Fridae

Tori Amos: Tales of a Librarian
Ms Scary would like to declare her eternal devotion to the Sapphic goddess that is Tori Amos. Boldly going where no female artiste has gone before with her piano, the flame-haired Ms Amos has earned a reputation for crafting musical gems that are both delightful and insightful.

As the first-ever definitive Tori Amos collection, Tales of a Librarian features remixed and re-mastered versions of 16 of the talented song-weaver's most popular hits (including "Winter," "Professional Widow," "Cornflake Girl" and "Silent All These Years" etc.), two re-recorded rarities ("Mary" and "Sweet Dreams") plus two brand-new tracks ("Angels" and "Snow Cherries From France").

Accompanied with a bonus DVD and a comprehensive booklet featuring a pictorial montage of the swoon-some Ms Amos, Tales would have been perfect if not for the glaring omission of two of Ms Scary's favourite tracks from Boys For Pele: "Caught A Lite Sneeze" and "Hey Jupiter."

Verdict: The perfect introduction to the works of the kooky piano lady for newbies but not an essential must-have for fans who would already have all of Ms Amos' past singles and albums.

Cyndi Lauper: At Last
In her heady days of youth, Ms Scary must confess to attending retro nights at clubs and dancing to staples such as "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "She Bop" (oh, the shame!). Fortunately, those nights of retro-outfitted partying and horrid 80s music are over.

Just as fortunately, in her latest album At Last, singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper veers away from her trademark 80s pop and unleashes her inner Norah Jones. Reinterpreting standards from a fresh new angle, Ms Lauper lends her distinct vocals to classics such as "Unchained Melody" (Righteous Brothers), "Walk On By" (Burt Bacharach and Hal David), "You Really Got A Hold On Me" (Smokey Robinson), "At Last" (Etta James), "La Vie En Rose" (Edith Piaf) and "Stay" (Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs).

Verdict: An album that sees Ms Lauper showing her true colours at last (pardon the pun) although detractors may complain that her wailing stray cat singing style still remains as nerve-wrecking as ever.

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Britney Spears: In The Zone
Back in Ms Scary's era, any young schoolgirl caught dressing down and sexing herself up like a certain former mousekeeter will be tossed into jail as a streetwalker or stoned to death for being a whore. Oh, how times have changed!

The fourth and most expensive album from the always-in-a-state-of-undress pop tease is entitled In The Zone and features collaborations with A-list producers such as Moby ("Early Morning"), R. Kelly ("Outrageous"), P. Diddy ("The Answer"), Red Zone ("The Hook Up"), Cathy Dennis ("Toxic" and "Showdown") and The Matrix ("Shadow"), etc.

Despite the star-studded contributions, the new album merely repackages Ms Spears' now signature hot-and-heavy-breathing singing style with thumping dance beats and torrid descriptions of sex, sex and more sex. Having said that, the excellent Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix of "Me Against The Music" is still fabulous enough to get Ms Scary to break into a raunchy performance with an albino python.

Verdict: A sexually charged dance album suitable for working out and dance floor boogieing but lacking in sensuality and soul.

Dolly Parton: Just Because I'm A Woman
Since Ms Scary was a wee lass, she has been traumatised by the recurrent nightmare of being smothered to death by Ms Parton's awe-inspiring boobs. Fortunately, that not affected her appreciation of the singing and song-writing skills of the 57-year old diminutive bleached blonde from the smoky hills of Tennessee.

With the release of Just Because I'm A Woman, the urban cow-granny finally gets the respect she deserves as many of today's female artistes pay tribute with reinterpretations of her decades-spanning hits. There is Joan Obsourne's soulful rendition of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind," Alison Krauss' reworking of the anthem of working women everywhere "9 To 5;" Emmylou Harris' voice-cracking version of "To Daddy;" Norah Jones' jazzed-up rendition of "The Grass Is Blue;" Sinead O'Connor's exquisite swansong "Dagger Through The Heart;" and of course, lesbian singer Melissa Ethridge's sensitive interpretation of "I Will Always Love You" (hysterical scream queen Whitney Houston please pay attention).

Verdict: A surprisingly enjoyable album and a wonderful introduction to the Dollywood phenomenon.