Barry Adamson: Back to the Cat, Stranger on the Sofa, Steal Away – reissues reviewed

Reissues Reviewed

Barry Adamson – Back To The Cat, Stranger On the Sofa, Steal Away (EP)  (Mute)

CD/ Limited edition vinyl – Bundles & Signed Art Print 

Out now

all three 10/10

We told you about the Mute / Barry Adamson reissues here: reviewed the immaculately conceived Oedipus Schmoedipus: can’t recommend his biography highly enough, and now it’s time for three more releases from The Coolest Man Alive. 

Barry Adamson has never brought out a bad record, or a substandard one.  It’s almost impossible to put them in order of merit.  2008’s Back To The Cat is one of my absolute favourites.

Every song building a compelling narrative around Barry’s lifelong investigation of identity, sexuality, race, spirituality and society. The record picked up the threads of his previous work and continued to showcase his musical ambidexterity covering noir jazz, sun-drenched pop ballads, fractious funk, heavenly blues and subversive soul.

It was the album where he came into his own as a singer; out of the ten songs only two were instrumentals.  His lascivious in-character croon is a thing of beauty. Spend A Little Time is filthy and sublime. Psycho Sexual an odyssey into depravity.

His velvety voice is perfection on Walk On Fire – his lyrics, smart and funny on Civilisation and on People he parodies perceptions of Nick Cave as purveyor of profound wisdom to such brilliant effect he should’ve had a radio 2 hit on his hands.

Originally released in the mid-2000s, Stranger On The Sofa is an album tied together by its mysterious cinematic composure. Each track is used to demonstrate the breadth of musicianship and re-presentation of countless timeless genres, moving in between electronica and jazz with shadowy ambience scattered throughout.

Basically, it’s another masterpiece. A mix of songs, instrumentals, spoken word with perfect musical backing. Jazz, electronics, even some noise rock and a variety of moods.   It feels disjointed at times, but to use a movie term, you are kept on the edge of your seat, never knowing quite what’s coming next.

Officer Bentley’s Fairly Serious Dilemma is a fabulous example of Adamsons art and uniqueness.  It’s a tour-de-force and back again. Cinematic psychedelia and musically dramatic.

There are a dozen musical ‘quotations’ taken from artists like Suicide, Andy Williams and the Bad Seeds (the Carny – which Barry played on).

Who Killed Big Bird? and My Friend the Fly and a ‘song about a girl’ called Theresa Green showed Barry had a sense of fun as well as some serious compositional skills.

You could quite easily make the case for Stranger On the Sofa being Adamson at his absolute peak.

 The Steal Away EP was written and recorded at the time Adamson was writing his memoir ‘Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars’…. and presents a refreshing vibrancy and western-like feel that further demonstrates Adamson’s multifaceted ability in songwriting…. a sweeping, swaggering, orchestral feel.

Various influences come to the fore on this beautiful four song EP. Lap steel and ghost-rider twang and touches of Glenn Campbell, Scott Walker, Serge Gainsbourg and Lee Hazlewood. The songs are gorgeous Country’ n ‘Vegas croon and swoon that are played so straight that you struggle to find any hint of subversion. But it’s still there, hidden away, like a stowaway in the night.

Barry Adamson is the Man.

You can play his entire recorded back catalogue end to end, from Magazine to the Bad Seeds, from Moss Side Story to Steal Way and you will never hear a dull moment, just sheer quality from start to finish.  Unlike practically all his contemporaries his body of work is flawless, full of character and never lets you down.  One of our greatest artists and composers. These reissues are, needless to say. essential.

Browse and buy the reissued back catalogue

All words Ged Babey  Press release content in italics.

Source: louderthanwar.com