LISTENING to 18 Rufus songs one after the other is a little like overindulging with the chocolate box; all those fillings can be a bit much. Still, there are some lovely songs here, starting with Going To A Town and Out Of The Game, followed by a sly tease of a new song, Me And Liza (co-written with Guy Chambers).

Other highlights include Rufus’ resonant take on Hallelujah, alongside his own standards, such as Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk, Poses and The One You Love, and one of his most affecting newish song, Sometimes You Need. So there may be a lot of sweet filling here, but this does coat wryness, touches of bitterness and those moments of beloved outrageousness. And never forget, Rufus can really sing, and that soaring voice is a sometimes petulant delight.

One complaint, though: how can any best-of possibly fail to include Old Whore’s Diet, the song with which Rufus usually closes his shows as he goes so archly over the top?