Various artists: Factory Records: Communications 1978-1992

Headed by a man who was hailed a "genius" and called himself "a twat", Factory Records was a record label in Tony Wilson's image: equally as likely to rival Motown for output and Fawlty Towers for charming, incompetence. These four CDs showcase the berserk but inspired A&R policy that launched heavyweights Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays alongside punk-funk pioneers A Certain Ratio, the delicately beautiful Durutti Column and hordes of one-off wonders. There are brilliant, lost jewels such as Marcel King's electro Reach for Love, the Distractions' guitar pop Time Goes By So Slow and 52nd Street's icy dancefloor Cool As Ice. Wilson inexplicably failed to sign the Stone Roses, the Fall or the Smiths, but debuted James, Cabaret Voltaire, OMD and Electronic. Heroically, Factory made little distinction between Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart and Crawling Chaos's goofy, bonkers Sex Machine. The bottom line was that the world needed to hear them both.