospective. Yo La Tengo are the cult band's cult band, and Prisoner of Love cherrypicks highlights from such fan-cherished albums as Fakebook, Shaker, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and President Yo La Tengo. Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley make the perfect indie rock couple, Kaplan's superfuzz guitar and muffled vocals blending nicely with Hubley's brash drums and sweet singing. This is an eye-watering treasure trove of alternative classics, with a nod to Velvet Underground and a lingering gaze down America's folk byways; highlights include Sugarcube, Little Eyes, From a Motel 6, Swing for Life, Season of the Shark and Tears Are in Your Eyes. www.yolatengo.com  - Kevin Courtney

MORRISSEY
Live at Earls Court
Attack/Sanctuary
****

Morrissey was without a record deal between 1997's Maladjusted and last year's You Are the Quarry. Those lost seven years were spent touring without record company support and surviving by dint of his come-hell-or-high-water fanbase. The gigging has paid off on this live release. His bequiffed band are as tight as a tourniquet, particularly on the Quarry material. Now relaxed enough with his legacy to move effortlessly between Smiths and solo songs, this album begins with the quintessential How Soon Is Now, takes in some rarities along the way - Don't Make fun of Daddy's Voice and Munich Air Disaster 1958 ("We mourn for them, unlucky boys of red, I wish I'd gone down with them") and ends with the towering Last Night I Dreamed That Somebody Loved Me.  - Brian Boyd

PIERCE TURNER
The Boy to Be With
50/30 Sounds
****

The standing of Pierce Turner, virtually the forgotten man of Irish rock, is more word-of-mouth these days than anything remotely benefiting from media coverage or radio play. Yet Turner can still come up with the goods, and The Boy to Be With is very good indeed. The single, Jazz, is a fine song about finding love in middle age, still awkward and fluttering of heart despite the years of experience. Mr Turner is The Kinks' Lola as seen through the rheumy eyes of a London docker. The record ends with a triptych, Folk Song Suite, which encapsulates life, the universe and the memory of Rory Gallagher. A supremely good and engagingly ragged package from a man who continues to surprise, with songs that release a slow-burning emotive virus it's impossible not to be infected by. www.pierceturner.com - Tony Clayton-Lea

HAPPY MONDAYS
Greatest Hits
London/Polygram
**

Given what they ingested over the years, it's some considerable feat that the Madchester ruffians succeeded in getting a Greatest Hits record out at all. The early stuff is the big interest here; the opener, Step On, remains an inspired five minutes of music, and is still viewed as the song that defined a mini-era. However, good songs such as Hallelujah, Loose Fit and Bob's Yer Uncle still stand up, and there's no denying that Paul Oakenfold worked wonders on the basic tracks. As their career progressed, so the songs deteriorated. And you know there's a problem when two songs are included twice. As for their very ill-judged cover of The Boys Are back in Town, let's just pretend it didn't happen. It really is that bad. A poor album - they deserve better.  - Brian Boyd