Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Interesting concept, well produced. I would watch this fictional movie based on this 'Soundtrack'
This album wa impressive because it oscillated between funky fun 90s music and some of the most unsettling and eerie tracks I’ve ever gotten on this list. Like vibes ain’t nothin but the vibes was fun and then business as usual made me turn on all of the lights in my house. I was dozing off in the second half due to sobering up but I remember enough to give this a 4 comfortably.
Creepy album cover for a seemingly innocent jazz album. My expectations were met but oh my lord did I think this was going to be something else. Also like working my way through and it and oh my God this turned into creepy jazz.
Big fan. Interesting and novel.
När det blir Nick Cave relaterat blir det genast bättre.
Some cool tracks, some ugly tracks.
I love me some Barry Adamson. I love his style, I love how he blends dark jazz with lounge and trip hop in cocky, too cool for school attitude. I think I slightly prefer Moss Side Story over this one, but they're both a lot of fun.
Was always gonna be quirky! Set the Controls.... I liked it Something Wicked... Chill out Jazzy The vibes - slow chill out It's business - interestingly creepy Miles - talented. Piano jazz Dirty Barry - not too experimental jazz Overall, for the artistry and innovation, I'll give it 4
Matrix vibes Cinematic Attic is Ross!
When “Something Wicked This Way Comes” came on it took me directly to Lost Highway, which is funny because I don’t know this artist by name or reputation. The whole thing smacks of David Lynch. But to look at his pedigree and similar artists I’m not at all surprised to find that I like it. I was also not surprised to find Nick Cave guesting on the penultimate track. From the moment I started listening to this album I wanted to throw on Let Love In. They kind of go hand in hand. The spoken word track was a little too bizarre for me. But otherwise I really enjoyed this from start to finish.
Remarkably cool and a fantastic new discovery! 4/5
Album 293 of 1001 Barry Adamson - Oedipus Schmoedipus Rating : 4 / 5 Favorite Track : Vermillion Kisses / The Sweetest Embrace Conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film. Interesting and unique. It is great and then sucks and then great again. A bit of so many things. Some trippy stuff. I was so ready to pan this album then here I am liking it. Another one of those silly British bands.
это очень странная работа, но что-то в этом есть
iiiiii liked it!!!!!
Very cool, apparently his Moss Side Story is even better. Off to have a listen.
Weird as hell, but a fun ride.
When I saw that the name of the first track was called Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis, and that Jarvis Cocker was involved, my interests were piqued. Yet it came as a sort of surprise that, for the first half, Oedipus Schmoedipus barges through with a relentless energy, picking up a fusion of rock, dance and trip-hop tropes and mixing it with the soundtrack scoring tendency that Barry Adamson had mastered at this point. Its momentum shifts and stylistic changes threaten to halt the trajectory but it is ultimately balanced out and what stands is a surefire collection of frequent greatness. Favorites: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But the Vibes, It's Business as Usual, Miles, Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls, The Big Bamboozle, The Sweetest Embrace.
Eerste nummer is nogal meh, maar het tweede nummer is juist wel fijn. Een soort jazzy instrumentaal nummer. Nog nooit van deze man gehoord, blijkbaar de bassist van Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The vibes ain't nothing but the vibes, is puur vibes man, vibe vibe vibe Best wel veel nummers zijn zeeeeer jazzy, heel erg fijn! Dingen als Dirty Barry zijn mij dan weer te abstract. Dat is te experimenteel/jazzy voor mij. Dat is meteen mn grootste kritiekpunt, er zijn ontzettend vette nummers hier, maar ook zoveel rare experimenten die flink mislukken wat mij betreft. Ik ga dan toch voor de som der delen: lekker gemiddeld. Wel echt blij dat we eens een album hebben dat geen britpop of rock is zoals 60% vande lijst. En ik denk voor de durf en het experiment dat dit album is ik het uiteindelijk toch 4 sterren geef, simpelweg omdat het echt iets anders doet, veel van de nummers een soort film noir ervaring bieden en ik gewoon van jazz houd. FAVO: Something wicked this way comes, The vibes ain't nothing but the vibes, Miles, The sweetest embrace
I enjoyed this one, a completely new one on me. Something a little different but very catchy, if a little dark in places. Vocals reminded me a bit of Jarvis Cocker
what the fuck
Really liked it, really weird but in a really interesting way
neke cudne vecina jako nice
4/5. It's hard to understand what kind of genre this is but each song has a dark undertone that I love the vibe of. A review I saw described the songs as "homicides if taken form" and what a great way to describe them. Even the upbeat and calm ones feel more psychopathic than the dark and heavy ones. This is great backdrop music for drive through a dark wood or in an abandoned town, if you wanna scare yourself even more. The only negative is that I don't want to get scared all the time and this isn't always a mood lol but gosh darn what a mood!
I loved this film!
Industrial lounge music?
A unique and enjoyable soundscape. I didn't expect to hear Jarvis Cocker on there, so that was a nice surprise. Was also a bit surprised to actually recognise bits and pieces from throughout the album. Interesting, at the very least.
Very good
Holyyy moly that was unexpected and niceeeee, didn't know who he was until I heard the Nick Cave cameo
I think this is the first album to ever scare me, as the son It's Business As Usual had me looking over my shoulder, and wasn't a pleasant experience, but in a good way, as it was really effective horror if it got me that wrapped up in it. I'd say the album as a whole is cool, it's got this neat spy thing going on that was surely a big inspiration to artists like Portishead and Goldfrapp. I'd say it started to drag a little near the 3/4s mark, but pulled me back in enough with the Nick Cave appearance. Just don't listen to this album at night, is all.
One of the most unique albums I’ve ever listened to. Like watching a film through my ears. Very fun!
Soundtrack de una película imaginaria. Está bien. Un 4, venga.
A lot better than Moss Side Story, Adamson's slightly too on-the-nose concept album. A little bit MIDI and dated in places, but this has a seedy, smokey atmosphere that perfectly suited Lynch's movies of the era. The Big Bamboozle is such a torpedo; comes out of nowhere and hits you with its John Barry swagger.
weird. surreal. i kinda like it while also being creeped out.
Soundtrack de una película imaginaria. Está bien. Un 4, venga.
Ok...it got me. I didn't like it at first, but the weirdness just grew on me.
Really enjoyed this album. It was like pop house with some R&B roots.
A pleasant surprise.
Pretty cool, kinda like fat boy slim
4.0
Kinda weird but pleasant to listen to.
This kind of experimental music can be a little too weird and annoying and this album is no different, but there is a lot of talent on display which makes up for the annoying parts. Good background music, but probably wouldn't seek it out.
Oedipus Schmoedipus (not to be confused with Nilsson Schmilsson) is an acid jazz record from the multi-instrumentalist Barry Adamson. Adamson had earned his stripes with the likes of Magazine and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. As such, his ability to experiment artistically had been stoked going into the 90's, allowing for a truly strange and fascinating run of albums, starting with a soundtrack for a film that doesn't exist (see: Moss Side Story, also on the list). Oedipus Schmoedipus reveals in a limbo-like ambiance. There are unexpected twists and turns that make for a surreal listening experience, with occasional grounding moments that bring us back to just jazz. It often feels as though Adamson is in a league of his own. Is the album a tad long? Yes, but I feel it is well-crafted and elegantly performed.
Beetje vanalles. Jazz, pop, hiphop, instrumentaal, zang. Maar toch een soort van samenhangend allegaartje
Frábær plata. Hvar hefur hún verið allt mitt líf?
The second track is exactly like what would be used as a soundtrack for a thriller detective show in the 90s. An album with only soundtracks, I didn't know that those existed outside of movie soundtrack albums. A delightful surprise and will totally listen to this album again for distilled sounds of the 90s TV shows and music
Wow, something different and awesome
Interesting one. Jazzy, harrowing, boring, funky, weird, annoying. Skipped through a few but generally enjoyable.
пока что первый гем из кучи помойки, альбом-саундтрек к несуществующему фильму
4+
90s cool experimental jazz
He did it! I’m wildly uncomfortable! Going to It’s Business As Usual to Miles felt like a crime.
Set the controls for the heart of the pelvis: accurate song name haha Something wicked this way comes: i feel like this is walking downtown music. Very jazzy, especially with the organ sounds The vibes ain't nothin but the vibes: i love this intro. One of my favorite instrument selections on a keyboard, and the light snare rustle and deep bass are perfect companions Its business as usual: wow, very creepy. And very cool creepy how the music strongly enforces the mood. Well done Miles: what a change of pace😂, always a huge fan of a fast walking bass line and sax solo. I wonder if the title "miles" has any correlation with miles davis or if miles just made sense Dirty barry: chaotic. Playing music like this was always hard for me cause you have to count so many rest and remember when to come in. Unless they are just freebaring it then its just fun chaos. Either way enjoyable In a moment of clarity: so jazzy. Like if you were to give somebody three song to describe swing style jazz I really think this would be a solid choice. Achieved in the valley in the dolls: love the intro and hip hop vibes. Very concrete jungle Vermillion kisses: The big bamboozle: State of contraction: The sweetest embrace: Set the controls again: Very creative, very jazzy, kinda experimental but also lots of class. 4 stars, close to 5. Treads a little to close to cringy experimental in one or two songs. It's really good, but because I dont like the way it aims to make me feel, even though I can appreciate it
By far the most unique record I've gotten so far in this project. Extremely cinematic and cool, in the old-school sense of the word. Almost certain I hear a string sample on "A Moment Of Clarity" that's also in some N64 games. Anyway, this album is cool as hell. Neo-noir filmic jazz with an experimental turn. I dig it.
Yeah man, digged this lots of weird and unusal sounds took me into chilled and disturved places. Very much enjoyed the spoken word peice as well. Top drawer.
Along with Moss Side Story and Soul Murder, the 1001 book calls them a loose trilogy, which is quite good... but it does all start blurring into one, confusing matters. Still, enjoyed it though.
Post-punk if instead of punk it was jazz fusion Favorite Tracks: Set The Controls..., The Vibes..., Vermillion Kisses 4/5
Quando a pretensão se confirma de maneira satisfatória. Com uma habilidade notável em criar atmosferas envolventes a partir de camadas complexas de texturas sonoras, este álbum leva o ouvinte em uma jornada emocionante. Conseguiu usar o som para criar um universo imaginário e nos coloca meio de uma narrativa cinematográfica.
A total mix of different bits. I have no idea yet what I think about this, but ought to listen again.
what WAS this album?! i didn't hate oedipus schmoedipus, but i think i received whiplash. actually, i can say with confidence i enjoyed this. that being said, i'm not entirely sure what i listened to or how to write my review. this definitely is experimental, considering it sounds like nothing i've heard, but more evolved than a lot of other experimental music on this list. a fair amount of these songs were instrumentals! and there was a heavy amount of jazz throughout the album. there's "miles," an extremely jazz-y song (with such horns!), followed up by "dirty barry," which sounds like it's straight out of a horror film. "vermillion kisses" has a fairytale-like narrator. "the sweetest embrace" sounds like a tom waits song in lyrics, tone, and voice. "the vibes ain't nothin' but the vibes" contains a beautiful piano, a fake audience, and a narration deeply spoken so close to your ears--again, a little waits-like. "the big bamboozle" is a jazz song that could have been used in an ocean's eleven movie. with all of this, i don't know what adamson's end goal was, but at the end of the day, i had a good time listening to the different songs here.
The concept of writing an album as a soundtrack to an imaginary film is kind of wild. I can totally hear it. Maybe the film plot goes something like this: A woman dies and the whole movie takes place in the time between when her body is no longer living and when she crosses over into the after life. The whole thing feels like one nights worth of an intense dream sequence, interacting with her past lovers. She starts out remembering how hot Jarvis was in Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Pelvis. How she, and many other women, lusted after him. How she get lucky to be one of the ones that experienced Jarvis. But now in retrospect, she sees that he is a conceited asshole. She recalls the torrid one night stand instigated in Dunkin Donuts. It was a love/hate connection, one of the most intense and transient of her life. They enjoyed and maneuvered against each other. It gets weird in Business As Usual, but so was Dirk. He thought he possessed her. He couldn’t handle being rejected. He obsessed. Dirk was intense too, but in the creepiest way possible. Is he why our protagonist has died? Strong possibility. Miles kicks in as the transition leaves her awfulness behind and the afterlife reminds her that she doesn’t have to deal with that shit anymore. (Great song.) Dirty Barry is her being made aware of the hallway to hell. It’s dark, confusing, and sprinkled with improve jazz bits. She witnesses treachery. In Vermillion Kisses it is revealed to the audience that our protagonist is not innocent herself as she takes the role of manipulative maiden. She has used and destroyed. The Sweetest Embrace is all these men from her past letting her go. Acknowledging her sudden and complete vanishing from the world. (Bonus: Nick Cave didn’t tank this track!) “It’s over babe. And it really is a shame.” This is a shit plot, but one thing I do know is that David Lynch should make this movie. Or a creative film student should give it a go. I’m not going to listen to this album very much in the future, but kudos for the creativity.
At first feels a bit off - but it’s a grower - eclectic, tongue in cheek and creative, it’s unique, a bit oddball yet highly listenable and overall a good record. Nice surprise.
per wikipedia, "conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film", although music from this was then actually used in David Lynch's "Lost Highway." Really fitting choice for that movie, though, there's an underlying spookiness to this that I really appreciated
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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.
This was a rather good unconventional trip hop album! If you like Angelo Badalamenti and Massive Attack, I'd recommend this.
Never heard it before. Enjoyed it. Probably listen thru his catalog.
8/10
Interesting weird but Interesting
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
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.
A little sentimental,love the vibes ones and sax tone ones
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.
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.
Yeah…. Detta ägde hårt…
Pretend soundtracks of varying styles (often jazz) held together by a consistent standard of quality
Väldigt intressant
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.
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.
Started strong, but lost me in the middle. Good nonsense overall.
Interesting and weird enough for a low 4, has some weird scary parts
I didn’t know what to expect with this album. No idea who Barry Adamson is but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Experimental. Curioso. Volver a escuchar
Fun experiment, I guess
This is such great fun. The whole album is a fun trip. No real standout tracks but keen to give this another spin.
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
bela descoberta. qnd aparece o nick cave é a mais
uma das melhores descobertas dos primeiros 50 álbuns
Mahtava yllätys. Piti useamman kerran ihan kuunnella.
This does sound like a soundtrack album. Really atmospheric & interesting.
Funky sound. Jazzy, instrumental. 2nd half of album is kinda strange.
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!
Nuts in a good way
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 🌟
Bien aime, ca commence fort, pour tomber dans le bizarre et finir fort. Jazzy et experimental on dirait parfois. 4
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.
Possibly the best part of the trilogy of soundtracks for movies which don't exist albums. Set the Controls... is a particular highlight.
Calming, unintrusive, chill out good background for socials.. cafe del mar meets miles Davis
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 🌟
- sexy, silly, - low key, mellow - interesting and mildly out there
really interesting to listen to, and a nice mixed bag
A strange album that fitted my Sunday mood. Definitely revisit.
Odd. But quite enjoyable. Glad I’ve heard this now.
interesting album, some songs are compositions over random recordings, some are upbeat piano pieces others are just stories like it alot
Not at all what I was expecting from the cover! Really enjoyed it.
Given that this album is supposedly the soundtrack for an imaginary movie, I’m not sure it’s successful on the grounds that I find it difficult to imagine exactly what he’d be soundtracking here. Though that David Lynch used his music gives a pretty good indication here. Still, my doubts about the concept of the album aside, it’s an interesting listen. Very noir-ish. I’d never heard of Adamson before, which is on me, because I like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and I recall liking some Magazine that I heard on a post-punk compilation many years ago. He’s clearly a very talented fellow, and while I’m not sure I totally follow him here, it’s a compelling listen. Much happier to be introduced to this than many of the things I’ve come across on here. Wouldn’t mind delving deeper into Adamson’s discography.
This album is fucking insane. The random jumps from light jazz to ethereal sounds and disturbing lyrics only make sense with the knowledge that this was intended as a movie score. It's a really unique album that I want to give both a 1-star and 5-star review. I guess I'll settle in the middle, but this is anything but average.
ovaj lik je basist magazinea, zanimljivo... sasvim ugodno slušanje, nisam baš nešto slično prije imao prilike čuti... nije da mi se sasvim dopalo, ali svakako mi je drago što sam preslušao ovo, a ne neko generično rok sranje kakvim vrvi ovaj popis... tako da u konačnici lijepa trojčica
Started out as pretentious cringe, but it grew on me! Quite diverse and perfect for a sunday!
Creepy
Never heard of this album or artist. A quick read was helpful - "soundtrack to an imaginary film" was a very useful key for listening or I would have been thoroughly bemused as to intent. The music is accessible but quite engaging - not riveting. There are elements I really liked, specifically the vibraphone lines - I wondered who played those (was it someone who played for vibraphone for Bad Seeds?) but Wikipedia doesn't credit any vibraphone player, maybe it was just programmed?? There were elements I didn't like - recurring tendency to a "strings" sound that seemed like poor synth playing (weak arrangement, weak patch selected). I could be positive about how interesting the spoken word elements are, heard in conjunction with the music - but my comparators for praise are set at a very high level (now there is Boards of Canada, specifically Inferno). So, listening didn't feel like a waste of time, but I'm not motivated to listen to the whole album again, or recommend it to anyone. I'll say it's Okay, 6/10.
Sounds like Leonard Cohen's British second cousin who got in to dance music. A few of these tracks were super unique and intriguing, a few felt a little dated and like they were trying to hard. Worth a listen but not my favorite album.
The vibes ain’t nothing but the vibes. Of course Lynch worked with this guy. Freaky but then catchy but then…vibes. Ain’t nothing but the vibes.
Unlike Barry's original entry here, this "score" has a decidedly more present and resonant theme - a man haunted by his relationships with women and his own libido. This one features a host of Adamson's cohorts, including the ringleader of the Bad Seeds himself, Nick Cave. But the sound and textures he's making tells a clear story front to back, one that is damn compelling if a little disjointed. A really good album all told, though probably not one I need to hear again.
What is this? Did I enjoy it? Yes. Will I plat it again? Maybe not. Eclectic at the least.
13 songs, yet somehow I feel like there's 20 genres on this thing. This is one of the oldest fake soundtracks I've heard of, and it really helps the spectators set up for a movie-like experience. There's some dialogue to make it seem like a story, but it's still vague. It's more about the variety of energy a story can interpret. I really like how well executed everything is, I'm just not planning on putting something on very frequently with SUCH an eclectic mix. It's a weird playlist that really only works well with, or completely separated from itself. I'm happy to have given this a couple of listens. Widens my horizons a bit on other projects, like Donald Glovers' filmless scores, or projects that embarked a musical variety without tying to such a specific concept. 3.4/5
What a whicked ride! Made my roommate come out and ask "What the fuck is this noise your making?!" Really only works as an album, one Trip from start to finish. The songs on their own don't convey much, but are mearily part of a bigger landscape.
It reminded me a bit of The Contino Sessions by Death in Vegas - they are both albums that strike me as self-consciously “cool” in a very 1990s way. They are also both very patchy, but I think the high points on Oedipus Schmoedipus are higher.
Funky, jazzy, and intoxicatingly dark in atmosphere! A solid 7/10 if I've ever heard one, as it does go on a little too long. Two emblematically 90s genres with two nearly hour-long albums and two 7/10s in two days... can't complain about that.
A lot of haunting sounds that I appreciate. Then there’s Vermilion Kisses, which kind of confused me. How does this track fit into this imaginary movie? I understand the point of it, but not the storybook weirdness that unfolded. I love the jazz and rock elements of this album the most. It’s a 4 for me because I don’t think I’ll listen to it in full again, but it has quite a few songs that I would listen to on their own.
Parts of this were really cool
Sometimes lounge music, sometimes serial killer music. Not bad most of the time.
At first I thought this was 1966. But 96 makes a lot of sense. Cool trippy and jazzy influence makes this right in line with the post 60's psychedelic resurgence. Great great great production. No lost sound at least to my ears. Some songs straight up suck or are meant to gimmicky. Ding it a star for dat but mostly enjoyable.
I liked this one but didn’t get a chance for a full listen! It was disturbing and compelling, I was quite afraid listening to it on my own in a house.
Overall: 3 Consistency: 3 Originality: 3.5 Enjoyment: 2.5 Virtuosity: 3 1. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis - 2 2. Something Wicked This Way Comes - 3 3. The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But the Vibes - 3 4. It's Business As Usual - 2 5. Miles - 3 6. Dirty Barry - 3 7. In a Moment of Clarity - 3 8. Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls - 3 9. Vermillion Kisses - 2 10. The Big Bamboozle - 3 11. State of Contraction - 3 12. The Sweetest Embrace - 3 13. Set the Controls Again - 3
319/1089 this was quite a different and interesting jazz record and pulled influences and sounds from a fun range of places i think it’s one that could go up in my rankings on a relisten down the line faves: something wicked this way comes, set the controls again 56/100
Føles mer ut som en mixtape enn et album. Mye som er kult, mye som er forglemmelig.
Not nearly as captivating as Moss Side Story and I do not feel this should be included on the list. Some great moments though such as A Moment of Clarity. You could tell me Achieved in The Valley in The Dolls was a Halo 1 track with some added drums and I'd believe you.
I look sideways at pretty much everything here except for the music (album title, song titles, album cover...). The opener allays those concerns pretty quickly, essentially a surprise Pulp song but with Primal Scream energy, and a great string hook. The atmospheric jazzy stuff (Miles, In a Moment of Clarity) is great too, with a real Lynch throughline, even if I have not actually seen Lost Highway. The back end of the album loses me, though, particularly the psychotic Vermillion Kisses, from which the record never recovers. Still glad to have heard this.
I like soundtrack albums, not sure the not being on the list unless the film doesn't exist? Does that make it a concept album? It's cool, it's weird, it's borderline file under easy listening., lits at times in your face at times background. Yeah it's alright 3 Star, cause not sure.
What the actual eff was that? At times 1 star, at times 5 stars, I guess it averages to a 3? It was exciting, whatever it was!
I love the concept but is a little hard to listen
Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Good - There are some great grooves here. Something Wicked This Way Comes is great. The Vibes almost reminds me of a sleeker, more modern version of Tom Waits. The album gets more and more filmic, with Dirty Barry being incredibly atmospheric. After losing some focus, The Big Bamboozle explodes into life and grabs your attention back. Nick Cave is of course fantastic on The Sweetest Embrace.
It’s hard to describe how quickly my heart sank after I realized this was acid jazz. Because it looks more like some sort of weird, goth-rock post-punk joint, right? Not that that would be much better. This is pretty tight, other than the really annoying spoken word sections. I didn't really care for it but whatever. 6.3/10
Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Completely unfamiliar, I’ve never seen this How do I feel about this artist? I do not know who this is Pre-Listen Thoughts: Apparently David Lynch really liked it, which means it’s gonna be kind of weird. But we’ll see if it’s my kind of weird. Favorite track(s): Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis, The Big Bamboozle Post-Listen Thoughts: I can see why David Lynch liked it. Parts of it were good, parts of it were kind of annoying, parts of it was just a lady talking. Not bad though.
Segasummasuvila veidratest kõladest ja harmooniatest. I guess see on lahe tükk tööd mõtete osas ja täitsa sobib tööle taustamuusikaks, aga midagi konkreetset head mulle kõrva ei jäänud. Omal ajal oli see vast revolutsiooniline, aga praegu mitte nii väga. 2.8/5
I was about to complain that they sound like Pulp. Of course, it’s cause it’s the singer from Pulp.
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis - 3.5/5 Something Wicked This Way Comes - 4/5 The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But the Vibes - 3.5/5 It's Business as Usual - 2.5/5 Miles - 3.5/5 Dirt Barry - 2.5/5 In a Moment of Clarity - 3/5 Achieved in the Valley of Dolls - 3.5/5 Vermillion Kisses - 2.5/5 The Big Bamboozle - 3.5/5 State of Contraction - 3/5 The Sweetest Embrace - 3.5/5 Set the Controls Again - 3.5/5 A very Lynchian-styled album, which makes sense as my favorite off of this album was from one of his movies. It definitely sounds like a soundtrack album, as it was a rollercoaster ride of different genres from jazzy to a Miles Davis impersonation to whatever experimental stuff that was on here. The latter of that list can really turn people off of the album, and their length really doesn't make me like them as much as the rest of the album. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Something Wicked Comes This Way
2.7 2x interesting but not repeatable
Having the sex with mom, kill dad, eyeballs it’s got it all, motherfucker.
The name of this album makes me glad he never actually made the movie. I’m curious what the imagined storyline is, but not enough to dig around and see if he ever explained it. After listening, I guess I understand the vision… but I don’t/can’t care. It’s weird background music that would be fun to talk about if I ever happened upon someone who had ever listened to it before. I bet I won’t!
Clever name
Getting my second Barry Adamson album after only 45 rankings was an unwelcome surprise. I feared my morning was ruined, but was pleasantly surprised. This is actually music! At least most of it. I found myself nodding along to a few of the jams, so all in all this is miles better than Moss Side Story. It's not my jam, but it's not a crime against humanity either.
294/1001 Barry Adamson - Oedipus Schmoedipus Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is an interesting one to review. There's the decision to make an imaginary soundtrack to a fake film, which makes it intriguing from the start, but ultimately without context for some of the music falls a little flat. There's some music that absolutely works, but in equal measure doesn't fir me. The Sweetest Embrace with Nick Cave is my favourite of the tracks.
Cool songs to work too. Couldn't get a handle on the lyrics but the jazz and musical diversity was nice
"поди туда — не знаю куда, принеси то — не знаю что" альбом "эдипус шмоэдипус" (фа ватафа) с достоинством можно поместить напротив определения слова "нишевый" в толковом словаре ожегова)) улыбнул комментарий: "создам-ка я ещё один саундтрек к вымышленному фильму, раз уж к реальному не разрешили". короче да. что же всё-таки хотел сказать читателю автор неизвестно. какую эмоцию от меня хотят тож непонятно. ну и жанр "вымышленного фильма" под вопросом. местами — звуковая дорожка "квартирного вопроса", местами — советское кино, местами — джазик-эвтаназик, а иногда тупо "спс, кончил". в целом мне нравится. пс. ну очевидно не хватает хора сретенского монастыря. минус балл. 😓😓😓
The commentary and the direction of the album takes you different direction. Def unique
I enjoyed the novelty of this but didn’t connect with it on a much deeper level than that.
This site introduced me to Barry Adamson previously with "Moss Side Story." I remembered finding that album interesting, and let's see if the same happens for this album. Once again, I don't hate this, and I suspect I might enjoy this more on further listens. I'll add this to my list of albums to listen to again.
I actually jammed to this. Until the other half of the album came on.
Very eclectic album. Some very fun jazzy ambient tracks mixed in with more artsy pieces that didn't connect with me as much. Uneven, but had enough moments to keep me entertained. Top tracks: Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But The Vibes, The Big Bamboozle
This was a strange, eclectic ride of an album that constantly kept me on my toes. With guest stars like Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave, it felt more like a bunch of movie soundtracks than a single record. They jumped all over the place, from trip hop to spoken word, which had some amazing moments like "Vermillion Kisses" which is like a weird Brothers Grimm fairy tale, but also some seriously cheesy ones. I get that they were going for something big and cinematic, but it was a bit of a mixed bag. It's cool and unique in parts, but a bit lost in others. It's not something I'd listen to every day, but it's definitely an interesting, experimental record from the 90s British art rock scene, for sure not boring.
Eclectic never heard before but elements of trippy hop sultry experimental will listen again
really strange album... acid jazz is funny... kinda cool if you ask me
Cool jazzy album Smooth ambient and lofi beats Narrational singing
Bonkers, not sure it's one of the 1001 albums I needed to listen to but I didn't hate it.
Emm ok
7/10 - some cool eccentric stuff but still very much listenable
Highlights: Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Sweetest Embrace, Set The Controls For The Heart of the Pelvis, The Big Bamboozle. In a nutshell: the film soundtrack that never was. Cinematic. Noir. Random. Sinister. Kitsch. Seedy. Whiplash tracking that somehow works. Think of it as a loose concept album, one where Barry continues his trend of making albums that sound like unofficial movie soundtracks. Barry was a founding member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and has worked with David Lynch, so if you go in knowing all of this, it will help you understand where Barry is coming from. It won't be for everyone. But it tickled the dormant cinephile within me. Overall: 6/10
This was a rollercoaster truly. I was really vibing, then It's Business as Usual came on and tanked the vibe. But then it went back up. It sounds a lot like a movie soundtrack to me with the variety throughout. It's got such a cool blend of new and old. Vermillion Kisses was funny but so silly goofy to have in the middle. Overall, it was a good time. I feel like I went on a little adventure.
por una parte tiene sus cositas raras y es como muy tranquilo pero a mí me precio hasta entretenido, bacano, me pareció un álbum apenas
It was weird and unexpected. Some songs I didn't hate
Unexpected jazzy cool tunes
Weird as fuck and parts of it I loved. Parts not so much? It's all over the place so some of the work really hit home. Kind of a jazzy Mr. bungle
This was okay. I like the concept better than the execution.
Wierd album that had nice grooves and sounds but also made me feel really uncomfortable at the same time on some songs. Hard to choose a best track here but it was probably Miles. Shout out to It's Business As Usual for genuinly creeping me out which was wierd feeling when listening to music.
very random, much like the name. The big bamboozle was great, especially after vermillion kisses, taking me by surprise. Unfortunatley i found the other tracks, bar 2, quite boring and flavourless.
Actually a pleasant surprise. This has a ton of groovy funky soulful sections, paired with some weird and wild spoken word dubbes makes for a fine listen, maybe background music but quality non the less
Interesting. And worth being exposed to. As everyone seems to note, almost every song screams “soundtrack”.
Bit better than his other album on this list at least they sound like proper tracks! Hope this is the last one of his though to be fair.
It was alright
A real curio from the 90s - not a significant commercial success back in the day - with notable appearances from Jarvis Cocker and nick Cave but rooted in the world of independent film soundtracks which were all the rage in that decade. A range of styles and sonic approaches but more of an interesting listen than a musical feast.
Fine but weird
Weird. I liked it. Enjoyed not knowing where it was going to go.
Was just an album of background music but I didn’t mind it It was strange because I didn’t know what was coming next one minute it sounded like elevator music then it was jazz trumpets then dj deck scratching Stick to a lane and make your mind up will you
I hope like hell this is better than the similarly idiotically named Nilsson Schmilsson. It is better. I don't know if that's to say it's any good, but it's certainly interesting. I peeked at the Wikipedia page and it says that this was conceived as the soundtrack to an imaginary movie, and that triggered a memory that I thought I had listened to ANOTHER album with the same conceit. So I scrolled back through my history and yes, almost two years ago I got an album that was a soundtrack to an imaginary soundtrack...by the same guy. One time is cool and unique, two times is just a thing the guy does. The album is perfectly good background music, but two albums by the same guy that do the same thing is ridiculous when so many other stellar albums are left out.
Well, it was certainly interesting. And I haven't heard about the guy earlier.
Lynchian af. What are we calling this style (aside from Lynchian)? Seedy surrealism? Post-modern, psycho-sexual, campy, horror noir? Whatever you call it, it tends to be hit and miss for me. It hits when it just grazes the canyon walls of the Uncanny Valley. It misses when it tries too hard to impress upon you how ~weird~ it is. This album has a bit of both. I enjoyed the instrumental work. The vocal not so much. I can see why some of you love it. I can see why some of you hate it. It's ok. It's creative at least.
This was a very interesting album to listen to. It was pleasant as background music.
Frühstücksmusik
Electronic music that somehow felt exactly like the precursor to Moby and Fatboy Slim.
A truly interesting album. Warren’s additional listens.
A strange grab-bag of songs. Some were good, others were not. An odd album for sure.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I refer you to my first two sentences of his other album on this list, namely Moss Side Story. This album was better though, so I'll give it 3 stars!
Skipped a few songs but over all it's okay.
Refreshingly different from some of the other albums on the list. Varied at the expense of cohesiveness. Atmospheric but not necessarily melodic.
50% are fun listens and then the other 50% makes me wonder what kind of drugs he was on.
This was interesting, with some very funky, acid-jazz-type tracks and then some...other tracks. It made more sense to me once I learned it was the soundtrack to an imaginary film, though. The vibes ain't nothin' but the vibes.
I didn't think I had heard this before but recognised the opening track which features Jarvis Cocker. It's a bit unsettling in places and you can kind of see that it may have provided some inspiration for the Pulp record This is Hardcore which came out a couple of years later.
I have no strong feelings on this album
Pretentious, but quite easy listening.
Interesting and very atmospheric album. It doesn't quite come together for me, but it definitely has some solid moments. My biggest critique is that some parts lean way too much into being monotonous muzak instead of actively contributing to the overall feeling. Still, Adamson was trying something pretty unique here and I do appreciate that. Might be one of the top albums that I've given 3 stars to that I'd be interested in revisiting.
7/10
Snakk om å være en ulett blanding mellom overraskanes trivelig og aldeles fullt av uhygge. Og all den tid æ foretrekk å ta berg-og-dalbaner via andre metoder enn musikk va ikke det her nokka for mæ.
An enigma. Normally this sort of thing would either bore or annoy me, but I found quite a few of the tracks surprisingly enjoyable.
This album feels unhinged. Every time a new song starts I begin to question what all of the previous songs sounded like and how they could possibly relate to the current track. I like variety in an album, but this is too varied to the point of being disorienting. I will say I enjoyed probably more than half of the songs. When I heard Nick Cave singing on The Sweetest Embrace, that tipped the scales in a positive direction for me. I'm a big fan his singing voice and am looking forward to when we can rate some of his albums. It's Business As Usual is creepy af though and Vermillion Kisses is weird and also a bit creepy - I would happily never listen to those again. The overall vibe of most of the tracks really reminds me of the Virgin Suicides soundtrack, but I definitely prefer that album to this one. If I could watch the imagined movie that this is supposed to be the soundtrack for, maybe the songs would actually make sense together. I guess I'll never know.
Better n the other one, good producer ahh shit. Thr
This is my second Barry Adamson album. Other than the interlude about halfway through I think this is very solid. I enjoy the ominous feel.of.moat of the songs and like the hip hop style of many of the tracks. This is a well produced and well played album.
Some cool jazzy songs mixed with some LSD nightmares. I respect the weirdness
Well, this was a real mix up of stuff, but I have to say I did quiet enjoy it, “ Vermillion Kisses” ans “Miles” we’re my 2 standouts, for very different reasons
wtf was that
It was calming at times and it was weird at times. Overall, I’m not sure where to place it but I know I didn’t hate the entire experience so that’s something.
Started with a couple of bangers, bit Adamson lost me halfway through. Nick Cave saved the day at the end
Yeah yeah sure ejaculation
1,2,3,7,8,10,11,12
Yeh fine, very different to anything youll probably listen to today
Agreed. Oedipus Schmoedipus. Call me when you got a real Freudian tale. Not this pedestrian tripe! Am I right? Literary majors?? Anybody? Well it’s certainly not a descriptor you could use to describe your humble reviewer. The only major thing I am is a major pain in the ass!! Am I right guys??!! Anyway. This is an instrumental hip-hop record with frequent sampling of an obnoxious, jazzy voiced pervert. At least to start. As much as the geniuses of the internet love instrumental hip-hop, I just don’t get it. To me, the rapping is such a major piece of hip-hop and to omit it in favour of samples (especially lousy, boring ones) seems to ruin the genre. Most of the time removing lyrics from hip-hop, takes a politically rooted cultural juggernaut and turns it into “chill beats 2 study 2” background music slop. Some of this record fits the latter description perfectly; however, there were some tracks and moments where I was intrigued (see “Business as Usual” or “Miles”), but mostly I would’ve just rather watched a horror movie, listened to actual jazz, or actual hip-hop. Why do I need all of those things done worse? Oh well. At least it’s weird and occasionally interesting enough to push it beyond the scourge of mediocrity. 2.5-3 HIGHLIGHTS: Business as Usual, Miles
It’s either spy film vibes, acid jazz, or some freaky free jazz. With some weird dialogue on.
Maaaaan the premise, lyrics and cover art is so fucking weird but the instrumental and arrangement is so good. I have to give it a 3 because if you tune out the strange parts its super good.
This was fun. I’m not sure if it’s one I’ll listen to very often, but this listen was certainly worthwhile.
The easiest way to describe Barry Adamson's 'Oedipus Schmoedipus' is that it feels like the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie that doesn't actually exist. The genres range from electronic lounge-pop, to noir tapestries that tap into Lynchian horror soundscapes. And also Jazz Fusion. It's difficult to categorize, which is probably what Adamson was going for all along. And then, towards the back half of the album, we're treated to some kind of "Sit down, children, it's demented fairytale story time!" with the track "Vermillion Kisses," a darkly comic cautionary fable about charm, deception, and self-destructive infatuation. The icing on the cake, however, is the penultimate track of "The Sweetest Embrace," in which Nick Cave lends his vocals to this song, which pretty much puts the final nail in the coffin of how really weird this experience has been. You're then quickly ushered out and exit the virtual theater you didn't realize you were in to begin with, scratching your head about whether you just had a strange vision, or you just witnessed one of the weirdest non-existent David Lynch films from 1996. The choice is yours.
An album that lures you in with great funk and jazz, then punches you in the face every few tracks and proceeds to beat you to a pulp for the rest of the track. The opener is an irresistible funk groove until Jarvis Cocker comes in and makes everyone uncomfortable. Speaking of uncomfortable, practically everything on this album. Even the “normal” stuff has this air about it because you’re not sure when something unexpected is gonna kick in. I love weird music, which makes this album hard for me to rate because there’s great music and wild creativity, but so much of this is really hard to enjoy, but it probably wasn’t made to be enjoyed. It was made to make you feel uncomfortable. It accomplishes that very well. I’ll go in the middle. It may grow on me with time. 3/5
Love all the different moods in this album, is like a movie in sound, don't love all the songs but the ones that hit are excellent
This album gave me anxiety.
This record was all over the place, In occasions had to check if it was still the same album. It had some bangers, other ones were nothing special. Felt like moving through a multiverse with constant changes of environments and ambientations. Worth the time.
Made me feel depressed
3.8 really, interesting in places crap in others
This album was incoherent and crazy. But good.
Certainly an interesting album, as its name suggests. It was very good at making me feel the emotions it wanted me to. I’ve never listened to anything like this; certainly interesting, but can’t say I loved it.
Groovy. Like what a groove. Loungey funky jazzy. Would like to have a high-rise apartment in Chicago with a reel-to-reel for this. Seductive.
Like a very atmospheric film score. I could hear bits of other influences especially Nick Cave or Angelo Badalamenti. Overall, pretty cool and I lived The Sweetest Embrace. That song alone may have to go on repeat.
Took me a few tracks before realizing we had heard another by Barry Adamson before. Memory tells me that landed with me more fully than this one, though "It's Business As Usual" was pretty arresting.
I dig
Experimental lounge with samples and with jazzy vibes. A soundtrack to a stroll through Paris (never been there).
Never heard of this artist. Cool stuff. I respect it. I see he does a lot of Lost Highway soundtrack, which I do enjoy.
Wild ride... Imagine doing It's Buisness As Usual at karaoke night
VERY weird, some of this was not bad though
This was an interesting listen
I like this. Then it’s strange and boring. Then I like it. 🤷♂️. Also it gets docked a star for its length (too long)
The good/interesting slightly outweighs the bad/bizarre.
Erm guys? I now think that January 2026 might be my post punk homecoming month. Although this is not post punk but Barry played for magazine and nick cave. Both established post punk acts. And also before I started listening I was listening to some pulp and CAN YOU FUCKING IMAGINE HOW SHOCKED I WAS WHEN JARVIS COCKER APPEARED IN THE FIRST TRACK? I was like “oh hello jarv I was just thinking about you it’s nice that you turned up but also a shock”. I love his delivery he’s just the best at playing a horny guy. Also I’m fucking bad at imagining a film in my fucking little head it all came to me in snippets like some cowboy bebop title sequence. and hey, nick cave is also on this album too! hes good at sentimental ballads but i still think he can be a little darker. overall a strong 3.5/5.
This was weird. Not bad but very weird. Vermillion kisses was strange yet enjoyable.
The first thing that struck me about Barry Adamson’s 1996 release was the title, "Oedipus Schmoedipus", it’s an immediate laugh. The second was the Primal Scream-style stomp of the opening track, "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis." Its title, a cheeky pun on a classic Pink Floyd track, gave me a second laugh before the music even started. The album is built on a fascinating concept: a soundtrack to an imaginary film. It’s a dense, stylish cocktail of genres, blending Film Noir and Spy Jazz (reminiscent of 1960s thrillers) with Trip-Hop, Electronica, Lounge, and Soul. To bring this "film" to life, Adamson casts a series of collaborators to embody his characters. Jarvis Cocker perfectly channels a sleazy lounge singer on the opener, Nick Cave is a mourning balladeer on "The Sweetest Embrace", Billy MacKenzie delivers a haunting performance on "Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls" and Miranda Gooch, provides a theatrical narration on "Vermillion Kisses" that feels like a dark, twisted bedtime story. Ultimately, while "Oedipus Schmoedipus" is a bold concept delivered with immense skill, it isn't an album I see myself reaching for again in a hurry. It’s a singular experience; I’m glad I heard it, and even gladder that artists like Barry Adamson are brave enough to put work like this into the world. It's an intriguing three stars. No. Title 1 "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis" (4/5) 2 "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (3/5) 3 "The Vibes Ain't Nothin' but the Vibes" (3/5) 4 "It's Business as Usual" (3/5) 5 "Miles" (3/5) 6 "Dirty Barry" (3/5) 7 "In a Moment of Clarity" (3/5) 8 "Achieved in the Valley of Dolls" (4/5) 9 "Vermillion Kisses" (4/5) 10 "The Big Bamboozle" (4/5) 11 "State of Contraction" (3/5) 12 "The Sweetest Embrace" (4/5) 13 "Set the Controls Again" (4/5) Total - 45 Average - 3.46 203/1001 114/203 albums reviewed were new to me.
Serviceable background music with a solid ambiance that has no right being in this list. Nothing about this record is so interesting or unique that it warrants a spot on such a list. If you can stand to peel back this albums layers, there's some surprises that keep the listener going for just long enough. "The Vibes Aint Nothin But The Vibes" was almost cool enough to pique my interest, in a literal sense. Very cunning and imaginative. But still ultimately not that captivating. But then "Its Business As Usual" just came off as trite and forced. The dark and spooky voicemail was so forced. Same with "Vermillion Kisses". "In A Moment Of Clarity" is my pick from the record, a strangely serene and slightly new-agey chiller. Also, was that Nick Cave on "Sweet Embrace"?? This one didn't hook me. I hear some appeal, the grizzly loungey quality of it. But it didn't execute well, imo. JUST creeps into 3/5 territory but man it took a lot out of me to get through
I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it BUT I wanted to like it more than I did and I was worried it was going to be something I wouldn’t like but I saw who he’d worked with so I was like ooh okay yeah yeah sure but then it wasn’t exactly what I thought but not the bad outcome either so I guess what I am trying to say is it was just fine.
I kind of liked it, but only kind of
Bizarre. I would maybe revisit this, but I don’t know when. I didn’t hate it, but it was really all over the place. Mostly cool sounding, but it doesn’t really pull me in.
Making a soundtrack to an imaginary movie once is a cool concept. Doing it twice comes off as desperate.
I liked this a little more than the last Barry Adamson album we had. A pretty solid three; like the last, I suspect it could go higher with repeated listens.
Ok, why on earth did the generator give me this guy's other album and then this back to back? It would be fine if the other one was good, but it wasn't. Anyway, once I finally got around to listening, I found that this album was very different to Moss Side Story. It replaces the dark, shady feel of Moss Side with a hotel lounge atmosphere, with a similarly jazzy sound. It has more turntable scratches and other electronic elements than Moss Side, and is overall better. However, it's still far from a great album. The fake movie soundtrack gimmick is dumb, and I don't think either album is essential listening.
Coldplay left me well, cold
This album does average out with some interesting and creative background songs, mixed with some very few mumbling duds. There certainly has been a lot of creativity in the creation of this album.
I dunno quite what to think of this, it's like a mashup of jazz, a bad Pink Floyd album and PS2 demo disc menu music
Zwischendurch immer wieder interessant, aber mich hat der sehr stockende Fluß des Albums gestört.
6/10
This is a very silky, smooth, dark, highly sexual, weird album. It's not nearly as weird as everyone in the other reviews make it out to be. The fake movie soundtrack gimmick is what makes it weird. It was surprisingly jazzy.
hearing jarvis cockers voice on the first track startled me a bit. but love the percussion and guitar on it. overall i think this is juuuust fine
Well props for executing on pretty out there ideas. None of it feels to fresh, even in the 90s, but I'm glad folks are taking swings like that.
An interesting listen.
An interesting album conceptually, but the lack of guidance means the interpretation of it as a soundtrack can be somewhat scattered
This cinematic noir-jazz collage—with brooding bass lines, tremulous strings, smoky horns, and theatrically deadpan vocal interjections—unfurls like wandering through a dim, neon-lit alley full of intriguing clues but also long stretches of stylish shadow where the mood matters far more than the destination.
If nothing else, this album is interesting. I would even say schizophrenic. I'm not sure it fits a single style-- Wikipedia labels it as "art rock". It's kind of avant-garde-lite, jazzy, cinematic. I'd even say Lynchian in the way Adamson often contrasts happier and innocence musical styles and instruments against darkness and depravity. This of course isn't a stretch to notice since the two collaborated together, and "Something Wicked Things Way Comes" (which is probably my favorite song here) appears in Lost Highway. He incorporates industrial, metallic sound effects and backwards looping in tracks like "Dirty Barry", and "In a Moment of Clarity" sounds like it could've been directly from Twin Peaks. Ultimately I'm struggling to find "the point" of the album. I'm not sure there is a unifying theme here (and I even begin to have a crisis wondering if every album really needs a theme?) and what I'm supposed to be taking away from it all. Perhaps that is intentional. But this sort of psychoanalytical obfuscation is a difficult trick to pull off, and Adamson isn't David Lynch. There is a stretch of songs, from "Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls" to "Vermillion Kisses" to "The Big Bamboozle" which I felt were too pretentious, too exhausting, and I just wanted to move on from them. But it suddenly picks up again with "The Sweetest Embrace" which is essentially just a Nick Cave song, and is great but is not like anything else on the album. He also collaborates with Jarvis Cocker on the very first track "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis", which is tonally very different from everything else. There is also a reprise of this to bookend the album, which doesn't really add anything, and just confuses me again as to what the theme is supposed to be. So, there is just a sort of whiplash here between songs-- is this a comedy or drama or horror, what am I supposed to feel? This might be better on subsequent listens as there is a ton stuffed in here. I liked quite a bit of moments, but overall it was not cohesive enough.
This is pleasant. Good music for working. Probably not a surprise as it's meant to be a soundtrack to a film that was never made. Enjoyable, if not demanding much attention.
They really didn’t need two of these albums on the list, but this is the better of the two.
Liked Miles. Perhaps a tribute to Miles Davis. Hated It's Business as Usual. Instrumentals I liked; a lot of vocals I didn't.
out of all of the 90s DJ music, this is probably the most interesting. I had a good time grooving with this one! It was weird and interesting. Lots of cool movements and jazz focussed grooves. I'm certain I'll never revisit, but I think I get why this is beloved. Its also very horny.
I'm not sure what to say about this very unorthodox album. I read that he intended it to be like a soundtrack/score to a movie that was never made or something like that. I think it's mostly a success on those terms. But as a standalone album is kinda meh. I'll give it a 3 I guess. 3/5
It's OK. This stuff sounded really cool in the mid-90s but I'm not sure the aesthetic is valued so much today.
later
Kind of strange, kind of creepy, kind of disturbing, kind of creative, kind of good.
Not sure what the plot of this fake movie was, the soundtrack was all over the place.
3 very interesting vibe
I believe that this album is different from all the others we’ve heard so far. Maybe that’s the reason it was included on the list. There isn’t much singing here, although there is a fair amount of talking and storytelling. The music is quite good, but sometimes is obscured by the talk/noises. The music feels like something you’d hear in a nightclub or from a movie soundtrack.
Never heard of this, but!, I was just talking about s(c)hm-reduplication in class last week, so it's nice to see it appear In Real Life (with the trademark dismissive connotation - something most of my students have reportedly never heard). Now in a way, aren't all albums conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film? This particular imaginary film doesn't seem very good though. Like, it's not quite a musical, but surely way too much singing for a non-musical. Maybe the soundtrack to Emilia Pérez? I don't want to be too much of a hater, because I like Atticus Ross. But I don't think this is his best work. Some nice atmospheric bits, but also some "what are we doing here" bits, and that goes for both halves of the album. I do like the variety of vocalists. Highlight: 'Achieved in the Valley of Dolls'
I thought this was quite interesting, felt much more contemporary than it is
atmospheric
This is weird but really compelling. Sounds like a nightmare that emerges from moments of pleasant dreams. It's super moody, concept heavy, wildly skilled production stitching together a dizzying array of genres. It feels at times detached and then downright menacing, whispering insane shit in your ear. I dont know if you would listen to this for pleasure but it's strong. Guitar tracks on this sound v much like frusciante so points for that too
There's something for everyone on this album. No, really! Jazz, spoken track, James Bond theme rip-off, Jazzercise and trip-hop. This is a weird album and while I try to figure if I like it or hate it, I have to wonder why its on this list because this Swiss cheese type of tracklist makes no sense to me. 2.5/5
That’s Nico on the cover with her son.
3.5. a really good, interesting soundtrack to an imaginary film.
I thought that this was going to another of those random mediocre English artists this author is so fond of. However this was pretty interesting. I didn’t like it all but some of it was pretty decent. 2.5
Dark at times
interesting cool vibes never heard of this guy
Some very strange songs but overall it was decent overall l. Some surprisingly strong tracks. Brought down by one 7 minutes track that was mainly atmospheric noises.
Decent.
Get's off to a really great start, with a Jarvis guest vocal spot creating a tremendously atmospheric opening track (with, let's get real here, a stupid name). From there, it's up and down to be honest, sometimes good weird and sometimes just weird. Barry Adamson, by the way, is one of Moss Side's finest, and that's probably gained him some marks, because I've grown to love the place dearly.
I enjoyed this surprisingly
Great album title. The songs titles are a little odd but mostly stick with the "riffing" theme (particularly the opener, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis). I don't really know what to make of the album as a whole – some parts are great, others are questionable at best – so I'm sticking with 3 stars. Being a former member of Nick Cave's band, Barry Adamson revisits a few of the same musical techniques, particularly with the singing (melodies, intonation, song structure). The opening track is essentially a mid-length jam session. The riff is placed, oddly, in the violin part. The whole ensemble is sort of post-disco, particularly that swanky guitar sound in the back. It's honestly a pretty fun sound. Better, anyway, than most of the Moss Side Story record. The next song, Something Wicked This Way comes, has essentially the same song structure (or lack thereof). Again it's a 5-minute, two-chord jam session with various instruments taking the spotlight before relinquishing it 30 seconds later. (The sax verse about halfway through is undeniably great.) Not that there's anything wrong with these kinds of tracks, but starting your album with two in a row is an... interesting choice. And track 3, again pretty similar: barring the unsettling ASMR vocals, the track kind of drags on, never really picking up steam (but still sounding fairly good). The good news: we get some very different-sounding tracks after the opening trio. The bad news: it sucks (with a few exceptions). Songs like Dirty Barry and It's Business as Usual are undeniably noise-for-the-sake-of-noise – and fairly grating, at that. They kind of remind me of disc 11 from Minecraft. State of Contraction/The Sweetest Embrace is fantastic – easily beating the other tracks to become the strongest one here. It actually has proper singing and a rock-solid instrumental to back it up! (Zoinks!) The synth and the low vocal harmonising are two big highlights here. Along with the soft strings, it's a fitting song for Halloween. 3/5 Key tracks: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Sweetest Embrace
I like the idea of scoring a fake movie, I like a lot of the creepier tracks, but the interim songs leave me flat. 3/5
This album is all over the place. In a good way. I’m not sure if the “fake movie soundtrack” concept holds up but- it’s fun. THREE STARS
Weird, in a good, unique way. Pretty fun listen.
Pretty unique and interesting album. Standout songs: The vibes aint nothin but the vibes Business as usual The Sweetest embrace
Good for working
Very impressive and creative album. Just not maybe something id listen to again
Interesting one here. A soundtrack for a film that doesn’t exist. Don’t think I’d ever go back to it though.
Henchman was way better than the Big Bad. I actually liked a lot of this. It started off so strong, with major major dips at “It’s Business as Usual” and “Dirty Barry” as well as “The Sweetest Embrace,” the other track I believe ol’ Nicky featured on. I liked that “Miles” was a sendup to Davis, I think Barry and I like similar music aside from his boss. Really those first two tracks got me into it.
It's not bad but nothing special
Surprised that I liked this as much as I did, nothing groundbreaking as an album but I def loved the vibe of the album and the drums were awesome. Pretty mystical.
Nice music to fall asleep to.
Never heard of him but actually pretty good
It was fine. I’d put this on as background music at my next cocktail party
Not bad, not great, but not bad
I’m not sure what to make of this. At first it sounded like Gainsbourg-esque spoken word riffing on the subconscious over nice musical textures. Then it took a left turn. And another left turn. And another. This is maybe the most postmodern album I’ve come across. For something so extreme, it seems only fitting to give it a mundane rating. Glad I came here, don’t think I’ll return.
I prefer my movie scores with the movie. Some interesting sounds and enjoyable moments but I cant think of many times I would want to listen to this album. No favourite track. 6/10
A couple songs were good.