3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Of The Rest, 5 Oct 2002
This review is from: Soul Murder (Audio CD)
From the moment I heard the ragga treatment of the James Bond theme, to the eerie coldness of Checkpoint Charlie and the nod to Brian Eno with Cool Green World, I was transfixed by the amplified world of the movie soundtrack that Adamson reflects in his music.
This is an amazingly eclectic album (more varied and entertaining than Moss Side Story), that points the way to the future, more complex explorations of this greatly underrated musician.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the faint heated, 6 Dec 2010
The ever shifting landscape which is the mind of Barry Adamson takes on some pretty frightening subjects for this work.One of them is concerned with a Negro burnt at the stake and described in a mock documentary style as if its a historical account being read out.Such things happenned
At the beginning Adamson's voice is heard in a 4 letter tirade in which he catalogues all the crimes he's committed.Heard out of context this would scare any one stiff it it was played in a supermarket!
However in reality Barry Adamson is a highly intelligent musician who is equally influenced by newspapers as much as movie soundtrack music as his music reflects real life
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Blond is Black, 4 Feb 2010
This review is from: Soul Murder (Audio CD)
Barry's exploration of race and colour is realised within this multi hued record. Disturbing in bringing the voice of race hatred to your face and ears, it is also haunting with its dreams of child beauty and innocence as a reworked 007 theme tune. The connection is race. Barry's visceral analysis of racial dynamics is far more penetrating than a thousand social science observations on the same subject.
The difference is Barry has distilled the essence. He is a true musical alchemist. He has found the missing factor X, rather than the X factor. Social science research projects have as much chance of working this form of magic as the alchemist has in transforming base metals into gold. The true alchemist converts his imagination into art based upon something inside him needing to come out. When it emerges it creates a connection. Often due to the autism of public taste this connection may take several generations of reflection before the penny drops into the ocean.
It's not any fault of Barry this album is not being played in every coffee shop up and down the country. He has assembled all of the ingredients, psychological insight, throbbing gristle experimentation, film noir, sex, jazz, ska, soul, cynicism and hope. Carefully measured according to an Adamson secret recipe they have been blended together and crafted into cocktails of perfection.
This album will stand the test of time to become the new sex on the beach.
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