In The Realm Of The Censors

Happy 65th birthday to Mr. Barry Adamson, born 11th June 1958.

If Barry had 'only' been a member of Magazine or Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, he would still be a legend. However his solo career, now in it's fourth decade, has consistently delivered the goods. 

In The Realm Of The Censors was a cassette compilation, essentially a mix up of The Negro Inside Me EP (1993) and Oedipus Schmoedipus (1996) with a couple of soundtrack oddities thrown in to pad out to 90 minutes.

This selection is an entirely different proposition, a career-spanning retrospective which (with one exception) manages to avoid duplicating 2018's official 'best of' Memento Mori. I initially toyed with the idea of keeping it to a 65 minute selection, but I just couldn't pare it down. By happy coincidence, I have managed to keep to the "21 track hit" emblazoned on the original cassette cover.

I've followed Barry with each album and look forward to each release. I haven't got his memoir Up Above The City, Down Beneath The Stars yet (Santa somehow managed to miss it in 2021 and 2022) but I will. In the meantime, the majority of Barry's catalogue remains in print, digitally and/or physically. This selection will hopefully serve as a decent primer for a shopping trip and deeper dive into his music.

"a litany of lights"

1) Saturn In The Summertime (1999)

2) Cold Black Preach (1993)

3) Death Takes A Holiday (2016)

4) The Track With No Name (1991)

5) Split (1992)

6) Shadow Of Death Hotel (2008)

7) Rag And Bone (Version Excursion) (2010) *

8) Black Amour (Radio Edit) (2002) *

9) From Rusholme With Love (1989)

10) The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But The Vibes (1996)

 

"a prayer mat of flesh" **

11) Sundown County (ft. Big Walt Daniels) (2021)

12) These Boots Are Made For Walking (7" Version) (Cover of Nancy Sinatra) (ft. Anita Lane & The Thought System Of Love) (1991)

13) Mr. Eddy's Theme 2 (1996)

14) If You Love Her (Live @ KEXP, Seattle) (2012) 

15) 007, A Fantasy Bond Theme (Dance Version ft. Arthur Nicholls) (1995)

16) The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (1989)

17) The Sun And The Sea (Album Version) (2012)

18) Still I Rise (1998)

19) Deja Morte (ft. Pascale Fuillée-Kendall) (2006)

20) They Walk Among Us (Single Version) (2017)

21) Suck On The Honey Of Love (Single Version) (1988) 

 

1988: The Man With The Golden Arm EP: 21

1989: Moss Side Story: 16

1989: The Taming Of The Shrewd EP: 9

1991: Delusion OST: 4

1991: These Boots Are Made For Walking EP: 12

1992: Soul Murder: 5

1993: The Negro Inside Me EP: 2 

1995: The Big Bamboozle EP: 15

1996: Lost Highway OST: 13

1996: Oedipus Schmoedipus: 10

1998: As Above So Below: 18

1999: The Murky World Of Barry Adamson: 1 

2002: Black Amour EP: 8

2006: Stranger On The Sofa: 19

2008: Back To The Cat: 6

2010: Rag And Bone EP: 7

2012: I Will Set You Free: 17

2012: Live On KEXP EP: 14

2016: Know Where To Run: 3

2017: Love Sick Dick EP: 20

2021: Steal Away EP: 11

 

* Album versions respectively available on Therapist: A Barry Adamson Film OST (2011) and The King Of Nothing Hill (2002) 

** This was the original title for what became Oedipus Schmoedipus and promoted as such on 180°: A Mute Records Compilation in 1995

 

In The Realm Of The Censors (1:17:53) (KF) (Mega)