Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars

By Barry Adamson

'Both clear-eyed and poetic. Unconventional, often painfully revealing, sometimes very funny... One of the best music autobiographies ever written: essential reading for anyone who wants to know where the musician's life can take someone' David Quantick, Record Collector, 5*

A signed copy is available here. 

In Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars, the enigmatic Barry Adamson shines a probing light into his own heart of darkness.

Born in the black and white world of post-industrial Manchester, Adamson saw music as a chance to turn his world technicolour. Propelled into punk via Magazine, he was the founding bass player in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, before stumbling too far down a dark, drug-induced path.

Adamson steers the reader through a mix of harrowing, tragic, funny and often life-affirming straights. Throughout it all, music – be it bass lines, melodies or film soundtracks – is the glue that binds a myriad of memories.

Written in Adamson’s distinctive and cinematic noir style, and including personal photographs throughout, Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars is an original and powerful memoir, full of suspense, humour and candour.

A deluxe boxset edition is available from Lexer Music and Omnibus Press. 

'Both clear-eyed and poetic. Unconventional, often painfully revealing, sometimes very funny... One of the best music autobiographies ever written: essential reading for anyone who wants to know where the musician's life can take someone' David Quantick, Record Collector, 5*

'Funny, incredibly candid and ultimately heart-breaking and it's probably the finest autobiography you will read this year... An utterly compelling read. He achieves this by writing an autobiography that reads like a novel. A book that will make you laugh and cry. It's touching and shocking and it also has the ability to surprise you in parts. It's a story for everyone who cares about real life.' Louder Than War

'Widescreen memoir' Uncut, 8/10

'Adamson’s fascinating and painfully candid memoir shines a probing light into a troubled heart of darkness, while reflecting with eloquence and insight into a lifelong love of music.’ The Wire

'Deeply personal memoir from multi-talented bassist and composer. Compellingly honest and evocative memoir, all illuminated along the way by pin-sharp pop culture references. A nuanced and positive meditation on illness, love, race, identity, loss, football, substance abuse and the transformative power of great music' Mojo, 4*

Publication Date: 30.09.21
ISBN: 9781913172251
Extent: 352 pages
Format: Hardback & eBook

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