Barry Adamson | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Barry Adamsons work as a bassist for Magazine and Nick Caves Bad Seeds gave little indication of the complex, cinematic works he has composed and arranged as a solo artist. After leaving the Bad Seeds in 1987, Adamson decided to follow the path of film composers like John Barry, Ennio Morricone, and Bernard Herrmann, whose work had intrigued him since childhood. His first full-length album, 1989s Moss Side Story (he had released one previous EP in 1988), was a tour de force, blending post-punk, industrial, spy guitar, and various classic movie composer quotes into a seamless 54-minute soundtrack to an ominous film noir that didnt exist. This recording led to Adamsons work on soundtracks for actual films in the early 90s, including Delusion, Gas Food Lodging, and Shuttle Cock. Adamson also continued to compose quasi-cinematic recordings for imaginary films like 1996s Oedipus Schmoedipus, although none have matched the sustained excitement of Moss Side Story. As Above, So Below followed in 1998 and a best-of compilation titled The Murky World of Barry Adamson appeared a year after that. Adamson returned in 2002 with The King of Nothing Hill, his first collection of new material in four years. Stranger on the Sofa followed in 2006, Adamsons first for his Central Control International imprint. Back to the Cat, his second album for the label, was released in March 2008. Its title track was used in the popular video game Alan Wake. He also took part in the first of the Howard Devotos Magazine reunions in 2008, completing one tour before leaving again to concentrate on his own music. In 2010 he issued the digital-only single "Rag and Bone." It was released in physical form as a 12" single in 2011. The same year he wrote, directed, and scored the film Therapist. Adamson followed the single with his next full-length, I Will Set You Free, on his Central Control International label. It was released on Valentines Day in 2012, followed by a world tour. He also contributed the closing title theme to the film The Sweeney by director Nick Love and played bass on two tracks from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Push the Sky Away. Adamson offered an aural sneak peek of his next album with "Texas Crash" in November 2015. The full-length, Know Where to Run, was released by his Central Control label in February of the following year. In April 2017, Adamson dropped another EP, Love Sick Dick, a six-song serving of dark but groove-laden cinematic funk, followed by a remix EP. In 2018, Adamson, via Mute, issued the career retrospective Memento Mori that charted his career from 1978’s Magazine track "Parade" (from Real Life, the bands debut, which was co-written by Adamson), to his work as a founding member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Adamson co-wrote the title track of From Her to Eternity); through his nine solo albums, from 1988’s Moss Side Story to the latest Love Sick Dick EPs, and the previously unissued track "The Hummingbird." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 21 Title: An Album Club Exclusive Released: Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Reckoning (04:25) 2 Now He Knows Your Name (05:00) 3 Crackula Has Risen From the Grave (04:07) 4 Five Minutes to the Gates of Paradise (04:34) |
 | Album: 2 of 21 Title: The Taming of the Shrewd Released: 1989 Tracks: 6 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One: Samplers Against Apartheid (?) 2 Diamonds (?) 3 Two: Half-Cast in the Movie of Life (?) 4 Boppin Out / Eternal Morning (?) 5 Splat Goes the Cat (?) 6 From Rusholme With Love (?) |
 | Album: 3 of 21 Title: Moss Side Story Released: 1989-03-06 Tracks: 15 Duration: 54:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 On the Wrong Side of Relaxation (05:27) 2 Under Wraps (04:27) 3 Central Control (02:16) 4 Round Up the Usual Suspects (00:37) 5 Sounds From the Big House (06:24) 6 Suck on the Honey of Love (02:13) 7 Everything Happens to Me (02:42) 8 The Swinging Detective (05:46) 9 Autodestruction (03:49) 10 Intensive Care (02:41) 11 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (04:08) 12 Free at Last (01:23) 13 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (02:24) 14 Chocolate Milk Shake (04:24) 15 The Man With the Golden Arm (05:13) |
| Moss Side Story : Allmusic album Review : Barry Adamsons first full-length album, Moss Side Story is still unequivocally his best. Elements of rock, voices from news reports, blood-curdling wordless female vocals (courtesy of experimental/punk diva Diamanda Galás), lounge keyboards, and swirling funereal ambient music are interwoven on this taut and compelling, almost continuous imaginary "soundtrack." The result is a sinister and edgy soundscape thats as gripping as any black-and-white thriller. [The CD adds three bonus cuts, including Adamsons updates of "The Man With the Golden Arm" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."] | ||
 | Album: 4 of 21 Title: Delusion Released: 1991-08-27 Tracks: 17 Duration: 43:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Delusion (01:44) 2 Crossin the Line (02:32) 3 Il Soltario (03:50) 4 Pattis Theme (00:42) 5 A Settlin Kinda Scam (02:31) 6 Fish Face (05:15) 7 Go Johnny (02:28) 8 The Life We Leave Behind (02:29) 9 An Amendment (02:21) 10 La Cucaracha (01:14) 11 Diamonds (02:23) 12 Georges Downfall (01:11) 13 Got to Bet to Win (03:12) 14 The Track With No Name (01:48) 15 Pattis Theme (Two Stage Variation) (02:34) 16 Death Valley Junction (04:36) 17 These Boots Are Made for Walking (02:49) |
 | Album: 5 of 21 Title: Cinema is King Released: 1992 Tracks: 4 Duration: 15:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 007, a "Fantasy Bond" Theme (03:59) 2 Autodestruction (03:51) 3 Il Solitario (03:51) 4 From Rusholme With Love (03:59) |
 | Album: 6 of 21 Title: Soul Murder Released: 1992-04-06 Tracks: 14 Duration: 47:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Preface (01:13) 2 Split (03:58) 3 The Violation of Expectation (03:04) 4 Suspicion (04:05) 5 A Gentle Man of Colour (03:50) 6 Trance of Hatred (00:59) 7 Checkpoint Charlie (06:32) 8 Reverie (04:51) 9 Un Petit Miracle (02:55) 10 007: A Fantasy Bond Theme (03:59) 11 The Adamson Family (03:45) 12 Cool Green World (03:31) 13 On the Edge of Atonement (03:16) 14 Epilogue (00:57) |
| Soul Murder : Allmusic album Review : Equally as ambitious as Moss Side Story, but this doesnt come off nearly as well. Apparently constructed to evoke similar underworld soundscapes, too much of this is built around simple, sparse (sometimes electronic) riffs. The production lacks force and density, and the pieces dont flow into each other with the cohesion that hes demonstrated in other work. Nifty bits of haunting orchestral ambience and lounge jazz keyboards remain, and it does hit a groove at times, especially with the goofy French pop song (with childish vocals) "Un Petit Miracle" and the brutal ska treatment of the James Bond theme. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 21 Title: The Negro Inside Me Released: 1993-06-07 Tracks: 6 Duration: 31:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Snowball Effect (04:22) 2 Dead Heat (04:52) 3 Busted (Michaelangelo version) (05:44) 4 Cold Black Preach (06:25) 5 Je taime… moi non plus (05:30) 6 A Perfectly Natural Union (04:07) |
| The Negro Inside Me : Allmusic album Review : Something of a holding pattern. On this six-song EP, Adamson extrapolates from contemporary black dance beats, samples his American publicists answering machine message and Jane Birkins hit "Je TAime," and throws in lounge jazz piano bits and more. The pieces arent that striking, and one gets the sense that hes tossing out some ideas to play with in the interim between full-length scores/albums. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 21 Title: The Big Bamboozle Released: 1995-08-14 Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Big Bamboozle (03:39) 2 007: A Fantasy Bond Theme (04:37) 3 Busted (Michaelangelo version) (05:45) 4 Dead Heat (04:49) |
 | Album: 9 of 21 Title: Oedipus Schmoedipus Released: 1996-07-29 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis (05:39) 2 Something Wicked This Way Comes (04:33) 3 The Vibes Ain’t Nothin’ but the Vibes (04:48) 4 It’s Business As Usual (04:29) 5 Miles (05:30) 6 Dirty Barry (07:30) 7 In a Moment of Clarity (04:14) 8 Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls (04:27) 9 Vermillion Kisses (03:02) 10 The Big Bamboozle (03:36) 11 State of Contraction (01:38) 12 The Sweetest Embrace (04:49) 13 Set the Controls Again (01:34) |
| Oedipus Schmoedipus : Allmusic album Review : After some releases with more of a beat-heavy pop feel, Adamson moves back -- sort of -- into the land of noirish soundtrack. Unlike Moss Side Story, its not really a soundtrack with repeated themes and motifs. A lot of pieces establish soundtrack-like moods, but the flow never builds up momentum of its own. As individual soundscapes, though, the tracks (largely instrumental) are reasonably impressive, whether its burlesque-type fare, a takeoff on Miles Davis, or lounge jazz. If noir is what you want, "Its Business as Usual" is especially creepy, with its neurotic answering machine messages nearly buried under waves of disquieting sounds; achieving a similar effect; in an entirely different manner, is "Vermillion Kisses," a fairytale narrative with a morbid ending. Nick Cave adds a guest vocal to (and co-writes) "The Sweetest Embrace"; Pulps Jarvis Cocker can be heard (and co-writes) another cut. Adamsons skill in layering and devising unusual sound textures still qualifies him as one of experimental rocks more imaginative composers and producers. But on the more rock-oriented pieces, hes using too many of those damn beat boxes for his own good. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 21 Title: As Above So Below Released: 1998-06-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cant Get Loose (05:26) 2 What It Means (03:59) 3 Déjà Voodoo (04:24) 4 Come Hell or High Water (05:29) 5 Jazz Devil (05:06) 6 Still I Rise (02:17) 7 Girl (04:46) 8 The Monkey Speaks His Mind (05:31) 9 Goddess of Love (03:09) 10 Jesus Wept (07:18) |
| As Above So Below : Allmusic album Review : Barry Adamson is playing quite the "jazz devil" on As Above, So Below. The album sees the dark noir guru taking a detour from the more experimental electronica of Oedipus Schmoedipus into a cool, brutal concept album of aggressive, ominous rock-jazz. It seems that a great deal of Nick Caves cinematic themes have rubbed off on Adamson from his days as a Bad Seed. Where Cave deals mostly with vampiric goth ballads, Adamson creates his art under a moody, effective jazz noir cloud. Many of the songs shuffle about with a determined sense of cool, as Adamson utilizes deep crooning vocals; he often sounds remarkably like a more sane Nick Cave, especially on "Come Hell or High Water." Perhaps Adamsons work on David Lynchs Lost Highway soundtrack inspired the tales of dead detectives and shady women detailed on As Above, So Below. One can easily imagine these songs coming from a younger, rocking, and more sinister Angelo Badalamenti, a frequent Lynch collaborator. The albums high points include "Cant Get Loose," "Still I Rise," and "The Monkey Speaks His Mind." "Cant Get Loose" sees Adamson cooly cooing over keyboards reminiscent of New Order, with a fun, suave xylophone sound and a sample of "Cant Get Used to Losing You" by legendary songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. The song operates under a pleasant, humorous atmosphere, while still displaying ample doses of Adamsons warped, dark vibes. "Still I Rise" is monumentally cool. Adamson sounds quite angry and defensive, sing-screaming "still I rise" repeatedly, alternating that mantra with verses of autobiographical, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. The final cry is as punishing and entertaining as it is crass. Barry Adamson has yet to release an album that isnt entirely compelling. As Above, So Below is a strong, winning mix of style, emotion, and rock-jazz noir power. Its a bold, satisfying vision from an artist who shows no fear in expressing the seedier sides of life. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 21 Title: The Murky World of Barry Adamson Released: 1999-05-03 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Man With the Golden Arm (05:15) 2 Jazz Devil (05:06) 3 The Big Bamboozle (03:36) 4 What It Means (03:59) 5 The Vibes Ain’t Nothin’ but the Vibes (04:48) 6 Mitch and Andy (04:25) 7 The Snowball Effect (04:25) 8 Cant Get Loose (05:31) 9 007: A Fantasy Bond Theme (03:59) 10 Something Wicked This Way Comes (04:33) 11 Walk the Last Mile (05:01) 12 Saturn in the Summertime (04:15) |
| The Murky World of Barry Adamson : Allmusic album Review : The Murky World of Barry Adamson collects the best of the former Bad Seeds solo recordings. Adamsons moody, filmic songs mix sex and menace with impenetrable cool, especially on "The Vibes Aint Nothing But the Vibes" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes," both from his 1996 album Oedipus Schmoedipus. Along with selected tracks from every album from Moss Side Story to As Above, So Below, The Murky World of Barry Adamson also includes three previously unreleased tracks: "Walk the Last Mile," "Mitch & Andy," and "Saturn in the Summertime." Murky World is a delectable sampler of Adamsons dark musical talents. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 21 Title: Motorlab #3 Released: 2001 Tracks: 3 Duration: 35:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Hymn of the 7th Illusion (12:23) 2 “’” (00:24) 3 The Illusion of the 7th Hymn (23:02) |
 | Album: 13 of 21 Title: The King of Nothing Hill Released: 2002-09-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:02:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cinematic Soul (05:27) 2 Whispering Streets (05:00) 3 Black Amour (05:05) 4 When Darkness Calls (05:54) 5 The Second Stain (04:43) 6 Twisted Smile (05:52) 7 Le Matin Des Noire (10:26) 8 That Fool Was Me (05:35) 9 The Crime Scene (06:26) 10 Cold Comfort (08:25) |
| The King of Nothing Hill : Allmusic album Review : With As Above, So Below, Barry Adamson took a detour from the soundscape work that comprised much of his early solo catalog. It was more conventional sounding than anything he had written prior, and with production help from Flood, the albums seedy undertones and gritty seduction were given center stage. With The King of Nothing Hill, he continues where As Above left off -- seamlessly blending funk, jazz, rock, disco, and 60s French pop while swapping street tales with the listener. Its apparent on tracks like the funk-fueled "Cinematic Soul," the trippy "Twisted Smile," and the intense "When Darkness Calls" that Adamson can evoke a variety of feelings in any one of a number of musical styles. Hes as convincing when vividly painting a crime scene as when he becomes "Satisfaction Jackson" in an attempt to seduce his prey. He occasionally dips into his soundtrack roots on tracks like the murky "Le Matin des Noire" and "The Second Stain," but when he does, he maintains the continuity of the album. This variety is what makes The King of Nothing Hill so enjoyable -- it revels in being both fun and furious. Whether hes talking about love or the streets, theres usually a clever hint of irony present. Adamson is blatant when he needs to be, but gets his point across most effectively when using metaphors. The King of Nothing Hill is his first album of all-new material since 1998s As Above, So Below. Although he released a best-of in 1999, Adamsons fans grew eager as rumors of a new album began to surface. With its sonically rich textures and ultra-smooth vibe, The King of Nothing Hill was well worth the wait. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 21 Title: Stranger on the Sofa Released: 2006-06-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 59:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Here in the Hole (03:29) 2 The Long Way Back Again (04:52) 3 Officer Bentleys Fairly Serious Dilemma (08:17) 4 Who Killed Big Bird? (04:19) 5 Theresa Green (05:22) 6 The Sorrow and the Pity (03:04) 7 My Friend the Fly (04:38) 8 Inside of Your Head (05:08) 9 You Sold Your Dreams (04:00) 10 Deja Morte (03:31) 11 Dissemble (05:31) 12 Free Love (07:00) |
| Stranger on the Sofa : Allmusic album Review : In the last eight years, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Barry Adamson (formerly of Magazine and the Bad Seeds) has issued only three albums, and, counting this one, only seven since 1989. Never an artist who looked at trends or genres, Adamson has always been content to follow the inner workings of his mind. With 1998s As Above, So Below, he moved away from the soundscape-soundtrack-without-a-movie oriented conceptual work hed been doing since the beginning of his solo career to engage in a more song-based approach. This followed on The King of Nothing Hill in 2002, and on 2006s Stranger on the Sofa, he moves back a step in order to take two forward. For starters, there are very few guests on the set. Adamson handled most instrumental chores and sampled and swiveled the other bits himself; he knows how to get the right loop when he needs it to be sure. There is certainly soundscape work on this recording, check the opening "Here in the Hole," an effects-laden tome narrated by Anna Chancellor, or Pscalle Fuiulee-Kendalls narration of "Deja Morte," or the noir-ish jazzscape as drenched in effects and dubby echo on the albums closer "Free Love" for three examples of his former way of working. But theres so much more here. Adamsons songs are quite whimsical and lovely when they want to be, "The Long Way Back Again" is such an instance; it could have been a Pogues singalong, with utterly beautiful homesick lyrics. "You Sold Your Dreams" is a futurist lounge lizards approach at both the early, skeletal funkiness of the pop group as they meet the urban sophistication and poetry of Get Happy!s Elvis Costello. No. Not Kidding. The B-3 jazz stomp and stroll of "Who Killed Big Bird" sounds like both an answer and a tribute to Georgie Fames burning mid-60s instrumental combos. The former is engaged when Adamson trots out a tenor sax, flute, and brass section and burns the house down with its sweaty groove and greasy perverse swagger. Forget Big Bird, this sounds more like the money-shot score for a porn film that never had the class to get made. Its followed by the drum and vibes rhythmic shuffle that underscores "Theresa Green," an utterly gorgeous love song where dub bass, B-3, guitars, and strings all paint Adamsons voice in wish, ache, and optimism. In sum, Stranger on the Sofa is the most fully realized Barry Adamson project ever. This is it. After decades of giving us good and even fine work, hes finally treated the faithful to a masterpiece. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 21 Title: Back to the Cat Released: 2008-04-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Beaten Side of Town (04:48) 2 Straight til Sunrise (04:58) 3 Spend a Little Time (04:28) 4 Shadow of Death Hotel (04:21) 5 I Could Love You (03:32) 6 Walk on Fire (04:32) 7 Flight (04:53) 8 Civilization (04:18) 9 People (03:23) 10 Psycho Sexual (05:52) |
| Back to the Cat : Allmusic album Review : Throughout his solo career, Barry Adamson has relentlessly pursued a muse that appeared on his first full-length solo offering, Moss Side Story, released in 1989 -- six full years before David Holmes This Films Crap, Lets Slash the Seats. At that time, Adamson began composing and recording his influential "soundtrack in search of a film" strategy. Hes composed scores for a number of cinematic works as well; most notably David Lynchs Lost Highway. Adamsons seven previous full-lengths approached notions of noir, lounge, rock, funk, soul-jazz, and blues, with a gleefully morose, playfully grotesque, and comic book-like sense of violence, in a new mythology. With 2006s Stranger on the Sofa, Adamson took to handling many instrumental and sound sculpting responsibilities without much help. Back to the Cat is, in some ways a full-circle return to the motivating factors behind Moss Side Story -- named for the violent part of Manchester he grew up in -- and the EP that preceded it, The Man with the Golden Arm. The previous records were both deeply referential composed works indulging cinematic obsessions Adamson has held all his life. Here, he gathers those experiences as a composer, and adds the depth and breadth of an accomplished songwriter as well. Here, Adamson plays a slew of instruments, does most of the arrangements, and produces, creates, and edits his own samples. He also recruited some excellent help: a four-piece horn section, and a rhythm section with Nick Plytas on B-3 and piano, bassist Iain Ross, and swinging drummer Johnny Machin.Back to the Cat is a collection of delightfully sleazy songs and interludes that meld lounge jazz, Rat Pack pop, roots rock, and spy movie/noir thriller film themes. We get to accompany his protagonists through an aural cinema comprised of obsessive yet likeable if odious archetypes: guttersnipe hustlers, spies, junkies, sexual predators, victims, and musical, literary, and cultural heroes. The brooding synth and drum kit, the slow, West Side Story-esque finger pops, and the snaky little oboe-like phrase introduce the opener, "The Beaten Side of Town." Adamsons narrator appears here too. His voice is a decadent cross between Scott Walker imitating Jacques Brel and interpreting Frank Sinatra singing Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht! Whats so utterly beguiling about Adamsons vocal ability is that he delivers a terminal hipsters cool in the heart of darkness in a dirty, smoky, dingy and dangerous blind pig. His last words in this raucous jazz number are ironic: "The beaten side of town/And Im goin down." Theyre almost a growl, as this keeper of the netherworld -- a low-life Orpheus -- opens the gates to a nocturnal adventure where everythings turned on its head. Adamsons protagonist knows the way even if he cant predict the outcome. "Shadow of Death Hotel" has funky, loping rock guitar meets Memphis soul in a heat-seeking B-3, bass, drums, and horns going on. Halfway through it becomes a balls-out garage rocker helmed by an evil, Elvis worshipping hepcat, before it shapeshifts again into a flute-driven soul-jazz groover. But its a really a broken crooners love song! "Walk on Fire" contains fat, funky, wah-wah guitars and stinging horns; they advertise brazen sexual neediness in the lyric. It sounds like Duane Eddy playing with John Barry with Lux Interior on vocals. The acid-drenched Serge Gainsbourg-esque jazz of "Psycho_Sexual," brings the bleary-eyed dawn in the aftermath of a nights wild excess; it signals the end of Adamsons orgiastic journey of a night on the beaten side of town. Back to the Cat is a mind-blowing work of musical sophistication. Adamson is a startlingly gifted storyteller -- in sound, word, and mythology, both arcane and contemporary. His achievement is worlds beyond what most songwriters/composers could accomplish in a career, let alone a single album. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 21 Title: Therapist Released: 2011 Tracks: 13 Duration: 31:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Main Title (01:41) 2 A Portrait of Monika (02:11) 3 Bigger Pictures (01:24) 4 How Did He Find Me? (02:27) 5 Monikas Living Nightmare (01:21) 6 How Are You Feeling? (02:42) 7 Glove Touch (03:20) 8 Aaa Kotki Dwa (01:44) 9 And Always Will Be (03:08) 10 A Portrait of Anna (03:12) 11 Our Father? (02:17) 12 I Guess Thats Me... Done! (02:51) 13 The Letter / End Titles (02:50) |
 | Album: 17 of 21 Title: I Will Set You Free Released: 2012-01-30 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Get Your Mind Right (04:47) 2 Black Holes in My Brain (03:57) 3 Turnaround (03:52) 4 The Power of Suggestion (03:16) 5 Destination (04:33) 6 The Trigger City Blues (04:51) 7 Looking to Love Somebody (04:11) 8 The Sun and the Sea (03:48) 9 If You Love Her (04:29) 10 Stand In (05:06) |
| I Will Set You Free : Allmusic album Review : In the four years since Barry Adamson issued the tour de force that was Back to the Cat, hes participated in at least one Magazine reunion tour. He was an original member before leaving to join the first version of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Adamsons influence is clearly felt on their first three albums and singles. I Will Set You Free purposely evokes the swaggering, sleazy rock & roll of the Bad Seeds and the restrained menace of Magazines post-punk moodiness -- as well as other stops along his idiosyncratic musical journey. Though he doesnt emphasize the imaginary soundtrack moves of his early records, it doesnt mean they arent here -- check "The Trigger City Blues," with its spooky organ and sound effects (breaking glass, ringing telephones, etc.). Adamson kicks off the ten-song set with "Get Your Mind Right," fueled by a throbbing, rumbling, distorted bassline that recalls the early Bad Seeds. He also cops part of the Rolling Stones "Street Fightin Man" lyrically and melodically at the end of each line in the refrain. "Black Holes in My Brain" is a fingerpopping shuffler that evokes Adamsons trademark lounge lizard persona as well as his deep love of swinging, bluesy jazz, though he undergirds it all with his thoroughly funk-drenched bassline for admirable contrast. Turnaround" uses the melodic, alienated menace of post-punk, though Adamson turns the tables by using it in a straight-up love song. "Destination" is pure sonic attack, directly referencing the Stooges "Penetration." On the refrain, however, Adamson throws a change-up: he slips an irresistible pop hook into the refrain and bridge without losing stride. "Looking to Love Somebody" is a shimmering, soulful, 21st century funk driven by harpsichord, rubbery bassline, wah-wah guitars and breaks. "The Sun and the Sea" features layers of guitars but actively suggests Magazines "Secondhand Daylight." Adamsons Howard Devoto-esque alienated prophet contradicts the songs bright tempo; highlighting the influence further are keyboards in the instrumental interlude. "If You Love Her" unabashedly references Scott Walkers passionate, theatrical croon from Scott 4 with Piero Piccioni-esque production. (Adamson has the vocal chops to pull it off.) The set closes with an even stranger homage: to David Bowies Ziggy Stardust if it had been produced by David Axelrod. Even with the pop music encyclopedia at his disposal, his songs reflect his signature iconoclasm. With their wildly various, crowded musical architectures, his songs lyrics address desire and death, and celebrate the spiritual impossibility of living "purely." In Adamsons subjective universe, the standalone "I" may occasionally wish to enter the collective "We" but accepts that it cannot. I Will Set You Free is the sound of Adamsons liberation as a songwriter, producer, and arranger. He feels comfortable in his skin on this wonderfully sequenced collection of songs that makes no attempt to hide his past; if anything, he celebrates it as he moves ever forward. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 21 Title: Know Where to Run Released: 2016-02-26 Tracks: 9 Duration: 45:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In Other Worlds (03:44) 2 Cine City (05:36) 3 Come Away (05:23) 4 Death Takes a Holiday (04:15) 5 Claw and Wing (04:21) 6 Texas Crash (06:05) 7 Mr Greed (04:51) 8 Up in the Air (04:39) 9 Evil Kind (06:08) |
| Know Where to Run : Allmusic album Review : Barry Adamson released Moss Side Story, his debut solo album, in 1989. It was a pioneering work in the "imaginary soundtrack" field, weaving sonic effects, 50s film noir jazz, roots rock, sleazy blues, and post-punk. It was a jumping-off point for everywhere hes been since. Musically, he has traveled far and wide while amassing a slew of credits -- including work with directors David Lynch and Danny Boyle, television soundtracks, and of course, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (he rejoined the band after a 30-year break in 2013). Know Where to Run is Adamsons tenth full-length. While it references every place hes been sonically and musically, its the first time hes focused so intently on conventional song structures -- even when his production and arrangements arent. In the past he was content to make abrupt musical juxtapositions. Not so here. Adamson has become a fine singer, one good enough to match the canny strength of his songs. No longer a shouter, he possesses a clear, disciplined baritone and he can croon. Two waltz-tempo ballads are shining examples. "Come Away" owes a great debt to Cave in terms of phrasing and texture, but Adamsons lyric cleverness and tonal authority pull it into his wheelhouse. "Claw and Wing" offers lush strings, Mellotron, and organ, and references the timbral aspects of Scott 2. His cinematic flair is displayed on the theme-like, organ-driven opener "In Other Worlds." "Texas Crash," another movie-esque jam, melds everything from electro and futurist rockabilly to Golden Earrings "Radar Love," progressive beat jazz, and mean slide guitar blues. In "Death Takes a Holiday," he weaves looped breaks, Bacharach & David-esque choral pop, 60s progressive jazz, and a Hammond groove worthy of prime Georgie Fame. Adamsons wicked sense of guttersnipe humor is still present in his lyrics. Both the driving post-punk R&B in "Cine City" and the airier, strident, funky R&B in "Mr. Greed" are rife with lounge-lizard, alley-denizen rhymes delivered with the rhythmic timing of hip-hop. "Up in the Air" is a seemingly straight-up, urgent guitar rocker with layers of swirling piano and cymbals underneath, and a loopy bridge adding complexity to its drama. "Evil Kind" begins as a folksy rock tune, but becomes a warped, dynamic exercise in psychedelia with blues and jazz overtones and cinematic choral music. It closes out the proceeding on a breathtaking note. Even though Know Where to Run is more straightforward in many ways, it is more ambitious than any recording Adamson has released to date. While hes polished his songwriting, arranging, and producing crafts, he uses them to push the forms he chooses to the tilting point. As a result, his sense of cohesion seems mercurial. Its not. The deeper one travels into Know Where to Run, the greater the level of surprise and satisfaction. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 21 Title: Love Sick Dick Released: 2017-04-14 Tracks: 6 Duration: 24:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 I Got Clothes (03:48) 2 Sweet Misery (03:46) 3 People Like Us (03:36) 4 On Golden Square (04:07) 5 They Walk Among Us (04:45) 6 One Hot Mess (04:30) |
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