Top Gear - The Ultimate Driving Experience CD

This two-CD sampler from the U.K. TV driving show is as much a snapshot of the intensely vital and varied nature of British pop and dance music as it is a soundtrack to choking on car fumes while stuck in city traffic--uh, speeding down the open highway with the wind streaming through your hair. U.S. garage rockers like the Killers rub shoulders with their Euro counterparts the Hives, while vintage Britpop bands like the Stone Roses and the Charlatans take on 21st-century upstarts like Keane, and prehistoric 1960s rockers Cream are dusted off and given a downtempo techno makeover.

The flagship BBC driving brand is stronger than ever, attracting record TV viewing audiences. The show uses plenty of music and not just dusty old rock anthems. Disc 1 delivers a more contemporary driving soundtrack (Bodyrockers, Razorlight, The Hives, Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, The Killers etc). Switch to Disc 2 and you'll find a more expansive and dramatic soundtrack; cue Rob D, David Holmes, The Orb, Nightmares On Wax and Lemon Jelly. This is an exciting concept for a driving album and sits comfortably in the back seat with the younger, more dynamic hip audience that regularly watches the show.