Robert Wyatt

[Serge]

Has he officially retired now? Comicopera is a good album, but it's maybe not the best 'final' work you could hope for.

Yes, he has officially retired. From an interview in 'Uncut':

I thought, train drivers retire when they're 65, so I will, as well. I would say I've stopped, it's a better word than retired. Fifty years in the saddle, it's not nothing. It's completely unplanned, my life, and it's just reached this particular point. Other things have happened – I'm more taken up by politics, to be honest,than music at the moment. Music tags along behind it. There is a pride in [stopping], I don't want it to go off.

EDIT: New Page C

Spoiler alert

uckooland

[close]

[Funcrusher]

You can't hear how influential those albums were on (for example) Tortoise? Even by the definition of Post Rock (music developed from the techniques and traditions of Rock [and Roll]), they are definitely Post Rock pioneers, whether they superficially sound like a Post Rock band or not; all of those early bands (Soft Machine, Henry Cow, Matching Mole, Delivery, Quiet Sun, Hatfield & The North, Egg etc) were pioneering Post Rock[nb]Which is just a term conjured by hipster journos to make it seem less like they were actually championing prog rock.[/nb].

Just listening to the first one on YouTube - always liked the Softs but never checked out MM. It's really damn good, and I totally hear what your saying about Tortoise.

[Don_Preston]

You can't hear how influential those albums were on (for example) Tortoise? Even by the definition of Post Rock (music developed from the techniques and traditions of Rock [and Roll]), they are definitely Post Rock pioneers, whether they superficially sound like a Post Rock band or not; all of those early bands (Soft Machine, Henry Cow, Matching Mole, Delivery, Quiet Sun, Hatfield & The North, Egg etc) were pioneering Post Rock[nb]Which is just a term conjured by hipster journos to make it seem less like they were actually championing prog rock.[/nb].

It's one thing to say they were all influences, and another saying they were the 'original post-rock group.'

But that logic, you can say Stockhausen was the original jazzer because Miles and Teo were influenced by him for On The Corner.

[NoSleep]

Except that the definition of Post Rock fits perfectly what all those bands were doing long before the coin was termed to avoid some journalist having to admit to appreciating prog. Which is why all the Post Rock bands can be found at http://progarchives.com/

But I know you have an inner urge to disagree with me, regardless of being wrong.

[Don_Preston]

You're a very arrogant plonker, aren't you!

[NoSleep]

Was that a question?

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

oooooOOOOoohh

(Addressed at you two)

Been listening to shleep more this week - very nice. Finall got the marvelousness that Free Will and Testament is (that you've presumably got too DB Based on your personal text). I love how wyatt can get such wonderfully evocative stuff out of very simple chordy structures (think it's only 4 chords) but lovely.

Is Dondestan worth trying? I like bits that I've heard but I have to admit I was slightly put off by the 4.8 pitchfork review. Which is silly really, cus pitchfork's reviews are point-missing wank most of the time.

[NoSleep]

Dondestan is definitely worth a look. There's two versions of the album, as it got remixed (in the original sense of the word; they mixed it again) after several years passing. I haven't really looked closely enough at both together to decide whether they improved on the original mixes, having thought highly of the album the first time through. It seemed like a nice follow up to Old Rottenhat; very much in the same vein on the ones where Robert writes the lyrics; which are also the best tracks (all on side two of the original album). I usually have only played side two (skipping the first track) come to think of it, but those tracks are worth the price.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Cheers pal.

Also, re: shleep, I've only just got that 'blues in bob minor' is a lyrical (and rivmic) reference to Subterranian Himesick Blues, hence the title. Second dunce moment in this thread, bollocking hecks

[Heid The Baw]

I love most of his stuff. The Eps compilation is nice package if you can find it. The Animals disc is a bit hard work though. His voice is brilliant - its like a jazz instrument. 

[poodlefaker]

I've been listening to "Sunset Glow" by Julie Tippetts a lot recently. She was a mate of RW, and it was conceived as a sort of answer record to "Rock Bottom", to cheer him up. Parts of it have a similar feel to his work; it's brilliant.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Also, kind of a minor thing, but he's one of the few singers who can make a lisp into a cool sounding thing/

[NoSleep]

That's an intentional device that he uses: suppressing any s's he has to pronounce. He's copped that idea from jazz singer Sarah Vaughn. There's such a thing as a "de-esser" that you can use on a recording of a vocalist that electronically achieves this same desirable effect, so top marks for Robert for pre-empting this.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Hm, really? Seems a bit odd, considering that he talks that way in interviews and the like as well.

[NoSleep]

I have numerous interviews by him here and never noticed a lisp. Toyah had a lisp (and probably subsequent speech therapy).

No sign of his "lisp" on his first ever vocal outing with The Soft machine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpE8dkUHuz4

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

It's only a slight one, and only seems to be on some 's's and not others. Doesn't seem that unnoticeable though. Can you not hear it in this at all? http://youtu.be/yScb6wbQRRE

[NoSleep]

I can notice something on the occasional "s" and "d" if but that could be the cumulative effect of suppressing them in his singing for so many years. This is the most marked (and quite early) example I know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ1pM06WgRg

"essing" is definitely something to avoid (and that many singers will attempt to avoid - as well as recording engineers), especially in the vinyl era, as "esses" can cause lots of extraneous noise in the grooves of a record both in the cutting process and in manufacturing.

[Don_Preston]

Fucking hell, you even have to try and disagree about his evident speech impediment! You've surpassed yourself this time, Noel.

[NoSleep]

And you can hear that it's absent on Love Makes Sweet Music? And also hear how affected it is on Signed Curtain (an early example of his "lisp")?

Almost as affected as your constant attempts to disagree with me.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Has he officially retired now?

Not quite...

[NoSleep]

Excitingly, the line up features Robert Wyatt, with the legendary singer set to come out of retirement to support Jeremy Corbyn.

I didn't think I could love the guy more, and now this. Excellent news and for a worthy cause.

[poodlefaker]

Can I just flag up this piece of wonderfulness: https://huette-band.de/. It's also on Spotify.

[Head Gardener]

Not quite...

3 years old news... shame

[poodlefaker]

There are some clips from t hat gig on YouTube; his voice sounds  great. Danny Thompson on form too.

[NoSleep]

I went to that gig. I would guess that most of the people who went had gone on the chance of seeing Robert. However the compere seemed ignorant of this as she didn't even mention his name when talking about Paul Weller coming onstage later (several times). A little prior to them coming onstage the compere was probably surprised why the whole audience burst into applause and cheering as, unbeknownst to her, a man in a wheelchair rolled onto the stage to set to soundcheck his piano and mic. It was the first confirmation we'd had that he was actually going to appear.

Later on, Jezza made an unscheduled appearance (and bigged up Robert, amongst others) and John McDonnell was in attendance throughout.

[poodlefaker]

Great post. What I found interesting was that although that gig was widely reported in the mainstream media beforehand, it was scarcely reviewed at all.

[Heid The Baw]

I've never had the chance to see RW live. Hope there's still a chance. Was listening to Rock Bottom earlier and I remembered that I've got lots of his stuff to revisit including the eps box set. Just checked wiki and apparently Old Rotten Hat was dedicated to a Soviet spy. Bullshit or f**k my hat I didn't realise that?

[Head Gardener]

75 today, happy birthday!

[poodlefaker]

Can I just flag up this piece of wonderfulness: https://huette-band.de/. It's also on Spotify.

Srsly, this was the best album of 2019.

[Satchmo Distel]

Wow, yes, like Coltrane's "Meditations" or Pharoah Sanders. Multiphonic. Many thanks for posting it.