Moss Side Story

Kinda cool? I heard some grooves but they were lost in the noise.

This is interesting, as it's supposedly a soundtrack/concept album for a non-existent crime film. Not sure I've ever come across a work like this but I'll be honest, this music does not sound like anything that you'd expect to hear in any serious crime film. Maybe more for a film noir-type thing (not that those types are unserious, per se), which is probably what Adamson was going for here. Not sure about its inclusion on this list, though. I don't know how impactful a fake film score can really be and I couldn't possibly imagine anyone choosing to sit down and listen to this from start to finish. 2/5 solely for the honor of being the first (and probably only) fake film score that I've ever listened to.

Il concept è spettacolare però la musica mi ha preso poco

Gets two stars only bc it was a challenge to make and I feel this is highly artistic. It just sucks though

This album is more a movie score than anything. I found it not to my taste, especially as an album to listen through. I don’t doubt they would work well as background music in the right scenes. Rating: 2

Okay but why?

What an interesting project. The music certainly felt cinematic and to be honest it makes me want to se the non-existent film that it would accompany. As a concept I think it succeeds, though after a listen I feel it will be more a conversation about the idea rather than the actual music. I'm not sure I had to hear this album before I died I guess I'm glad I was exposed it. 2.38 stars

am i in a movie or something? i dont even know how to rate this, i mean it is completely different. i wouldnt listen to it again, but i dont have what it takes to say its bad either

A concept soundtrack for an imaginary film in which the moss side estate has become part of a wider police state. I’m sure this was a novel concept in 1989 but I’d say now it’s a bit more quaint - especially as we’ve endured 14 years of aggressive Tory policies. The addition of crowd noises, breaking glass and other sound effects does take away from the music overall and moves it towards the cheesy. It sounds like a project Alan Partridge would be involved in 2/5

Interesting but not for me

I get the idea of a soundtrack for a movie that doesn’t exist, but this one just doesn’t hit. I would be much more excited about it if it was like a Despicable Me or Shrek soundtrack, but this doesn’t interest me if, and it wouldn’t even if it were included in an actual movie. Besides, I don’t see how it is supposed to hold any narrative if it doesn’t even have any lyrics. While I’m sure there’s a place for this kind of album, this list is not that. I think it was a disservice to both the artist and the listener for this album to be included.

Moss Side Story is an album that demonstrates clear skill and artistry, crafting a soundscape rich in atmosphere and mood. The music evokes a sense of intrigue and suspense that reminds me of the eerie, surreal vibes of Twin Peaks. The album's detailed production and layered instrumentation create a vivid, cinematic experience that feels almost like a soundtrack to an unfolding mystery. However, while the album excels in creating a compelling atmosphere, it is somewhat less engaging when listened to in isolation. The lack of visual elements means the music’s narrative depth can be harder to fully appreciate without accompanying imagery. The tracks are intriguing but might benefit from a visual component to enhance their impact. Overall, Moss Side Story is a testament to the artists’ skill in crafting immersive, evocative soundscapes. It offers a unique listening experience that feels rich and textured, though its full potential might be realised through a visual medium. For those who enjoy music with a strong sense of atmosphere, this album is worth exploring, but its standalone appeal may be somewhat limited. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 0 STAND OUT TRACK - None

Interesting concept, but soundtracks usually are good because they remind me of the movie. Mark Mothersbaugh's Wes Anderson soundtracks are a good example. Who cares about this?

10/10 idea 4/10 execution

2.5/5. A soundtrack for a film that doesn’t exist. It’s an idea but this record is forgettable, I honestly couldn’t wait for this to be over.

Almost feels too edgy on purpose

Rating: 4/10 This album feels so pointless, it sounds like a film score to a non-existent movie. Some interesting ideas and a unique concept, even though I don't enjoy it.

Errr, right. So I generally don’t reach for the wiki page until after I’ve listened to the album, but after 3 songs I had to find out wtf this was all about. And if I really wanted to listen to someone’s made up interpretation of a noire film that doesn’t exist then I would………….we’ll I wouldn’t ever, and this album proves that point. Only not a 1* as where some actual real music did fleetingly appear it was actually quite alright.

there's that thing people say about film scores, that you hardly even take notice of the greatest ones when actually watching a film. in that sense, this certainly achieves its stated goal

Nah I’m ok

Interesting concept 2/5

I can't justifiably give this 1/5, because it at least had some substance and exciting moments. I found myself wondering how exactly this could be a soundtrack to a nonexistent movie. How did Adamson know where to build crescendos? How did he know where the moments of tension and relief should be? This at least gave me something to ponder over, and combined with the music not being actively bad (unlike some Public Image Ltd records on this list), it was actually a fairly interesting listen. Reminiscent of Revolution 9 from the Beatles' White Album, particularly in the opening track, On the Wrong Side of Relaxation. Other than that, though, there's very little personality or gusto in the music. The mixing is also very dull and blurry, and considering the era, there's no excuse for this. The Dark Side of the Moon and Aja - both timeless sonic masterpieces - had been released more than 10 years prior to Moss Side Story, and they sound significantly better. There's no excuse for bad production. 2/5 Key tracks: On the Wrong Side of Relaxation, Suck On the Honey of Love, The Man With the Golden Arm

Ok, I guess. Easy to listen to. 2.5

What the fuck is that

Interesting and sonically pleasing, just won’t randomly listen to it for fun.

Interesting as a concept, but would never go back to it

Interesting concept, just have no desire to ever go back to it

I dont get this, but the musicianship and production values are too good to be one star.

I would not watch this movie.

Is this actually music, or more like a weird art installation, like something you'd listen to at a temporary museum exhibit while staring at a little black and white screen and wearing sweaty headphones, maybe watching 10 minutes of Un Chien Andalou set to this score and feeling oddly unsettled.

A whole bunch of nothing.

I could so totally see this being some hipsters favourite album and then getting mad when I say I just did not enjoy

2/3

That first track + a quiet walk in the forest at night = recipe for a heart attack.

…the soundtrack to movie I don't want to see

The music was nice. Have to be in the mood for some instrumental music.

My man really got his speculative noir film score into 1001 Albums to Listen to Before You Die. Mad respect.

Thoughts before listening: I know nothing about this, but the premise of a soundtrack to a fake movie doesn't sound very promising. Review: Meh. This was okay. The music wasn't bad per se, it just kind of went nowhere. Soundscapes that would play as background music to a movie, despite there not actually being a movie. 2-stars.

My favorite was the man with the golden arm. Some of them felt boring? Wanted a little more.

Favorite Track: The Man With The Golden Arm

2.5 Supposedly the schtick behind this album is that it’s supposed to be the score to a non-existent crime film, which I think is a cool idea, but it’s not quite as cool in execution. I mean, this was definitely a vibe to get work done to, but it’s also far from the most unique or interesting thing I’ve heard, which begs the question, why bother listening to the soundtrack to a made-up movie when there are plenty of soundtracks to real movies out there that are generally better and what this thing likely was trying to emulate anyway - hell, even the soundtrack to the video game L.A. Noire is better than this. Ultimately, the only song that stood out to me here was an actual cover, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which is a really random inclusion, but it brought back some nice memories of Homer Simpson warning me about how this year’s Halloween episode may not be suitable for children. This isn’t bad, but even if it was attached to a real movie, it’s milquetoast at best. No disrespect towards Mr. Adamson, but I think the fact that only a handful of his original compositions have ever actually made it into any kind of movie speaks for itself.

Unusual, to say the least. A soundtrack album for a nonexistent movie.

I didn’t like it. Surely a great movie track but not enjoyable on its own

- wouldn’t listen to this day to day but the ambience building i gotta give credit for - also “everything happens to me” is a beautiful piece - that being said the album isn’t the easiest listen

I was shocked to see I had already listened to a Barry Adamson album. And looking at my previous review, it just shows how forgettable it was, and this is no different. This one was released 1989, 7 years before the other record on this list, and so the electronica is more primitive. I'm all for experimental, unconventional music that breaks how we interpret sound, but I don't think this is the right direction. This one is a bit all over the place. It's supposed to be a soundtrack for a make-believe horror film, so you could imagine what scene each song could describe. It's a bit busier and more energetic than a typical movie soundtrack, which - alongside the short track lengths - helps make it more accessible to casual listeners. But I don't find it interesting enough to match iconic soundtracks that have the added benefit of whatever emotional connection you feel to the actual movie. One aspect of movie soundtracks is that the themes should be memorable. And with the chaos here, each song feels like its own private adventure, not necessarily linked together, and not enough charm to revisit. For a soundtrack, you'd expect it to feel cohesive as you predict predictable movie plot structure. And there are hints of that, but it doesn't feel as climactic as you'd expect. I guess Act 4 is the finale of the movie which ends with "Free At Last". I guess "Auto Destruction" is supposed to be the resolution? But the tracks that follow feel out-of-place, especially "For Your Eyes" last few tracks that just feel like bonus ideas he couldn't find a place for. All-in-all, despite how predictable you'd expect it to be, it just goes on and on and you'd have no idea when it should end without looking back on the track listing and lamenting over how it's 54 minutes long. It's an academic example of the strengths and weaknesses of a dark ambient record that aims to be something more fun but fails to do so. There are a lot of ideas here that could bring about something much greater into fruition. In its current state, I don't think it's much to enjoy or admire, but I do appreciate the innovation and ambitions. Favorites: Under Wraps, The Swinging Detective

I cannot in good conscience say that I enjoyed this listen. I do appreciate the concept of a film score for a non-existent film (not sure if this is the first instance of such an idea), but this concept has been executed better in the years since. I don't find the music to be all that engaging -- if this were for a real movie, safe to say the score wouldn't be taking home an Oscar. I appreciate the effort, but I won't be listening to this one again any time soon.

I suppose one of the challenges with soundtracks, whether real or imagined, is that they often need their accompanying visuals to really land. I respect the concept and the skill here but ultimately didn't find it a very exciting listen.

‘Moss Side Story’ sounds like an interesting concept on paper, but in execution I find it overly bombastic. It's got that real over the top, tinny, harsh, late 80s sounding production that sounds like nails on a chalkboard running through it and it just doesn’t work for me.

concetto geniale, per me però è un po' difficile da seguire

L’idea di base è davvero interessante, ma ho trovato l’album in sé abbastanza noioso.

Too long, 1:30h

scarry

weird, didn't finish

This is kind of a ridiculous inclusion on this list unless you are including film scores. And many, many film scores are better than this. This is basically, by Adamson's own admission, an application for scoring jobs. I'm guessing this is included because Adamson was in Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. 2/5

This doesn't feel like a soundtrack to a movie, it feels like A movie, just in music form. And I don't really like movies, if there was a 1001 movies project, I would be one of those people who wrote ~5 "DNF" reviews and then quit I like the concept and I think it's well executed. Was worth a listen even if I didn't like it much

what the fuck am I listening to

How to get considered for the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Step 1: Have connections to Nick Cave. Step 2: Record an album that's vaguely inspired by detective noir soundtracks, label it as a "concept album." I really don't think this music is that interesting or special, but the inclusion here feels confusing. Who is picking these albums?

Interesting concept, but one of the best 1001 is quite a stretch. Do yourself a favor and smoke a joint before you sit down and turn this on. Has some legit good music tucked in all the noises. "The swinging detective" has some 007 Golden Eye video game vibes.

Admittedly only made it about 1/3 of the way through. Maybe like the noir film it’s intended for this also shouldn’t exist

The trouble with concept albums is that they’re only ever as good as the concept, and this one was a dud from the very start. Soundtracks are made to enhance the experience of watching a film, to aid in the storytelling. With no visuals to accompany and no story to tell, it is just a series of sounds and noises. Listening to this was like eating a three course meal comprised entirely of seasoning. Unpleasant and unsatisfying.

Nice try Barry.

The Swinging Detective

This is not easy to listen to. Wouldn’t mind it so much if the songs were more cohesive. Five songs in, and this is more of a noise project concept album, than a collection of songs to be enjoyed. It doesn’t even feel like they are all from the same film. More like, he made a bunch of shit and claimed it was an imaginary soundtrack. I like the idea of this album, but I don’t like listening to the actual product. If you’re not supposed to enjoy this, then it’s a success.

If this were a real score for a real movie, I'm sure it would be pretty good. It has great ominous neo-noir vibes. It is not a real movie, however, and I'm not the kind of person who listens to film scores for fun.

A marginal soundtrack to a not-even-forgettable* movie isn't worth much, if any, of anyone's time and simply doesn't belong in this list. (*not even forgettable because non-existent, but surely would be forgettable if it did).

It's a hard listen, very cinematic, some really great tunes but i wasn't in the right mood to give it a proper go ( early morning dog walk! ) . I will listen to it again though since it might be better than my initial impressions

Olipahan aika hämmentävä ja kiinnostavakin. Erikoinen konsepti mutta en tiiä kestääkö kauheen montaa kuuntelua itsellä. 2/5

Ihan kiva idea, mutta ei kyllä pitänyt otteessa loppuun asti.

Kiinnostavampi konseptina kuin itse levynä. Alkaa ihan hyvin mutta lopussa tuntuu että kuuntelee jotain erittäin unohdettavaa soundtrackia, ja vaikka tätä yritettiinkin emuloida, niin ei se siitä kiinnostavaa tee.

It's certainly an interesting idea for a debut album.. showcasing your soundtrack writing abilities for a dark noir murder mystery film, but without any plot of this made-up movie the music just doesn't do enough on its own. There are a few snippets of the story being told but they are completely without context and therefore don't have much of an effect. 4/10

Does this list really need two Barry Adamson albums? There's some interesting stuff here and there and it does sound vaguely Twin Peaks-y despite predating the show by a year (Adamson later contributed some music to Lynch’s film Lost Highway so that makes sense) but it’s very messy, sometimes difficult to listen to, and just feels like a less fully realised version of his 1996 album Oedipus Schmoedipus

no estava mal no (no escuché)

Who cares?

Although it is an interesting concept, I truly believe this does not belong on this list. Adamson effectively only created this to add to his musical resume, in an effort to get hired to compose soundtracks. There are some interesting sounds on here, which especially may be influential in the realm of industrial music. It is definitely impressive to compose a whole soundtrack to a nonexistent movie. I would prefer there to be actual soundtracks on this list instead.

Not really my cup of tea.

Just because you can make something doesn't mean you should. The music was cool but the whole album felt like it was lacking substance. Maybe it's because I feel like soundtracks should compliment and help drive the story instead of telling the story.

Good background music but not my thing.

1.5 I didnt get through the whole thing but enough to get the gist of it. I guess it could be an interesting concept if you think about it.

The thing about a good film score is that it helps tell a story. But there is no story here. It's just a bunch of unconnected, vaguely cinematic, mostly instrumental pieces of music. It doesn't fail completely because, individually, the tracks are... inoffensive. But, as an album, it's a fail.

The perfect soundtrack for a day of jury duty.

18. bedste darkjazz plade nogensinde iflg rate your music dot com! Jeg tror det her er den første jazzplade vi får på listen (?) og det siger en del om forfatternes forhold til genren. Sjov nok plade men det giver ingen mening at den er her.

Det var da et fint koncept, men historien virkede ikke spændende for mig.

Konzeptalbum schön und gut, aber mein Konzept ist es nicht. 2 Sterne, weil ich es mir auch noch schlechter vorstellen könnte.

It was mostly innocuous, but why?

This album really did not do anything at all for me.

Movie soundtrack

Couldn't listen to the whole thing, but what was available seemed decent-ish

Well it does sound like a soundtrack so props for capturing that spirit. Although it does sound like a direct to tv kind of production

strange that a record with a supposed theme seems so pointless. some good sounds but why??

what the hell is this

Jazzy noir horns and horror movie synths. There are nice moments but not much that’s particularly memorable. Apparently the shtick with this album is that Barry Adamson made a soundtrack to a made-up crime film. That’s definitely what it sounds like. Apparently this helped him get work as a film composer including David Lynch’s “Lost Highway.” That makes sense because Lynch was one of the first names that jumped into my head when I wondered what kind of movie this music would actually soundtrack.

Original idea but fairly unlistenable. i guess it is on the list for being so unique but that doesn't make it good.

Not my style.

This album made me reflect on how I approach these albums: I always try to listen while doing something else that doesn’t demand too much focus, but still feels productive to multitask with. I can’t truly experience this record with that strategy, and I decided upon reading what the concept was beforehand to acknowledge I wouldn’t give it a fair shot; I had to come back to it over a couple days due to inability to engage with it appropriately. Still, it felt like it had a good balance of harmony and discord, which to my ears was purposefully and skillfully crafted and if combined with a visual narrative as styled (a short film or animation), I would be pretty entertained with what sounded like suspense, romance, and plot twists. (Also, I noticed a two-note sequence that comes up at 2:40 in Chocolate Milkshake sounds like the beginning of the beat on THANK GOD by Travis Scott.) 5*/10

Video game music says another review. I concur. Except that some video game music can be memorable at times, and this one isn't, generally speaking (except for a rare cut here and there, such as "Intensive Care", for example). Maybe this failure stems from the fact that there is no real film to go with this score (I hear there's some sort of script, but why should I care about it?). The problem is that the "cinematic" goals of such music often falls flat. I *see nothing* while listening to the wishy washy meanderings within that album--except from vague blurs related to film noir aesthetics. Er... Okay. I don't think "illustrative" music is a very exciting genre anyway. Especially when there's nothing tangible to illustrate. By the way, I really like Barry Adamson's contributions for Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, or the music he's composed for *real* film scores. David Lynch's *Lost Highway* comes to mind here, even though it was just for a couple of tracks and most of the original score was written by Angelo Badalamenti... But come on, let's be honest for one frigging second! This particular project is just a footnote written in microscopic letters compared to 90% of the other records in this list (including some I actually don't like that much myself). Feeling generous and giving a 2/5 grade to this album, because it's not as if listening to it was some sort of torture either. In a list having more general purposes than this one, *Moss Side Story* could maybe reach a 7/10 grade (5+2). But for a list of "essential albums"...? Nope. Number of albums left to review: 348 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 296 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 156 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 209 (including this one)

I probably need to research this a bit to understand what the hell was going on in this album but I haven't got time soooo... I did not get this. A hard listen I'd say

This was like the soundtrack to a jazzy cyberpunk style anime TV show. Specifically sounds like the soundtrack to Cowboy Bebop. Top 1001 albums of all time though? nah,

Kao muzika za film ali wot?

I get the idea... and it succeeds in that it'd be a good film soundtrack. But there's a reason film background music isn't topping the charts....... it's background music

Ambitious but pointless

2/5 something was off for me in those sounds

Not bad but I'm not sure who is this made for.

Banda sonora de film inexistent. OK, fa la seva feina, ja que els ambients estan força aconseguits. No m'ha tornat boig, però

May require a few more listens!

Brani Preferiti: - "Everything Happens To Me" Note: Inizialmente sono rimasto incuriosito dal genere di questo album, mai avevo sentito il termine 'Dark Jazz' prima di adesso. In genere mi risulta complicato valutare album strumentali perché la voce per me gioca un ruolo fondamentale, però non mi è dispiaciuto questo album, ha dato l'impressione di essere stato creato per un film noire... ma allo stesso tempo ben poco mi ha colpito, ho avuto la sensazione che ci fossero spesso stessi suoni e poca diversità, che ascoltare per quasi un'ora non colpisce per niente.

Weird pseudo-soundtrack music. Might grow on me through multiple listens.

One of the weirder listens, personally was a waste of 50ish minutes, a couple of songs were okay but got very bland and white noise quite quickly

The music is good, but I need words.

interesting but I still like words

Probably pretty good for what it is, but not my cup of tea at all.

Interesting album that could be interpreted as a movie with just a soundtrack. There are definitely some highs to this, but overall I don't really understand the style of album it is trying to be. Most of the songs blend together so it's hard to remember which songs were the standouts, but there are a couple of them sprinkled throughout. The Man with the Golden Arm was a solid end. It's not all that bad, but I wouldn't do drugs and listen to this album.

Why? 3/10

D+ On the Wrong Side of Relaxation 2 Under Wraps 3 Central Control 2 Round Up the Usual Suspects* 2 Sounds From the Big House 2 Suck On the Honey of Love 2 Everything Happens To Me 2 The Swinging Detective 2 Auto Destruction 2 Intensive Care 2 The Most Beautiful Girl In the World 1 Free At Last* 2 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 2 Chocolate Milkshake 1 The Man With the Golden Arm 2 Barry, once again you were weird but interesting enough. I didn't hate this. One song even garnered a 3!

Whatever movie this hypothetically goes with, I don't really want to see it.

So weird. I was going to argue that this soundtrack album does not hold up on its own, without the movie, but that movie does not even exist! It is not terrible, but I will not listen to it again.

Maybe this could be nice music for a movie.

Interesting concept but someone tell me if he was just sad and mad, cause no one wanted to do his movie idea so he just went along with this thing.

??

Not a fan.

This sounded like a film soundtrack when I started listening to it and I was intrigued but then it got a bit boring and I wasn’t in the mood to listen to the last couple of tracks. Consequently I don’t know what to score it ?? High 2*

I mean it’s a fake soundtrack. Fine, but why?

This album really didn't do much for me. Reading about it it's a cool concept for an album but I just didn't really connect with the music. Maybe I would have preferred the fake soundtrack for a different genre of fake film but a lot of these types of noir vibes in the songs didn't reel me in. Cool concept but not something I could find myself coming back to ever. Standout Tracks: Under Wraps

What a strange concept for an album. A concept album that is based on a made-up soundtrack for a totally non-existent noir movie or book. Initially didn't really buy into it, but listening throughout the album made me believe that it could be the soundtrack to an actual noir film. Best: On the Wrong Side of Relaxation Worst: Everything Happens To Me

It's like a dark version of a Pink Panther movie soundtrack.

meh

It was rather boring in parts but had interesting elements. Don’t think I’d listen to most of it again though

not a fan. big noodlin

No idea why this is on the list

Just instrumentals

An audition tape for a murder film OK but trying too hard

WHO MADE THIS LIST? WHAT A MESS! This is giving the soundtrack to Michael Scott's Threat Level Midnight. No doubt the guy's talented, and it was mildly amusing but I won't get that hour back....

A soundtrack to a made up movie, this hardly even consisted of music but was mainly just noise

This album is trying to be high-concept, but ultimately collapses under the weight of itself. Making the soundtrack to a noir film that doesn't exist is an intriguing idea, but this album isn't interesting, and it's not even a good soundtrack. It relies almost exclusively on themes on suspense which is not a balanced way to soundtrack a film. Furthermore, it just isn't doing anything musically that is forward thinking. Barry Adamson is an accomplished musician, but this album just doesn't accomplish anything.

Some sort of weird show reel. Not sure why I am having to listen to it. Not that it is unlistenable... but it is not that super.

Almost not worth listening to. I was intrigued at first. I thought, "This could be interesting" let's see where it goes... Nowhere. That is where it goes. There is not even one thing that can be said as to why this is on this list. Best Track: The Man With the Golden Arm I've heard worse... but this is just above those... 2.5/5

Absolutely hated the first track, which I know is probably by design. Clearly a lot of this music is designed to elicit emotional responses. I found it weird to listen to such dramatic music without context. Although as I read that back, I guess a lot of classical music is equally dramatic with a lot of what would come across as hack-y to those who listen to a lot of it. Maybe this sounds hack-y to me because I've seen films before. lol. Idk. I vascilate between "the world does not need this art," and "I can definitely see how a "film guy"(gender neutral) would find this compelling."

Almost an interesting enough concept to warrant it being on this list, but I've heard both far better soundtracks and far better ambient albums than this. 2.5/5

Came into this with a curious mindset based on the description. But left disappointed. It’s just too eclectic and lacks coherence. Music fitting different film genres stacked on top of each other. It’s also often over the top and would be a hard fit as soundtracks for most films. I’d hoped for a more coherent approach and not just a portfolio/showcase. And as history shows, Barry never became a prominent scorer of movies (although he has some tracks on the soundtrack of Lynchs great Lost Highway, I’ll give him that).

People see "soundtrack album to a non-existent crime film" and freak out. But there are hundreds (thousands?) of albums that tell a story without words or visuals. But it is his first album and it really just sounds like he's playing around. Not sure why it's on the list, or why it was even released in the first place.

A soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exsist is a wierd premise, and it's not really much of anything

Err... what's the point of this album It's not bad, it's not good, it's not anything It is, almost literally, background noise. The soundtrack from a B movie, you wouldn't remember the movie and would be surprised to know it even had a sound track

No lo conozco mucho, he escuchado un par de discos de él y hay canciones geniales y otras que me dan igual. Este disco empieza regular, no sé qué estoy oyendo. Es injusto meter este disco entre los 1001 este autor tiene cosas mejores. Le voy a dar un 2 pero podría ser un 1 sin problemas.

Interesting idea, scoring and recording a film soundtrack for a nonexistent film. Definitely has that feel all the way through.

one of those really cool ideas in theory that just doesn’t play out very well. closest to ambient music, but lacks the ability to appeal to multiple attention levels — there’s exactly one that works, everything else is either incredibly boring or incredibly distracting. for all that, this is an incredible swing, and the fact that it’s a miss doesn’t take away from it being very cool. i just don’t really like listening to it

Interesting instrumentals. I probably just don't get it, but I was relieved when it was over.

Fine enough for what it is, but not my cup of tea.

Sounds like one really bad movie 2

Usually a fan of concept albums but this one misses the mark a bit in the balance between cinematic diegesis and musical structure. Without a real film or even general story to give context to the many screams, spooky tritones, and other world-building elements, there’s not a whole lot to drive interest in a 1D soundscape not tethered to any deeper lore. Maybe I’m just not imaginative enough - would’ve loved to see a musical experiment like this succeed, but the effort here just doesn’t resonate with me.

So many excellent soundtracks out there, I don't get this Bizarro pick of a pretend soundtrack featuring music of inconsistent quality.

It was okay.

Peculiar!

I'm honestly a bit miffed that a concept this good is wasted on an execution this mid.

I like the concept, and the songs are not bad necessarily. But having just listened to the Shaft soundtrack, this feels like it really misses some of the character necessary for a soundtrack.

What did I just listen to?

I’m glad I was exposed to this genre, but definitely not for me.

A film score for a nonexistent film. Interesting.

This is a very strange selection for the 1001. Barry has done lots of interesting things in his career, and this is the least of them.

Meh.

Mira, no estuvo mal, pero no entiendo su inclusión en el listado

hum

Well, that happened. Can’t fault a guy for having an idea, but I can fault him for his idea being terminally boring. Oh and let me just obnoxiously attach my name to one of the most famous musicals of all time because I’m a parasitic creature with no actual originality of my own. Just very very boring.

Not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I still don't get the point of this. Most songs had more of a noir feel than horror, but my main criticism is that the songs were very uneven in tone. If he was really trying to create a soundtrack, I think it would have worked better if each song was about the scene it would supposedly be playing under even if it wasn't that long. I also noticed most of the songs on this album would abruptly end instead of a fade out or an ending progression as they might in a film.

An interesting idea for an album but it didn't really hook me. 2.5 stars

I probably discovered this too late, could be something I would have enjoyed some years back but doesn't do too much for me nowadays.

Música instrumental y un tanto falta de chispa. Bien producido y con buenos sonidos, pero falto de energía. Muy bien pegaría como música ambiental.

Typische filmmuziek, maar niet meteen heel leuk om naar te luisteren. Misschien niet mijn soort film.

The soundtrack to a murder mystery thriller film that doesn't exist. This mainly begs the question, 'why'? Leaving that aside, the first half of this is a convincing and atmospheric soundtrack. It tails off towards the end, but Act 1 in particular conveys a clear sense of what would be happening in the fictitious film and evoces visualisations of dark, murky streets. Perhaps things will come full circle and someone will make a film to accompany the soundtrack one day. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Under Wraps Date listened: 01/11/22

Jazz. Instrumental. Coñazo

Instrumemtal. Some interesting ones. I liked the spy type music

Not unpleasant, but very strange. Can't justify giving it any more than a 2, really don't get the purpose of it. A film soundtrack is supposed to elevate and add to the film it's supporting, how on earth are you supposed to judge it if there's no film attached to it? 2/5.

I read a review that compared this with The Avalanches. Expecting something between meh and really irritating. It was slightly above meh. Some reasonable sounds but I still fell asleep. Not going back to hear what I missed. Why is this in this list?

He should have stayed in the Bad Seeds

its like a musical soundtrack album but without the lyrics 2.5

Absolut nicht meins, random sounds aber sehr funky

First track - what pretentious bilge wank is this? Second track - OK, this is a bit of jazzy Propellerheads, and who can ever dislike a Hammond organ? Other artists have done film soundtracks, both the obvious ones where there's an actual film, or people like The Real Tuesday Weld who do soundtracks to novels. I guess it's an interesting idea, but by the time we reach track "Sounds from the big house" we're forced to conclude that this is the soundtrack to a shitty 80s film, probably starring a very badly cast household name actor as the drunken and off-the-rails detective lead. Russ Abbott, or maybe Guy Siner. Whoever the lead actor is, the director is clearly gurning towards Michael Winner.... Actually wait. Did Tony Maylam hear this before directing Split Second? Ultimately, this might be "a good idea", but in concept it's meh and in execution it is just a bit rubbish.

Nope

Oh how very silly! There is no reason I should have to listen to this before I die.

I mean I like concept albums, however I wouldn't listen to a soundtrack of a film that did exist let alone has been made up for this. Tried to follow the story along but it's mostly background jazz. I mean at times I thought this would be a cool car chase soundtrack, but so what? In terms of an actual album I want to listen to it's not there.

I love field recordings and ambient weird shit, but this was not my cuppa.

It's just a bit boring. Well put together but just like film soundtrack without any of the emotional association attached. It did nothing for me. It had a few moments. The discordant flare ups, the occasional bits of clash between jaunty and sinister.

I think it's a cool concept, but for what reason is this album on the list?

Not my cup of tea.

Very weird choice for this list. It was unique and interesting, but not in a melodic way. I guess it's a concept album? But not creating anything new. Really not sure why it was in this list.

I don't know what to make of this album. It isn't good. It felt more like a score to a movie but a movie that does not exist. There were a couple of songs that were bad and I absolutely wanted to skip them. Someone of the other songs were way too long.

Well…. It’s a record. Of sounds. And it’s ok, but on this list?!

Wierd

A bunch of well-done and cool-sounding cinematic audio vignettes, but I am simply not high enough for this.

Today sucks and this album sucks. There’s some decent sounding stuff on it but it’s not enjoyable to listen to. But maybe it’s just the headspace I’m in

Moss Side Story by Barry Adamson is what makes me question the worthiness of an entry on a list 1,000 albums to hear before you die. Why? WhyTheFuq is an album that some guy made to get noticed as a cinematic composer worthy of such an entry? On the whole, the album is…okay, so I'll leave my critiques of Adamson's bland compositions that don't stray from a 4/4 time and take issue Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen of Iceland who wrote the entry for this album in the first printing of the book (and what I would guess is the entries for the reprinting). If you wanted to see a post-punk-avant-garde soundtrack (but I beg of you to tell me what the connection this album has to post-punk other than the artist having been in two post-punk UK bans, but I digress), I'm sure Yoko Ono has something for you and I can guarantee, her view of Avant Gard music is spot on and as a matter of fact, I feel you are blocking her a slot on this list. Congratulations to Barry Adamson for turning a demo into the career you wanted, I'm not sure that I'm for the better after listening to this. 2/5 for the entry on the list | 3/5 for the musicality.

Un mot pour définir cet album: incompréhension.

Niet iets wat even lekker wegluisterd. Ik was wel benieuwd omdat hij ook de Soundtrack van de David Lynch film Lost Highway heeft gedaan. En die Lynch 'weirdness' zit dus ook in zijn andere albums, hoor ik nu. Maar ik werd er echt onrustig van op een gegeven moment.

Ik was hier benieuwd naar, maar het kon me niet bekoren.

Strange - but interesting

Wenn man derlei angelegte Musik macht, muss man auch komponieren wollen und nicht bloß Töne aneinanderreihen. Ich bin 45 Minuten drangeblieben um zu hören, ob das Album doch noch irgendwie in die Gänge kommt und habe dann leidenschaftslos abgebrochen. 2 Sterne für gewollt aber nicht gekonnt.

It does sound like a soundtrack to a film noir, but it takes some time to take of as an album. "Sounds from The Big House" is a great track, though.

not great

OK, so this is apparently meant to be a soundtrack for a fictional film noir movie. Makes sense knowing that - it gets an extra ⭐️ 👏 Bit too experimental for me, though. Fav new track: Under Wraps

Not much to grab onto for me here. Very cinematic in nature. Seemed .more classical than rock. 2 stars

2/5 It's ok. Background music at best. Why?

Very interesting album if you're going for the crime movie vibe. Otherwise doesn't quite fit.

Nice music, although not really good album 2.5/5

Interesting. Wouldn’t listen again but had some cool parts.

First album I didn’t finish. I thought I would enjoy this going in as it was instrumental but I did not find it enjoyable

I did not even remotely like this. It is a concept album of a soundtrack for a crime movie that doesn't exist. "Almost completely instrumental except for occasional screams, vocal samples and a choir"...I was anxious the entire time. This is a serious case of "no one stopped to ask if they should". It's clearly well executed, but not something I would ever listen to again.

my thoughts exactly samwise; this was more of a score for a tasteful and suspenseful cinema but i didn't enjoy it as an album

Didn’t really get it

Way too experimental for me

too artsy for me

Started off good, then sadly it got weird in a bit great way.

This was actually kind of interesting, so it blew Daft Punk away in that regard.

Terrible as a listening album - nervous, and grinding - like "bad jazz" - might be very fitting as a score or such but not to listen to it

Weird eclectic mix. A bit too much background / OST for me.

It's a demo reel for a guy who wanted to make movie soundtracks. My best theory for why this is on the list is that it's the closest they could get to breaking their own rule about not including soundtracks. Best track: The Swinging Detective

What the fuck was that?

Another troll pick. Such a pointless album that I'm sure this guy thought was really cool when he was tripping balls.

Very dull.

An album that is supposed to be a movie soundtrack but the movie doesn't exist. Pretentious rubbish. Get real man.

Well... no.

Sometimes there's a reason why I've never heard of an artist before. This is one such case where this music needs to be buried somewhere so no one can find it. This felt like finding the tape from the Ring movie.

Very ambient. Not enjoyable and had to put it on to fall asleep and it was even had to do that.

This was one of the strangest albums I've ever listened to.

This album was very lackluster. Maybe it was ambitious at the time to try and create a "murder mystery soundtrack" when there was no movie attached. But the music doesn't tell a story at all and other than a few hints from song titles, you wouldn't know what is going on any of the time. Given this, the music has to be great for this even to be listenable, and it just wasn't. Total waste of time.

could be cool with.. maybe a fucking movie to watch?!?

I didn't find it interesting or enjoyable. I see the value in this type of music, but it's not something I would sit down and listen to.

Lucky to get a 2/5 from me. After 100 albums from this list, my patience for these albums that waste my time is wearing thin. Came back to give it a 1 like it deserves.

Fuck this Not for public consumption Music for wrong uns 0/5

Albumpuralbumism.

Me la pasé bien raro

Its something, just not for me.

80’s ?

noisy and unpleasant

The concept of this concept album was pretty lost on me… found it pretty tricky to get through

No thanks

(1/7) without a doubt one of the dumbest things I have ever listened to

I cannot think of a reason for this to be on the list.

Like, yeah I get what he's trying to do, but this is just the opposite of what I enjoy. The idea is interesting on paper, but as an actual project that you're supposed to listen to? I didn't derive anything from this project apart from boredom, and irritation that this album made the list based on it's concept and not it's actual content. A complete waste of time.

Incidental music for a very low quality film-noir-style kids TV program, or that really crap 80s stage magician that had Vanilla Ice’s hair, Stevie Wonder’s glasses and David Byrne’s suit. Utterly inessential. The auditory equivalent of stepping on a mouldy dog turd in your flip-flops.

Apparently this is a conceptual soundtrack album with minimalist lyrics done by a former member of magazine. Unfortunately I think I will skip this one. as it does not appeal to me at all. If I want to listen to something mostly instrumental I would go for Nine Inch Nails' ghosts albums as they go for a more post industrial soundscape

Meh

Yeah I mean I’m sure if I was patient enough to listen to this thoughtful I’d find redeeming qualities but I am not patient enough for this.

This was not worth an hour of my time. Some adult contemporary piano and sax with weird sound effects thrown in is not something I needed to hear.

I really wanted to like this. But failed.

What?

I get that Adamson did this to get some work with movie soundtracks (it worked, a bit) but maybe he should have just sent it directly to studios instead of imposing it on the greater public. No personality and as banal as it gets.

weird

At best I can describe this as scatter jazz. Occasionally there's a riff here and there that can spark a dollop of joy and hope that maybe the album would change its course. Needless to say, once the final song "Free at Last" came on, I felt that.

The first song had me nope out of thinking this could have potential A soundtrack for a made up movie… what a joke

Been a long time since a 1 star. I guess the algorithm thought today was the day. This album is just... slightly melodic noise. I'm sure I'm not being academic enough to appreciate it. But dang it, I have a music degree, and I find this to be one of those things that just insists upon itself. I'll be happy to leave this one behind.

I’ve never really been a fan of concept albums, and the idea of a soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist doesn’t usually fill me with confidence. That’s exactly what Moss Side Story is from Barry Adamson. It’s a tricky album to judge because it doesn’t behave like a typical record. There are some nice musical moments and you can appreciate the cinematic ambition, but overall it feels a bit flat and, at times, quite dated. Like the Goldfrapp album I listened to earlier in the week, it comes across as a kind of low-budget Bond soundtrack, without enough standout moments to carry it through. I’m a fan of Adamson’s work with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, so I went into this wanting to like it, but it just couldnt. Favourite tracks: None really stood out Least favourite tracks: Could have been any, nothing grabbed me Album artwork: Probably the best part, a really strong cover that suits the concept well

1/5

We're 9 tracks in and I sense I might be giving out my first 1 in a while. This isn't the worst thing I've ever heard but its just really annoying me. Normally I am very pro anything remotely experimental, but this doesn't feel like music to me, it feels like a collection of sound effects, or at best the score to a film. Most of it is just passing me by - occasionally there is something jarring enough to jerk my ears into action - but mostly it blends in to the background noise of the street out my window. I like chocolate milkshake. 1.2/5

The occasional good film compositions in this are marred and obscured by repetitive musical loops (the drums are especially bad); repetitive, amateurish and often very dopey sound and vocal effects; and repetitive themes and motifs that don’t really deserve such attention and repetition. More like a 16-year-old wunderkind’s soundtrack sizzle reel sent out with a resume than an actual, fully-realized album. There are literally dozens of actual great soundtracks that deserve to be on this list rather than this faux piece of crap.

No thank you

A gripping journey through the exciting world of things happening faintly in another room. Would recommend to anyone who thought elevators needed more menace.

desde que escuche la intro. supe que esto iba a ser muy diferente a todo lo que he escuchado hasta el día de hoy. sí soy honesto no me desagrada, pero a decir verdad, al menos para mi, esto no es musica y se supone que son álbumes musicales los que se exhiben aquí. fuera de eso, como obra de instrumentalización, esta bakano. se siente esta historia de cine noir que busca recrear y en consecuencia, cumple bien con su cometido. si o si debería estar en los 101 discos instrumentales de la historia, pero aqui, no.

Favorite tracks: Under Wraps, Everything Happens to Me Cool concept but I can't imagine ever listening to this again.

No thanks. It's interesting. Sounds from the Big House has a cool mood, but this is not for me.

This must be the dumbest "concept" album of all times. Very few soundtrack albums, and even less scores, can stand on their own. You listen to an OST cause it is inextricably linked with the memories of a movie scene and your own memories when you watched it. This one has nothing to draw from, and it doesn't help that the music is a completely random mess that can't decide what time period or mood it is trying to reference/recreate.

Supposed to be based on a fictional movie. Not sure what Letterboxd review I’d give that movie but it would probably match.

Idk about this one chief... The 1001 gods have clearly never seen a real film before, all the movie soundtrack albums on the list only exist for fake movies... (i guess Im just referring to Oedipus Shmoedipus... but that one was also not good) Just pick real movie soundtracks dammit, those ones have the best tunes (Music from Shaft, Virgin Suicides). All these fake movie albums are just way too out there, and would never really fully work for any actual visuals. I guess unless you were making an art film lol. Didn't care for it, will probably never seek this out again, and will probably forget about it by the time were through. There are worse albums that I have heard on this list, but this still gets a big fat UNO from me me.

Nooo

are we fucking deadass. what kind of white noise is this

This is stupid.

How many obscure british albums of the 90s and 2000's do we need. There are tons of good 60s-80s british albums that are 100 times better than this junk.

I can hear some talent hidden away in there. Utterly inessential meandering nonsense.

Escutei 3 barulho e dropei

Pior que tomar sopa de macarrão, no dia 17 de janeiro, no ingleses ao meio dia.

Maybe this would be okay if it was actually the score to a film. But it ain’t, so it ain’t.

What did Barry have to do to get this album on the list? Sounds like a candle to me because this album blooooooows.

meh

Virker lidt halvfærdig. Lidt jazz i asendanten, men det var ikke et album til mig. Fik mig ikke til at tænke det som et film soundtrack.

I found some of an interesting but in the end, it just annoyed me. 1

Dude probably would have been fine making a soundtrack to a gritty crime movie or making his own music that was less atmospheric and more you know verse/chorus/bridge type stuff. Instead he went for this weird concept that is just super uninteresting to listen to.

Not sure why this is interesting or unique. I had tough time with it.

This was a terrible time to be able to hear.

Out of principle, NO

This is a joke right

Trash.

Best Song: Alfred Hitchcock Theme This isn't even music. 1/5.

Do livro: disco para não ouvir antes de morrer

WTF. Pioneered the "imaginary soundtrack"??? Does anyone just sit around their house listening to this? When I imagine a sountrack to my life, it certainly doesn't sound like this. Anxiety inducing.

What even is this

pretentious shite, soundtrack for a movie that doesn't exist, one for wankers to pretend is genius when infact it's just boring lift music with the occasional police radio or scream

No

Conceptual - slightly odd

I would actually rather listen to a real movie soundtrack than this. Jan Hammer, Tangerine Dream, Hans Zimmer... anything else.

What is this? Background music for a tv show? Don’t see why this is on the list. 2/10

Another album of the kind of: why is this something that I have to listen to before I die? Because it definitely isn't.

As a Yorkshireman I don’t care at all for Manchester. It contains the scummiest football team (the red entitled ones) and Moss Side is perhaps one of the most dangerous places in the Country. Nevertheless I did listen to this. It did nothing at all to enhance my view of that cesspit. 1/5 15/12/26

I enjoy soundtracks (and I don't care that there isn't actually a move), but this album just wasn't very interesting on its own. I appreciate that not all movies need - or would benefit from - a John-Williams level, full-sized orchestral epic. But if you're going to put it on a stand-alone album (especially one that doesn't actually have a real movie to add an extra layer of context), then it needs to be more than this was. It just felt plain to me. I fully acknowledge and appreciate that are going to be albums from artists I don't enjoy that deserve to be on this list, but I do not understand the inclusion of this one. - Heard before? No. - Will I listen again? No. - Does it inspire me to listen to more of this artist? Not at all.

If the goal of this album was to potentially get Adamson hired to write more film music, then I think it failed. I wouldn't hire him if I was a movie director. Some cool ideas here and there but overall I found myself bored and questioning why this album was included in this collection

Review Score: 1/5 Instrumental album. A soundtrack for a movie. Don't care.

Anything that hadn’t been done before should have stayed that way. The stuff that had been done before was never improved on.

Does sound like music made for a movie, but for me does not evoke any real emotion. Could not listen more than few songs in.

This shit was so ass. Favourite Track(s): Under Wraps, Everything Happens To Me, The Man With the Golden Arm Least Favourite Track(s): Chocolate Milkshake

23/1089 1.3288* My cat left the room halfway through the first track. FWIW, he's more into hair metal so take that with a grain of salt. This felt like a film noir movie score without the film noir movie and i don't know a situation someone would listen to this album. It's music without a movie, though the music conveys an abstract storyline. Regardless, it still takes talent to put the whole thing together. Hits...Alfred Hitchcock presents because it's familiar.

FFS! This guy has one of my 2 1* albums. And the last one was also for a soundtrack of a movie that doesn’t exist. The concept and execution really annoyed me and here we are again…. He’s got a lot of winning me over to do, so he doesn’t stand much of a chance and getting equally annoyed by listening to average compositions for a movie that doesn’t even exist. Not sure someone’s calling card should make this list. And once again, terrible, terrible, track names. Ah I remember this frustrated feeling from his last album. So rubbish on every level. Like a GCSE music project. Man this is offensive, welcome to your second 1* idiotson.

Would not have made it past song one unless it was for this- made it about half way through and had to turn it off lol I get contemporary work but how did this make the top 1000 something best albums

This shit is ass.

(7/100)