Audiologue written and read by Christopher Logue, sung by Annie Ross

Striking packaging and excellent notes do full justice to this spectacular milestone in audio and poetry publishing. It presents 40 years of Christopher Logue's poetry, including the whole of War Music, his famous version of Homer's Iliad, and several compositions which feature jazz by the Tony Kinsey Quintet. The first two CDs present selected poems, several autobiographical, read by Logue in his tight, power-packed voice: commanding, demanding, and provocative. The next four are devoted to War Music, Homer made modern and immediate but losing none of his rich colour and song. So far, so extremely good, but my personal favourite is the seventh CD. Red Bird Dancing on Ivory has seven poems based on Pablo Neruda's Veinte poemas de amor y una canciun desperada (1924) spoken by Logue almost as if he was an instrument in Tony Kinsey's jazz quintet. The influence of Neruda adds delicacy to Logue's intensity. Then comes Loguerhythms, songs, some sharp, some tender, sung by Annie Ross. Finally, The Arrival of the Poet in the City, an interweaving of voice and seven instrumentalists into a unique conversation.

Best of the Rest

Half a Life by V S Naipaul, read by Sam Dastor, Macmillan, 3hrs, £8.99. Willy Chandran believes he is drawn after others rather than self-directed. I couldn't help feeling he was just plain selfish. Compelling listening, but a troubling story, full of ambiguity which abridgement may well have increased.