Something needs clearing up here. This is the 'Yearbook' to the main guide: 'The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVD's'. Very similar titles likely to cause confusion.
The main guide, published in 2003, is a huge tome 1550 pages long giving an impressive overview of some of the classical CD's available in the U.K. This 'Yearbook' covers releases since that main guide was published. Unfortunately, presumably due to publishing deadlines, a lot of CD's I had expected would be covered, aren't. For example, the superb Chailly Mahler Symphony No.3 on Decca, which was officially released in the U.K. on May 10 2004 isn't mentioned! I found many similar omissions. Half this guide is taken up with compilations, vocal recitals, and the like, leaving fewer pages for the main orchestral discs. This is OK but really you must have the main guide before you get this, and I'm not sure how much this adds given what's left out. Still as a collector I found it an essential purchase.
The review standard is as high as ever; in fact I think I even detected a bit more criticism compared with the main guide. Are classical CD standards dropping or the reviewers becoming 'tougher'?.
So a bit of a disappointment regarding coverage, but still an essential for serious collectors.