Ruby Trax: The NME's Roaring Forty

I know including a compilation album in my blog is not the done thing, especially as its's the second time, but this one is different. Firstly it's by the NME and as such contains tracks from the great and good of indiedom circle 1992...oh and Danni Minogue. Secondly is consists of 40 cover versions of No.1s from the history of the paper. If that doesn't warrant inclusion in these ramblings then I apologise. Well not really.

I can't recall how one obtained a copy of the CD. It either involved sending NME some money, in the form of a Postal Order obviously, or collecting Bazooker Joe bubblegum wrappers. I forget which. I know that for once flashing your indie credentials was not necessary. So what did you get for your hard earned cash or, for that matter, horrendously sore jaw?

A whole host of cover versions by your favourite artists that's what plus some you'd not heard of and others that you downright despised. But even those were somehow great. The Wonder Stuff covering Slade in a gloriously rowdy version of 'Coz I Love You', JMC distorting Willie Dixon's 'Little Red Rooster', The Mission taking Blondie's 'Atomic' and turning it into an industrial goth rock anthem. Of course. Blur doing 'Maggie May', Kingmaker (remember them?) covering 'Lady Madonna' and conversely Mark Almond covering Madonna's 'Like A Prayer'. Phew. Add to that Johnny Marr and Billy Duffy, Inspiral Carpets, The Manics, Curve, Cud and a quite bizarre version of 'Vienna' by Vic Reeves (I didn't know that the Belgian Police invented the Waltzer), which fact fans only got to No.2.

When I bought this album two things were true; the NME was essential reading and No.1s meant something. The NME was particularly essential at Christmas with its humongous music crossword. My Dad and I would start it on Christmas Eve and pour over it, and with the help of dozens of music encyclopedias, work on iy until it was done. Well nearly done as it was impossible to finish. The missing answer would require that you had intimate knowledge of the lyrics of some obscure band or knew the favourite cereal of Morissey's neighbour's cat. Anyway it was a nice break festive TV programming which invariably involved Steve McQueen and James Bond. Nice scenery but a bit far fetched.

Both are not what they used to be. NME became too up its own.... well you get the idea, and No.1s became a commodity that was traded for advertising, votes and our own souls. But hey, that's progress. But while it lasted it was great fun and this album is testament to the power of pop music and the art of a great cover version; either playing it straight or distorting it match your own style.