This Is Cinerama, Cinerama's album of B-sides and two singles that were not released between Va-Va Voom and Disco Volante, is an excellent introduction if you haven't caught up with your CD-buying yet (I can't imagine why you wouldn't own some Cinerama otherwise), or if you're nuttier for Cinerama than your grandmama's fruitcake. If you're in need of the soundtrack for heartbreaking or lovemaking, (and who isn't doing one or the other?), there's really no reason why you shouldn't own this.

David Gedge writes scores for the lives of middle-class adult people. He has a penchant for lush melodies and a taste for achingly emotional lyrics that explore his romantic fixations. The group's orchestral bias (aided by strings, flutes, french horns, trumpets, and clarinets) and cerebral lyrics are luxuries, pampering listeners bored by sub-par pop. The only other groups who come close to Cinerama would be the Tindersticks and Orange Juice.

Not too many women I know could resist hearing smoky lyrics like "Tout ce que je veux faire c'est être couchée à tes côtés, ici dans ce lit" or "I love your hips" from "Love", perfectly accented by the female background vocals, the poppy guitar and mellow flute. The cover of "London" should thrill Smiths fans as well as regular people. I suspect Gedge chose to cover it for the line "Do you think you've made the right decision this time?", but then, who knows? Cinerama has lengthened the single to double its original time, setting Gedge and Sally Murrell's duet to heart-beat pacing. "Crusoe" fills your heart with emptiness and you see the glimmers of darkness for which Gedge is so justly famous -- for instance, "The silence when you hold me is deafening". The song's mournful violin melody, laid over the stately piano and quietly strummed guitar, will keep the tune tarrying in your head for days; it's nearly anthemic during the bridges.

Actually, all of these songs will stay with you, for listening to Cinerama is the emotional equivalent of seeing stars.