NATASHA ATLAS and DAVID ARNOLD: One Brief Moment (Mantra) - One brief moment is all this got on the office CD player as my colleague groaned in protest at the cheesiness of it all. Imagine a dubious '80s German techno act with a singer trying to emulate Portishead and you're pretty much there. (2/10) PB

FURSLIDE: Love Song (Virgin) - This American three-piece play contemplative, moody, deeply boring and utterly pointless slices of guitar rock. The music builds up then dresses itself down with spectacular crescendoes of orchestral-sounding rock chords, and a soaring and descending female vocal rises above it all. But there's no substance, no feeling and it left me totally unimpressed. (1/10) PB

ALBUMS

VARIOUS ARTISTS: The NWA Legacy (Priority Records) - Want to know who's to blame for the whole gangster rap thing? Then look no further than the original Los Angeles homeboys NWA. For those who don't know, their initials stand for Niggers With Attitude and this collection mixes some of their hits with tracks from the many groups their members were involved in after they split. Dr Dre went on to become a top producer, working with the likes of Snoop Doggy Dogg, while Ice Cube was arguably the most successful of the bunch, striking out solo with an awesome catalogue of hits. Unfortunately, rapper Eazy-E, whose lyrics often drew on his sexual prowess, spent time in jail before dying of AIDS. With hits here from Da Lench Mob, Westside Connection, Snoop Doggy Dogg and all four original members, this album shows how these four were crucial players in the Westside hip-hop family tree. (8/10) PB

LIVE AND KICKING: The Viewers' Choice (BBC Music) - Viewers of BBC's Saturday morning show and readers of the show's magazine voted these as their favourite songs. Maybe I should sit up and listen to the voice of the people but I can't help thinking this lacks depth and quality. Granted, there are songs from Robbie Williams, Boyzone, The Spice Girls, Steps and 911, but to me they don't represent the best pop tunes. This album is great for young kids with all the posters on their walls. But as far as thoughtful or inventive pop goes, only the Terrorvision(whose Tony Wright is pictured), Robbie Williams and Spice Girls tunes stand out. The rest is the usual mindless drivel which all too often dominates chart sales. (4/10) PB

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