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• "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" - The album that put the Oils on the map. Because it dates from 1981 I expected a cheaply produced guitar rocker, but this is as slick as they come with their first set of great songs, including the classic "Power and The Passion".

• "Diesel and Dust" - Considered by many to be their masterpiece.

• "Blue Sky Mining" - I will always have a soft spot for this album, because it's the album that properly introduced me to the Oils. It sounds much the same as "Diesel and Dust" but it lacks the passion.

• "Scream In Blue" - A live album to change your perception of the Oils - they kick butt, and then some...

• "Earth and Sun and Moon" - melodic riffs, swirling Hammond organ, grooving rhythms and less lyrical emphasis on politics make this a "back to basics" album with a difference.

• "Breathe" - as close as they've come to an acoustic recording, including a Peter Garrett/Emmylou Harris duet.

• "Redneck Wonderland" - with the opening pair of tracks amongst their most brutal studio recordings, the concerns provoked by the mellow stylings of their two preceding albums are quickly dismissed. The band then demonstrate that this is no return to old glories, but is instead a step forward that somehow incorporates the seemingly distinct elements of their previous work. At first, I was impressed that they are still willing to be this ambitious and then I was impressed by the fact they've managed to pull it off so effortlessly.

• "Bat Out of Hell" - A guilty pleasure. It's overblown and ridiculous and not afraid to admit it. It usually makes me grin like an idiot.

• "All The Best!" - Generally speaking, Paul's solo career has suffered from a lack of John Lennon. In The Beatles, the pair balanced each other but since, Paul has all too often slid into cliched optimism or broad-stroked "save-the-world" style political flag waving. Despite that, there has been some classic pop from McCartney and that's exactly what this "best of" serves up.

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