John Peel played a tape
Labeled as Orbital/Chime
Then played it again

Oedipus Schmoedipus by Barry Adamson

Barry Adamson writes soundtracks imaginary movies. If his earlier album Moss Side Story was a British spy thriller this one is one of those strange and nightmarish movies set in a sleazy demimonde of sex and corruption. If the word that immediately springs to mind is “Lynchian” then you’re not alone.

Apparently the great David Lynch himself listened to this album for 8 hours straight before ringing Adamson and asking if he could use the track Something Wicked This Way Comes for a pivotal scene in his film Lost Highway. High praise indeed.

As well as the samples, electronica and jazzy breakbeats this album also features appropriately sleazy vocals from Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave on two of the tracks. Given that this is effectively a soundtrack album without a film, the final question is does it work as a coherent whole, and I think that it pretty much does, conjuring some strong mental images.

Cinema-tastic!

Airing Out

A nice day at last
Open wide all the windows
Give the house a burp

Sweet Baby James by James Taylor

Amiable folksy sort of music that drifts by pleasantly enough until about half way through the album when he suddenly drops into a blues number where he seems to be comparing himself to a cement mixer for some reason. Wait, what?

Anyhoo, checking his Wikipedia bio it turns out he spent a good proportion of the 60s off his face on heroin and methedrine which might explain some of the left field lyrics. It also might explain why he was the first American signed to Apple records which gave him his big break.

Ok, I guess.

Cocoon

It’s time for a change
She wraps herself in fine silk
Reborn in moonlight

Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock

Purists would say that there is no place in jazz for new-fangled gizmos like synthesisers before taking a toot on one of their funny cigarettes. Meanwhile Herbie Hancock is merrily flicking the vees at those snobs and coaxing other-worldly squelches and bloops from his keyboards and building them into a fifteen minute jazz funk track that still sounds like it’s being broadcast from the far distant future and a far funkier planet. Even the cover looks futuristic!

This is a great album that manages to be both experimental and accessible for jazz newbies, bringing in musicians like Paul Jackson on bass and Harvey Mason on drums to funk things up. The synth parts sound amazing and it’s hard to believe that this is from 1973 when Kraftwerk were still building their instruments from tin foil and sticky tape. Mind you, the Head Hunters were not averse to improvising, with a reworking of Watermelon Man featuring Bill Summers blowing into a beer bottle to get a flute sound.

Watermelon-tastic!

Ambrosial

Pop open the can
Add a blob of jam and eat
The food of the gods