This might well have been the last piece of vinyl I bought before deciding that my vinyl collection was going to have to be sacrificed to support the CD buying habit. And despite vinyl's resurgence, I haven't regretted it.
Nor have I regretted buying this Barry Adamson album, possibly my favourite by the Magazine / Bad Seed multi-instrumentalist and composer.
I don't remember buying the CD, but I'm sure it will have been as soon as I saw it. It's a straightforward collection of Adamson's songs, all luxuriously arranged in his soundtrack style and all worth a listen.
It opens with the wonderful pun on Can't Get Loose (to using you), which includes somewhere a sample of the song made famous by Andy Williams, certainly enough to merit a songwriting credit for Pomus and Shuman, and it's a fine song to start this collection of songs. What It Means has that Adamson film score big sound, with the bassline pounding and the (programmed) horn sound, and it's full of atmosphere.
Deja Voodoo is slower, and while a good song, doesn't have the urgency and excitement of what went before and the laid back sound continues with the mysterious sound of Come Hell Or Highwater. still slow, but making much more of an impression. Jazz Devil wraps up the first half, a vaguely unsettling narrated song with a dirty trumpet sound, a big brass chorus, a superb song.
The second half kicks off with Still I Rise, another angry narration, building to a powerful crescendo in two minutes, waking up the unwary listener. Girl is an instrumental (apart from the sexy talk) cover of the Suicide track, but done in a much more jazz style, and it's followed by The Monkey Speaks Its Mind, another multi layered song, climbing through the keys to the chorus, and a great listen. Goddess Of Love is perhaps the most John Barry car chase track on the album, an exciting instrumental piece, before the long final track Jesus Wept, a repeated harsh six note theme, over a pulsing beat, and Adamson's narration for five minutes, before an angelic choir takes us to the finish, welcoming us to the end. it's not the most listenable of final tracks, but it somehow fits perfectly.
After another listen this is definitely my favourite of Adamson's albums, and would be a fine starting place for anyone who wanted to investigate the work of this over-talented yet undersung musician.
5* - a truly fantastic collection of songs, each with their place. Highly recommended.
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