A bunch of current stars covers vintage Ones

‘NME in association with War Child presents 1 Love’, to give it its full title, is a supplant to the New Musical Express’ 1995 effort ‘Help’ that raised funds for the children of the Balkan war. But, history doesn’t stop, conflicts are being waged everywhere (allowing the US to increase its military presence all over the world) and War Child charity still provides help to children in war-torn territories. Thus, ‘1 Love’, which is a ‘Help 2’.

Additionally, this year is the music weekly’s 50th birthday, as well as the half-centenary of the first Brit-charts published, by the very same organ. Therefore, the logical idea is to have Number Ones covered by today’s NME favoured stars. As a bonus, it’s interesting to note that there are only two returnees from the original disc: Noel Gallagher (who memorably collaborated with Johnny Depp on ‘Fade Away’) and Manic Street Preachers then doing a version of ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’.

Oasis are now doing Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ and it is a fine version that makes one think they could have a Christmas topper if somebody bothers to single it, with Manics rocking out Chris Farlowe’s ‘Out Of Time’. The Muse go mad with The Animals’ ‘House Of The Rising Sun’, Prodigy provide extra kick to the Specials’ classic ‘Ghost Town’. Starsailor decide to put on their mod-suits on for the Small Faces’ ‘All Or Nothing’, while Stereophonics murder Prince/Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’… This Welsh band is worse than Genesis, post-Gabriel, believe me! (And that was ultra bull.)

Feeder do the most surprising and brilliant job on Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Power Of Love’ by turning a pompous track into a decent song! The other contributors are Sugababes’ ‘Killer’ (Adamski featuring Seal), Ms Dynamite contemporising Soul II Soul’s standard ‘Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)’, McAlmont & Butler’s soul-full take on Take That’s ‘Back For Good’ and Jimmy Eat World (how the f**k these third-graders got on here?!) applying avant-emo treatment to Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’. Time-out to get me a compass!

There are also Faithless with Dido re-working Beats International’s ‘Dub Be Good 2 Me’, Elbow’s ‘Something In The Air’ (Thunderclap Newman), Badly Drawn Boy taking on ‘Come On Eileen’ (Dexy's Midnight Runners) and winning… Then, Darius’s ‘Pretty Flamingo’ (Manfred Mann, 1966)!?

If I had a say, I’d have replaced Jimmy Eat World with Ladytron electrifying a crooning version of Napoleon XIV’s ‘They’re Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!’… And Darius with… Whaaah!? Napoleon wasn’t Numero Uno? Only 4? Wait, it just proves people didn’t have any taste back then either…

‘Help’ compilation (that raised £1.25 million) was braver, it had The Fall giving an unforgettable rendition of ‘A Day In The Life’; thus, ‘1 Love’ gets 10 for its cause but, on quality alone, only

8/10

(This album has been purchased; no promo copy has been received.)