Kirsty MacColl was a truly great singer who never made a truly great album. All the more reason, then, to welcome this excellent compilation of the best moments from her all too scanty back catalogue. Every phase of her stop-start career is well represented, from the quirky pop of 'There's a Guy Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis' to the Latin American stylings of her last album Tropical Brainstorm. And, of course, there's 'Fairytale of New York' - her earthy duet with Shane MacGowan that remains the best Christmas song ever recorded, bar none. Other collaborations with Johnny Marr and Evan Dando indicate that MacColl was often more appreciated by the rock intelligentsia than by the record-buying public. This superb collection underlines just what a valuable talent was lost through her tragic death in Mexico five years ago.

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