Brand New Boots and Panties is a nice idea: the stars of today celebrating Ian Dury's life by recreating his best-known album, 1977's New Boots and Panties. Too often, tribute albums fall at the first fence (why did they bother?); but this time, it's a marriage made at the Match-Stick, Beacontree. Madness were born for "My Old Man"; Billy Bragg does very well on "Billericay Dickie"; Shane MacGowan's take on "Plaistow Patricia" has all the rakish charm of kamikaze karaoke and Paul McCartney's "I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra" boasts the same raw-throated energy he displayed on Run Devil Run. The name of Robbie Williams punching out what might just be Dury's best song, "Sweet Gene Vincent", should help sell this worthy album. But even if 50% of the proceeds weren't going to the cancer charity Bacup, this would still be a great record--and taken alongside Richard Balls' recent biography, this album reminds us again what a diamond geezer Dury was.