Galore

Unlike most career-spanning compilations, 1994's Galore is essential to all Kirsty MacColl fans. Not only does the 18-track collection trace her development from 1979's sublime Spector pastiche "They Don't Know" to 1993's haunting Titanic Days, it gathers two tracks recorded with the Pogues in the late '80s -- the Christmas favorite "A Fairytale of New York" and a brilliant reinterpretation of Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" -- plus two new tracks: the terrific country-rock single "Caroline" and an odd version of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" sung as a duet with Evan Dando. MacColl's growth as both singer and songwriter is clearly charted here through songs as varied and impressive as the rockabilly giggle "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis," the corrosive "Innocence," and the wicked wit of the exuberant Latin experiment "My Affair." A pitch-perfect recap of MacColl's early career, Galore is unbeatable. ~ Stewart Mason