Customer Reviews

As Above So Below

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Quite simply, an impressive talent. The almost omnipresent sense of religious perspective that runs through this album gives shape to a very complete and rounded whole. Stand-out moments are the horn arrangements on "Jazz Devil" and the sheer intensity of "Still I Rise" which builds and continues to build like there's no stopping it. A refreshing listen, and gloriously dark around the edges.

i'm a huge fan of mr. adamson's work, and this album is some of his finest. his lyrics are descriptive ("...just a poorer imitation of the man i most resemble..."), inviting ("...take a small vacation from the hospital of sorrows..."), metaphorical ("...you can play the instruments, and i'll play the buffoon..."). a former bassist for The Bad Seeds, he shares mr. cave's affection for the romanticized tragic figure. jazz inflections and big band references mingle with r&b and rap (even a sample from Public Enemy!) to create an album unlike any other in recent memory. extremely listenable, i find myself humming infectious lines from these songs all the time.

Excellent... I'd say more but I believe after a listen or two words won't give this album the accolades it deserves.

Its really too bad that Barry Adamson is not better known internationally. There are few musicians around who can match his very literate knack for what might be termed cinematic jazz noir. Even that label is problematic as one's definition of jazz would have to be quite elastic to make it fit. At any rate, if you listen to very much of Adamson's work, you'll note that he has chiseled out a musical niche quite his own.

I have owned As Above, So Below for almost four years now and listen to it occasionally. Recently, I dusted it off to hear if there was anything I missed the last few times I played it. Well, with Adamson there is so much substance that you are bound to find something new to enjoy when you give his CDs another spin. So though As Above, So Below is somewhat of a mixed bag there are still some very memorable tunes that will play in your head long after the music is over.

As the title suggests, the contents plumb the depths of rage and despair although the dark atmosphere Adamson generates is leavened by his mordant humor. Read the lyrics in the booklet that comes with the CD. For some reason, it does not contain the words for Come Hell or High Water, but you'll find the rest useful in beginning to try and understand what Barry Adamson is about.

My favorites here are the spirited Can't Get Loose,, the jaunty What It Means and the noirish Jazz Devil which features the agent 00666 whom Satan sends back to earth to live it all again. Fans of Adamson know his affinity for James Bond and Jazz Devil is a tongue-in-cheek celebration of that affinity. Much of the rest of the CD features music that is very grim and industrial sounding which generally is not to my liking. But a lyrical gem among these is The Monkey Speaks His Mind. Fans of the movie Fahrenheit 451 will feel a frisson of recognition when they hear the closing tune Jesus Wept, a short piece that completely changes the mood generated by what was heard in the four previous tunes.

Since this review is review number 666 for me, I just couldn't resist making this CD its subject. I have most of Barry Adamson's CDs and enjoy at least something about each of them. If your taste leans toward what is described here and you are not very familiar with Adamson, take this review as a high recommendation not only of this, but of his entire oeuvre.

A journey through hell (which to Adamson is clearly Earth,) a violent death, and a (presumable) assumption into heaven. The themes are universal, but Adamson loads them up with his personal obsessions and uniquely quirky humor. Sometimes the jokes don't work: Jazz Devil is a little on the hokey side. Nevertheless most of the time, he hits his mark (especially in Still I Rise and The Monkey Speaks His Mind.)

One thing Adamson excels at is making albums. That is, interrelated series of musical compositions that ideally you listen to in one sitting. As Above, So Below is no exception. You need to listen to its entirety to really appreciate what Adamson is doing. Repeated listenings are rewarded as this is a magnificently textured musical experience.

So much has been said about his blending of musical styles that it really isn't worth mentioning. Suffice to say that Adamson is influenced by jazz, funk, dub, and movie soundtrack music. Adamson is consummate producer and it's clear that every little detail was thoughtfully planned if not obsessed over.

In sum, it's probably his most listenable and best realized album yet. If you're looking for an intro, this is a good place to start.

This cd crosses numerous pop and jazz influenced styles in a loose exploration of themes of redemption, sin, death and heaven. The opening songs are cool in a sort of Burt Bacharach way, then the cd moves into more aggressive sounds, with rap and electronica influences. Barry played bass for Nick Cave and worked on soundtracks, including David Lynch's Lost Highway, and his style is on the noir side. The cd infuses his brooding themes alternatively with humor (Jazz Devil, Come Hell or High Water), and with anger and desperation (Still I Rise, The Monkey Speaks His Mind).

Barry's voice is gutteral and serious - he doesn't strech himself too much - but it works for the material. Very cool performance.

After listening to As Above So Below for a few days it has succeeded in driving all other tunes from my head. Intense, tuneful, pop-o-matic, jazzy, noisy music for the film in Barry Adamson's head that never was. On to buy the rest of Mr. Adamson's body of work.