Barry Adamson "Oedipus Schmoedipus" Mute Records Mute 9019-2 1996 (55:57)
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis (5:40)
Something Wicked this Way Comes (4:33)
The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But the Vibes (4:48)
It's Business as Usual (4:29)
Miles (5:31)
Dirty Barry (7:30)
In a Moment of Clarity (4:14)
Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls (4:28)
Vermillion Kisses (3:03)
The Big Bamboozle (3:38)
State of Contraction (1:38)
The Sweetest Embrace (4:50)
Set the Controls Again (1:34)
Music by Barry Adamson and many guests, including: Jarvis Cocker, Billy McKenzie and Nick Cave.
Overall impression: excellent! Barry Adamson, former bass player for Magazine and Nick Cave's Bad Seeds, broke out on his own in 1988 to make his own brand of music. The past 8 years have seen many singles, eps and albums, but "Oedipus" is the most realized album to date. Adamson's work is often described as "soundtracks for movies that don't exist" which is pretty accurate, he's master of the sampler. As always, this album is quite varied ... from the slick pop rock of "Set the Controls .." to the deep bass groove of "Achieved.." to the cool jazz of "Something Wicked.." and "Miles" to the almost industrial noise of "Dirty Barry" to the playfully evil story of "Vermillion Kisses" to the big band slam of "The Big Bamboozle" to the moody pop of "The Sweetest Embrace", etc, etc. Adamson cohesively assembles this patchwork of sound into a soundtrack for a movie that's up to you to imagine. Another winner from Mr. Adamson and one of my favorite albums of 1996.
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