Collaborations, eh? Where they should be a meeting of talents, they tend to result from a meeting of record company executives. Thank god that’s not always the case…

Do: Steal

Lo-Fidelity All Stars featuring Pigeonhed – Battleflag

The Lo-Fidelity Allstars were initially commissioned to remix Pigeonhed’s Battleflag, for its UK release. The result, featuring completely new music and added vocals by the Lo-Fi’s, ends up sounding more like a battle: “I’m blown to the maxim / Two hemispheres battling.” It’s a tune with a surplus of funk, with the band’s respective singers taking turns on vocals until it descends into a Hammond organ wig-out. Its credentials as a collaboration, rather than just a remix, were proven when the Lo-Fidelity All Stars released it themselves a year later under their own name featuring Pigeonhed and it became a dancefloor hit in the States. Sometimes an artist’s finest moment comes from an unexpected place and this ended up being the best song either band ever put their name to. None of which may be much consolation to the Lo-Fi’s who didn’t see a penny from it.

Do: Choose Wisely

PJ Harvey featuring Thom Yorke- This Mess We’re In

This song from, Peej’s Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, is brilliant for three reasons—it’s a duet where the woman has a lower voice than the man, it features one of Yorke’s best performances, and because Polly has managed to get Yorke to sing a preposterously uncharacteristic lyric “Night and day I dream of making love to you now baby.” There’s something about the way Yorke sounds like he’s not going to hit the high notes but hits them every single time. It’s a duet where the voices are perfectly matched. It is a thing of beauty.

Don’t: Keep It in the Family

Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne- Changes

Now I’m not saying Ozzy hasn’t had his moments, but let’s fact the man can’t really sing and when he’s not hiding behind a rock band no amount of production can hide that. As for Kelly I don’t think even her mother would argue that she has one of the greatest voices. When you have two terrible vocal performances suddenly lyrics like “I feel unhappy, I am so sad” are exposed for the tripe they are. It’s got all the artistic merit of a drunken father and daughter doing karaoke.

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