Album: Various Artists

Tony Visconti's fascination with studio methodology began while making demos in New York as a precocious 13-year-old. The interest would outlast his attempts to make it as a performer, elevating him to the lofty position of the production genius behind glam rock's brightest stars, Bowie and Bolan. He oversaw the latter's transformation from elfin folkie to rock god, and had several spells working with Bowie, notably on the Berlin trilogy of Low, Heroes and Lodger.

He contributed to the success of hits as diverse as "Band on the Run", "Flowers in the Rain" and Thin Lizzy's "Sarah". All three are included on this retrospective, alongside "Metal Guru", "Telegram Sam", Iggy's original "China Girl", three Bowie songs (including the French version of "Heroes", "Héros" ), and a couple of Sparks pieces, with tracks by Morrissey, Mercury Rev and The Seahorses as examples of his more recent work. It's a fine compilation, though personally I would have chosen one of his Dean & Britta tracks in preference to the Hazel O'Connor and Surprise Sisters contributions.

Download this: 'Héros', 'Telegram Sam', 'Flowers in the Rain', 'Chains'