Isn’t he great? My dad met Ivor Cutler once while selling books, and recognised him from his absurdly deep voice. That’s my only Robert Wyatt-related anecdote, and it’s not even mine.
Anyway, here’s Forest, I only really know this, Shipbuilding, and Rock Bottom, not really sure where to go next from this…
Oooo he’s great. Comicopera is low-key his best, so go there next, if only for this beauty:
My favorite song of his is this cover of a Chic song:
No real annecdote to tell. Except maybe that I bought Rock Bottom from a second hand bin at £5 or so.
Rock Bottom easily my favourite, just such a special sound. Really love the Wyatt era Soft Machine records too
This came up on youtube autoplay and is pretty neat:
I really like everything I’ve heard by him. Old Rottenhat sounds like it was recorded by him in his bedroom
the Soft Machine stuff he was on is great also, Volume 2 is my favourite
Saw them in Birmingham Barbarellas in the early70s. Said “hi” to hm in the toilets and went home with half a drumstick that he threw in the crowd.
Always loved his voice, H e said " hello " back to me. Not enough material for a book , I know, but great memories
<3 him
such a great and consistent back catalogue
First heard him on the John Peel show, not sure which track but it was from Dondestan (which had just come out), possibly ‘Left On Man’. Peel introduced it by saying something like “and now, the return of one of the finest bittersweet voices in popular music” but didn’t actually say his name, so I was left in suspense, trying to guess who it might be. It seems silly now, because they don’t sound alike, but I’d convinced myself it might have been Syd Barrett. Anyway, all was revealed at the end of the track and I’ve been a fan ever since.
Came her to post Gharbzedegi. Such a special song. That looping, building, off kilter chord progression in the chorus / outro does things to my nerve endings. Tinglesome.
Rock Bottom is my favourite album though. If you’ll excuse the pun, it’s so deep. Even now when I listen to it there are details and counter melodies which surface that I’ve not picked up on before.
Another fave track is The Duchess from Shleep. It has the weird half-buried dream like quality which Boards of Canada convey. Sounds nothing like them of course, but it gives me the same feels. Probably due to the snatches of “Grand Old Duke of York” nursery rhyme melody. Nice.
Decided to look for a Robert Wyatt thread and couldn’t find any, apart from this one, but I’ve just come to the conclusion that Rock Bottom is pretty much a perfect album, in a way that I’d never want to listen to anyone who was trying to replicate it.
Been thinking about him quite a bit lately what with the rise of fascism and all. hope he’s having a nice semi-retirement
Wanna write more about him actually but can’t articulate it right now. Think he’s hugely underrated and deserves to be on the same mantle as e.g. Scott Walker
