Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's alternative CD releases.

Allman Brothers Band, "Hell & High Water" (Floating World)- The Allmans fortunes were seriously flagging by the time that the Southern rock pioneeers made the move to Arista Records in 1980, but the two albums that they recorded for the label still repay closer investigation. This entertaining anthology brings together the best of their Arista output, with Gregg Allman and guitarist Dickey Betts doing their level best to guide the band through a sometimes rather uneasy transition towards a more commercial and pop orientated sound as they serve up beguiling ditties such as "Leavin'," "The Judgement" and "I Got A Right To Be Wrong."

Melanie, "The Good Book" (Talking Elephant)- This archetypal Melanie offering first saw the light of day in 1971, and found the impassioned acoustic balladeer tackling some fine self-penned material alongside songs penned by fellow singer-songwriters such as Phil Ochs, Judy Collins and Bob Dylan. Melanie's distinctive musings on love and life have rarely sounded more powerful or affecting, and "The Good Book" also spawned one major hit single in the shape of the infectious "Nickel Song."

John Mellencamp, "Sad Clowns & Hillbillies" (Republic Records)-John Mellencamp tended to be dismissed as a poor man's Springsteen by many pundits when he first emerged on the scene in the late seventies , but the Indiana born performer's particularly heartfelt brand of blue collar Americana possesses an unforced integrity that you rarely come acoss these days. This partial collaboration with Johnny Cash's stepdaughter Carlene Carter is at its most compelling when the pair trade vocals on stand-out tracks such as "My Soul's Got Wings," "All Night Talk Radio" and the gospelly "Damascus Road."

"Stars of Northern Soul" (My Kind of Music)- The title of this vibrant 3 CD anthology is something of a misnomer, as very few of the 54 tracks showcased here could really be classified as "Northern Soul." Devotees of sixties soul and r&b should find it a very worthwhile investment however, with notable contributions emerging from the likes of Wilson Pickett, The Impressions, Etta James and Joe Tex to name but a few.