STRIKE Strike Force Entertainment (SFE) is a small but inspirational record company, with an increasing catalogue of collectable specialist items for the discerning audience, which is well worth investigating.

Of course, almost everything is available on download nowadays, but there is still an audience that appreciates music sympathetically and handsomely packaged, as demonstrated with this delectable pair.

Andy Bell’s Torsten The Beautiful Libertine has proven to be a successful Fringe-theatrical project for the former Erasure front man, from which Variance II is the second remix set from the two parent albums.

Variance II is not for the faint hearted, and will never be heard on day-time radio. Politically, and lyrically, Bell has always been rather ground-breaking and direct. Hard-core fans of the Electro-Disco Bunny, My Precious One, Photos Of Daniel and the joyful We Were Singing Along To Liza will find the collection exhilarating.

Certainly less challenging than Variance II, and for all that more entertaining, is Jimmy Somerville’s first live recording. Although recorded hot on the heels of last year’s well received Homage set, the set list for the former Communards and Bronski Beat showman featured nothing from his most recent album, but acoustic versions of his established greatest hits. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), Why and Don’t Leave Me This Way are obviously featured numbers.

However, the cover of Dusty Springfield’s I Just Don’t Know What To Do is a welcome addition. Inevitably, the stand-out track is Somerville’s new reading of Bronski Beat’s masterpiece Smalltown Boy.