Mark Ronson has been around for a while but really skyrocketed up the "it" list after producing Lily Allen's "Alright, Still" and Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" to stardom in 2006 (but released in the US in 07), so it didn't come as a surprise that he would put out another album (after 2003's Here Comes the Fuzz).

On "Versions" (14 tracks, 46 min.), Ronson continues the semi-throwback Motown/Stax sound he so aptly crafted for Allen and Whinehouse, only he applies it to covers of other artists, mostly with great result. The first half of the album is outstanding, After the instrumental opener, a cover of Coldplay's "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", which features the fantastic Dapkins, Ronson calls on Lily Allen for a delightful version of the Kaiser Chiefs' "Oh My God". Even better is an almost unrecognizable version of Britney Spears' "Toxic", which is my book is miles better than the original. Amy Winehouse is called in on a terrific version of the Zutons' "Valerie" and Maximo Park's version of "Apply Some Pressure" ends a fabulous first half of the album, which I rate 4.5 Stars. After a short instrumental "Inversion", the second half starts, and it is intriguing but not as good. The Ryan Adams cover of "Amy" is a bit too close to the original, as is the Kasabian's cover of "L.S.F." I rate the second half of the album 3.5 stars.

In all, "Versions" is an enjoyable and fun album, no more, no less, with not much pretension other than to get people to move to the music, and of that, Mark Ronson does a great job.