Barry Adamson
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Interviews with Barry Adamson
May 29, 2008
Now you may not know the name
Barry Adamson, but you sure as hell will have heard his music. Getting his first break playing bass with ex-Buzzcocks frontman Howard Devoto’s band Magazine,...
Album reviews for Barry Adamson
July 30, 2008
Barry Adamson is one cool cat. Some-time bassist for The Bad Seeds, prolific soundtrack contributor and stand-out stand alone artist, this...
Barry Adamson has been doing things differently ever since he strapped on a bass guitar, scoring the chart single, "Shot by Both Sides" while playing for ex-Buzzcocks singer Howard Devoto's Manchester based Magazine as a teenager in late Seventies. He played on all of Magazine's seminal post-punk albums, and contributed to Devoto's solo album and his next band, Luxuria. He also contributed to the studio band Visage, playing in the ensemble's first two albums, Visage and The Anvil.
When Magazine disbanded, five albums later in 1981, his definitive touch was spotted by Nick Cave of The Birthday Party, with whom he played several times. After that band’s final implosion in 1983, Barry became a founder member of The Bad Seeds, along with Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Blixa Bargeld. He appeared in four of that band's albums: From Her to Eternity, The Firstborn Is Dead, Kicking Against the Pricks and Your Funeral, My Trial before deciding rock music was too restricting a format for his ideas. Recognising his potential, Mute offered him a solo deal in 1987, resulting in the 1988 single “The Man With The Golden Arm” - a cinematic statement of intent.
Nurturing a vision of The Great Soundtrack, Barry returned to Manchester’s mean streets to compose the autobiographical thriller Moss Side Story (1989). The album so effectively told the story of a film that doesn’t exist that it wasn’t long before calls were coming in from David Lynch, Allison Anders and Derek Jarman. The following Soul Murder was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 1992 and also caught the ear of Oliver Stone, who lifted three tracks in sequence for his groundbreaking movie Natural Born Killers.
Barry would continue to alternate between writing soundtracks and the acclaimed albums Oedipus Schmoedipus (1995), As Above, So Below (1998), The Murky World of Barry Adamson (1999), The King of Nothing Hill (2002) and Stranger on the Sofa (2006).
While exploring new sounds and styles with each release, Barry’s lyrics continued to investigate the themes closest to his heart: identity, sexuality, race, spirituality, society and the all façades in between. His ongoing fascination with pop culture, graphic design, film, art, crime and outsider fiction have constantly brought new angles and details to be poured over by a constantly fascinated and fascinating mind.
Barry’s eighth album, Back To The Cat, reflects a life’s dedication to the Big Themes both in music and life and is his second release for his own "production home", Central Control International.It is The Big One – the boldest, most brilliant album of his career.
When Magazine disbanded, five albums later in 1981, his definitive touch was spotted by Nick Cave of The Birthday Party, with whom he played several times. After that band’s final implosion in 1983, Barry became a founder member of The Bad Seeds, along with Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Blixa Bargeld. He appeared in four of that band's albums: From Her to Eternity, The Firstborn Is Dead, Kicking Against the Pricks and Your Funeral, My Trial before deciding rock music was too restricting a format for his ideas. Recognising his potential, Mute offered him a solo deal in 1987, resulting in the 1988 single “The Man With The Golden Arm” - a cinematic statement of intent.
Nurturing a vision of The Great Soundtrack, Barry returned to Manchester’s mean streets to compose the autobiographical thriller Moss Side Story (1989). The album so effectively told the story of a film that doesn’t exist that it wasn’t long before calls were coming in from David Lynch, Allison Anders and Derek Jarman. The following Soul Murder was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 1992 and also caught the ear of Oliver Stone, who lifted three tracks in sequence for his groundbreaking movie Natural Born Killers.
Barry would continue to alternate between writing soundtracks and the acclaimed albums Oedipus Schmoedipus (1995), As Above, So Below (1998), The Murky World of Barry Adamson (1999), The King of Nothing Hill (2002) and Stranger on the Sofa (2006).
While exploring new sounds and styles with each release, Barry’s lyrics continued to investigate the themes closest to his heart: identity, sexuality, race, spirituality, society and the all façades in between. His ongoing fascination with pop culture, graphic design, film, art, crime and outsider fiction have constantly brought new angles and details to be poured over by a constantly fascinated and fascinating mind.
Barry’s eighth album, Back To The Cat, reflects a life’s dedication to the Big Themes both in music and life and is his second release for his own "production home", Central Control International.It is The Big One – the boldest, most brilliant album of his career.