Various Artists - 'Radio 1's Live Lounge: Volume 2' (SonyBMG) Released 22/10/07

Compilations, covers and live tracks can often make for cringe worthy, unadventurous and nostalgia fuelled listening and all three elements rolled into a double CD containing 40 tracks is a potential marathon yawn inducing shocker that could have you scrambling for the off button. But following on from the success of ‘Live Lounge: Volume 1’ is ‘Volume 2’ and Radio 1 have got it pretty much bang on. Such is the diversity of the featured artists that there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone here. All performed live, the tracks on ‘Radio 1’s Live Lounge: Volume 2’ fall into three basic categories; straightforward performance, covers and reversions.

There are certain artists that live up to their high profile status, just as you would expect them to, such as The Foo Fighters intimate ‘Times Like These’, Kings of Leon ‘Fans’, Editors ‘Every End Has A Start’ and Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’. All are executed with the skill, precision and quality that are required from acts of this calibre and easily illustrate just why they are so good and in complete control of their chosen craft. On the reversion side of things, is The Klaxons expertly pulling off a stripped down, back to basics ‘Golden Skans’, Calvin Harris’ stunning acoustic version of ‘Girls’ and arguably the best tack of the album, Robyn’s ‘With Every Heartbeat’. Unexpectedly haunting and with the powerful ability to stop you dead in your tracks, her nervous laugh at the end of track says it all.

But it’s with the cover versions that the most fun can be had. Predictably Miss Winehouse’s take on ‘Valerie’ is there (but don’t worry as The Zutons also perform this number almost as if to remind people that they actually wrote it and that their version is unquestionably superior) as is Jose Gonzalez’s version of The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’. The Pigeon Detectives cover of Avril Lavigne’s ‘Girlfriend’ and Arctic Monkeys rendition of Winehouse’s ‘You Know I’m No Good’ are easily forgettable, while Biffy Clyro’s ‘Umbrella’, Keane’s ‘Dirrtylicious’ (an amalgamation of Dirty and Bootylicious) and The Enemy’s ‘Hung Up’ are just cheeky splashes of good fun. But the best cover of the lot is taken on by 30 Seconds To Mars who triumph by taking Kanye West’s ‘Stronger’ out of the ghetto adding acoustic strings, electro wizardry and depth, in the process well and truly making it their own. As do Maximo Park who bring a dark, aggressive and brooding dimension to The Proclaimers classic ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’.

But there are some tracks that should be left well alone. Unfortunately Avril Lavigne doesn’t seem to realise this and has a go at Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’, leading her to spectacularly crash and burn. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse it does. Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’ is without doubt an amazing love song but it doesn’t stop Natasha Beddingfield from ruining it outright in a complete moment of madness. So all in all ‘Radio 1’s Live Lounge: Volume 2’ is a damn fine listen, best served at room temperature with friends on a Sunday afternoon after a fuzzy Saturday night and is sure to spark debate, make you laugh, wince and sing along with hairbrush in hand.