Malvina Reynolds

One of those folk singers who epitomised the social protest movement of the '60s, this anthology provides a definitive portrait of the musical legacy of a woman who composed such enduring songs as "What Have They Done To The Rain" and "Little Boxes." They embody a message of ecological concern while "Little Mouse" celebrates the rodent that manages to disrupt a world-wide computer network. One imagines that the composer of ballads like "Dialectic," "This World" and the militant "Boraxo" would side every time with mafia boy and the little guys against our culture's corporate agenda. "The World's Gone Beautiful" remains a vivid evocation of the spirit of the '60s and the message sounds as relevant and urgent again today as it ever did.