Èl Records became no more some 11 years ago. Their success in the UK was minimal to say the least but they were 'Big In Japan'. Given the Japanese taste for idosyncratic pop it is easy to see why. This compilation, despite (or perhaps because of) being low budget, wilfully subversive and uncommercial art pop is a joy to listen to throughout. The Monochrome Set appear at the beginning, middle and the end of the CD, contributing the title track of the CD which appears to be their own version of Lonnie Donegan's 'My Old Man's A Dustman' but still comes up smelling of roses whereas 'Noise' is a tune that meanders wonderfully and sounds English and French at the same time. Momus, well-known in the music world for his uncompromising lyrics which verge on pornography, uses Jacques Brel's 'Jackie' (famously recorded by Scott Walker) and twists it into a song about himself called 'Nicky' to impressive effect. The King Of Luxembourg disappoint rather with a faithful but ultimately pointless re-working of 'Valleri' and the sickly sweet 'Walnut Whirl' but on listening to the great creativity which went into songs such as Shock Headed Peters' 'I Bloodbrother Be' or the elegance of Anthony Adverse's 'Maria Celeste' it is clear that the Japanese knew that Èl records were onto a good thing.