Serge Gainsbourg's classic 'Histoire de Melody Nelson' is getting a long overdue re-release. The 1971 concept album financed off the back of 1969's erotic 4 minute tribute to the desperation of love, Je T'aime Moi Non Plus. Gainsbourg used the capital accumulated of the back of that single's shock value (it was banned in numerous countries) to finance what would become his most complete work.

Essentially formed around two interlocking and overlapping musical themes than run across it's brief 30 minute run time, primarily Jean Claude Vannier's orchestral strings that riff across a series of motifs, and free-form improvised guitar work of Alan Parker. All over dubbed with Gainsbourgh trademark laconic vocals, telling the tale of his infatuation and seduction of the teenage Melody Nelson. It's seedy and beautiful in the way only Gainsbourg manages.

It's also a hugely influential record, as seen by the amount of time's its been recalibrated and reperformed with everyone from Beck to Sean Lennon to Mike Patton. Put on your finest polo neck, crack out the Pastis and Gitanes, and relax to two of Histoire's finest tracks, 'Ballade De Melody Nelson' and 'L'Hotel Particulier'.

East Kilbride, 1985, two brothers, Jim and William Reid form the Jesus and Mary Chain. Their influence on music is now so widespread that it's almost impossible to imagine them not existing, punk had the energy and antagonism that forms part of their sound, but it's the dense sonic wall of violence on their early singles that redefined the sound of British indie for the late 80s/early 90s.

They may have started out as a band of black-clad amped up LSD taking outsiders, but nothing symbolises their insidious movement towards the mainstream than 'Just Like Honey', worming its way into adverts and movies.

Those Phil Spector drums destroyed by wailing feedback and deadpan atonal vocals, first single 'Upside Down' was a radical, nihilistic jolt, but it's in the ambiguous emotional depth of 'Just Like Honey' that ensures the band's continued reputation, so it's about time their disocgraphy is getting the deluxe remaster treatment, especially as even though first album Psychocandy may be their best, every subsequent release saw the brothers Reid experimenting with new sounds and ideas. Such as on the underrated 'Stoned and Dethroned' that features the beautiful duet 'Sometimes Always'.

Buy The Jesus and Mary Chain remasters on iTunes

Paul McCartney gets a lot of shit thrown at him, but I've always loved him, John was a self-obsessed wanker, who, because he talked about peace and love at every opportunity, and died young, he get's cut a lot of slack, whilst Paul get's tarred with the schmaltz brush or as this hammy villain. So last month they re-released 'McCartney II' a series of home-recordings he made with a synthsizer in 1980, and reveals the scope and talent of the guy in a new light, from the weird techno-funk curio 'Temporary Secretary' to the ballads 'Waterfalls' and 'Summer's Day Song', which could be standard, but instead warp around strange electronic arrangements, especially the crackling violins on the latter. Then there's the instrumental 'Front Parlour' and 'Frozen Jap', the former washes warm waves of keyboards to the latters cold shimmers. The album is bookended by 'Check My Machine' a strange, reggae boogie, which Paul made to test out his new toy, and 'Coming Up' and gorgeous and taught, a total revelation to anyone who thinks Paul only does unadventurous balladry.

You should watch the video, here's alink because it won't let me embed it.