Is It A Dream, This Life That We Lead?

Many happy returns to Barry Adamson, born 11th June 1958.

To celebrate, a 16-track hit from Bazza's back catalogue, the gift that keeps on giving. From 1989's debut album Moss Side Story to last year's Cut To Black, Barry's music is always a rich and immersive experience, plunging the listener into an imagined world that feels tangible in all it's grimy, gritty reality.

I'm particularly happy with the sequencing on this one, not least tracks 3 and 4 where (no spoiler) a mob hit in The Life We Leave Behind segues neatly into the intro of Spend A Little Time, with the sounds of a shovel digging a hole. There are other little moments like that, happy accidents, where two songs separated by years, decades even, come together beautifully.

Thank you for the music, Barry, I hope today is a beautiful day. Happy 67th birthday!

1) The Big Bamboozle (Album Version) (1995)

2) I Got Clothes (ACR:MCR Rework By A Certain Ratio) (2017)

3) The Life We Leave Behind (1991)

4) Spend A Little Time (2008)

5) Was It A Dream? (ft. Siena Barnes) (2024)

6) Walk On The Wild Side (Cover of Lou Reed) (2012)

7) The Snowball Effect (1993)

8) Diamonds (Single Version) (Cover of Jet Harris & Tony Meehan) (1989)

9) Broken Moments (2021)

10) A Gentle Man Of Colour (ft. Marcia Schofield) (1992)

11) Can't Get Loose (Album Version) (1998)

12) Cold Comfort (ft. Liza Love) (2002)

13) Inside Of Your Head (2006)

14) Turnaround (2012)

15) Everything Happens To Me (1989)

16) Come Away (2016)

1989: Moss Side Story: 15

1989: The Taming Of The Shrewd EP: 8

1991: Delusion: 3

1992: Soul Murder: 10

1993: The Negro Inside Me EP: 7

1995: Oedipus Schmoedipus: 1

1998: As Above So Below: 11

2002: The King Of Nothing Hill: 12

2006: Stranger On The Sofa: 13

2008: Back To The Cat: 4

2012: Covers In Crack Alley (Filter magazine promo MP3): 6

2012: I Will Set You Free: 14

2016: Know Where To Run: 16

2017: Love Sick Dick EP: 2

2021: Broken Moments EP: 9

2024: Cut To Black: 5

Is It A Dream, This Life That We Lead? (1:11:13) (KF) (Mega)

If one slice of cake isn't enough, here are two previous Barry bakes to tuck into.

In The Realm Of The Censors (11th June 2023)

Strange Brew (25th May 2024)