Barry Adamson "What it Means" Mute Records Ltd CDMUTE219 1998 (19:48)
What It Means Radio Edit (3:59)
What It Means Skylab Plucked Chicken Mix (4:05)
What It Means Subsonic Legacy Master Mix (7:29)
What It Means Skylab A Smokin' Japanese We're Chicken in Moss Side Mix
(4:15)
Music by Barry Adamson (vocals, programming), Will Johnstone (programming), Andrew Crisp (drums), Malcolm Ross (guitar), Seamus Beaghan (Hammond organ, piano, synthesiser), Atticus Ross (production), Deptford Dave assisted by Rafi Arkin and Valerie Jaquot (engineering), Flood (additional production, mix), Rob Kirwan assisted by Ebby Acquah (mix)
Overall impression: good, but disappointing. This is the second single from the wonderful new Adamson album, "As above So below", the first single being "Can't Get Loose". Three things make this single bad in my opinion: remixes instead of b-sides, 3 remixes of 1 track, and none of the remixes are by Adamson. When it comes to Barry Adamson I prefer more material by him, such as the the 3 b-sides on "Can't Get Loose", rather than remixes. Oh well, that being said it's still a fun listen. The original version is the best: an over the top, uptempo bass line driven number replete with jazzy crooner vox from Adamson and killer horn and organ fills. Track 2 strips the song down to it's bass line and drums, adding new percussion sounds and atmospheres, no vocals except for a very subdued line here and there creeping up into the mix. Track 3 gets rid of everything *except* the vocals, then rebuilds the instrumentation up around them. Sort of a minimal drum 'n bass-y feel with several lengthy instrumental sections to extend the track. Track 4 is my favorite of the remixes. Skylab basically takes the original then puts different parts through a wall of effects. They pitch shift the vocals here and there and give the whole track an underwater sound as they add ambient beds and new percussive bits on top. So, overall a decent single, but really better as a complement to the album rather than a stand alone single ...
Barry
Adamson at Mute Records
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