Although Noel Coward personifies decadent, inter-war Englishness-wit, dressing gowns,
camp cigarette holders-his songs captured the emergence of modern life in dextrous
style. The success of Twentieth Century Blues (a fund-raiser for the Red Hot AIDS Charitable Trust) lies in
executive producer Neil Tennant's shrewd selection of artists to interpret Coward's sentiment and satire.
All British, they have evidently been told not to stray too far (London Pride by Damon Albarn with
Michael Nyman was "too electronic", although it may appear on a single). The star
turns are the two biggest surprises: The Divine Comedy's mocking I've been to a marvellous party,
which switches between plummy monologue and pounding techno; Vic Reeves's reinvention
of Mrs Worthington as a cold, spoken rebuke over David Arnold's weird strings
and bursts of guitar from the great lost Roddy Frame.
Not far behind is Shola Ama's wonderful
Some day I'll find you - beautifully sung over beats and lovely strings by Craig Armstron
(former Massive Attack orchestrator).
In a similar vein is Texas's Parisian Pierrot (a wry take on European nightlife)
with Sharleen Spiteri in splendid form, and Pet Shop Boys with Sail away (written
for Coward's lover Graham Payn), a slow dance version of a bittersweet but poptimistic song about
a fading relationship.
Closer to the originals are Paul McCartney, perfectly at home crooning A Room with a view over a Palm Court atmosphere;
and Bryan Ferry, who plays it straight with a heartfelt rendition of I'll see you again,
evoking rather than imitating the period. Also keeping it simple is Sting with a pleasing disciplined
I'll follow my secret heart over a harp accompaniment.
Affected accents are happily rare,
although Marianne Faithful - in her older and wiser persona - spoils an otherwise superb
interpretation of Mad about the boy by coming over all car blimey. Another offender
is Robbie Williams - who features Eno and Tennant on a half-baked dance track - whose
overdone accents overshadow Coward's mean-spirited side on There are bad times
just around the corner, his bitchy response to the post-war Labour government.
Even so, only Suede's Poor little rich girl is weak, Coward's cruelty and
subtlety lost amid a misguided swirl of unsympathetic echoey electronic beats and wails
from Bristol dance trio Raissa.
Which just leaves Space, who make Mad dogs and Englishmen sound like one of their
own offbeat scenarios by giving the clever words prominence amid their jaunty, jazzy
spin, and Elton John, hardly recognisable in a driving big-band arrangement of the title track,
complete with Neil Tennant's melancholy saxophone and strings.
Shola Ama with Craig Armstrong
Some Day I'll Find You
The Devine Comedy
I've Been To A Marvellous Party
Marianne Faithfull
Mad About The Boy
Bryan Ferry
I'll See You Again
Elton John
Twentieth Centry Blues
Paul McCartney
A Room With A View
Pet Shop Boys
Sail Away
Vic Reeves
Mrs Worthington
Space
Mad Dogs And Englishmen
Sting
I'll Follow My Secret Heart
Suede featuring Raissa
Poor Little Rich Girl
Texas
Parisian Pierrot
Robbie Williams
There Are Bad Time Just Around The Corner