Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
1996
Album Summary
Oedipus Schmoedipus is an album by the English musician Barry Adamson, released in 1996. Like Adamson's previous albums, Oedipus Schmoedipus was conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film. The album peaked at No. 51 on the UK Albums Chart."Something Wicked This Way Comes" appears in the David Lynch film Lost Highway.
WikipediaNaming the first track on your record “Set Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis” is statement. Of what, I’m not entirely sure, but it’s cool that he got Austin Powers to do a guest vocal. If you like the electronic lounge-pop of bands like Air and Stereolab, but wish they did it with a less deft touch, Oedipus Schmoedipus’ first few tracks might be for you. Perhaps you prefer Lynchian horror soundscapes, might I direct you to “It’s Business as Usual” or “Dirty Barry”? Coincidentally, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” appears in “Lost Highway” - it took me a minute to figure where I had heard it before. Speaking of David Lynch, the overtly digital jazz on “Miles” could’ve earned a spot in Mulholland Drive, perhaps as the soundtrack for the dance sequence on the soundstage of “The Sylvia North Story”. I’m doing my best with this one, but fuck me, it’s taxing. I mean, I could talk about David Lynch all day, but he’s not the focus here. A few days ago, in a review of Red Snapper’s “Our Aim is to Satisfy”, I bemoaned the list maker’s inclusion of albums for the late 90’s and early aughts that haven’t aged particularly well. Add this record to that pile. Not that this record doesn’t have its moments, but I suspect having a high tolerance for film noir-cheese is a requirement for full enjoyment. If you spend your evenings skulking around dimly lit alleys in a trench coat…boy, have I got an album for you. If you’re still reading this after all my shit-talk, let me recommend 3 records that occupy a similar musical space to Oedipus Schmoedipus, that have held up well and are actually worth hearing before you die. Two of the three, shockingly, are not included on the 1001 albums list: Air - The Virgin Suicides Stereolab - Dots & Loops (possibly the most egregious exclusion from the list) Tortoise - TNT (another glaring omission, imo) Or, you could just watch a David Lynch film or two.
What a fun, weird ride. Some great sax work here. Business as Usual was miserable to listen to. The whole project was strange, but at least he was trying something. At least it's not another "Debut album by British pop band" like 500+ of the albums on here.
wowwwww!!! I had never heard of this artist, album, or any of these tracks before. This is most definitely an Elaine album. Weird, sometimes MJQ, sometimes frightening. Eclectic. Spotify played Badalamenti’s Dance of the Dream Man (from Twin Peaks) right after. All you really need to know.
Nice enough background music. In a list of 1001 albums I must listen to before I die, though? Let's let "background music" be a disqualifier, shall we?
Struggling to get through this one. Every time one of these songs starts to develop into something good, he introduces something cheesy and it all comes crashing down. If the idea is to be the soundtrack to an imaginary film, I keep thinking it's a disappointing sequel to The Saint (which to be clear is already a pale imitation). The strongest feeling I get from this is that I'd much rather listen its influences (blaxploitation soundtracks, Madchester/electronica). Calling it a 2, but that's generous.
I was not expecting this on the list. I thought this was an underrated oddity that no one actually listened to aside from anal music geeks. I had assumed that no one really cared about an album from that fella from Magazine that isn't the main fella from Magazine, clearly not. It's the soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist, featuring Nick Cave, Billy Mackenzie and Jarvis Cocker, and it's every bit as quirky, sleazy and kitsch as the soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist, featuring Nick Cave, Billy Mackenzie and Jarvis Cocker, should be. If the movie was real, it would for sure be directed by David Lynch. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this gem.
A brilliant surreal genre defying album. Part sleazy lounge music, part funk, part jazz - will be back for more
Very atmospheric album, some great compositions, and also lots of crazy weird stuff. I enjoy the variety while still maintaining a sort of mysterious vibe throughout.
Interesting album; some nice Primal Scream esque grooves and abstract storytelling. Favourite song is 'The Sweetest Embrace' sung by Nick Cave.
Simultaneously groovy, clever, funny, surreal, and odd. Super interesting!
A brilliant surreal genre defying album. Part sleazy lounge music, part funk, part jazz - will be back for more
So glad this popped up. Never heard of the guy before, now this album is in my playlists. Brilliant stuff
Dit doet me aan Air denken. Beetje film-achtige muziek. Heel interessant project. Ik vind de melodietjes soms een beetje lift-muziek maar in combinatie met film-geluiden of een relaxte beat heeft het toch iets speciaals.
Some great jams counterbalanced by some absolutely bat shit ones. Best track: Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Pelvis
Some cool stuff in this album. But mainly instrumental and weird. He is trying to make something different and that he achieved.
10/10 album full of so many different moods, it can be dark and tense or fun and upbeat just such a great work of art overall
Emotional rollercoaster. 4 Holy shit this is one unique album. I love it. Though some songs give me that bad 90s film feeling that I also get when seeing that DVD-ad: "You wouldn't download a car", I think it more than makes up for it with eeriness and diversity. "Vermillion Kisses" hit me like a train. 5
Way way way better than Moss Side Story, despite this one having now Dave Graney input. Can see a lot of these being perfect soundtrack tunes
very good album - enjoyed it - a hidden gem and want to listen to more.
Oh this is awesome - one of my fave discoveries from this project so far! Starts off sounding like it's going to be a "Screamadelica"-era Primal Scream knock off, and then gets properly weird, I love it. Proto doom jazz! 💀 Fave track - "The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But The Vibes" and "It's Business As Usual" for being that one two punch that lets you know this album is not what you thought it was. "Dirty Barry" is awesome too. And I love a bit of Nick Cave, so "The Sweetest Embrace" is another highlight....
That was strange and surreal. From dark to jaunty and upbeat at the drop of a hat. I’ve never heard anything like this. Great album.
with an name like Oedipus Shmoedipus this album had high standards to live up to and it did it so well. absolutely crazy from start to finish. from truly uncomfortable techno/spoken word to melancholic piano led orchestral arrangements. crazy. so good
What's that cover? Am I listening to black metal today? Oedipus Schmoedipus? This must be weird AF. Maybe weird for the sake of being weird. Oh. Experimental music. I'm excited. I expect to hear some bells and electric drills and shit. A soundtrack to an imaginary movie? I heard something like that before... Was that a Barrett-era Pink Floyd cover? Wow. Wait a minute. It says... pelvis. So it's trip hop but it's actually trippy. A Miles Davis impression? Daring. A bit scary sometimes, ngl. Lol. I've never had an album that constantly surprises me for a while. What an experience. What a treat.
This album is terrifying. It's been a long while since we had an album so shocking, disturbing and well... surprising. This album was a mystery, I'd never heard of it before, and after it was finished, I wasn't sure what I had listened to. Some of it I really liked, no questions asked. But, other tracks sounded as if they were hanging on the precipice of madness and horror... and were inviting me in. Taken as a whole, it gave me goosebumps, it was a moving and a wholly unsettling experience. Highly recommend.
interesting album, some songs are compositions over random recordings, some are upbeat piano pieces others are just stories like it alot
Really enjoyed listening to this excellent album. I am familiar with Adamson's work only through his band Magazine, which did not prepare me at all for the music on this album. Full of funky rhythms, jazzy flourishes and a huge sound. Check out the Big Bamboozle for Ellington style big band jazz. 4 🌟
Calming, unintrusive, chill out good background for socials.. cafe del mar meets miles Davis
Possibly the best part of the trilogy of soundtracks for movies which don't exist albums. Set the Controls... is a particular highlight.
Previous to today, I cannot say that I have heard of Barry Adamson. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pretty hooked from track 1. The middle section of the album got a bit dark for my tastes (especially 'It's Business As Usual', the stalker-y answering machine piece), but I'll give it a pass being that it's spooky season. Speaking of spooky... I enjoyed the sample of Spooky on Something Wicked This Way Comes. Overall, I probably won't listen to this again as a full album, though I do intend on adding some of the tracks to my 'Music To Work To' playlist. This was a fun find for me. Smug side note. 'In A Moment Of Clarity' was reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks score, so I was right chuffed to find that not only is Badalamenti listed as a similar artist to Barry Adamson, but Adamson also contributed to the score of David Lynch's Lost Highway.
Bien aime, ca commence fort, pour tomber dans le bizarre et finir fort. Jazzy et experimental on dirait parfois. 4
Really enjoyed listening to this excellent album. I am familiar with Adamson's work only through his band Magazine, which did not prepare me at all for the music on this album. Full of funky rhythms, jazzy flourishes and a huge sound. Check out the Big Bamboozle for Ellington style big band jazz. 4 🌟
You would have thought that making one album that is a soundtrack to a movie that doesnt exist is enough for most artists. But here's the second one from this man. And this one was great fun. First track is some Madchester/Acid House fusion with Jarvis Cocker singing and then its just a wild ride into weird jazzy and funky tracks until suddenly Nick Cave is appearing on The Sweetest Embrace with his lovely vocals. Nice!
This does sound like a soundtrack album. Really atmospheric & interesting.
The greatest soundtrack to a movie that does not exist. Barry Adamson is a maestro. Side note, if you are a fan of the classic, first Bad Seeds album, this should appeal
I didn’t know what to expect with this album. No idea who Barry Adamson is but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As a sparrow hums a nursery rhyme and a terrier shouts at a stick in the river, this record thumps me square between the eyes. I hadn't prepared for such a klaxon of obtuse clanking and tonking tones. My heart skips a beat like a plastic bag dancing around a set of temporary traffic lights, like a burnt out stripper trying to arouse a lonely businessman, who hasn't had an erection since 1998, like an unwashed chimney sweep eating doughnuts with his filthy hands, like a dying owl choking on a mouse, like an under pressure table tennis player serving for the match, like a hotel receptionist trying to check in an unruly group of teenagers, like a dropped baton in a relay final, like an unopened can of beans thrown into a lake, like a bridge over troubled water, like a worrying itch on a gonad, like a virgin, like a freshly shaven muff, like a piece of shit on the roof of your mouth. I like it.
weird but good. big band jazz meets avant garde. fun fact, oedipus was a mother shagger. married his own mum, albeit without knowing it was his own mum but still.
Pretend soundtracks of varying styles (often jazz) held together by a consistent standard of quality
A very accomplished album from an extremely talented guy. I get the impression from other reviews that most people were probably unaware of Barry Adamson before listening to this. As a long time admirer of his work with Magazine, I have to confess to being less familiar with his solo work, though I knew it always slanted more towards soundtrack work (for films, it should be added, which were never made). The album erects a sort of moving backdrop across its run time, almost like snapshots into a variety of film scenes which never quite form a coherent whole. One minute it’s a sensual neo-noir crime scene, the next a sinister foreboding befitting a psychological thriller. If, in this regard, Adamson is equal parts musician and illustrator here, then it might be argued that this album does the musical equivalent of labouring this point on certain tracks. But this album’s diversity is ultimately never too disparate as to feel incoherent. Plus, it has Billy Mackenzie doing vocals on “Achieved in The Valley in the Dolls” so it’s a winner for me.
One of the most unexpected listens from this list so far. Real haunting and unsettling music wrapped in an engaging narrative. I really need to check the rest of the music if it's like this.
An engaging mix of genres and moods; suffers due to its lack of cohesiveness (and is perhaps best understood as an compilation of sorts rather than a narrative), but this is also what keeps it extra interesting. This album is an odd journey, taking you through snippets of different fleeting movie scenes. The first track is a wild ride and it even seems that there will be consistency in the first few tracks... but the mood is harshily broken in "It's Business as Usual". After that, there are some dull moments here and there (as well as some really interesting ones) until we reach the gem "The Sweet Embrace". For its originality, experimentalist nature and some nice "lounge" tracks that I will revisit, this album is a four for me.
I looked this album up, and it definitely hits the tone of a fake movie soundtrack. I really liked some of the songs, but Dirty Barry was unbearable. I think some of the ideas on this album were done better by other artists, but it still sounds relevant to this day. Best Songs: Vermillion Kisses, The Sweetest Embrace, Worst Songs: Dirty Barry
This was a rather good unconventional trip hop album! If you like Angelo Badalamenti and Massive Attack, I'd recommend this.
This is the perfect album for inspiration. I put it on while writing up a product proposal and it was great background music, but didn't get annoying or monotonous. I felt a littler braver while listening.
It was a very unusual album. Whole record in the form of a soundtrack for a non-existent movie. Songs include plenty of unconventional pieces, like a spoken word, noir tracks with dialog from some kind of movie, funky style car chase songs or even something that would fall into a category of Bond-song. It is certainly and interesting concept, where by listening to the tracks, you can imagine a type of movie it represents or describe. Also, the songs themselves are of very high quality, a lot of very atmospheric pieces, transporting you to a dark, winter alley, with couple strange looking thugs, in full coats and a hat, of course. I know I can't change the rating later, but I think I will give it a 4 stars now, but it would probably change to 5 after few more listening sessions.
I really shouldn't judge an album by its cover. This was phenomenal, the biggest surprise of this 1001 albums project so far. The more conventional tracks see Adamson harness the sounds of the 90s and somehow fuse them seamlessly with bits of jazz and big-band and trip hop? The weirder ones feel like I'm listening to a surreal Lynchian horror film, which present an unfortunate road block for this album's replayability but also are very impressive interludes that succeeded in spooking the shit out of me while still successfully twisting the jazz I loved so much in a fucked up way. standout tracks: anything with that sax goDDAMN 4 stars; the jazzier tracks are going to get SO MUCH replay from me, but I can't see myself enjoying the album casually without the removal of tracks like Business as Usual, bc how do I explain that when it comes up on shuffle
Cinematic, reminiscent of John Barry, Death in Vegas , David Holmes,(maybe t'other way round for the latter 2) in parts. Was always a big fan of Magazine, and his collabs have always been great. Top notch
I felt like we already reviewed one of his albums but apparently not! I hadn't heard of him but I see he was one of the bad seeds and has some big dog connections from the collaborators on this album. I really like the idea of writing a soundtrack for a non-existent film. But also good for Barry because Something Wicked This way Comes did end up on Lost Highway, David Lynch of all people!! Excellent work. It's delightfully strange and takes all kinds of spooky experimental twists and turns. It's actually really fun to listen to for me :-) in parts it's like literally sexy jazz haha. The Sweetest Embrace is an absolute tune, love the old school bluesy vocals and saloon vibes lol.
This is just plain weird. But good. It could be from the 70s, 80s or 90s or even the noughties......it borrows from everywhere. Lounge musak, Gospel, a John Holmes soundtrack (not that i've ever seen one of his of course), 60's psychadelia........ Ashamed to say he's from a few miles away from me and I've never heard of him. I also like Lynch and Cave. Oh the shame. One of life's real originals.
This really won me over as the album wore on. These tracks are so commanding, they're so different from each other. Yet another album that was conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film, interesting.
An interesting listen, but not sure it makes my list. The acid jazz, trip hop and industrial influences raises this above many other releases from the early 90s. What distinguishes this is the downright creepy mood. He incorporates dark instrumentals in a manner that makes this sound like a soundtrack. The guests - Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave don't hurt.
There were parts of this that I really, really hated, but some of it was actually solid. A very up-and-down album. Somebody should have gotten ahold of this guy and told him to cool it with the spoken word. Best track: Something Wicked This Way Comes
I’ve never heard of the guy and googled him. Someone described his solo music as “soundtracks for movies that don't exist” and I think that sums it up perfectly. Barry Adamson has a wide range of tools he’s showcasing for us and I had a lot of fun creating movies in my mind as I listened along. It’s a unique album but none of the songs feel as if they belong next to each other. I think a 2.5 would more accurately portray my feelings for this album. My favorites are The Big Bamboozle and Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 11/20 Innovation: 16/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 8/20 =53 Cheeky Jarvis appearance! But but boring
Quasi-cinematic music for a film that doesn't exist. Interesting, diverse and noir-ish sounds. Nick Cave guests on "The Sweetest Embrace".
A really different and interesting album. I feel like I would get a lot from from this album with more listens. Would definitely revisit
Need to listen again but there were some interesting songs but also just some oddballs
This is interesting. Parts of it remind me of instrumental versions of some of the stuff U2 was doing in the 90s, or some of Bowie’s weirder stuff. Parts of it remind of music from David Lynch shit, which makes sense since he did some music for Lost Highway. I don’t hate it, and appreciate it for the influence it most likely had on some stuff I like, but I’m not sure I’d listen again.
A new artist and new music for me. Most of the tracks got an "okay" rating from me (3 stars). "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis" would get a second listen from me (4 stars), but "It's Business as Usual" and "Vermillion Kisses" were oddities that got a firm "I don't like this" (1 star). I'm not sure if the two bad tracks can sink the whole album. I guess I'll give the album an "okay" (3 stars).
better than others but some songs really take away from the album as a whole. I appreciate the milestones cover. cool and lounge-y overall.
A fever dream of an album - more than a few listens are necessary to fully explore the nooks and crannies here