BARRY AdAMsON

Memento Mori (Anthology 1978–2018) MUTE 7/10 Celebrating 40 years of murderous, cinematic cool That this 17-track overview of Adamson’s career makes for a more rewarding listen ordered stylistically, rather than chronologically, says a lot about his protean talent. He’s maybe best known as the bass constant in Magazine, whose lurching “Parade” earns a place here as an Adamson/dave Formula co-write, and through his three years with the Bad Seeds, represented by “From Her To Eternity”. But with his 1988 debut, Moss Side Story, Adamson secured his niche as a solo composer (and player) of imagistic music with a widescreen sweep, drawing on ’50s film noir, ’60s spy movie and ’70s Blaxploitation scores, adding humour and droll lasciviousness. If the hammy “Civilization” is an odd pick from 2008’s Back To The Cat, the classics amply compensate: his cover of Bernstein’s “The Man With The Golden Arm”, “The Snowball Effect” (from The Negro Inside Me) and “The Big Bamboozle”, which recalls david rose’s “The Stripper” and the theme from The Ipcress File. The set is brought up to date with this year’s unreleased “The Hummingbird”, a bluesy ballad set to a galloping rhythm. “Cinematic soul” is Adamson’s term for his moody, brassblasted sound, and on this evidence, it’s hard to challenge. Extras: none.