‘SONGS FROM the shows’ compilations invariably have the same tracks from the same musicals by the same singers.

I’ve lost count how many times I’ve heard Barbara Dickson, Elaine Paige or Michael ball chirping out the same classics from the mid-1970s or early 1980s.

There’s also the same smattering of well-known songs from the golden days of Broadway when Andrew Lloyd Webber was still wearing short trousers.

This two-disc set offers something more than this, highlighting lots of less-familiar renditions of well-known songs and showcasing some of the best tracks from up-to-the-minute West End shows.

So we have Kimberly Walsh singing Another Suitcase In Another Hall, Idina Menzel singing Tomorrow, and Connie Fisher singing All That Jazz.

Then there are songs from some of the more recent shows like Shrek, Aladdin, Jersey Boys, The Commitments and Matilda.

I didn’t the decision of the compilers to showcase some modern musicals, like We Will Rock You, Carousel and Ghost, by using the original chart singles – by Queen, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Righteous Bros – rather than the stage versions.

By the time we reach disc two we’re on familiar ground, with Michael Ball, Elaine Paige, Marti Webb and Barbara Dickson having a good chirp of those classics.

But amidst the likes of Alfie Boe, Jason Donovan and Gene Kelly there’s still room for pleasant surprises like the lesser-known Danielle Hope singing Over The Rainbow.

All in all, a good mix of great songs from the first golden age of musicals to the current, equally shiny era.

David Knights