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IT'S a fine line between erratic genius and plain old scatty. There are times when this Sri Lankan miss surfs both waves and leaves your ears if not your senses dumb-founded.

Follow-up to her Steve (former Pulp bassist) Mackey-produced debut, Kala seems to go even further off-piste to the extent you feel she is maybe trying too hard to shake things up.

That said there are ideas lurking and bellowing out of here that you just know some corporate poppet like Madonna or Aguilera will harvest and weave into a million-selling hit.

Mind you, she mixes it with the big boys, namely Timbaland, on commercially-minded closer Come Around. Before then Kala borders on curious rather than likeable and ramshackle Vs random; from the beats and bells village rain dance of Bird Flu to the Lily Allen Vs Bollywood of Jimmy, this is vintage bonkers. With knobs on. And a hat.

Elvis, Long Live The King (Sony/BMG)

EVERYONE loves Elvis, apparently. So 30 years on from his untimely death in the loo of his Graceland pile here's one of many reminders as to why his reputation and appeal is bigger than ever.

Touted as the ultimate hits collection – since the last one – from the ultimate entertainer, although surely Paul Daniels had a run on him, this is a timely reminder of all the great songs that poured out of the once shy boy from Tupelo, Mississippi.

Two discs, 52 songs, you get late great Suspicious Minds kicking it off with Love Me Tender, Hound Dog, In The Ghetto and Always On My Mind proving the brief wasn't just rocking and rolling. Elvis's charisma is tangible on Return To Sender and his joy contagious on The Wonder Of You.

Are You Lonesome Tonight? Not with these tunes in your collection. God bless the big fella.

Procol Harum, The Secrets Of The Hive (Salvo)

IT is 40 year since A Whiter Shade Of Pale went to number one and branded this classic British band forever.

Gary Brooker's elegant vocals and Keith Reid's canny lyrics of course fuelled many other quality songs beyond their enigmatic and re-released hit, the most played record in the UK in the past 70 years.

This best of… roots out some of the gems that have maybe fallen by the wayside and in doing so showcases an act so much more ambitious and diverse than casual observation lets on.

Aside from other hits A Salty Dog, Pandora's Box, Homburg and Conquistador (here presented live) these two CDs harvest their stylish ability to rock, as on Whiskey Train, and to lift the volume with grace on the piano-lined Simple Sister.

This compilation signals a series of remastered reissues from next February.