The first item to point out from this Soul Jazz compilation is its brevity; just 11 tracks represent all things post-punk, rhythmic, jazz and funk. Naturally this will leave them open to much dispute over track selection. Indeed, not many could argue that 'To Hell With Poverty' is representative of the Gang Of Four's best work but, taken as a beginner's guide to this primal movement in music, this is a very good sampling that can lead the listener into investigating further works by the featured artists. Two tracks apiece come from A Certain Ratio and 23 Skidoo; the latter's 'Coup' providing the bassline to a monster hit almost two decades later for the Chemical Brothers' 'Block Rockin' Beats'. But it's Human League's murky 'Being Boiled' that was a surprise hit, almost unfathomably so until one considers that it was the next release for the group after the ubiquitous 'Don't You Want Me'; it's hard not to smile thinking of the shocked fans expecting another electro-pop melody. Arty Throbbing Gristle supply the rarest of breeds: uneasy jazz muzak and Cabaret Voltaire provide a relatively subdued effort in the shape of 'Sluggin' Fer Jesus' compared to the uneasy listening of their early work. Amongst a collection of gems, two tracks stand out: The Pop Group's apocalyptic, Thatcher-baiting 'She Is Beyond Good And Evil' where improvised jazz workouts combine with manic vocals and dub production and This Heat's electro-throb and tape loops on the appropriately-named '24 Track Loop'. Incomplete it may be but this is a quality tribute to music that sounds just as vital today as it should have been twenty years ago.