One Man Show (1980)
by Jacques Bogart

Packs an intense smell reminiscent of a freshly cut tree. If uniqueness is a strong quality in fragrances, then One Man Show is a hands-down winner. Be careful when and where you wear it though. It is one of those Love or Hate scents, much like YSL Kouros, although they have little in common besides their radioactive strength and the strong reactions they elicit from others. Am I going to reach for it often? Nope. But I do enjoy wearing a light spray on my chest every now and then when I plan to spend the evening on my couch BY MYSELF. Definitely more wearable in cold weather.

25th November, 2011.

Yes it's rough and relatively unsophisticated (unlike say...Azzaro PH) but I absolutely love this fantastic powerhouse. It is utterly masculine and has fantastic longevity. The opening may be a little harsh and synthetic but it really does dry down into something very warm, manly and long lasting.

Ok it's quirky and a little unusual, and can be initially quite jarring, but it's definately worth the effort to get to know it a bit better. No sitting on the fence here..........a big thumbs up!

24th February, 2011.

As much as I should hate One Man Show, I somehow find myself liking it. PerfumeCollector is accurate in pointing out the strong basil in the opening, but let's be realistic here: this fragrance is blatantly synthetic on top. It reminds me of Sung Homme, except without the indecisiveness. Aside from the basil and a remunerative dry citrus ensemble, there are whopping doses of bitter chemicals roaring off my skin. The effect is jarring to say the least, and gives the olfactory impression of filthy metal - think Azzaro Chrome with tar, smoke, and grime instead of fruit and calone. After about twenty minutes, a distinct and smokeless incense and tobacco shimmer through the coldness, and give OMS a very interesting contrast between its metallic skin and earthier core. Things remain fairly linear and gradually soften as the hours wear on.

I'm tempted to say that OMS is an oddity, but it stands among dozens of other incense-laden masculines from this era - the raw incense accord is similar in Kouros, Quorum, and to a lesser extent, the Sung. While anything but sexy, it exudes power, with its own aggressive form of intimidation, and evokes images of scowling Russian businessmen in smoky boardroom meetings. If you smoke, or are often around smokers, this one would go well with that atmosphere. It's definitely worth trying.

7th January, 2011.

The supposed cacophony of this fragrance is overstated, I think. Yes, the initial scent after application (the first 20 minutes or so) is strong and abrasive (but less so than, say, Givenchy Gentleman or Lapidus). As it moves into the heart, it is very incense-rich. To its credit, One Man Show smells like little else in the fragrance world - no bandwagon jumper is he. I agree with Shamu that this is quite wearable: I don't experience any of the paint-melting intensity that others allude to. It is not, beyond the opening, a powerhouse nor does it have a surplus of horsepower in the longevity department. After about six hours it is very skin-hugging and soft. At eight hours it barely registers.

One Man Show is neither incredibly beautiful nor obnoxiously vile. The potency and stamina of this, especially given the reputation, is disappointing. Worth a sniff for its unique composition.

3rd November, 2010.

No surprises here. Some have described this fragrance as masculine to the max. I wouldnt agree. I find it a little too sweet for my nose. To me it comes across like Kouros divided by 4. Im yet to develop a nose for fragrances, but I cant really analyse this one. It is in my collection now and I'll give it a go but not sure if I'll be reaching for this one too often. If I change my mind about One Man Show, I'll let you all know.

2nd November, 2010.

Are we talking about the same OMS? The one I have seems to have nothing to do with the reviews in here,
First of all, it opens strongly as Basil. Synthetic????, not a chance, pure natural organic Basil. Have anybody here ever hold on his hands a pot of Basil and put it right under his nose? Has anybody here made Pesto from scratch? That is exactly what I get from the get go, Then slowly developing faint bergamot and rosewood notes too weak to really make a difference in my opinion. The floral stage also very weak and short lived, Then the incense comes, and it is glorious, with the nutmeg it makes a combination that is out of this world that lasts and last to finally slowly sucumb to one of the best woody drydown I have ever experienced. A masterpiece from beginning to end.

14th October, 2010.