I am a child of the late '60s and a teenager of the late '70s. Unearthly sounds have fascinated me since I was knee-high. Be it the dramatic swoops and swirls of Delia Derbyshire's original realisation of the 'Doctor Who' theme or the dehumanised beats of Kraftwerk's 'Man Machine', I have a soft spot for synthesised or electronic music, call it what you will.

As well as Delia and our German friends, there are a number of landmark albums that in my opinion should belong in any enthusiast's collection. One of those has just been re-released in a deluxe 2-CD edition and it is a delight to hear it again. Like welcoming back an old friend. And we are talking analogue synthesisers and sequencers here which in recent years have made something of a trendy come back in the search for that truly retro feel.

I'm talking about 'Metamatic' from ex-Ultravox front man, John Foxx. It was his first solo album after splitting with Ultravox (a run of three rather good albums from the glam-punk of 'Ultravox!', through the rock new wave of 'Ha!Ha!Ha!' to the benchmark fusion of new wave and machine music of 'Systems Of Romance' before Midge Ure turned up and they went mainstream) and it arrived in 1980, all futuristic and shiny and picking up on a vast range of influences that would eventually set out the stall for the more European influenced synth-pop acts of the mid-'80s.

What strikes you about 'Metamatic' is Foxx's obvious obsessions with art and literature - namely the juxtaposing and placing of figures in threatening land and city scapes by the surrealists Magritte and de Chirico, the playfulness of Dadaism and Duchamp, as well as the books of J.G. Ballard whose themes about grey alienation within rapidly changing cities are echoed here by the many songs about and references to plazas, buildings, concrete, roads and motorways. The album is cousin to the mid-career work of Kraftwerk and early Human League, and Numan's 'The Pleasure Principle' borrows sounds and ideas from this and 'Systems Of Romance' wholesale. Unlike those other early electronic musicians, Foxx's compositions are harder-edged, without an overt commercial 'warmth' and are defined by their rudimentariness and adherence to a utilitarian aesthetic. And they still sound unearthly, anxious, distancing, cynical and distinctly English. There are also hints of his later flirtation with English pastoral, the Beatles and psychedelia in 'Touch And Go'.

With these connections, this early work comfortably sits alongside the art-pop/rock of Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and the rest of the post-punk scene and could also be seen as influenced by the Eno/Bowie collaborations of 'Low' and 'Heroes'. It certainly has a different feel to it than his follow up albums 'The Garden' and 'The Golden Section' and Foxx has in recent years emerged from obscurity to re-engage with these ideas on albums such as 'Crash And Burn' and 'The Pleasures Of Electricity'.

There is a silvery sheen and crystalline brittleness to all the compositions as they unfold with their tales of urban angst, cities populated by citizens suffering from identity-theft, the merging of man and technology through everything from cars to warfare. It is essentially an album about fallout - both physically and metaphorically in terms of living in the shadow of the nuclear age where most songs are aglow with a melancholic and often disturbing radioactive vision - and how this changes and mutates us. 'Blurred Girl', 'A New Kind Of Man', 'He's A Liquid' and '030' all echo a retro JFK post-nuclear society and continue a theme first explored in the early Ultravox song 'Hiroshima Mon Amour' and the experimental flashback techniques from the 1959 Resnais film of the same name.

It is a seminal work and the 2-CD reissue features all of the single b'sides and associated extra tracks together with some previously unreleased material on Disc 2. The tracks 'Cinemascope' and 'To Be With You' and the alternate version of 'Like a Miracle' (this one later to be revised for 'The Golden Section' album), haven't been available before. The revival of interest in his work and his recent return to this genre, with a rather abundant output of new albums, has long been overdue.

Metamatic - John Foxx (EDSD 2013 Metamatic / Edsel Records)

A few words, really, to mark the passing of one of British television's foremost producers, Verity Lambert. It is especially poignant that her death, at the age of 71, was announced on 23rd November 2007, the 44th anniversary of transmission of the first episode of 'Doctor Who'.

Not only did Verity produce the series back in the mists of time in 1963 but she was instrumental in getting it to the screen despite the trials of being the youngest and only woman in a production role in television and having to defend her decisions to sceptical drama and childrens departments at the BBC. The fact that the show survives to this day is testament to her belief in the programme and it will remain her lasting legacy.

But let's not forget her other contributions to the television landscape. She developed and produced such seminal programmes as Adam Adamant Lives, Budgie, The Naked Civil Servant, Rock Follies, Quatermass, Rumpole of the Bailey, Edward and Mrs Simpson, Reilly: Ace of Spies, Minder, GBH and Jonathan Creek. Many of her productions were showered with awards, particularly The Naked Civil Servant and Edward And Mrs Simpson. She ran her own production company, Cinema Verity, producing feature films, dramas and sit-coms until her untimely death.

She was a television legend - one of the few left - and she will be missed. God bless, Verity.

Like most reviewers, I'll get this said before we go on. Go and see the film in 3D or better still in IMAX 3D. It truly is a stunning viewing experience.

However, as a film it is not without its problems and the motion capture technology is still flawed. Based on the Old English poem, Robert Zemeckis' film certainly has its better moments. The story of Beowulf, a warrior who comes to slay the hideous Grendel, the bastard offspring of King Hrothgar and the local demon, and later must battle his own bastard offspring in the form of a huge dragon, is here given a CGI sheen, an unfortunate humour bypass and a ridiculous timidity towards male nudity.

The voice talent is led by Anthony Hopkins as Hrothgar, John Malkovich as Unferth and Ray Winstone at Beowulf. From the outset, there is an obvious problem with Winstone's casting. Instead of a Danish inflection we get pure East End Cockney and it simply doesn't work. Hopkins and Malkovich acquit themselves better with Hrothgar painted as a weary and frustrated King and Unferth as a scheming cynic. Angelina Jolie gets a cough and a spit as the female demon.

Beowulf also has a knack of taking all his clothes off to wrestle with demons but his nudity and the ensuing violence and gore come as two poles on which to hang this film. If the film had been made in live-action then it certainly would not have received the 12A rating it currently has. The blood and guts here apparently are possessed of a distance leant to them by the fact that they are virtual gore but conversely the film makers then go to ridiculous lengths (pun intended) to cover up Beowulf's manhood. His crotch is hidden by various objects and people in a bizarre Benny Hill or Austin Powers routine that just makes a mockery of the film's hero, its narrative and its theme. If the film is about the sins of the father, does focus on unprotected sex or rape, and is about male power then why be so timid to cover it up. If the female demon can rise completely naked from her lake then shouldn't we get a glance of Beowulf's cock too? Never mind, he'll rip off Grendel's arm and tear out the heart of a dragon in gory detail and none of us will bat an eyelid. It certainly had the audience I was with sniggering away as did any number of unintentionally funny lines.

The other major problem with the film is that motion capture technology still doesn't imbue the characters with much of an emotional range. There have been improvements and characters do tend to be less zombie eyed in this film than in 'Polar Express' but it is still very difficult to accept these characters as real. I'm still at a loss as to why they went down this route. Why not film the entire thing with real actors? You might actually get a decent performance out some of the actors instead of this parade of synthetic woodeness. I can understand the point of slick animated films like 'Ratatouille' or 'Finding Nemo' because they are all about stylisation but I don't see the point of making an animated film where the emphasis is on making all of the human characters as real as possible. Just use a real actor for heaven's sake.

Despite those misgivings, this is worth seeing. The battles with Grendel (a superbly tortured performance from Crispin Glover) are effective and violently scary, the sexy seduction of Beowulf by the female demon and the final climactic battle with the dragon are really stunning sequences where the animation does its real work. There is a tendency to over indulgence in the fight with the dragon and you need to suspend your disbelief with that sequence but in the end this story is supposed to be about legendary heroes and therefore you must accept the thousands of years old licence with which it was told. There are some fantastic swooping camera moves, some great ground level and aerial shots and the sound is particularly great in the duel with the dragon with the rushing of wings, belching fire, crumbling battlements all combining with a heavy score.

It's moments of tenderness are brief and often embarassing. The death of Grendel is very well done and you do feel for the poor blighter but the death of Beowulf is a less affecting affair and I felt more sorry for the dragon as it melted away in the waves and briefly transmogrified itself into Beowulf's equally buff looking son. Heavens, they might even be accused of suggesting a daddy-son relationship in that last intimate moment. Beowulf's rippling torso does seem to be a cross between a 12 year old girl's fantasy and an idealised gay male conquest and that's the level this film maintains in its attempt to discuss the psychology of sexual relationships.

Stunning to look at in 3D but with a very one dimensional attitude to character and story, Beowulf is best seen as a bit of empty fun. The definitive version of the story still hasn't been made.

Beowulf (Cert 12A - Released 16th November 2007. Directed by Robert Zemeckis)

How did our little show with its solid history in the use of sound and music become this big television event, scored in such a wonderful way? It's really an achievement.

This is a lush soundtrack with Gold certainly remaining inventive even whilst fully embracing the use of orchestra and choir. It's certainly worth getting this CD if, like me, you do want to hear the full range of the music which when married to the overall soundtrack often gets suffocated in the mix. You only get the tip of the iceberg on telly and I feel this is an opportunity to get closer to the music.

The early highlights for me are certainly 'All The Strange Strange Creatures' and 'Martha's Theme'. The former a surging, building theme that underlines the nature of the journey and the battle between good and evil and the latter is so wonderful with those vocals from Melanie Pappenheim.

'Boe' is so lovely. Again, the choral motif really sells this along with the acoustic guitar and the string sections. It captures something about the wisdom and ancient foreknowledge of the character.

I'm not so keen on the music for 'Evolution Of The Daleks'. I just feel we've been here before with all the choral chanting, which is obviously a motif for those denizens of Skaro. I like the songs and feel they add a fresh dimension to the series and look forward to hearing more in the fourth series. Certainly, they work as period pieces like 'Devil In Me' used for 'Daleks In Manhattan'. Although, I think I prefer the Miranda Raison vocal for some reason. 'The Stowaway' isn't bad either and it'll be intriguing to see how this fits into the Xmas Special.

The centrepieces of the CD are for me the music for 'Human Nature/Family Of Blood' and 'Utopia', 'Sound Of Drums' and 'Last Of The Time Lords'. For the former, Gold goes for an English pastoral feel with a romantic core, quite apt in the use of a smaller chamber orchestra. Very 'Beatles' influenced too if you listen hard enough. I'm all for the whistling - again this reminds me of the music for 'Georgy Girl' - very English psychedelia. 'Only Martha Knows' is brilliant as it goes from tenderness and Martha's nonchalance to a restless, surging and dark undercurrent with those fantastic string sections and the percussion. An utter delight.

The restlessness is further underpinned in the following two tracks, great use of driving percussion and strings, very reminiscent of Bernard Hermann and with some great brass flourishes too. The military feel of 'Just Scarecrows To War' with the drums and woodwinds is superb and really connects to themes in the story which is what a good composer should be doing.

Gold gets the real tragedy into 'Miss Joan Redfern' with that treated piano. You can feel the longing of the character especially when the woodwind and strings come in. Lovely and very moving. 'The Dream Of A Normal Death' is again exquisite in its exploration of the themes of the story - unfulfilled longing, love and 'what might have been' - with distant choral sections and strings and that treated piano again.

'The Doctor Forever' opens a further series of tracks that stand out on ths CD. A reprise of themes, including Martha's, with a great Irish jig motif, using some great brass, that captures the Doctor's energy and optimism. This takes us through a real range of musical emotions and concludes with a great fanfare.

'Blink' is subtle and tender. Worth it just for the use of bassoon to represent the disturbing setting of the story. It then powers up with strident strings in the middle and then plunges us back into the threatening suffocation of the angels.

'The Runaway Bride' is plain Hollywood pizzazz, with nods to Hermann and Waxman with its brass and strings. There's even a bit of Bondian Barry in there with the little trumpet motifs. And that incredible lift and soaring section when the TARDIS appears and the Doctor rescues Donna. It underlines that 'punch the air' moment. 'After The Chase' again has some subtle Barry like motifs and has his tenderness.

'The Futurekind' is fuzzy guitar, mad drums and pell-mell brass that forms the build up motif to the conclusion of 'Utopia' and I remember being impressed by this whilst watching the episode as it has the effect of building expectation into the audience. This is then echoed in 'Yana' with the return of the 'All The Strange Creatures' motif and some great wild vocals. 'The Master Vainglorious' is full of wild interpretations and devices, swirling strings, electronics and an almost 'Looney Tunes' simplicity with the underlying themes brought to a crescendo of brass, strings and those Oz like themes and rhythms.

I love the graduating brass in 'Martha's Quest' and the twinkling bits of percussion and the sweeping strings that fall and rise and then restart. There some nice woodwind and brass sections that give us that epic scope to the character's journey.

For me 'This Is Gallifrey' is stunning. The acoustic through line, the growing strings and strident percussion and brass that again fall back and repeat. Lovely woodwinds that develop the theme too with stirring strings that are full of lost pride and melancholy. We are truly listening to a lost and noble civilisation and the final corruption of the Master with the unfettered schism of the time vortex making its presence felt through punchy brass. Outstanding piece of music.

'Martha Triumphant' concludes the character's journey with a reprise of her theme but this time very cleverly giving us a finer, more mature sounding version that sums up the lessons she's learned. 'Donna's Theme' is great Gershwinesque brass and percussive playfulness, summing up the scatterbrained nature of the character and I hope some of this survives into the next series.

A pity that more of 'The Master Tape' didn't find its way into the episodes. Great chugging strings and percussion that increase in speed over several sections. Brass punches and tinkly percussion, various stabs and accents that accumulate into stuttering conclusion. Is it me or does much of the music for the last three episodes have a mad, Wizard Of Oz, almost Looney Tunes quality to it? It sums up the Master's pathology very nicely.

And finally, 'Abide With Me'. Lovely.

Overall, a further testament to Murray Gold's fantastic work on the series, treat yourself to this CD, and to all the naysayers out there who have had doubts about his suitability for the job, well you can stick to Peter Howell playing the theme with paper and comb if you like, but this is epic, tender and soulful and you really are missing out on an essential element that makes the current series the success it truly is.

Doctor Who - Original Television Series Soundtrack - Series 3 (Silva Screen SILCD1250)

For any self-respecting gay man now in his...cough...mid-forties, Maupin's 'Tales Of The City' sequence of novels provided an essential road map through the hedonism of the late 70s through to the ultra-conservatism of the late 80s. All the novels deal with the big themes: love and death, family and friends against the background of one of the world's most fascinating cities, San Francisco. Maupin hasn't written about his little 'family' of characters since the publication of 'Sure Of You' back in 1988. Yes, some of characters have popped up in 'Maybe The Moon' and 'The Night Listener' but the publication of 'Michael Tollier Lives' which brings us up to date on their lives has been a long time coming. Maupin originally denied that this was a book in the 'Tales...' sequence but has since admitted that it jolly well is and is in fact preparing another book in the sequence.

What strikes you about this latest novel is the change from third person narrator to first person narrator. This is more in keeping with the style of 'Maybe...' and '...Listener' and for me it was the best decision he could have made. Michael Tolliver was always one of his most popular characters and to now be inside his head, reading his thoughts and asides, is such a blessing and a delight. Maupin could be accused of hi-jacking Michael for his own narrative ends - is this really Maupin's own story more than it is Michael's ? Well, duh, yeah.

Who cares when Maupin finally gets round to tackling the really big concern of all gay men hurtling towards their twilight years. And many of whom never imagined they would be here at all. For me, this is the great reward of the book for us old farts. It defends us older gay men to the hilt and focuses on...wait for it...romance! S'okay, Armistead hasn't gone all Barbara Cartland on us. He recognises, as do many of us older fellas, that the lives of older gay men really don't get touched upon these days and seem to have a little less value, culturally speaking. Gay culture is overly dominated by the young and the thin and anyone older than 25 or over size 0.5 is, well...old and fat. It's nice to have a redress to this particularly alienating legacy of 21st Century gay life.

This is a really lovely story of how Michael negotiates his love with new husband, Ben, whilst dealing with the many crises that tend to gather at particular moments in the lives of older gay men. The main issues that Maupin tackles here are 'family' and 'mortality'. Even though Michael is HIV positive and therefore has a very heightened sense of his own mortality many of his interior thoughts on getting old and eventually facing up to death certainly pushed all of my own buttons. Those that are dismissing this as a weak entry in the 'Tales' canon really are missing the point. This is a personal story and therefore can't be told in the usual multi-layered narrative manner of previous 'Tales...' books. Michael is talking directly to us and we are no longer the observers of Maupin's intertwining pieces of narrative. We're actually participating in it.

From a personal point of view, I absolutely connected with Michael's struggles and distance with his Christian-Southern family. His is a distance that echoes my own and it is very uncanny how family crises suddenly force you to reconnect when you really didn't want to. How Michael handles both the death of his mother and the near-death of a close friend frighteningly echoed some recent events in my own life. His marriage to Ben and the boundaries they set themselves within and without the relationship are also fascinating observations of how gay men take on their roles as husbands. Mind you, I envy their sex lives!

It does treat the other 'Tales' characters with a little less integrity. Anna is her usual magisterial self. I can no longer read her dialogue without now picturing the brilliant Olympia Dukakis, who played her in the three series. I can just hear her voice as I read. Again, Maupin brings us an older Anna in his determination to show how people like you and me and unlike you and me will possible negotiate old age, ill health and infirmity. It is at once depressing and exhilarating. However, Maupin unforgivably, in my opinion, kills off one of the main characters ' off screen' as it were. Yes, I can see it as a further development of the 'mortality' theme but its perhaps going a little too far in this instance.

The novel is a reassuring paen to family - whatever that constitutes for you - and friends (I liked the FTM Jake and the other trans characters that become attached to Anna) and that you create your own family in certain circumstances. And most importantly you cherish growing old with those that remain. It is all about your choice of a 'logical' family over a 'biological' family and many may find that choice rather cruel in the context that Michael experiences it but it is none the less vitally true and a choice many gay, lesbian and trans people keep having to make.

Michael Tolliver Lives - Armistead Maupin (Doubleday ISBN-13: 978-0385612401)